AP goes off on the big fake ID scandal at PennDOT and the teacher hiring freeze at Philadelphia School District, plus the Flyers rocked and Lady Pha Pha got cold-cocked. Get in here!
THE EARLY WORD: Hello Kitten
Emceed by Kitten-in-Chief Anna Goldfarb, the pageant will feature dudes from different Philly neighborhoods competing against each other for the enviable title of Shmitten Kitten’s Mister America as well as a slew of awesome prizes. All major Philadelphia neighborhoods will be represented: Mr. South Philly, Mr. Fishtown, Mr. Northern Liberties, Mr. West Philly, Mr. Rittenhouse, Mr. Fairmount, and a wildcard slot for any outliers. The boys will have to prove themselves the best in the city based on their choice of first date attire, their most inspirational hidden talents, and their ability to wow everyone with their wit while answering […]
METAPHYSCIAL GRAFFITI: I Tag, Therefore I Am
[Photos by JONATHAN VALANIA] BY JEFF DEENEY It’s been a while since I took a look at what’s going on with the many graffiti walls around town, so here’s a quick update. The most recent addition to the graffiti wall scene in North Philly is on the lower edge of the Badlands at 4th and Susquehanna; the center piece of this small collection of modest mural pieces is a portrait of Mumia Abu-Jamal just psychedelic enough to be confused for George Clinton from a distance. As recent as last summer these walls were bare so it’s nice to see some […]
PAPERBOY: Slow-Jamming The Alt-Weeklies
BY DAVE ALLEN Like time, news waits for no man. Keeping up with the funny papers has always been an all-day job, even in the pre-Internets era. These days, however, it’s a two-man job. That’s right, these days you need someone to do your reading for you, or risk falling hopelessly behind and, as a result, increasing your chances of dying lonely and somewhat bitter. That’s why every week PAPERBOY does your alt-weekly reading for you. We pore over those time-consuming cover stories and give you the takeaway, suss out the cover art, warn you off the ink-wasters and steer […]
DEENEY: When The State Orders Abortion
[Illustration by LEONARDO DA VINCI] BY JEFF DEENEY The Daily News’s most recent assault on incompetence and systemic failure at DHS deals with a touchy topic: the agency’s unusual role as abortion advocate with its pregnant juvenile clients. Regina Medina’s story details how the agency got a court to order the procedure after the client’s birth mother refused to comply with the agency’s demand for it. The pregnant teen eventually had to seek a late term abortion in New Jersey because the court proceeding and a failed first attempt to access women’s health services had dragged the process on long […]
NPR FOR THE DEAF: We Hear It Even When You Can’t
FRESH AIR Philadelphia Daily News reporters Barbara Laker and Wendy Ruderman received the 2010 Pulitzer Prize for investigative reporting for the 10-month series “Tainted Justice,” an expose of alleged corruption among members of an elite narcotics squad on the Philadelphia police force. During their reporting, Laker and Ruderman uncovered allegations against officers that included committing sexual assaults, disabling surveillance cameras during drug raids to hide their misdeeds, and filing fraudulent warrants. During several raids, the police allegedly stole thousands of dollars in merchandise and money from small retailers. As a result of Laker and Ruderman’s investigation, hundreds of drug cases […]
GUNCRAZY: Off-Duty Cop Kills One, Wounds Two, Over Water Battle; Infant And Adolescents Shot
INQUIRER: An off-duty Philadelphia police officer allegedly shot and killed a man and wounded two other people in South Philadelphia on Sunday night after what witnesses said was an argument over a playful water battle. The encounter happened around 6:30 on the 1800 block of Hoffman Street, according to police spokesman Lt. Frank Vanore. MORE RELATED: Around 8 p.m. Jesus, still holding the baby, began walking across the street toward her home. Suddenly, two young men opened fire at each other, police said. The baby was caught in the cross fire and was hit in the right armpit. She was […]
PHILADELPHIA UNION: About Last Night
BY MIKE WOLVERTON SPORTS GUY The Union played a very fan-friendly game on Saturday night. If you are going to get tonked in a 10:30 PM start, you owe it to your fans to be put away early so they can get some sleep. The Union did their part by conceding inside the first minute in Los Angeles. The box score is a bit unkind to the Union, as it says Adolph DeLaGarza’s goal came in the zeroth minute, before the game began, when in fact it took LA 53 seconds to score. A second goal from a post-corner scramble […]
SCRAPPLE TV NEWS: Piggy Of The Week
A.P. takes on Comcast-Spectacor chairman Ed Snider for continuing to shove his Republican views down the throat of a city that is overwhelmingly Democratic.
DEENEY VS. DISTEFANO: The Future Of Newspaper Journalism Is ‘Location, Location, Location’
[Photo by MICHAEL PENN] DISTEFANO: The creditors hung on and bested the hometown investors because they believe we, the people who put together, distribute and sell the news, features and investigative reporting assembled daily under veteran Inquirer editor Bill Marimow and frugal Daily News boss Mark Frisby can make them more money than if they grabbed the best offer and ran. MORE DEENEY: One component of the price is the company’s real estate, including its building at 400 N. Broad St. and its printing plant near Conshohocken, which was valued at $30 million. The new owners might ultimately decide to […]
PAPERBOY: Slow-Jamming The Alt-Weeklies
BY DAVE ALLEN Like time, news waits for no man. Keeping up with the funny papers has always been an all-day job, even in the pre-Internets era. These days, however, it’s a two-man job. That’s right, these days you need someone to do your reading for you, or risk falling hopelessly behind and, as a result, increasing your chances of dying lonely and somewhat bitter. That’s why every week PAPERBOY does your alt-weekly reading for you. We pore over those time-consuming cover stories and give you the takeaway, suss out the cover art, warn you off the ink-wasters and steer […]
BREAKING: Senior Lenders Outbid Local Investors, Purchase Inky/DN for $139 Million; Tierney Out
ASSOCIATED PRESS: Publisher Brian Tierney says creditors have won the auction for Philadelphia newspapers with a $139 million bid. Tierney says he won’t fight the bankruptcy confirmation of the bid for the company that operates The Philadelphia Inquirer and Philadelphia Daily News. The company is expected to emerge from the bitterly fought bankruptcy at the end of June after 14 months. MORE PHILLY.COM: Brian P. Tierney, CEO of Philadelphia Newspapers L.L.C., announced Wednesday afternoon that the company that owns the Philadelphia Inquirer and Daily News has been sold to its senior lenders for $135 million. That includes $105 million in […]
IN THE MIDNIGHT HOUR: Philly Newspaper Auction Begins After 17 Hours Of Wrangling, No Winner Yet
INQUIRER: Bidding for Philadelphia Media Holdings, which owns the Inquirer, Philadelphia Daily News, and Philly.com, began at 3:45 a.m. today, nearly 17 hours after three groups vying to own the media company first gathered in a law office in midtown Manhattan. As of 5 a.m., no decision had been made as to which bid was in the lead, although all three bids had been gone through by the group. MORE KAREN HELLER: For the third time in four years, Philadelphia’s two major daily newspapers are facing potential change in ownership. The lead-up to this week’s auction included a whiplash switch […]