THUG LIFE: Cops Gangbang Shooting Suspects

DAILY NEWS: Police Commissioner Charles H. Ramsey yesterday asked Philadelphians not “to rush to judgment” when watching a video showing baton-wielding cops repeatedly striking, kicking and stomping three young men whom they had stopped after a triple shooting in Hunting Park. “On the surface, it certainly does not look good in terms of the amount of force that was used,” Ramsey said during a news conference with Mayor Nutter at police headquarters. Ramsey said that an Internal Affairs investigation is under way. D. Scott Perrine, a defense attorney representing the three men, said the commissioner seemed to be making excuses […]

NEWS CLUES: Like Blowing Smoke Out Of Your Eyes

CRUEL AND UNUSUAL: Autopsy Scheduled For Kenneth Keith Kallenbach An autopsy will be performed tomorrow on Kenneth Keith Kallenbach, a 39-year-old comedian who died Thursday after contracting pneumonia at the Delaware County jail, where he was awaiting trial. Since 2005, at least eight people have died at the George W. Hill Correctional Facility, the state’s only privately run jail. Several of those deaths resulted in lawsuits by family members who say the facility did not provide adequate medical care or proper supervision for inmates. GEO Group operates prisons around the country, and its operations in Texas have been sharply criticized […]

Muslim Wife Confesses To Killing Polygamous Husband

INQUIRER: Quietly in a Norristown courtroom yesterday, Myra Morton admitted for the first time that she shot her handyman-turned-millionaire husband in his sleep. Jereleigh “Seddik” Morton, 47, died in his Whitpain Township mansion with two bullets in his face Aug. 5, the morning he was to fly to Morocco and into the arms of Zahra Toural, the 35-year-old other wife he had met online and planned to impregnate. Myra Morton, 47 at the time, could no longer bear children. In 27 years of marriage she had gone from being a handyman’s wife to a millionairess scorned, and she now faces […]

NEWS CLUES: Making U Safer And Sounder Since 2007

Carter Calls Bullshit On Condi Rice, Says Secretary Of State Is L-Y-I-N-G Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter on Wednesday accused Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice of not telling the truth about warnings she said her department gave Carter not to speak to Hamas before a Middle East trip. The State Department has said U.S. Assistant Secretary of State David Welch, the top U.S. diplomat for the Middle East, issued the warning before Carter, a veteran of Middle East diplomacy, went on his trip last week. Rice said in Kuwait on Tuesday: “We counseled President Carter against going to the region […]

NEWS CLUES: ‘Boring But Important News’ Edition

NITTANY LION KING: Obama Draws 20,000 At Penn State Rally, Urges Crowd To ‘Take The Skinheads Bowling, Take Them Bowling’ UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. (AP) — Shivering in blankets of Penn State’s colors, some 20,000 people filled a campus lawn Sunday to hear Barack Obama say he can win the Democratic nomination even if rival Hillary Rodham Clinton stays in the race. Supporters stood in long lines for hours to hear Obama ahead of the April 22 Pennsylvania primary. Some Democrats, particularly Obama’s supporters, have voiced concern that the hard-fought, drawn-out race is already hurting the party‘s chances to win in […]

NEWS CLUES: ‘So Local It Hurts’ Edition

WANTED: 1,000 Cheese Steak-Chomping Fat Guys To Say Dumb Shit On Camera Stephen Colbert is headed back out on the campaign trail. No, he assured viewers of “The Colbert Report” last night, he is not reviving his presidential campaign. That was snuffed out last fall when Democratic officials in South Carolina voted him off the state’s primary ballot (and just before the television writers went on strike). Mr. Colbert said he is going to Philadelphia to report on the Pennsylvania primary for a few days in mid-April before the April 22 vote. He’ll be broadcasting his nightly comedy show from […]

NEW CLUES: It’s Like Adderall For Your Eyeballs

PROBE: Hoping To Clear The Air, Johnny Doc Campaign Only Muddies The Waters An indictment last summer against electrical contractor Donald “Gus” Dougherty, a longtime friend but no relation to the union leader, alleged that Gus Dougherty had provided sweetheart deals for John Dougherty on a Wildwood condo and on renovations to his Philadelphia rowhouse. Seeking to undercut the issue yesterday, John Dougherty’s lawyer, Henry Hockeimer, sent an e-mail to reporters stating: “I have been assured on numerous occasions by key people within the U.S. Attorney’s Office — and as recently as a few weeks ago — that John Dougherty […]

NEWS CLUES: It’s Like Adderall For Your Eyeballs

WHEN ANCHORBABES ATTACK: Alycia Lane Set Free “I just want to say I’m so glad this is over,” said former CBS anchor Alycia Lane, as she left a New York City courthouse this morning. “And I want to thank all of those who supported me and believed in me. And I just look forward to moving on with my life now.” At the hearing (and as we reported would happen) Lane’s attorney David Smith and Manhattan Assistant District Attorney Michael Greenman agreed to an adjournment in contemplation of dismissal, or ACD. It’s essentially a six-month-long slow dismissal of her case. […]

We Know It’s Only Rock N’ Roll But We Like It

A GHOST IS BORN: Jeff Tweedy & Wilco, Tower Theater, Saturday Night BY JONATHAN VALANIA FOR THE INQUIRER Saturday night at the Tower theater, Wilco was merely great. The qualifying “merely” is hard to explain, because on the face of it Saturday night had all the makings of a bragging rights concert experience. Totally jazzed, way sold out crowd? Check. Storied, acoustically-friendly venue? Check. Legendary opening act, one John Doe, tragically ignored by most in favor of the beer line? Check. Must-see headliners with a live rep for fireworks ready to throw down? Check. Perhaps the only thing missing was […]

NEWS CLUES: ‘Painfully Localized’ Edition

THIS JUST IN: Uncle Miltie Jury Deadlocked, Could Mistrial INQUIRER: The federal jury considering fraud and tax charges against T. Milton Street ended a second full day of deliberations telling the judge they were deadlocked on seven charges. But U.S. District Judge Legrome D. Davis did not declare a mistrial, telling the 12 jurors he and the defense and government lawyers had decided that “you need to continue discussing the case.” At that point, shortly before 4 p.m., the jury decided to stop deliberations for the day and return tomorrow to resume their review at the federal courthouse in Center […]

NEWS CLUES: It’s Like Adderall For Your Eyeballs

SUICIDE IS PAINLESS NOW: Army Suicides Up 20% Over Last Year WASHINGTON, Jan 31 (Reuters) — As many as 121 U.S. soldiers may have committed suicide in 2007, a record number if confirmed, according to Army statistics released on Thursday. The Army reported 89 suicides and 32 suspected cases among active-duty soldiers in 2007. If the 32 cases are confirmed, the 121 suicides would be a nearly 20 percent increase over 2006, when 102 soldiers committed suicide. Army officials said relationship problems were the main cause of suicides among soldiers, but those problems were increasing due to repeated long deployments […]

REVEALED: The Babyface Of Evil?

OK, if you haven’t been following this story, start here: Philadelphia police continue to look for two men (in surveillance footage above and below) accused of attacking a Geno’s Steaks employee. The owner of the business is offering a reward. Police say it was around 6:30am December 27th when two males started to argue with a female employee at Geno’s Steaks about the now notorious sign there “this is America, when ordering please speak English”. A male employee, Tony Chestnut, was power-washing the sidewalk when he went to his co-workers aide. Chestnut, who is recovering at his south Philadelphia home, […]

NEWS CLUES: Dead Man Walking Edition

KILLADELPHIA: Two Men Critical After Shooting Two men are in critical condition after being shot in the Powelton section of Philadelphia late last night. A 19-year-old with multiple gunshot wounds and a 22-year-old with a gunshot wound to the chest were found in the 4200 block of Haverford Avenue shortly before 11:30 p.m., police said. Both men were taken to the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. Both were in critical condition. The names of the men have not been released. No arrests have been made and police are investigating the motive for the shootings. [via the INQUIRER] * Judge […]