Hakim Glover, the cousin of the man who allegedly killed Officer Chuck Cassidy, pleaded guilty yesterday to charges of hindering apprehension and obstruction of justice. Glover is accused of helping his cousin flee to Florida. The Convention Center expansion project was halted on Christmas Eve when the Preservation Alliance of Greater Philadelphia obtained an injunction ordering wrecking crews to stop work. The preservationists want to save the two small but historic Broad Street buildings......

In the wake of the deadly tiger attack at the San Francisco Zoo, the Inquirer takes a look at the safety of the tiger exhibit at the Philadelphia Zoo. Seven state lawmakers, naming the city as the defendant, brought a lawsuit before the Pennsylvania Supreme Court yesterday asking that all construction of the proposed SugarHouse Casino be halted, "contending its license to build on submerged land beyond the river's edge is illegal." Chester Township......

What's new and/or interesting on TV this week. What Would Jesus Really Do? (Mon, 8PM-9PM, CNN) - A discussion of how Jesus might respond to various contemporary issues, like the war in Iraq, global warming, and the divide between rich and poor. Includes commentary from various "experts," including Jerry Falwell. Christmas Specials (Mon, 8PM-9PM, ABC; Mon, 8PM-11PM, NBC; Mon, 8PM-10PM, AMC; Mon, 10PM-11:30PM, WHYY) - Some of these have already played this month, and we......

What's new and/or interesting in Philly theaters this weekend. Jimmy Carter: Man From Plains - A documentary by director Jonathan Demme following Jimmy Carter on his recent book tour for his controversial book Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid. A great director and an interesting subject should make for a good film. Trailer Showing at: Ritz at the Bourse Joe Strummer: The Future Is Unwritten - Another documentary opening at the Ritz at the Bourse this weekend......

Happy Holidays! Chances are, you're reading this the day after Christmas, back at your day job after all-too-short a holiday, and the last thing you want from us is stuff about the holidays. But that's just too bad. Because, see, here in the Ist-A-Verse, we do things ahead of time. It might be December 26 for you, but that's what you get for not checking your Favorite Local Blog on Christmas Eve. Austinist is......

What's new and/or interesting on TV this week. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (Tue; 8PM-10:30PM; ABC Family) - We've fallen back in love with Harry Potter recently. It's very comforting escapist entertainment. Watching these movies could actually be a fun new holiday tradition! This week we've got the quite excellent film adaptation of the third of the popular children's novels. Of course, the fourth one, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, is......

Most Likely to Rule: Duck Season (Temporada de patos) - This is a Mexican coming-of-age comedy - in black and white, no less - about a couple of 14-year-old boys who, while their parents are away, settle in for a fun Sunday of video games, snacks, and pointless violence, only to have it interrupted and their lives changed forever by a loss of electricity, an unexpected visit from a young woman, and the arrival of......

A steaming hot pile of our favorite things from around the internets. We know there's nothing you love more than a fun web quiz, so check out Web 2.0 or Star Wars character? in which you are asked to pick out the weird names of fictional inhabitants of a far away galaxy from amongst the equally weird names of the latest internet apps. We're ashamed proud to say we scored a 38 on this quiz,......

Tonight the Japan America Society of Greater Philadelphia will be screening Satoshi Kon's Tokyo Godfathers on the 7th floor of the Bellevue (Broad and Walnut Streets) at 6:30 PM. If we're reading this right - the film follows three wildly different homeless characters as they care for an abandoned baby on Christmas Eve. Hmm. Not exactly your traditional holiday story...but the tag line, "Meet the ultimate dysfunctional family," is something people of all cultures seem......