NEWS CLUES: It’s Like Adderall For Your Eyeballs

Supreme Court Rules Against Foxwoods, Casino Construction Delayed Indefinitely Back in May, Philadelphia City Council voted to overturn a Mayor Street veto of its anti-casino bill. The bill would reverse the zoning status of the proposed Foxwoods site, delaying the beginning of construction indefinitely. In June, Foxwoods filed an emergency petition with the PA Supreme Court. In Count I of the petition, Foxwoods asked the state’s highest court to overturn the anti-casino bill on the grounds that it is somehow “unconstitutional.” Today the high court ruled against Foxwoods, calling the matter “not ripe for adjudication” and dismissed the casino’s request […]

UPDATE: Tierney, Drexel Mum On Sale

We’ve had a request for comment into Drexel’s media relations office since last night, and a follow-up phone call this morning asking for confirmation or denial of the rumors floating around that Drexel has bought or is about to buy the Inquirer Building at 400 North Broad. And as of this writing: Nothing. Given the pace of the modern news cycle, you might be tempted to say that Drexel’s communication’s office is utterly incompetent — I mean, c’mon these rumors are floating on the Internet for going on 24 hours and to date the Drexel communications office has communicated nothing […]

KILLADELPHIA: Fiddling While Rome Burns

HARRISBURG — Despite an impassioned personal plea by Gov. Rendell to do more, a state House panel this morning endorsed one bill aimed at curbing gun violence but rejected two others and tabled action on a fourth.In a 27-2 vote, Judiciary Committee members approved a bill sponsored by Speaker Dennis O’Brien (R., Phila.) to create a mandatory minimum prison sentence of 20 year for anyone who fires a weapon at a police officer. Also by wide margins, the committee rejected bills that would limit the number of handguns a person can buy to one a month and allow cities to […]

NPR FOR THE DEAF: We Hear It Even When You Can’t

FRESH AIR Washington Post correspondent Thomas Ricks has recently returned from Iraq — where senior military commanders now say that the key threat facing the U.S.effort isn’t terrorists, it’s the intransigence of the Shia-dominated government. Ricks, a regular Fresh Air guest, is a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and author of the best-selling Fiasco: The American Military Adventure in Iraq. PLUS, Say “Christopher Plummer,” and some people automatically think of The Sound of Music, in which he played the Baron von Trapp. But that’s just one of about 100 films Plummer has been in; recent highlights from his big-screen career include Syriana, […]

PARTY FOUL: Naked Drunk Causes Mayhem on I-95

Delaware State Police have arrested a Chester, Pa. man who they say was running naked and drunk on Interstate 95 and caused three accidents. Police say 26-year-old Ardonas Gilbert [NOT pictured, left] was running along the southbound lanes near Marsh Road about 10pm Monday. He is charged with two counts of assault and a single count of being drunk on the highway. Two citizens tried to help Gilbert, but police say he began to assault them. Then police say he ran back into traffic and caused three accidents when cars tried to avoid hitting him. No one was seriously hurt. […]

THE CASE AGAINST OBAMA: The Fallacy Of ‘Boomer Politics,’ Post- Or Otherwise, & Why Hillary Is Our Man

From Stumper, one of Newsweek’s blog-type thingees, a Q&A with Dr. Sean Wilentz: You seem to be saying that only Hillary can take us beyond Baby Boomer politics because only she’s lived through it. But Obama’s argument is that he represents a post-Baby Boomer politics, and that he’s not bogged down, like Hillary, in those old conflicts. I think the whole idea of Baby Boomer politics is the problem. That concept. I’m very disappointed in that. There’s no such thing. You cannot enter this moment and make a new departure unless you understand what you’re departing from. And that’s what […]

NEWS CLUES: It’s Like Adderall For Your Eyeballs

PHILLY WI-FI NO-GO: Earthlink Cries ‘Uncle,’ Says Internet Just Too Damn Hard With municipal Wi-Fi networks fizzling across the nation, EarthLink will stop making major investments in such systems and is considering “strategic alternatives” for its municipal wireless business. That suggests that the company is open to selling the municipal unit, which is responsible for the pacesetting Wi-Fi deployment in Philadelphia and systems in other cities. At the same time, Philadelphia City Councilman Frank Rizzo is reported to have called for a hearing to discuss difficulties with the Wi-Fi rollout. The Philadelphia Wi-Fi deployment is EarthLink’s largest and, like many […]

KILLADELPHIA: 16 Year Old Boy Shot In The Head

INQUIRER: A 16-year-old male was shot to death late yesterday in the Connell Park area of Southwest Philadelphia, authorities said. The victim, whose name was not released, was shot in the head, chest and back about 7 p.m. in the 6500 block of Wheeler Street, police said. He was pronounced dead on arrival at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, investigators said. An alleged gunman, described as about 5-foot-7 and wearing a skull cap, was seen fleeing the area on foot. No arrests were made. MORE UPDATE: A 16-year-old male was shot to death yesterday evening in the Connell […]

RUMOR & SIGH: Inquirer Building Sold To Drexel?

UPDATE: This just in from Philly.com Drexel University real estate people are among the potential buyers who have made repeat visits to the Inquirer and Daily News building at 400 North Broad Street and the parking garage and lot behind it on 15th Street in recent weeks. Agents for Drexel’s Center City medical campus, which includes the dorms, bookstore and classrooms surrounding Hahnemann University Hospital, have also been talking to property owners in the 300 block of North 15th Street, just south of the papers’ back door, according to real estate sources. No word on whether Drexel would share space […]