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Neighbors in the active Tuscany block are reeling over an alleged murder committed there. The victim, Franklin Manuel Santana, had just moved from the Miami area a month ago with his wife Raquel and baby daughter. Santana did not know Tyrirk Harris, but he would meet Harris for the first and last time in a quarrel over dog poop.

The Philadelphia Inquirer's big story Feb. 4 was about how a budget crunch at the Philadelphia School District had caused the district to lay off 91 school police officers. Over the years, there's been no discussion of what has happened to our youth that makes a school police force necessary in the first place. The Inquirer's series "Assault on Learning" (March 2011) reported that in the 2010 school year, "690 teachers were assaulted; in the last five years, 4,000 were." The newspaper reported that in Philadelphia's 268 schools, "on an average day 25 students, teachers, or other staff members were...

For years defendants in tort cases have said that Philadelphia's courts are biased, but little in the way of empirical data was available to substantiate the claims. But, a new study - by Professor Joshua D. Wright for the International Center of Law and Economics (ICLE), Portland, Ore. - indicates that the accusations of structural biases in favor of plaintiffs are justified. Wright is a law professor at George Mason University School of Law School in Arlington, Va. The study, originally published in October 2011, has updated information as of February 2012 that ...

‘Call in the Guard:’ Retired Judge Congressional candidate says Philly needs military action to help curb crime By Catherine Brown | Tuesday, Jan 31, 2012 | Updated 7:24 PM EST ‘Call in the Guard:’ Retired Judge Retired Judge Jimmie Moore wants to call in the National Guard to deal with violent crime in Philadelphia. Former Municipal Court Judge Jimmie Moore wants to call in the National Guard to support Philadelphia’s crime fighting efforts. Moore announced last year that he is a candidate for the First Congressional District seat currently held by U.S. Rep. Bob Brady (D). In a campaign press...

A man was fatally beaten near the Liberty Bell in Philadelphia when a group of men attacked him, mistakenly thinking that he was yelling at them instead of a cab driver who passed him by. Kevin Kless, 23, recently graduated from college and had left a bar with his girlfriend early Saturday morning when the incident occurred

Rewards totaling $15,000 were posted today for information leading to the arrests and convictions of the men who beat Kevin Kless to death in the Historic District over the weekend. After the city announced it was offering $10,000, the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 5, which represents Philadelphia police officers, said today it would put up another $5,000. Police, at the same time, offered a slightly different account of events leading up to the killing early Saturday. In a statement, police said that after leaving an Old City bar with his girlfriend and another woman, Kless tried to flag down...

Philadelphia weatherman John Bolaris lost $43,712.25, his job and, arguably, his dignity from one fateful trip to Miami Beach.

Archbishop Charles J. Chaput of Philadelphia Philadelphia, Pa., Jan 6, 2012 / 04:08 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- Catholic schools must move forward with hope and realism, Philadelphia Archbishop Charles J. Chaput said as his education commission announced school mergers and closings in a Jan. 6 report.“We need to honor the great history of Catholic education in our archdiocese. But we must not be constrained by it,” the archbishop said in a letter to the Blue Ribbon Commission. “Nostalgia for the past is a bad foundation if we want to think clearly and build creatively for the future.”He praised the authors...

The Archdiocese of Philadelphia plans to close four Catholic high schools and 44 elementary schools will be closed or partnered with other schools, officials told school administrators and priests at a close-door meeting at Neumann University this morning.

[SNIP] Murders are up again this year in Philadelphia, and the city still has the highest homicide rate of the nation's 10 most populous cities, according to stats provided by each city's police department. At the same time, fewer murders are getting solved. With a few days left in the year, the city's homicide tally stood at 324 Wednesday, including the eight victims allegedly killed in previous years by West Philly abortionist Kermit Gosnell. Last year, 306 people were killed, and the year before, 302. But despite the jump in homicides this year, city officials prefer to focus on the...

Philadelphia is known as the city of brotherly love and, apparently, paying out massive pensions to public employees who will continue working for the city. Marion B. Tasco, who has been described as being “politically savvy,” will retire from her sixth term as councilwoman, collect $478,057, and then be sworn in on Monday to serve her seventh term, Catherine Lucy and Chris Brennan of the Philadelphia Daily News. How does she get away with this? Tasco, along with many of her fellow Council members, is enrolled in Philadelphia’s Deferred Retirement Option Plan (DROP). DROP allows city workers to collect salary...

This Philadelphia Councilwoman Will Collect A $478k Pension Friday And Go Back To Work On Monday Robert Johnson | Dec. 29, 2011, 9:44 AM On her Philadelphia City Council web page, the Honorable Marion B. Tasco is touted "as one of Philadelphia's most influential, politically savvy, and pro-active public officials," in the city and over the next few days Tasco could be proving that claim correct. Catherine Lucy and Chris Brennan of the Philadelphia Daily News point out that on Friday, Tasco will retire from her sixth term as councilwoman, collect $478,057 and be sworn in on Monday to serve...

A Philadelphia man was shot dead Tuesday night after he made the mistake of trying to rob a man who had a pistol packin’ mama nearby, police say. A 23-year-old man was in the stairwell of his East Oak Lane apartment building with his girlfriend at about 9 p.m. when a 19-year-old man walked up to them, pistol-whipped the man and shot him in the leg while trying to rob him, according to police. The victim’s 46-year-old mother heard the commotion from her upstairs apartment, grabbed her legally registered gun, went into the stairwell and shot the suspect, police say....

PHILADELPHIA -- The old suit fell apart around the same time the old man's body did. There have been a hundred stories written about Frank Olivo's Santa costume, and most of them, he said, have been inaccurate. It was not a frumpy suit; it cost $100, which was big money back in the 1960s. It lasted nearly 40 Christmases... [snip] Frank Olivo, the man who played Santa at a Philadelphia Eagles game on Dec. 15, 1968, remains a devoted Philly sports fan. Frank Olivo is a romantic, but most of all, he is a ham. That's why he used to...

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — Baseball Hall of Fame sports columnist Bill Conlin of the Philadelphia Daily News retired abruptly Tuesday after learning that he’s been accused of molesting underage children decades ago. “(The feeling in the newsroom) was an overwhelming sense of shock, a sense of outrage, a sense of sadness,” said Larry Platt, editor of the Philadelphia Daily News. Conlin is alleged to have molested at least four children (one man and three women, including Conlin’s niece), in the 1970′s, when the children were then between the ages of seven and 12. George Bochetto, Conlin’s attorney, denounced the accusations Tuesday....

(Background provided by Owl_Eagle) Legendary Philadelphia Daily News Sportswriter Bill Conlin retired abruptly yesterday amongst allegations of sex abuse reported by sister paper The Philadelphia Inquirer. Larry Platt is/was Conlin's editor. (Snip)I have known Bill Conlin since 1990, and before that, I knew him as a legendary voice on the page. I simply do not know how to reconcile what I've read with the man I know. I spoke to him Tuesday. He offered to retire and I immediately accepted. I knew I'd never be comfortable running his byline again. For a long time Tuesday, we struggled with how to...

My Friends of OWS, My message will have to be brief. But let not this brevity take from it, its strength. You are the central movement of the hour. You're raising questions that are in the hearts of millions. Your motto, "We are the 99%," has been heard, heeded, and responded to by millions. You can be certain that the 1% have heard you clearest of all.

West Virginia again listed as a 'judicial hellhole'State ranked No. 3 by Cheryl Caswell - Daily Mail staff Charleston Daily Mail Thursday December 15, 2011 CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- The American Tort Reform Association has again placed West Virginia at the number three spot in its annual list of "judicial hellholes." The group lists Philadelphia in the top (worst) spot, and California as number two. Other states/regions that made the list are Southern Florida, Madison and St. Clair Counties in Illinois, New York City and Albany, Clark County in Nevada and McLean County in Illinois. The list is put out by...

PHILADELPHIA - A North Philadelphia shop owner said he had no words to describe his emotions upon returning from India, where he had attended his mother’s funeral, to discover his store had been looted and vandalized. Bhupinder Cheema had operated a small convenience store near Germantown Avenue and West Cumberland Street, and had invested thousands of dollars into the business. Over the course of trip to Indian, which lasted several weeks, word spread through the neighborhood that the store had been left unattended.

Sandusky seems determined for trial in abuse caseBy Ian Simpson | Reuters – 14 hours ago WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Former Penn State football coach Jerry Sandusky appears determined to hold out for a trial on child sexual abuse charges that could put him in prison for the rest of his life, legal experts said. **SNIP** Sandusky has already laid out his potential defense, saying in an interview with Bob Costas of NBC television that he engaged in horseplay with alleged victims but stopped short of sexual intercourse or penetration, Mallios said. "Now that he's said that, unless he recants or...

Phila. goes after pensioners who owe back taxesFriday, November 25, 2011 Associated Press Officials in Philadelphia say they will begin withholding pension benefits from municipal retirees who owe taxes to the city. **SNIP** Those who do not make voluntary repayment arrangements could have up to 25 percent of their benefits deducted from their pension checks.

On December 8th, the feast of the Immaculate Conception, Archbishop Charles Chaput, the newly-installed archbishop of Philadelphia, released a pastoral letter to the faithful of his archdiocese. It will be read this weekend at Masses, even as Archbishop Chaput is returning home from his ad limina visit to Rome. A copy of the letter was obtained by Whispers in the Loggia and has now been published online.Pastoral letters from bishops can range from being “ho-hum” letters to being “Wham!” letters. Archbishop Chaput’s is definitely at the “Wham!” end of the spectrum.Let’s read it together.The letter begins with the kind of gentle,...

A former Philadelphia school district superintendent who collected a $905,000 contract buyout from the city has reportedly filed for unemployment benefits. Arlene Ackerman was reportedly paid the hefty buyout by the school district with taxpayer funds after a plan to use $405,000 in private funds to pay her was cancelled amid public outrage. The school district cannot contest the filing due to the separation agreement her lawyers negotiated in August, sources told Fox affiliate WTXF-TV. Ackerman was the highest paid government official in Philadelphia during her three-year stay with the school district, which is run by the state, the station...

City tells Occupy Philadelphia: Leave Dilworth Plaza by 5 p.m. SundayBy Kia Gregory Inquirer Staff Writer Posted: Sat, Nov. 26, 2011, 3:01 AM The eviction notice was in: 48 hours. At a news conference Friday afternoon, Mayor Nutter announced that those camping out on the City Hall apron of Dilworth Plaza as part of Occupy Philadelphia had until 5 p.m. Sunday to pack up their tents and leave. The notice was posted on trees and poles, and handed out to about 300 people in Dilworth Plaza. "This announcement today serves as the promise," Nutter said of those encamped. "You must...

What do you get when you mix Democratic fat-cat donations, Big Labor favors, pharmaceutical lobbying and Beltway business as usual? Answer: another toxic half-billion-dollar Barack Obama-approved crony deal. Move over, Solyndra. Here comes Siga-Gate. This latest Chicago-style payoff on your dime involves a dubious smallpox drug backed by a liberal billionaire investor, along with a former union boss who was one of the White House's most frequent visitors. They're the "1 percent" with 100 percent immunity from the selectively outraged Occupier mobs that purport to oppose partisan government bailouts and handouts to privileged corporations. Ronald Perelman is the New York...

(Image: Everett Collection/Rex Features) A document has just gone on display at Mount Vernon, Virginia - the museum in the former home of George Washington, first US President. It is an order dated 1777 and signed by Washington himself to send troops that had not been vaccinated for smallpox - or survived it - to Philadelphia to be vaccinated. These troops were then to join up with the main army, where the disease was raging. It sounds like amazing foresight for its day. "Washington's careful handling of the smallpox epidemic at the beginning of the war was a significant...

In New York, they call it the Bronx Jury Effect. Here, it's called the South Philadelphia Jury Effect, which looks something like a wealth redistribution scheme, according to a legal observer. "Philadelphia's courts have been bad for years," said James Copland, Director of the Manhattan Institute's Center for Legal Reform. Copland said the effect is a net result of juries that will award exorbitant amounts to plaintiffs who are suing anyone - such as doctors or large corporations - they perceive as being able to pay and that they believe should pay out large amounts. Empirical data exists that indicates...

As first reported by the Philadelphia Daily News, Philadelphia (Penn.) Episcopal Academy rowers James Konopka and Nick Mead made the ultimate sacrifice during their Under-17 doubles race at the Head of the Schuykill regatta on Sunday when they abandoned a promising start to help rescue two fellow competitors who had capsized. With temperatures unseasonably cold and Philadelphia (Penn.) St. Joseph's Prep rowers Joe Leonard and Andrew Burrichter struggling with their boat and treading water in the icy river, Konopka and Mead made a snap decision to give up a promising start that could have landed them in the medals to...

NEW YORK (AP) — While more U.S. cities are resorting to force to break up the Wall Street protests, many others — Philadelphia, New York, Minneapolis and Portland, Ore., among them — are content to let the demonstrations go on for now.New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, for example, said Friday that the several hundred protesters sleeping in Zuccotti Park, the unofficial headquarters of the movement that began in mid-September, can stay as long as they obey the law."I can't talk about other cities," he said. "Our responsibilities are protect your rights and your safety. And I think we're trying to...

Two former employees of late-term abortionist Kermit Gosnell have pled guilty to 3rd degree murder charges for their roles in the deaths of an abortion patient and one baby born alive during a failed late-term abortion. This is reportedly the first time that an abortion worker has been found guilty of murder for killing a baby. ..Gosnell, who ran an abortion facility in Philadelphia that has been dubbed a “House of Horrors,” has been charged with eight counts of murder, including of seven newborn babies and one client, and is awaiting trial. Moton and West may testify against his as...

PHILADELPHIA – A pair of abortion clinic workers pleaded guilty Thursday to third-degree murder in two deaths at a Philadelphia clinic where seven babies were allegedly killed with scissors and a woman died from a drug overdose. Andrea Moton admitted her involvement in the death of one baby. Sherry West pleaded guilty in the February 2009 death of Karnamaya Mongar, a Bhutanese immigrant. Neither women had formal training to work at the clinic in Philadelphia run by Dr. Kermit Gosnell. Gosnell and nine employees, including his wife, were charged earlier this year after a gory grand jury report detailed the...

"The man has something, a natural-born leadership quality," Cerrone said. "He inspires people to get things done." The Burger King regional office was then on Fellowship Road in Mount Laurel, across from NFL Films. Cerrone said Cain lived in Moorestown. "Herman has one of those unusual work habits," Cerrone said. "He used to tell stories that he rarely needed more than four hours of sleep a night." This praise is especially noteworthy insofar as it comes from a man Cain did not promote from his acting position. "We met for drinks at a Mount Laurel hotel bar to discuss my...

Police say they have taken six juveniles and four young adults into protective custody in connection with the discovery of four mentally disabled adults found locked in a northeast Philadelphia basement last weekend — and two of them might be children of one of the victims.

We just got the updated numbers from city Budget Director Rebecca Rhynhart on the price tag for the Occupy Philadelphia protest. For the first week, the city shelled out $230,000, mostly in police overtime to man the tent city that sprung up next to City Hall on Oct. 6. The other costs include setting up a police command center, as well as public property and sanitaiton expenses. Rhynhart said that some of those expenses were one-time deals and that the overtime costs have been dropping, so the projected weekly expense going forward is $112,000. These numbers do not include the...

A Philadelphia newspaper reporter assigned to cover the Occupy Wall Street protests in New York is moonlighting as a Media Matters activist — tweeting in support of the protests while writing about them. Will Bunch of the Philadelphia Daily News — whose front page article on Tuesday carried the headline “It’s About Time!”— is also, according to his own Twitter feed, a senior fellow at Media Matters, the anti-Fox News media group. FoxNews.com was unable to find any mention of Bunch’s association with Media Matters on Philly.com, which hosts content from the Philadelphia Daily News and its rival, the Inquirer....

A critically wounded 2-year-old girl was among four people shot Tuesday night in South Philadelphia when a mob of girls charged a house and gunfire erupted in a dispute stemming from a high school fight, police said. A 10-year-boy and a 59-year-old woman, who live in the same house as the toddler, also were wounded and were hospitalized in stable condition. A 25-year-old man was shot in the finger. Police were called at 7:31 p.m. to the 1200 block of South Bucknell Street in response to a report of a melee and gunfire.

A critically wounded 2-year-old girl was among four people shot Tuesday night in South Philadelphia when a mob of girls charged a house and gunfire erupted in a dispute stemming from a high school fight, police said. A 10-year-boy and a 59-year-old woman, who live in the same house as the toddler, also were wounded and were hospitalized in stable condition. A 25-year-old man was shot in the finger. The gunman was described as black, 25 to 30 years old, weighing about 210 pounds and standing about six feet tall, police said. He was wearing a white T-shirt, blue jeans,...

For full Philly flash-mob effect, feel free to flip to full screen, crank up the volume, and hold on to your wallets for a ride along with my wife and me on our freshly-pressed junket video..

Authorities said Thursday that they have shut down a direct pipeline into the city by one of Mexico’s most dangerous drug cartels with the arrest of five people. The arrests were the result of five months’ work, which included wiretaps conducted by the Dangerous Drug Offender’s Unit of the city District Attorney’s Office, the Drug Enforcement Administration in Philadelphia and El Paso, Texas, as well as the FBI. Authorities arrested three people in the Northeast on Sept. 8, including the alleged distributor for the Sinaloa Cartel, which operates in the Mexican provinces of Sinaloa and Juarez. Two more people were...

Today, Catholics in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia are celebrating the installation of Archbishop Charles J. Chaput O.F.M. The question thus arises why Nicholas P. Cafardi, Dean Emeritus of the Duquesne Law School, would publish an op-ed in today’s Philadelphia Inquirer both maligning and accusing Archbishop Chaput of propagating a “one-issue” Catholic Church. That issue, of course, is abortion, a practice that Archbishop Chaput has consistently reminded all Catholics, including Catholic politicians, should be opposed rather than supported. To imply that Archbishop Chaput does not care about the “broad spectrum of values,” such as caring for the poor and immigrants, is...

Charles Chaput is being installed today as the head of the Philadelphia diocese.

PHILADELPHIA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Comcast Corporation Chairman and CEO Brian L. Roberts and Philadelphia Mayor Michael A. Nutter today announced the launch of Internet Essentials, a program which provides families in Philadelphia with children who are eligible to receive free lunches under the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) with low-cost Internet service, affordable computers and digital literacy training. The goal of Internet Essentials is to help close the digital divide and ensure more Americans benefit from all the Internet has to offer. The program addresses what research has identified as the three primary barriers to broadband adoption– 1) a lack of understanding of...

The Schuylkill is expected to crest Sunday night at fifteen feet -- a level we haven't seen in more than 140 years, according to Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter. "That is historically significant," said Nutter. "We have not seen that level of cresting since 1869." The 1869 flooding was caused by the "Saxby Gale" hurricane on October 4. The Federal Emergency Management Agency named it a 100 year flood for the Schuylkill. In his 10 p.m. briefing Saturday night, Mayor Nutter said he fully expect the creeks, river and streams will flood. "The Schuylkill Expressway is experiencing flooding as well as...

PHILADELPHIA - It seems the Eagles aren't the only team in town ready for some NFL action. The lawyers of Anapol, Schwartz, Weiss, Cohan, Feldman and Smalley have taken on the National Football League in federal court. Seven former professional football players -- among them former Chicago Bears and Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jim McMahon and Philadelphia Eagles lineman Gerry Feehery -- retained the Philadelphia law firm, alleging the NFL failed ...

Blunt. Brash. Bold. Politically incorrect. Unapologetically patriotic. Philadelphia cheese-steak king Joey Vento was all that and a side of freedom fries. The 71-year-old owner of Geno's Steaks died of a heart attack this week, but he reignited a national debate over radical multiculturalism that will burn for years to come. Five years ago, Vento garnered national headlines when a local newspaper profiled his outspoken views on customers who couldn't speak English. He hung a sign in his order window that read: "This is America. When ordering, speak English." Though he never turned anyone away, the grandson of Italian immigrants informed...

PHILADELPHIA - August 23, 2011 (WPVI) -- The owner of the landmark South Philadelphia cheesesteak stand who once told customers to order in English has died.Family members confirm to Action News that 71-year-old Geno's Steaks owner Joey Vento has died of a massive heart attack on the way to the hospital.[snip] In June 2006, Vento and Geno's grabbed headlines for two small signs posted at the shop stating, "This is AMERICA: WHEN ORDERING 'PLEASE SPEAK ENGLISH."' Vento said he posted the signs due to concerns over the debate on immigration reform and the increasing number of people who couldn't order...

An astonishing video has emerged of a vicious gang of teenage girls assaulting a female pedestrian as she walks outside a city hall in broad daylight. The woman, who has not been named, was thrown to the ground and repeatedly punched and kicked by the gang outside Philadelphia City Hall. The four youngsters, who seemed to have absolutely no fear of arrest or reprisals, are seen sneaking up behind the woman before launching the brutal assault. After the attack, during which nothing was taken, they are seen casually strolling away. The woman, who has not been named, told Fox News...

Philadelphia – A new video has surfaced showing a group of teen girls attacking a worker outside City Hall in Philadelphia, myfoxphilly.com reports. The video, shot in May, shows a woman being attacked in broad daylight. The video shows the woman walking outside City Hall when a pack of teenage girls appears from behind her and slams her into the ground, hitting her repeatedly.

I don't know much about this man, or about his politics. But he sure said some important stuff that needed saying here! And he doesn't pull any punches! YouTube

Is Race Behind Teen Mob Attacks? Fox 29 is taking a look at a very touchy and controversial issue: race and the recent teen mob attacks in Philadelphia. It's being talked about because of incidents the video shown only on fox 29, of a group of kids that attacked a man walking in Philadelphia’s old city neighborhood just blocks from the liberty bell. It's one of several attacks in Philadelphia in recent weeks. Three teenagers one in this video -- who we are not identifying -- turned themselves into police. Cops say they were walking home from Mastery Charter School...