ASBURY PARK, N.J. – Gay and lesbian couples across New Jersey began claiming their right to the legal benefits of marriage early today in ceremonies that formalized their relationships as civil unions. The state law establishing civil unions for same-sex couples took effect Monday. But because there is a 72-hour waiting period after applying for a license, most couples had to wait until today to hold civil union ceremonies. New Jersey is the third state in the nation to offer civil unions, which provide same-sex couples the same legal protections as marriage – but without the same title. Vermont and […]
WE THE PEOPLE: Gen. Wesley Clark Launches Petition
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COMING ATTRACTION: New Flick Combines Classic Philly Soul With Inspiring Tale Of Philly Swim Coach
PRIDE tells the true story of Philadelphia inner-city swim coach Jim Ellis and a group of audacious, talented African-American youngsters who trained with him, conquering inexperience, prejudice, low expectations and their own insecurities to win honors in a sport that had no black role models in 1973. Directed by South Africa’s Sunu Gonera, the life-affirming PRIDE stars Academy Award nominee Terrence Howard (HUSTLE & FLOW, CRASH, RAY) and Bernie Mac (GUESS WHO, OCEANS 12, BAD SANTA).Coinciding exactly with the time and place of the explosion of Philadelphia soul in the early 1970s, PRIDE presented an opportunity for the film music […]
NPR FOR THE DEAF: We Hear It Even When You Can’t
[Artwork and Text courtesy of www.gregpalast.com] FRESH AIR: S.V. Date writes for Florida’s Palm Beach Post. He closely followed Gov. Jeb Bush during his eight years in the state house in Tallahassee. Date’s new book is Jeb: America’s Next Bush.
CRIME: Coffee Crooks Working For Chump Change
The most recent splash-and-grab robbery happened early Wednesday at a Wawa convenience store in Magnolia, N.J., police said Wednesday. Authorities in Delaware, Bucks and Philadelphia counties in Pennsylvania, Camden County, N.J., and Wilmington are all trying to determine whether the cases in the three-week robbery spree are linked or involve copycat bandits. “We’re not sure if they’re the same people, but I would think there’s some link,” said Philadelphia police Detective Christopher Morton, of the Major Crimes Division. “The question we have is, ‘Why are they doing it?’ If they were getting a lot of money is one thing. But […]
Introducing: TODAY I SAW…By JEFF DEENEY
[Illustration by Alex Fine] BY JEFF DEENEY “Today I saw…” is a series of nonfiction shorts based on my experiences as a caseworker serving formerly homeless families now living in North and West Philadelphia. I decided not long after starting the job that I was seeing so many fascinating and disturbing things in the city?s poorest neighborhoods that I needed to start cataloging them. I hope this bi-weekly column serves as a record of a side of the city that many Philadelphians don’t come in contact with on a daily basis. I want to capture moments not frequently covered by […]
THE EARLY WORD: New World Order
THE ORDER OF THINGS FEBRUARY 24 + 25, 2007 Wagner Free Institute of Science THE ORDER OF THINGS invites visitors into an ethereal and seductive sound-scape that explores our relentless quest for order, from the private sphere to the vast domains of the natural world. This world premiere piece by British sound artist Scanner (a.k.a. Robin Rimbaud) will feature an electro-acoustic installation and 45-minute performance inspired by and created for the breathtaking space of The Wagner Free Institute of Science. Scanner’s work will celebrate the tercentenary of Swedish biologist Carolus Linnaeus, who was the father of modern taxonomy. The Wagner […]
CORPORATE CANCER: Wyeth Trying To Make Appeals Outlive The Plaintiffs?
PHILADELPHIA, Feb. 20 /PRNewswire/ — A state court jury in Philadelphia today found that Wyeth (NYSE: WYE) provided inadequate warnings on its drug Prempro and that the Hormone Therapy drug caused invasive breast cancer in Jennie Nelson, a 67 year old Ohio woman. The jury of nine awarded damages to Mrs. Nelson of $2.4 million and an additional $600,000 to her husband. This is the third time in which a Philadelphia state court jury found that Wyeth’s Hormone Therapy drugs caused a woman’s breast cancer. “We are very grateful to the members of the jury who carefully considered the facts […]
GAYBO: I Know Who Knocked Up Anna Nicole
BY TOMMY ZANE Here’s what I want to know about Anna Nicole: How can someone have so much money and be so unhappy? I mean, I just love hearing the sob stories of the rich. Daddy’s Little Girl can’t afford her Mercedes anymore because of her coke habit, or Biff can only go to Bermuda this summer instead of Italy, because Daddy lost some money in the stock market when Zimbabwe expelled the white farmers. Of course, Anna Nicole came from nothing, but please don’t confuse her story with the American Dream. She fucked, sucked and schemed her way to […]
THE EARLY WORD: Girls Can Tell
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HIZZONER ’07: Is Milton Street The Black Moses?
T. Milton Street, who hopes to replace his younger brother as mayor, offered an interesting political wager yesterday. Street promised to drop out of the mayoral race if he fails to draw a minimum of 5,000 supporters to a noon rally at City Hall on March 1. “If they don’t show up, then I’m out,” Street said. “That’s the end of it. You don’t have to worry about me again. All right? OK?” As Street called upon the city masses to rise up and join him, another mayoral candidate beseeched voters and television- news crews to ignore Street’s clown-like antics. […]