PHILADELPHIA — All men may be created equal, but all voices are not. Actor James Earl Jones read excerpts from the Declaration of Independence in his unmistakable baritone on Tuesday, the day before Independence Day. The reading took place at the National Constitution Center during the unveiling of one of four surviving copies of the Magna Carta. The nearly 800-year-old “Great Charter,” which helped inspire the Declaration, is on loan from Great Britain’s Lincoln Cathedral. It will be displayed for three weeks beginning Wednesday. ASSOCIATED PRESS: The Magna Carta, Eh? WIKIPEDIA: “Magna Carta was originally written because of disagreements between […]

John Cassidy, Heidnik’s best friend in Philadelphia: I met Gary in ’74 or ’75 in Philly. He claimed the Army gave him LSD while he was in Germany. Sometime over there, he had a nervous breakdown. A legitimate, real nervous breakdown. And then he said he got this brilliant idea. He said, when he came out of it, why the hell should I come out of it if I can get disability? He formed his own religion after he left the Army. I believe it was originally just a tax scam, but towards the end he was believing that stuff. […]

KYW is reporting that Mayor John Street is third in line at the AT&T store on 16th just south of Market. He has been waiting on line since 3:30 a.m., despite heavy downpours, and will remain so until 6 p.m. when the Dave Matthews tickets heavily-hyped iPhone finally becomes available for purchase. His aides will be bringing all paperwork to him to sign in line, he says. He has a few events today, he says, and somebody will be holding his place in line while he attends. And then it’s back in line. “Mr. Mayor, with all due respect,” says […]

HARRISBURG – The state Senate wrote loopholes into a proposed statewide smoking ban last night and approved language that would strike down Philadelphia’s more restrictive rules against lighting up in public places. All of the action came in a sweeping amendment, which passed, 29-21, after two hours of debate over the balance between public health and individual liberties. The amendment — which exempts casinos, private clubs, cigar bars and some taverns from the proposed ban — also bars municipalities from enacting any smoking ban tougher than the state’s. INQUIRER: Smoking In The Boys’ Room Still Allowed

At the same hearing, Fumo’s private eye, Frank D. Wallace, spoke in public for the first time and said his sleuthing for Fumo had been “one-third Senate business, one-third political, and one-third personal.” Wallace also revealed that he had performed electronic “sweeps” of Fumo’s legislative offices and home, as well as of offices and homes of Fumo allies, but had balked at continuing to do them once he became aware that a federal investigation was under way. He said he told a top Fumo aide, “I thought it would be obstruction of justice” to continue. INQUIRER: Riddle Me This Batman […]