Mayor Cherelle Parker is preparing for Year 2 of her Kensington crackdown, which includes drones and expanded resources for people struggling with addiction.

The big picture: Parker has made ending open-air drug markets and reviving the neighborhood cornerstones of her agenda since taking office last year.

State of play: In 2024, Kensington saw steep declines in homicides as police staffing levels swelled. The city also cleared two homeless encampments (along with another in Port Richmond).

Yes, but: Police Commissioner Kevin Bethel cautioned at a Monday news conference that more must be done for the neighborhood.

• "We do not present to you that we won. … We are in here for the long haul," he said.

What's ahead: Some of the administration's plans to improve public safety this year include:

• Using a drone pilot program in Kensington and other sites.
• Expanding the city's new "neighborhood wellness court."
• Running the Kensington Wellness Support Center 24-7. The center offers medical screenings, drug withdrawal management and other services.

Zoom in: The drones will respond to 911 calls and assist officers with situational awareness, deputy commissioner Pedro Rosario, who's leading the department's Kensington initiative, said at the news conference.

• There is no official ETA on when the program will go online, he tells Axios.

Meanwhile, the Parker administration plans to expand its "neighborhood wellness court," where people with addiction who are arrested for low-level summary offenses, like disorderly conduct, are given the option of seeking treatment instead of facing criminal penalties.

• The wellness court, which launched last month, currently operates one day a week.

Plus: The administration launched a new online dashboard that tracks progress in Kensington.

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Pennsylvania's fatal drug overdose rate plummeted by more than 9% in 2023 from the previous year, per new CDC data.

The big picture: Overdose deaths seem to be falling across the country as pandemic-era isolation ebbs and access to life-saving medications like Naloxone grows.

• Nationwide, the fatal drug overdose rate fell 4% from 2022 to 2023, despite major increases in states out West and up in Alaska.

By the numbers: The Keystone State's fatal drug overdose rate dipped to 37.1 per 100,000 people in 2023, CDC data shows.

• Of the the 4,720 overdose deaths, Black Pennsylvanians continue to be disproportionately affected, per preliminary data.

Zoom in: Philadelphia saw a 7% drop in drug overdose deaths from 2022 to 2023 — the first decline in five years.

• Yes, but: The 1,315 deaths still marked Philly's second-highest total.

The Eagles are in talks with the White House about visiting after their Super Bowl LIX win, but the team hasn't been formally invited by President Trump, a source with knowledge of the discussions tells Axios.

The big picture: The longstanding tradition of a championship team taking a trip to the White House was largely broken during Trump's first term, starting with the Eagles in 2018. Some anti-Trump Philadelphia fans are hoping for a repeat.

Driving the news: The Eagles are "definitely talking about coming" to the White House, said another source, who wasn't authorized to speak publicly about the talks. "There's been no rejection."

• That's in response to a U.S. Sun report earlier this month that claimed the Eagles planned to spurn a White House invitation.

"They haven't declined at all," a White House official told Axios.

Zoom out: Only one of the four Super Bowl winners visited the White House during Trump's first term after he criticized the league and its players.

Catch up quick: Trump, who this month became the first sitting president to attend a Super Bowl, has a long-running feud with the Eagles. He recognized Kansas City but not Philadelphia for punching their ticket to New Orleans.

• When Philly won the Super Bowl in 2018, Trump rescinded their invitation to visit at the last minute because some team members planned to boycott the event.

Go deeper

💰 Scout, a company dedicated to preserving artist workspaces, submitted a winning bid of $12.25 million for UArts' Hamilton Hall at yesterday's auction.

• The group beat out a commercial real estate company that was also interested in the building. (Inquirer)

⚖️ Philly DA Larry Krasner says he wasn't endorsed by a former Democratic ward leader convicted of child sexual abuse.

• Krasner's Democratic opponent, Patrick Dugan, accused Krasner of being a "good friend" of former ward leader Steven Jones. (NBC10)

⛔ A federal judge has temporarily barred Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents from entering houses of worship to conduct enforcement sweeps.

• Several religious groups, including Quakers in Philly, sued the Trump administration to halt its immigration crackdown. (USA Today)

Inspirational speaker Pat Nogar has preached the power of gathering around a table in a TEDX talk. Now she's bringing her expertise to Main Line School Night.

Why it matters: The Philly lifestyle maven knows how to do two things better than most: host parties and tell stories. Through her local cooking classes, Nogar hopes to share her love of food and culture.

Driving the news: Nogar's first class at Main Line School Night, which offers classes about novel topics throughout the region, kicks off Wednesday.

• The topic: Pairing Girl Scout cookies with wine.

To set the table: Nogar's life is bold and flavorful, like a Ruby Port wine paired with Samoas.

• Her mother enrolled her in speech classes as a child. She later nurtured her love of storytelling at a Black newspaper in St. Louis.
• Since then, Nogar has done a little bit of everything, including public relations and planning events. She now runs a business that educates people about the ins and outs of "living well."

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