Yo, Philly in the News

• In the wake of last month's devastating earthquake in China, a group of Widener University professors is using video-conferencing to train faculty at East China Normal University in Shanghai to teach psychological first aid.
• State Rep. Darryl Metcalfe refused to apologize for the comments he made on the floor of the House on Wednesday, wherein he suggested that he was opposing recognizing a Muslim religious organization's convention because "Muslims do not recognize Jesus Christ as God." He claims his comments were taken out of context, but it's hard to see how. Governor Rendell's response took the form of an awesome put-down: "I don't think I have agreed with anything Rep. Metcalfe said in the last three or four years and that statement doesn't change anything.... I don't think many people take much of what Rep. Metcalfe says seriously."
• Expect delays on Interstate 95 between the Bucks County line and the Vine Street Expressway, and on the Vine Street Expressway between the Schuylkill Expressway and I-95 in Philadelphia tomorrow from 7AM to 3PM. Crews will be painting traffic lines.
• Oh boy! Another juicy story about local newscaster Alycia Lane! Now she's suing KYW-TV for ignoring security breaches in her private e-mail, even after she'd told them about the problem repeatedly, and for "deep-seated gender-discriminatory animus" toward her and other female employees.
• The first major poll since Obama clinched the Democratic nomination shows him carrying Pennsylvania by a solid margin when pitted against Republican nominee John McCain.
• Officials posted a $10,000 reward yesterday to find the killer of Beau Zabel.
• Both in the local area and in the nation as a whole, there's been a recent increase in solar power projects.
• Councilman Darrell L. Clarke introduced a bill yesterday to change zoning at 18th and Arch Streets to allow the proposed American Commerce Center to be built there. If completed, it would be the tallest building in the United States. The commission is expected to hold public hearings over the next two months. There's already opposition to the project growing among community groups.

Image Credit: Flickr user Fred Jala