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Philadelphia Closes Schools for Eagles’ Super Bowl Parade

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Philadelphia Closes Schools for Eagles’ Super Bowl Parade

It was a dream come true for Philadelphia children when the Eagles soared to a Super Bowl victory Sunday against the Kansas City Chiefs. Now they’re getting a second wish granted: a day off school to celebrate with the champions at the city’s Super Bowl parade.

The School District of Philadelphia said on Tuesday that it would close all of its schools on Friday, freeing up nearly 200,000 students to join what is expected to be a million-strong crowd flooding the city’s streets. Nearly 20,000 school staff members will also get the day off.

“We look forward to joyfully celebrating the Eagles’ victory as a community,” the district announced, in what might be a formal way of saying, “Go Birds!”

The parade will travel through Center City, starting at 11 a.m. at Lincoln Financial Field, heading north past City Hall and ending by the Philadelphia Museum of Art, according to the city’s map of the route.

Parents face the decision of whether to bring their children to a parade that could involve, in some sections, standing shoulder to shoulder with strangers in temperatures expecting to hover in the 30s. Others might opt to take an impromptu vacation, as Philadelphia schools will also be closed on Monday for Presidents’ Day, giving students a four-day weekend.

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Social media was buzzing with opinions and recommendations about the parade, ranging from optimists booking Airbnbs near the stadium to cautious parents advising others to leave their children at home with a sitter.

Philadelphia’s public safety officials issued some precautions for parents who planned to bring children to the parade: make sure they are wearing bright colors; snap a photo of them before leaving; and write their phone number on a bracelet, on their wrist or on a piece of paper in their pocket, in case child and parent get separated.

Other educational institutions around Philadelphia jumped on the bandwagon: Temple University and nearby school districts like Gloucester City School District, in South Jersey, and Ridley School District, in Delaware County, all canceled classes. The Archdiocese of Philadelphia Schools, which oversees Catholic schools in the city and its suburbs, also announced that its high schools, parish and regional elementary schools would be closed.

Transit officials said that there would be limited train service starting from early morning and congestion in the roads because of the street closures. City officials also said that government offices, city daytime centers and courts would also be shut.

The timing of the parade, falling on Valentine’s Day, drew some grumbling from restaurant and flower shop owners in the city, some of whom complained the parade would affect their dinner service and deliveries. Mayor Cherelle Parker of Philadelphia sought to calm those concerns at a news conference on Tuesday.

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“To all in our restaurant community, we want you to know that we will be prepared,” she told reporters. “Nothing will interfere with our restaurant reservations on that evening. We will be done well before you are to appear for dinner. So don’t you dare touch any of those reservations.”

Philadelphia’s school district also closed in 2018 for the celebration of the Eagles’ first Super Bowl victory, against the New England Patriots.

Schools were closed during last year’s Super Bowl parade, in Kansas City, Mo., after Kansas City won against the San Francisco 49ers. A shooting at that parade left one person dead and about two dozen others wounded, including nine children.

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How a Syrian Hiking Club Is Rediscovering the Country

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The nearly 14-year civil war prevented Syrians from traveling freely to many parts of their own country. After the conflict ended a year ago, a group of outdoor enthusiasts began exploring newly accessible areas, fueled by a sense of adventure and hope.

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Video: Lego Unveils New Smart Brick

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Video: Lego Unveils New Smart Brick

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Lego bricks are getting tech-ified. Games writer James Austen just got his hands on Lego’s new smart bricks, which will be out later this year. So far, he’s impressed, but he’ll need to do some hands-on testing to decide if these are worth buying.

January 12, 2026

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Video: Violence at a Minneapolis School Hours After ICE Shooting

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Video: Violence at a Minneapolis School Hours After ICE Shooting

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Violence at a Minneapolis School Hours After ICE Shooting

As Minneapolis reels in the aftermath of a fatal shooting, the city shuts down its public schools following a violent confrontation between federal agents and civilians at a local high school.

Just hours after a federal agent fatally shot a woman in her vehicle, we captured these scenes at Roosevelt High School a few miles away. “The first thing I see is six or seven or eight S.U.V.s parked in the street, people in military fatigues, essentially, masks.” “Murderer!” “There were lots of yelling, whistling. It was really chaotic.” It was around 3:30 p.m. Classes had been dismissed and students were trickling out of school. “We were in a staff meeting, talking about the shooting that had happened earlier in the day. Another staff member came in and informed us within about five or 10 minutes of that meeting starting, that the agents were outside.” Teacher Nick Wilson ran out and started filming on his phone. One student said she fled the scene after seeing agents emerging from their cars. “We see them tackle teachers on the floor. And that’s when I was like, ‘Oh my God.’ I ran because I was scared for my life.” In a statement to The New York Times, the Department of Homeland Security said agents were chasing a U.S. citizen, who they said had rammed his vehicle into a government vehicle before driving and stopping in a school zone. D.H.S. said that it was not targeting the school, its students or its staff. The Times independently confirmed that one educator was detained by federal agents and has since been released. “It made me not want to come back to school no more because this is so terrifying. So yeah, that’s how I feel.” Minneapolis Public Schools told The Times the incident is currently under investigation and that all M.P.S. schools are closed until Monday out of an abundance of caution. “I’m still kind of in shock that was something that happened at this place I’ve called home for the last 14, 15 years of my life.”

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As Minneapolis reels in the aftermath of a fatal shooting, the city shuts down its public schools following a violent confrontation between federal agents and civilians at a local high school.

By Ben Garvin, Ang Li, Mark Boyer and Arijeta Lajka

January 11, 2026

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