FRESH AIR Both John McCain and Barack Obama are courting the religious vote, but whose campaign will be more effective? Journalist Dan Gilgoff, the politics editor for Beliefnet.com, discusses the candidates’ tactics. Gilgoff is a former political correspondent for U.S. News & World Report and the author of The Jesus Machine: How James Dobson, Focus on the Family, and Evangelical America are Winning the Culture War. His blog, the God-O-Meter, measures the rate of God-talk among the candidates. ALSO, Journalist Ryan Lizza says it’s no accident that the Democrats picked Denver as the site of their National Convention. Lizza discusses […]
NRA WET DREAM: Ex-Cop Pizza Boy Snuffs Gunman
DAILY NEWS: A retired Philadelphia cop working as a pizza deliveryman fatally shot a 14-year-old boy who was pointing a gun at him during an attempted robbery yesterday morning in Frankford, police said. Shortly afterward, in an unrelated shooting, a police officer’s bullet fragment hit a 17-year-old robbery suspect in the face in Fairmount, police said. In the first incident, the 14-year-old and two other suspects were trying to rob the ex-officer at gunpoint while he was delivering a pizza about 1:15 a.m. on Lesher Street near Bridge, police spokesman Lt. Frank Vanore said. The boy pointed the gun at […]
EDITORIAL: The PUMAs Need To Get Back Or Get Out
BY JONATHAN VALANIA Let me first say I am reluctant to lend further credence to what I am certain is a small sliver of the spectrum of opinion among Democrats, but in a slow news week — and make no mistake, this will be a slow news week because if all goes according to plan, the Democratic Convention will be a show, not a news event — the PUMAs will surely be getting their share of face time from bored talking heads looking to stir the pot. What’s that you say? What is/who are the PUMAs, you ask? Well, for […]
MILE HIGH: Live & Direct From Denver
Astute readers will remember the precocious yeoman-like political coverage provided by intern-to-the-stars Nick Powell. The New York Times did and they asked him to go to Denver with his dad, who covers the presidential campaign for the Grey Lady (SEE BELOW). Basically they said, ‘How’d you like to go to Denver with your pop, work for us as a news assistant and during your down time you can post to your cute little blog thingee?’ And so he shall. All next week, Nick will be providing Phawker readers with Live & Direct dispatches from the Democratic National Convention. You lucky […]
GOODNIGHT BEIJING: All Over But The Shouting
[SOURCE: ESPN] ESPN: At last year’s China’s Cities Games, Chinese officials decided to move He Kexin, who won two gold medals during the Beijing Games, from a local team to the national team. China’s deputy sports minister Cui Dalin said Sunday that it was during this transfer that a “misunderstanding appeared” about her age. It was at last year’s China’s Cities Games that the Chinese government’s news agency, Xinhua, identified He as one of “10 big new stars” who made a splash at the event and gave her age as 13 in a Nov. 3, 2007 report. If the age […]
GO TELL IT ON THE MOUNTAIN: It’s Biden Time
“Now, with Joe Biden at my side, I am confident that we can take this country in a new direction; that we are ready to overcome the adversity of the last eight years; that we won’t just win this election in November, we’ll restore that fair shot at your dreams that is at the core of who Joe Biden and I are as people, and what America is as a nation. So let me introduce you to the next Vice President of the United States of America… ” — Sen. Barack Obama, Springfield, IL PHAWKER: Strong choice. Look at it […]
GAYDAR: Dear Dad, I’m Gay, Love, Your Son
BY AARON STELLA We’re back, folks, with another fabulous edition of GAYDAR! OK, I realized last week that we need to have a little “come to Jesus meeting” about my father, as so much of what happened with my family stemmed directly from the decisions he made. But keep something in mind as you read: I know little about my father’s interior life. I could never trust the man, both in what he told me of himself and about the world, so my assertions about him here are, by definition, pure speculation. But at the same time, I have learned […]
THE TEXT: Hello, Is This Thing On?
Can you hear me now? UPDATE: “Barack has chosen Joe Biden to be our VP nominee.” — Text Message From Obama, 3:06 AM CNN: Sen. Barack Obama has picked Delaware Sen. Joe Biden to be his running mate, multiple Democratic sources tell CNN. NEW YORK TIMES: Senator Barack Obama has chosen Senator Joseph R. Biden Jr. of Delaware to be his running-mate, turning to a leading authority on foreign policy and a longtime Washington hand to fill out the Democratic ticket, people told of the decision said. MSNBC: Indiana Sen. Evan Bayh and Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine have been told […]
GAMBLOR: PA Supreme Court Continues Curiously Unbroken String Of Pro-Casino Rulings
INQUIRER: The Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruled yesterday that the SugarHouse Casino could be built on the city’s waterfront in Fishtown, reversing an attempt by the Nutter administration to stymie the project. The court decided, 4-2 with one abstention, that the city could not revoke the license giving SugarHouse the authority to build over the Delaware River that was issued during the last days of Mayor John F. Street’s administration. “We’re grateful to the Supreme Court for ruling in our favor,” Greg Carlin, chief executive officer of HSP Gaming, the developer of SugarHouse, said in an interview. He did not give […]
CAUGHT: Cops Say Dorrell Is Frankford Rapist
INQUIRER: Dorrell Shaw will be charged with four of the six sexual assaults in Frankford this summer, police said today, citing a “definitive DNA link” in one of the attacks and other corroboration in the three others. Shaw, 26, a convicted burglar, who lived blocks away from several of the attacks, is in custody on a parole violation. “He’s not on the street,” said Capt. John Darby of the Special Victims Unit, “so that threat has been removed.” Shaw will be formally arrested for the assaults once the district attorney’s office approves the charges. On Monday, police released Shaw’s name […]
MEDIA: Ex-Anchor Pleads Guilty To Email Hackery
INQUIRER: Former CBS3 anchor Larry Mendte pleaded guilty this morning in U.S. District Court to hacking into the personal e-mail of onetime colleague Alycia Lane. During a brief court hearing in Philadelphia, Mendte pleaded guilty to a single felony count. Federal prosecutors agreed not to make any recommendation of whether Mendte should be sentenced to prison though U.S. District Judge Mary McLaughlin still would be free to impose such a sentence. Under federal sentencing guidelines, Mendte could face a maximum of six months in prison. Mendte had no comment as he emerged from the courtroom, but his wife, Fox29 anchor […]
EARLY WORD: Lord Of The Amps
Let’s say you were in a big famous group called the Black Keys and you were playing at a place like, say, the Electric Factory and your vintage, 1968, 100-watt Marshall Plexi, Super Lead guitar amp went down on you just hours before the show. Chances are you would have end up at the door step of Philly’s most respected and revered amp builder John Martin. Over the years many bands both big and small found their way to John’s humble South Philadelphia workshop/home, from the Black Keys to L7 to local favorites like The Original Sins and the Lilys. […]
BREAKING: War Is Over — In Three Years
WASHINGTON POST: U.S. and Iraqi negotiators have agreed to the withdrawal of all U.S. combat forces from the country by the end of 2011, and Iraqi officials said they are “very close” to resolving the remaining issues blocking a final accord that governs the future American military presence here. Iraqi and U.S. officials said several difficult issues remain, including whether U.S. troops will be subject to Iraqi law if accused of committing crimes. But the officials, speaking on the condition of anonymity because they were unauthorized to discuss the agreement publicly, said key elements of a timetable for troop withdrawal […]