Parking garage collapses in Grays Ferry, Philadelphia; 1 dead, 2 presumed dead, mayor says
One person has died and two people are missing after a partial collapse at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia parking garage under construction in the city's Grays Ferry neighborhood Wednesday.
The missing people are presumed dead, Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker said during a press conference Thursday night. Crews have shifted to a recovery mission rather than search and rescue, she said.
Philadelphia Fire Commissioner Jeffrey Thompson said nearby crews responded to the collapse at the parking garage on the 3000 block of Grays Ferry Avenue around 2:15 p.m. They were able to rescue three people. One of the construction workers died at Penn Presbyterian Medical Center, while the other two were treated and released.
"It's been a difficult day for the City of Philadelphia," Thompson said.
Parker asked Philadelphians to pray for those affected by the collapse Wednesday.
"We are not, we will not give up on these individuals," Parker said on Wednesday, "and we will not rest until everyone is accounted for from this tragedy."
CBS News Philadelphia
Parker said all three workers who died were members of Ironworkers Union Local 401.
Thompson said the seven-story parking garage is unstable, and the search for the two missing workers will take time.
Engineers are on the scene of the collapse because the building will need to be carefully deconstructed in order to make sure it's safe for members of the Philadelphia Fire Department to search for the workers, Thompson said.
"Please bear with us as we continue to conduct this operation," Thompson said. "We cannot give you a timeframe on how long it's going to take because, as we move through this process, we are constantly reevaluating the structure and making plans to make sure that we can conduct this operation as safely as possible."
Officials did not provide an update Thursday on the search efforts as crews are still working on stabilizing the structure.
Abi Aghayere, a professor of structural engineering at Drexel University, said the search for the two missing workers will be a meticulous process.
"It's still a small portion that can literally be deconstructed or dismantled, piece by piece," Aghayere said.
The collapse has shocked the community in Grays Ferry.
Andy Martinez had returned to her home on Wharton Street when she heard a loud rumble Wednesday afternoon. But it wasn't until she checked her Ring doorbell camera, which showed the partial collapse, that she realized what had happened.
"It was so loud," Martinez said. "I was upstairs all the way in the back of the house."
What to know about Philadelphia parking garage collapse
Parker provided more details on what led to the deadly collapse during a press conference Wednesday night.
Parker said a subcontractor working at the parking garage was in the process of installing precast concrete flooring, decking and roofing segments. The mayor said one of them failed, triggering a progressive collapse from all seven levels.
"The precast concrete segments were manufactured offsite and installed by the manufacturer," Parker said. "This process doesn't require standard L&I inspection. Instead, it falls under required special inspections that include periodic inspections for precast concrete installations."
Parker said the collapse was contained to the 30th Street side of the stair tower.
The Philadelphia Department of Licenses and Inspections has launched an investigation into the collapse and will audit all contractors and subcontractors working on the parking garage, Parker said.
Parker added that all permits required for the construction were approved and inspections were up to date.
CHOP cooperating with parking garage collapse investigation
Parker said she's been in contact with Madeline Bell, the CEO of CHOP, after the collapse and said they're cooperating with the investigation.
"Children's Hospital of Philadelphia is aware of a serious construction incident at our parking garage construction site on 3000 Grays Ferry Avenue in Philadelphia," a CHOP spokesperson said in a statement. "We are prioritizing the safety of the construction workers at this time and working closely with the City of Philadelphia and our construction partners. We will share additional information as it becomes available."
According to CHOP's website, the garage is being built to expand employee parking. Before its construction, however, many people in the community sought to stop the project, citing issues with traffic, pollution and health risks to the neighborhood.
Parker said she's also been in contact with Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro.
"Lori and I are praying for those injured in the parking garage that partially collapsed in Grays Ferry today, for the family of the individual who was tragically killed, and for the families who continue to wait while first responders search for their loved ones," Shapiro wrote on social media.
Road closures in area of Philadelphia parking garage collapse
Philadelphia officials are urging people to avoid the area where the collapse happened at the 3000 block of Grays Ferry Avenue as crews continue to investigate and search for the unaccounted workers.
Police First Deputy Commissioner John Stanford said Grays Ferry Avenue from 29th to 33rd streets is closed along with the shopping center across the street, due to the active scene. The streets and shopping center, which includes a Fresh Grocer and McDonald's, is also closed Thursday.
"Please stay away from this location while crews are here doing what they need to do," Stanford said. "Please do not come to try and take pictures or just to be on site or any of those types of things. The best thing you need to do is stay away from this location and pray for everyone that's involved in the situation."
Stanford said the closed section of Grays Ferry Avenue and the shopping center will reopen when authorities determine it's safe.
Multiple agencies, including the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), Philadelphia Fire Department, Philadelphia Police Department and L&I, will be on the scene of the collapse until the investigation is completed.
Updates on the collapse will be posted on the city of Philadelphia's website.
CBS Host LOSES IT After Sen. Kennedy FACT CHECKS Her Trump LIES… THIS GOT BAD!...
CBS Host PRESSES John Kennedy on Trump’s Spending — His Answer Takes an Unexpected Turn
The interview began with some of the biggest questions facing Washington: the conflict with Iran, rising fuel costs, and the approaching midterm elections. But when Republican Senator John Kennedy appeared on Face the Nation with CBS host Margaret Brennan, the conversation quickly moved toward an issue that could shape the political debate for months to come: how the government spends taxpayers’ money.
Kennedy did not pretend that the economic pressure facing American families was insignificant. He argued that voters were far more concerned about the cost of living than the daily battles playing out on television. With oil prices affected by disruptions around the Strait of Hormuz, he said, the consequences of foreign policy were reaching directly into household budgets.
Kennedy Brings the Conversation Back to Affordability
Kennedy’s message to the White House was unusually direct. He predicted that the midterm elections would be close and argued that Republicans needed to keep their attention on the financial concerns of ordinary Americans.
“When moms and dads lie down to sleep at night and can't,” Kennedy told Brennan, they are worried about the cost of living.
He also called for a nationwide address explaining why the United States entered the conflict with Iran, what the administration hoped to achieve, and how it intended to bring the situation to a conclusion.
His position was not a blanket rejection of the administration’s strategy. Kennedy defended continued pressure on Iran while acknowledging the economic consequences of the partially closed strait. He opposed sending American troops into the situation, warning that deploying them could create a new set of problems.
That combination—support for pressure abroad alongside concern about prices at home—set the tone for the rest of the interview.
Nearly $1 Billion in Cuts Sparks a Constitutional Dispute
The conversation became more pointed when Brennan asked about the White House’s decision to cancel nearly $1 billion in previously approved federal funding without congressional consent.
Brennan raised concerns expressed by Senator Susan Collins, the Republican chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, who argued that the move threatened Congress’s constitutional authority over federal spending.
Kennedy disagreed.
“I love Susan like a taco, but she's wrong,” he said before explaining his view that Congress often appropriates money in broad categories, leaving agencies with considerable discretion over how funds are ultimately used.
He then deployed the phrase that would become the interview’s most memorable sound bite: “Spending porn.”
Kennedy used the expression to criticize what he considers wasteful government expenditures, pointing to funding for circumcision programs in Zambia and electric buses in Rwanda. He also argued that Congress should take greater responsibility for identifying and eliminating spending it believes is unnecessary.
But the disagreement was about more than whether particular programs were worthwhile. It raised a larger question: when Congress approves funding, how much authority should the executive branch have to cancel or redirect it?
Kennedy defended the cuts, while Brennan’s question highlighted the legal and constitutional objections. The interview did not resolve that dispute, but it brought the competing arguments into sharp focus.
Then Kennedy Turned the Standard on Trump
The most revealing moment came when Brennan shifted from the proposed cuts to taxpayer-funded advertising.
She asked Kennedy about a government-funded commercial prominently featuring President Donald Trump and praising his leadership. The question echoed earlier controversy surrounding former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, whose department had spent $220 million on a border-security advertising campaign in which she appeared prominently.
Kennedy had previously criticized Noem’s campaign. Now, with Trump featured in another advertisement paid for by the federal government, Brennan asked whether that spending was appropriate.
Kennedy’s response was notable because he explicitly included his own political allies—and himself—in the principle he was defending.
“I don't think any public official, including President Trump or Kristi Noem or John Kennedy, should spend public money on private ads for themselves,” he said.
He acknowledged that the White House viewed the issue differently but argued that public funds should not be used to promote individual politicians. He also suggested that politicians should not have buildings named after them while they are still alive.
That answer complicated any attempt to portray his position as simply a defense of the administration. Kennedy supported the proposed spending cuts, but he also applied his criticism of taxpayer-funded self-promotion to Trump.
The Real Takeaway From the Interview
The exchange was not a shouting match, nor does the published transcript establish that Brennan lost her composure or that Kennedy fact-checked a series of false statements from her. What it does show is a pointed discussion about economic priorities, congressional spending authority, and whether public money should be used to enhance a politician’s image.
Kennedy’s argument was straightforward: families are worried about affordability, government spending deserves scrutiny, and the rules should apply regardless of party.
Whether viewers agree with his assessment of the proposed cuts is a separate question. The legal dispute over executive spending authority and the debate over taxpayer-funded political advertising deserve examination beyond a few memorable television lines.
The moment worth watching is when Brennan moves from criticizing government spending in general to asking Kennedy about an advertisement featuring Trump himself. That is where the discussion becomes more complicated—and where Kennedy’s stated principle is tested against his own party’s leadership.
Watch the full interview through the link below to hear the exchange in context and decide how convincing each side’s argument really was.
