Yo, Philly in the News

• More shootings over the weekend that left 4 dead and 13 wounded have led anti-violence organization Men United for a Better Philadelphia to call for a cease-fire. They plan to go door-to-door in the most violent neighborhoods with their message, helping young men at risk for doing violence by connecting them with jobs, education, and social services. They also plan to teach anger management to prison inmates so they don't return to violent lives when they leave jail.
• The Inquirer asks whether Pennsylvania is even more Democratic blue than it used to be, and warns that the Democratic primary race for Mayor of Philadelphia is already heating up.
• Is the future of internet porn being decided right now in the federal courthouse in Center City?! Well, probably not, but a judge is over there now considering whether the Children Online Protection Act, enacted by Congress in 1998 but never enforced, is Constitutional or not. The law is supposed to keep children from seeing internet porn (which sounds like a losing battle if we've ever heard one - after all, as we all know, the internet is for porn), but the ACLU contends it is overreaching and infringes on First Amendment rights. The judge ruled that no pornographic images could be shown during the case, so no dirty pictures are getting put up on easels for lawyers to point at with sticks, which is probably just as well. We don't know how it's going to turn out, but the government better not try to take our internet porn from us, or they might have another civil war on their hands.
• Speaking of Philly legal battles, another one is being fought over some supposedly stolen scientific assets. A private Icelandic company called deCODE genetics is claiming that some former employees helped Children's Hospital of Philadelphia steal crucial data collection and analysis techniques from their computers, in order to help them move forward their $39 million genetics project.
• Planning on travelling for the holidays? You might want to stick to just a carry-on. Nationally airlines have been misplacing a lot more bags lately, and guess who one of the worst offenders is? US Airways, right here in Philadelphia! D'oh. (Via Phillyist Jill)

Image Credit: Flickr user Matthew J. Stinson