PHILADELPHIA (AP) — In the contest for best scrapple sculpture in Philadelphia on Friday it was the “Mush Push” fashioned from the regionally popular pork breakfast meat that got Patrick Moser's entry over the goal line.
The Norristown tattoo artist's tribute to the Philadelphia Eagles' trademark short yardage play, known as the “tush push,” took the top honor at a lighthearted art competition to kick off the Scrapple & Apple Festival.
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Contestants work on their entries in Scrapple Sculpting Contest at the Reading Terminal Market in Philadelphia, Friday, Oct. 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
Toni Lee works on her entry to Scrapple Sculpting Contest at the Reading Terminal Market in Philadelphia, Friday, Oct. 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
Shown is Patrick Moser's entry "Mush Push" during the Scrapple Sculpting Contest at the Reading Terminal Market in Philadelphia, Friday, Oct. 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
The chief executive of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, Sasha Suda, center top, walks amongst competitors in the Scrapple Sculpting Contest at the Reading Terminal Market in Philadelphia, Friday, Oct. 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
Victoria Roath works on her creation in the Scrapple Sculpting Contest at the Reading Terminal Market in Philadelphia, Friday, Oct. 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
The celebration of all things scrapple at Reading Terminal Market began with the contest to fashion art from 5 pounds (2.25 kilograms) of scrapple.
Moser and 11 other volunteer contestants were given sculpting tools and 90 minutes to come up with their best scrapple creations. The “expert judge” was Sasha Suda, chief executive of the Philadelphia Museum of Art.
Moser described his work as “Caravaggio meets Siriani" — Nick Siriani is the Eagles' head coach, and Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio was a Baroque painter in Italy during the 14th and 15th centuries. The tush push, also sometimes called the “brotherly shove,” is a play by the reigning NFL champions that other teams have been unable to counter.
As for scrapple? Although it’s sometimes the butt of jokes, it’s a food that’s popular among the German families who settled in eastern Pennsylvania in the colonial period. When made properly it’s a porcine delicacy and commonly available at diners and on farmhouse tables across the state.
It takes hours to properly cook, according to Marlin Dietrich, owner of Dietrich’s Meats & Country Store in Krumsville, Pennsylvania. He sells about 300 pounds (135 kilograms) of it per week.
Dietrich boils down beef and pork bones and seasons it all with salt, pepper and coriander. His scrapple is thickened with buckwheat flour and roasted cornmeal. Dietrich fries it to a crisp exterior and enjoys it with another Pennsylvania Dutch staple, apple butter.
“I like it once or twice a week for breakfast,” Dietrich said. “Making a sculpture? That’s a shame.”
Moser's lumps of indistinguishable football players won him a trophy and a $100 gift card. The public is also getting a chance to weigh in on Saturday, when the artworks were to be on display at the market. Last year’s scrapple sculpting contest winner was a cookie jar decorated with a rooster and an egg inside.
If a football themed sculpture isn't enough scrapple, the festival also features such culinary offerings such as scrapple fries, an andouille scrapple breakfast sandwich, scrapple apple cookies and scrapple quiche. There's even a scrapple cheesesteak.
Scolforo reported from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.
Contestants work on their entries in Scrapple Sculpting Contest at the Reading Terminal Market in Philadelphia, Friday, Oct. 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
Toni Lee works on her entry to Scrapple Sculpting Contest at the Reading Terminal Market in Philadelphia, Friday, Oct. 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
Shown is Patrick Moser's entry "Mush Push" during the Scrapple Sculpting Contest at the Reading Terminal Market in Philadelphia, Friday, Oct. 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
The chief executive of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, Sasha Suda, center top, walks amongst competitors in the Scrapple Sculpting Contest at the Reading Terminal Market in Philadelphia, Friday, Oct. 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
Victoria Roath works on her creation in the Scrapple Sculpting Contest at the Reading Terminal Market in Philadelphia, Friday, Oct. 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
NEW YORK (AP) — Thousands of nurses in three hospital systems in New York City went on strike Monday after negotiations through the weekend failed to yield breakthroughs in their contract disputes.
The strike was taking place at The Mount Sinai Hospital and two of its satellite campuses, with picket lines forming. The other affected hospitals are NewYork-Presbyterian and Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx.
About 15,000 nurses are involved in the strike, according to New York State Nurses Association.
“After months of bargaining, management refused to make meaningful progress on core issues that nurses have been fighting for: safe staffing for patients, healthcare benefits for nurses, and workplace violence protections,” the union said in a statement issued Monday. “Management at the richest hospitals in New York City are threatening to discontinue or radically cut nurses’ health benefits.”
The strike, which comes during a severe flu season, could potentially force the hospitals to transfer patients, cancel procedures or divert ambulances. It could also put a strain on city hospitals not involved in the contract dispute, as patients avoid the medical centers hit by the strike.
The hospitals involved have been hiring temporary nurses to try and fill the labor gap during the walkout, and said in a statement during negotiations that they would “do whatever is necessary to minimize disruptions.” Montefiore posted a message assuring patients that appointments would be kept.
“NYSNA’s leaders continue to double down on their $3.6 billion in reckless demands, including nearly 40% wage increases, and their troubling proposals like demanding that a nurse not be terminated if found to be compromised by drugs or alcohol while on the job," Montefiore spokesperson Joe Solmonese said Monday after the strike had started. "We remain resolute in our commitment to providing safe and seamless care, regardless of how long the strike may last.”
New York-Presbyterian accused the union of staging a strike to “create disruption,” but said in a statement that it has taken steps to ensure patients receive the care they need.
"We’re ready to keep negotiating a fair and reasonable contract that reflects our respect for our nurses and the critical role they play, and also recognizes the challenging realities of today’s healthcare environment,” the statement said.
The work stoppage is occurring at multiple hospitals simultaneously, but each medical center is negotiating with the union independently. Several other hospitals across the city and in its suburbs reached deals in recent days to avert a possible strike.
The nurses’ demands vary by hospital, but the major issues include staffing levels and workplace safety. The union says hospitals have given nurses unmanageable workloads.
Nurses also want better security measures in the workplace, citing incidents like a an incident last week, when a man with a sharp object barricaded himself in a Brooklyn hospital room and was then killed by police.
The union also wants limitations on hospitals’ use of artificial intelligence.
The nonprofit hospitals involved in the negotiations say they’ve been working to improve staffing levels, but say the union’s demands overall are too costly.
Nurses voted to authorize the strike last month.
Both New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and Mayor Zohran Mamdani had expressed concern about the possibility of the strike. As the strike deadline neared, Mamdani urged both sides to keep negotiating and reach a deal that “both honors our nurses and keeps our hospitals open.”
“Our nurses kept this city alive through its hardest moments. Their value is not negotiable,” Mamdani said.
State Attorney General Letitia James voiced similar support, saying "nurses put their lives on the line every day to keep New Yorkers healthy. They should never be forced to choose between their own safety, their patients’ well-being, and a fair contract.”
The last major nursing strike in the city was only three years ago, in 2023. That work stoppage, at Mount Sinai and Montefiore, was short, lasting three days. It resulted in a deal raising pay 19% over three years at those hospitals.
It also led to promised staffing improvements, though the union and hospitals now disagree about how much progress has been made, or whether the hospitals are retreating from staffing guarantees.
Nurses strike outside Mount Sinai West Hospital, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)
Nurses strike outside Mount Sinai West Hospital, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)
Nurses strike outside Mount Sinai West Hospital, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)
Nurses strike outside Mount Sinai West Hospital, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)
FILE - A medical worker transports a patient at Mount Sinai Hospital, April 1, 2020, in New York. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer, File)
