Yo, Philly in the News

• The Inquirer takes a look at the future of local public transportation fare systems. SEPTA could be going with a smart card that's more like a new-generation Visa or MasterCard than it is like PATCO's recently introduced Freedom card.
• Next up in Milton Street's fraud trial: testimony today from a Vietnamese business owner that Milton supposedly cheated out of $80,000 for a share of a nonexistent airport subcontract.
• Child-care advocates and children will be lobbying Philadelphia City Council this morning to reinvest in the Child Care Facilities Fund. Apparently they'll be trying to tug at the council members' heart strings by assaulting them with a children's chorus.
• At 2PM today, Governor Rendell will be at Drexel University to explain how he envisions his economic-stimulus plan will boost the regional economy.
• Will Bunch at the Daily News tries to convince us that the Pennsylvania Democratic primary that will take place on April 22nd will actually be meaningful.
• Residents of high crime districts who didn't get picked as one of the nine Philadelphia districts who will receive extra police patrols are questioning the priorities of Police Commissioner Charles H. Ramsey's crime-fighting plan, just released last week.

Image Credit: Flickr user SignalPAD