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Often after a heinous murder or a police shooting in Philadelphia, the suspect is found to have a lengthy criminal record or an outstanding warrant for another crime. That prompts many to ask: "Why wasn't this creep in jail?" A four-part series that begins in The Inquirer today answers that question. It details a criminal justice system practically built to perpetuate crime, rather than stop it. Thugs go on committing crimes until they escalate into murder. Police may do a good job of capturing suspects, but after that comes the revolving door. Various breakdowns in the legal system enable thousands...

Former Eagles' offensive lineman Jon Runyan plans to run for Congress in South Jersey next year after finishing this football season with the San Diego Chargers. Runyan, a Mount Laurel resident who signed with the Chargers Tuesday, said he will run as a Republican in the 3rd Congressional district. Runyan, who has not been active in public politics, may face a challenge in a district where two Republican-heavy counties have battled for supremacy.

A brawl ending in deadly gunfire has fingers pointed at both the officer and the victim. Action News has learned that the man who fired the fatal shot was an off-duty Philadelphia police officer Frank Tepper. The victim is identified as 21-year-old Bill Panas.

For the third year in a row, residents and visitors have voted Philadelphia the city with the least attractive people, according to a survey by Travel + Leisure. But that's not all; the City of Brotherly Love also ranked as the least stylish, least active, least friendly and least worldy by 60,000 respondents who ranked 30 cities in several categories ranging from food to nightlife to culture. On the bright side, the beauty of the museums and art galleries was enough to boost Philly to the third spot in the Historical Sites/Monuments category.

MORE THAN six months after President Obama's $787 billion stimulus package was passed into law, the city of Philadelphia has spent less than $1 million in recovery money and retained just 52 jobs. The data was laid out in a memo sent to Mayor Nutter from Budget Director Steve Agostini, and obtained by the Daily News. Agostini, who was recently assigned to oversee the city stimulus program, also reported that the city's efforts to manage stimulus dollars have been hampered by limited communication between departments. The news comes as the local unemployment rate continues to climb. The Philadelphia jobless rate...

Let the trash talk begin! As the New York Yankees and Philadelphia Phillies prepare to face off in the World Series, publications have begun poking fun at the other city -- and offering witty observations on the match-up. Here are some of the highlights:

The 1989 movie “Field of Dreams” was about an Iowa farmer, Ray Kinsella, who was supernaturally commanded to build a baseball field on his farm. Once built, the 1919 Chicago White Sox were reincarnated to play on it. There is a Field of Dreams in Philadelphia – like the movie, this field also has reincarnated a past team - because the 2009 Philadelphia Phillies seem to be a reincarnation of the 1929 Philadelphia Athletics. They have several things in common. The 2009 Philadelphia Phillies ...

We have no idea what’s going to be on it, but the Philly ACORN video drops tomorrow at 930am EST. There’s a clue over at James O’Keefe’s Twitter account…saying something about “NPR and Philly”. Should be interesting. We have not heard anything more about a Chicago video, but everyone here believes that would be the mother of all ACORN videos, since Chicago’s easily the most blatantly corrupt city in the country. Remember, Dr. Utopia got his political start with ACORN in Chicago. It defies logic to believe there are no videos from the very belly of the ACORN corruption beast.

For the second time this week, a man was shot to death before a crowd of people, none of whom are cooperating with police. Isaiah McLendon, 21, of West Philadelphia, was sitting on the steps of a friend’s house in the area of Third Street and Darby Terrace in Darby Borough around 10 p.m. Monday when an assailant walked up and began shooting, police said. Shot numerous times, McLendon was transported to a Philadelphia hospital where he was pronounced dead, according to police. Investigators believe there were at least 50 witnesses to the shooting, but everyone interviewed by police has...

Phila. Officer Attempts Background Check On Obama Reporting Walt Hunter PHILADELPHIA (CBS 3) CBS 3 has learned a Philadelphia Police officer is under investigation after attempting to perform a background check on the President of the United States. Police said an officer with the 18th District did a search on President Barack Obama from his patrol car computer, which is normally used to provide instant background information on suspects. The search was immediately flagged and an investigation was launched. Officials said no personal information of the President was released. The officer currently remains on duty, but could face disciplinary action...

Flying into Philly with kids. In need of hotel recs.

Despite his call to drastically slash budgets to deal with a worsening recession, Gov. Rendell is paying $100,000 to a Philadelphia political strategist and media consultant to help him with publicity. The administration has hired Ken Snyder on a monthly retainer of $9,090 between now and Jan. 31 for part-time work, or a minimum of 30 hours a week. Snyder will assist Rendell's Communications Office in the Capitol with media strategy, with a focus on helping provide information about the billions of dollars in federal stimulus aid coming to Pennsylvania. Top administration officials yesterday defended the expenditure. They said it...

PHILADELPHIA (AP) -- - A federal judge has sentenced former Pennsylvania Sen. Vince Fumo to 55 months in prison for corruption. Federal prosecutors say the wealthy Fumo stole not because he needed money but because "he was drunk with power." They had sought a sentence of more than 15 years. Fumo, his voice breaking, told the judge he loved his job and never intended to steal from the senate. U.S. District Judge Ronald Buckwalter reduced Fumo's sentence based on his public service. The guideline range had been about 10 to 12 years.

Philadelphia Newspapers L.L.C., the parent company of the Philadelphia Inquirer, Philadelphia Daily News and Philly.com, has filed for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy protection Sunday. The company says it is looking to restructure $390 million in debt and decided to pursue Bankruptcy Court following 11 months of negotiations with lenders. “This restructuring is focused solely on our debt, not our operations,” chief executive Brian Tierney told Philly.com. He said the filing would not affect the media company’s daily operations. Newspaper Guild president Dan Gross notified members about the filing in a letter. He asked members to stay calm and to still...

The DOJ is suing the “New Black Panther Party for Self-Defense” and three of its members over what authorities allege was Election Day voter intimidation in Philadelphia. Filed yesterday in federal court in Philly, the lawsuit alleges that two men intimidated voters Nov. 4 by standing outside a polling place at 1221 Fairmount Ave. wearing party uniforms. The lawsuit seeks a court order barring party members from being deployed to, or displaying weapons at, polling place entrances. Panther Party chair Malik Zulu Shabazz told Fox News that the men were there to provide security because people wearing Nazi insignia had...

Good news: Someone in the Justice Department took the Election Day intimidation tactics of the New Black Panther Party in Philadelphia seriously. The DOJ filed an injunction today against the NBPP bullies over their billyclub-wielding thuggishness at a Philly polling place, which was captured on video: Remember?

At least one voter has been observed voting twice even as a Philadelphia poll worker watched. Click here to view at ObamaHood.org

Found in my corporate e-mail (corporate travelers get these kinds alerts in advance of travel, but usually they're just warning of transit strikes and the like): Severity: Warning Alert Security: Civil unrest possible late Nov. 4-early Nov. 5 after U.S. election results are announced. Avoid demonstrations. This alert affects United States. This alert began 28 Oct 2008 16:51 GMT and is scheduled to expire 06 Nov 2008 23:59 GMT. Event:Presidential electionDate: Nov. 4Location: NationwideImpact: Heightened security; possible civil unrest SummarySecurity forces are preparing for outbreaks of civil unrest after the results of the Nov. 4 presidential election are announced. Thousands...

Sen. Joe Biden and Jill Biden will return to Pennsylvania to hold a "Change We Need" rally on Monday night, the eve of the election, in South Philadelphia. The rally will be held at Marconi Plaza on South Broad Street & Bigler Street. Doors open at 8:30p.m. This event is free and open to the public. Tickets are not required but an RSVP is strongly encouraged. Click here to RSVP

Philly station banned by Obama/Biden campaign too? CBS 3 Philly is apparently also on the Obama/Biden ban list.

HBO and FOX will be covering this - we need to get as many people there as possible! Go to www.democratsforMcCain.com for more info. From: Frank Pinizzotto DemocratsforMcCain.com has finalized plans for a big event in Philadelphia this Saturday, Oct. 25th. HBO will be covering the Event for a Special they are doing. Several other media outlets will be there. The Event is from 11AM until 5PM. The start off point is The Constitution Center: Arch Street between 5th and 6th Streets in Philly. The Event is Called: McCain Brotherly Love - A Liberty Event. The Liberty Group will be...

Bruce “The Boss” Springsteen to rally for Sen. Barack Obama in Philly on Saturday -- for a last minute push to register rockers, young and old to vote. The concert takes place this Saturday and voter registration deadline is the following Monday.

PHILADELPHIA—Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin takes her cheesesteak with Cheese Whiz and onions. The Republican vice presidential candidate made a brief campaign stop at Tony Luke's steak shop in South Philadelphia on Saturday evening. Wearing jeans and a beige raincoat, Palin greeted curious onlookers, signed autographs and posed for pictures before ordering two steaks to go. "Sarah, your steak is ready," a cashier said over the loudspeaker a few minutes after she ordered. As dozens of onlookers crowded around her, Palin headed back to the window to pick up the order. The cashier told her the order was on the house,...

Here's a link to a video report on Sarah's visit to Philly. Not in this video, but shown on CBS3 TV, was video of her returning from jogging along the Schuylkill River today. http://cbs3.com/video/?cid=234

Beau Zabel, 23, came to Philadelphia from Minnesota six weeks ago, eager to experience urban East Coast living and to become a math teacher in the city school system. He found a place to live through roommates.com in South Philadelphia near the Italian Market, and took a temporary job at the Starbucks at Fourth and South Streets. He recently updated his page on MySpace.com, which proclaims his optimism: "Just waiting for life to begin." But his life ended about 1:30 a.m. yesterday, when police said Zabel was ambushed as he walked home from the midnight shift at the coffee shop....

Hillary Clinton's mention of RFK's assassination was the final nail in the coffin of her candidacy. Along similar lines, can you imagine the howls of MSM outrage if John McCain were to suggest that he might "bring a gun" to his campaign against Barack Obama? Yet Obama has made just such a statement. Expect the liberal media to . . . yawn.

Hillary Clinton's mention of RFK's assassination was the final nail in the coffin of her candidacy. Along similar lines, can you imagine the howls of MSM outrage if John McCain were to suggest that he might "bring a gun" to his campaign against Barack Obama? Yet Obama has made just such a statement. Expect the liberal media to . . . yawn. Said the Dem candidate at a Philly fundraiser on Friday night, anticipating Republican attacks: "If they bring a knife to the fight, we bring a gun."

Barack Obama is warning supporters that the general election fight between him and John McCain may get ugly, but the Illinois senator is vowing not to back down. "If they bring a knife to the fight, we bring a gun," Obama said at a fundraiser in Philadelphia Friday, according to pool reports. "We don't have a choice but to win," Obama said, joking that he has heard "folks in Philly like a good brawl. I've seen Eagles games." Obama again said that the GOP will make try to make him look "scary" to voters. Obama pledging to swing back at...

He [Obama] warned that the general election campaign could get ugly. “They’re going to try to scare people. They’re going to try to say that ‘that Obama is a scary guy,’” he said. A donor yelled out a deep accented “Don’t give in!” “I won’t but that sounded pretty scary. You’re a tough guy,” Obama said. “If they bring a knife to the fight, we bring a gun,” Obama said. “Because from what I understand folks in Philly like a good brawl. I’ve seen Eagles fans.”

PHILADELPHIA — Five teenagers fatally beat a man on a subway platform after a friend dared them to hit someone, saying "next person we see we're going to hit," one of the defendants allegedly told police. "We all didn't want to seem like no punk," Ameer Best, 17, told police in a written statement read at a preliminary hearing Wednesday for Best and four co-defendants. Best and the other teens, Kinta Stanton, Arthur Alston, Rasheem Bell and Nashir Fisher, all 16, will be tried as adults on charges of third-degree murder and conspiracy for the March 26 beating, Municipal Court...

The Boy Scouts of America's Philadelphia chapter has sued the City of Philadelphia in federal court to block the city's May 31 deadline for the scouts to open membership to gays and atheists, or vacate their historic 1928 headquarters off Logan Square. The civil rights lawsuit, filed Friday in federal court in Center City, contends that the city's ultimatum violates the scouts' rights under the U.S. and Pennsylvania Constitutions. "The City has imposed an unconstitutional condition upon Cradle of Liberty's receipt of a benefit that Cradle of Liberty has enjoyed for nearly eight decades, and that many other organizations that...

Days after a Philadelphia police sergeant was killed with a semi-automatic rifle, Mayor Nutter and Gov. Rendell called upon Congress to enact a new federal assault-weapons ban that would remove such weapons from the streets."The time has come for politicians to decide," said Rendell at the City Hall news conference attended by top police brass and state elected officials. "You have to decide whether you're on their side - the men and women who wear blue - or whether you're on the side of the gun lobby."The federal assault-weapons ban, which lasted from 1994 through 2004, outlawed an array of...

PHILADELPHIA (May 7) - Fifteen police officers were taken off the street as authorities investigate a video showing three suspects being kicked, punched and beaten after they were pulled out of a car during a traffic stop. "At a glance it does appear to be a bit beyond the pale," Doug Oliver, a spokesman for Mayor Michael Nutter, said Wednesday. "Officers are not allowed to operate outside of the law." The police department identified the 15 officers who were involved in Monday night's arrests in the city's Hunting Park section, where police had been investigating a triple shooting, Oliver said....

PHILADELPHIA, April 17, 2008 – The World Affairs Council of Philadelphia honored U.S. troops and veterans of service in Iraq and Afghanistan during a dinner here yesterday. U.S. Marine Gen. James E. Cartwright, vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, hands a commemorative coin to a soldier before the World Affairs Council of Philadelphia dinner in Philadelphia, April 16, 2008. The council presented its Atlas Award to U.S. troops and veterans of Iraq and Afghanistanin to recognize their service. Defense Dept. photo by U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Adam M. Stump   (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available....

Philadelphia - While the Commission on Human Relations may think the fight against cheesesteak tycoon Joey Vento is out for the count, the steak slinger himself said he's got one more round in him. Advertisement From the brick walkway honoring fallen Philadelphia police officers outside Geno's Steak in South Philadelphia, Mr. Vento, flanked by his attorneys, said he is giving the Commission on Human Relations 30 days to decide whether or not to change a vital piece of its policy - or else they will sue. On March 19, the commission, in spite of pressure from City Council to press...

A Philly Tax Cutter Can Mayor Nutter cure the city’s cancer? With 380 homicides recorded already this year, a spate of recent cop shootings, and one particularly gruesome cop killing that led to a nationwide manhunt, Philadelphia is among America’s most dangerous big cities. The crime issue dominated this year’s mayoral race, which Michael Nutter, a blunt and sometimes histrionic former councilman, eventually won. But while crime gets the most attention, Nutter’s success as mayor will ultimately rest on improving the city’s dysfunctional economy. Notwithstanding the glitzy renaissance taking place in its center, Philadelphia is an economic basket case. The...

Last Edited: Thursday, 27 Mar 2008, 6:06 PM EDT Created: Thursday, 27 Mar 2008, 4:43 PM EDT An armed man continues to keep authorities at bay on the Walt Whitman Bridge. The Walt Whitman Bridge between South Philadelphia and Gloucester City, N.J., has been closed since about 4:30 p.m. New Jersey State Police Capt. Al Della Fave says troopers tried to stop a vehicle for a minor speeding violation, but the driver wouldn't pull over. He says troopers stopped the pursuit after a few minutes because the man was driving erratically and police feared someone would get hurt. After that,...

PHILADELPHIA — A Philadelphia agency has ruled that English-only signs at a famous cheesesteak shop are not discriminatory.

Prime beef is the highest-quality, tenderest, most richly marbled meat from a small percentage of cattle. Ultimately, about 2 percent of American beef makes the cut and is stamped USDA Prime. Most prime meat goes to high-end restaurants. Only a few retail sources, mostly in major cities - Philadelphia included - and online/mail-order sources sell prime beef to the public. Many butchers will custom-order it. Prime beef and branded products of near-prime quality are available at Wegmans and Whole Foods markets. Branded beef is typically at the high end of its designated grade level. Unless labeled prime, that's Choice or,...

NEW YORK - A former Philadelphia TV news anchor accused of hitting a New York police officer left court a free woman Monday after a judge said she will dismiss newly reduced charges if the defendant behaves for six months. Charges against Alycia Lane, 35, were downgraded to misdemeanors after prosecutors said scratches on the female officer's face weren't serious enough to warrant felony assault charges. Lane's lawyer David S. Smith denied she hit the officer early Dec. 16. A police complaint said she put a video camera in the face of another officer as he tried to put a...

A Philadelphia teenager celebrating his 16th birthday is fighting for his life after a shooting over a snowball fight. Authorities said the Feltonville teen, identified as Tavin Rutledge, was shot in the head at point-blank range while playing with neighborhood friends in the 4800 block of D Street. Witnesses say the shooting was sparked from a casual snowball fight amongst children. "Everyone was playing and throwing snowballs and one little boy ran and got his dad. His dad came around with a gun and shot him," said Renay Reeves, Tavin's aunt. Police said an adult male used a gun to...

FOLSOM, Pennsylvania (AP) -- The skies won't seem especially friendly to anyone taking off from Philadelphia International Airport if they notice what a suburban couple wrote on the roof of their home. "(Expletive) U FAA," the message reads, though one letter of the profane word is substituted with an underline. Below that it is a picture of a plane with a slash through it and the words "no fly zone." Homeowner Michael Hall and his girlfriend, Michaelene Buddy, are angry that jets have been flying over their house since last month, when the Federal Aviation Administration altered departures heading out...

The Philadelphia School District says they will launch an investigation into a disturbing video posted on Myspace. The video shows two girls fighting as other kids and adults egg the fight on. ---snip--- In the background of the video, you can hear a man's voice saying "uppercut her, uppercut her." At some point, Shaquia says "I can't breathe." Another voice, a woman's says "I'll give you five seconds

PHILADELPHIA - For the second year in a row, city officials are being asked how police officers responding to celebratory New Year's Eve gunfire ended up shooting innocent bystanders. This year, police chasing an armed reveler shot into a house filled with partygoers, leaving one man in a coma, a second wounded and a 9-year-old boy with a graze wound to the chest. A year ago, police fatally shot a man in the back of the head as he tried to flee when neighbors started shooting guns into the air. The latest shootings came as Police Commissioner Sylvester Johnson ends...

SO I'M lying on a sunshiny beach in Florida earlier this week, enjoying 84 degrees of warmth, and find that I'm thinking about Joey Vento. No, I wasn't yearning for a "cheeze-wit." I was reading about a language dispute even more insane than the decision by the Philadelphia Human Relations Commission to haul Vento into court. As we all know, Vento is charged with discrimination for asking his customers to speak English. (The sign at Geno's reads, "This is America. When ordering, please speak English.")

Despite progress, the city's murder rate is No. 1 among big cities. Figures tell the story, but don't nail the solution. AS Philadelphia approaches the new year and a new mayor, the murder rate remains an appalling blight on the city's reputation and a threat to our quality of life. While shootings and other violent crimes are down from last year, there's only slight improvement from the 406 homicides recorded in 2006. As of last night, the city had suffered 391 murders in 2007, the highest rate per 100,000 residents among the nation's 10 largest cities. It hasn't always been...

A hearing was expected to continue into the evening on whether Geno's Steaks owner Joey Vento discriminated against non-English speaking patrons by posting an "Speak English" sign at his South Philadelphia shop. The Rev. James Allen, the chairperson of Commision on Human Relations, was the first witness to testify late this afternoon, followed by University of Pennsylvania professor Camille Charles. Charles, a professor of sociology, said the number of foreign-born residents living in the South Philadelphia neighborhood near Geno's grew more than 200 percent between 1980 and 2000. When shown historical signs from the Jim Crow era in the South...

The Urban League of Philadelphia's 2007 State of Black Philadelphia report paints a grim picture on the issue of race and inequality. It's a pretty dismal report. But it reflects the level of poverty in Philadelphia," Elijah Anderson, Yale University sociology professor, said yesterday. Anderson, formerly with the University of Pennsylvania, is among several experts invited to an Urban League symposium on the report at the Loews Hotel at 9 a.m. today. Crafting its findings as the "Philadelphia Equality Index," the Urban League's report says that black Philadelphians' quality of life ranks as just 72 percent of that of their...

PHILADELPHIA -- This may be the last free Thanksgiving dinner for the Boy Scouts of Philadelphia. Citing a local 1982 "fair practices" law, the city solicitor has given the Scouts until Dec. 3 to renounce its policy of excluding homosexuals or forfeit the grand, Beaux-Arts building it has rented from the city for $1 a year since 1928. "While we respect the right of the Boy Scouts to prohibit participation in its activities by homosexuals," the solicitor, Romulo Diaz, said last week in an interview, "we will not subsidize that discrimination by passing on the costs to the people of...