Results tagged “laws”

I like this Top (Insert Your Number) thing that Phillyist has going right now. It allows you to write without a clear beginning-to-end narrative, something that comes in handy when you aren’t really watching the game that you are supposed to be “reporting” on. This week, I didn't have something as deathly important as getting my dog's photo taken with Jolly St. Nick. No, I blew the game off because my wife was having her family over for dinner. Now I like the in-laws, but, more importantly, I really like TACOS. The wife made some really delicious ones and I wasn’t going to let some game with “playoff” implications get in the way of my “Should I have beef or pork tacos” dilemma. It just really wouldn’t be fair to the family. That and the fact that I've officially graduated to the "don't really give an ass" mode of this season. But since I’m not going to let the fact that I didn’t really watch the game get in the way of a deadline, let’s start the fun and cheeriness!

Two separate laws aimed at making most government records public by default are making their way through the state legislature. The House bill, which was approved by a committee yesterday, is stronger than the bill that was passed by the Senate yesterday, 48-1. Another day, another shooting in Philadelphia. Two officers responding to a call about a man causing a disturbance in West Philadelphia early yesterday morning chased the man into an alley, where he...

  • Only a few miles away and only a few hours after the incident described above, an 18-month-old boy was struck in the elbow and the foot by stray bullets during an altercation at Tustin Playground at 60th Street and Lancaster Avenue. The toddler is in stable condition. The intended target of the shooting was also struck and is in critical condition. Meanwhile, two other babies were found dead in the Philadelphia area yesterday - one at a day care center in Wilmington, and the other in a trash bin in Lancaster.
  • By Bill Hayes and Pencopal

    Happy first weekend of September - and happy Labor Day weekend, too, for our American cities! Let's take a look at what's been happening around the Ist-a-verse.

    With unseasonable weather descending upon much of North America, schools getting ready to reconvene, and sports seasons getting exciting, it's a busy time of year for us here in the Ist-A-Verse. Luckily, even with all the things we have to do, we still managed to get together to let you know what we've all been up to.

  • A man who was convicted in 1993 in a 1991 Nicetown rape and murder case is hoping to get DNA testing that he says will exonerate him; if the state Superior Court does rule in his favor and allow the testing, it may open the door to many more PA convicts getting DNA tests.
  • The city's relatively new campaign finance laws are under attack on two fronts: briefs in the state Supreme Court, and consideration by the Legislature. Nutter will be doing his best to fight off both attacks and preserve the laws that (theoretically) helped him get the Democratic nomination for Mayor.
  • A Quirky Column about Dog Walking Adventures in the City of Dog-Owning Love

    The best of the internet, squirted out in flavorful neon globules, just for you.

  • Last night the second annual Greater Philadelphia Cappie Awards were held at Upper Darby High School Performing Arts Center. "The Critics and Awards Program or 'Cappies' [was] founded eight years ago in Washington, D.C., to recognize high school theater and journalism students."
  • There's so much going on across the Ist-a-Verse that it's almost impossible to keep track these days. Fortunately, we do it so you don't have to!

  • While we're on the subject, check out the Inquirer's run-down of a recent mayoral forum. And guess who else is going after Tom Knox now? Mayoral candidates who are not Tom Knox have signed a pledge to support public financing of future Philadelphia campaigns.
  • Some fool has robbed the same Wawa in the Northeast (on Torresdale Avenue at Levick Street in Tacony) three times within the past month. The police would like you to call 215-686-3153 or -3154 if you have any information.
  • Two state Senators held their third hearing Wednesday on the possibility of convening a constitutional convention for the reform of state government, and they did it at U. Penn Law School. There were three speakers: "an area lawyer and author, a Rutgers University law school professor, and the president of the local League of Women Voters."
  • Philly parents: how did your children do on their obesity report cards? Any fatties in the family? Hey, we were just wondering... (Okay, we know it's a serious problem, but we can't help but find the whole thing a little funny.)
  • Some are trying to pass laws to ban casinos in Philly, but there could already be a law on the books that would prohibit the building of at least one of the casinos: the planned SugarHouse Casino at Frankford and Delaware Avenue. It's a zoning law originally designed to restrict nightclubs.
  • A third-grade girl has been suspended from Highland Park Elementary School in Upper Darby, and may be expelled, apparently because she thought the authentic-looking replica of a German Luger that she'd brought with her to school on Monday was a real gun. She found it in a box in her family's attic and brought it with her to protect herself because her brother wasn't going to be able to walk her home that day.
  • A Quirky Column about Dog Walking Adventures in the City of Dog-Owning Love...

  • Meanwhile, a lot of work needs to be done, and a lot of money needs to be raised, if they're going to get the Sister Clara Muhammad School and the Philadelphia Masjid at 47th Street back up and running again.
  • Besides offering a concise and appropriate representation of the times, some quotes are so incisive that they make a step back from the clarity of the moment nearly impossible.

  • Are we heading toward tougher gun control laws in Philly? The Police Commissioner and various gun control advocates are calling for them, after the release of a report that highlights two dozen cases around the country, and nine in Pennsylvania, where criminals got their guns by way of legitimate dealers. And Mayor Street, along with the other members of the Mayors Against Illegal Guns coalition, went to Washington to push for new, tougher gun control laws.
  • Please welcome new Phillyist author Joe Ross who, in his following inaugural post, is giving our manners maven a run for her money. Joe likes pirate mini golf and The Princess Bride, and has plans to ultimately rid the planet of zombies once and for all. The old-fashioned, slow-moving zombies, that is.

  • The recent surge in violence in the city just may have something to do with our little gang problem.
  • What's new and/or interesting in Philly theaters this weekend.

    PA citizens (many reportedly from the Philly area) went to Harriburg, where state representatives were reviewing over 100 crime-related bills. We can't blame them:

  • The state House of Representatives is holding a special session on violence today, and local anti-violence activists will be rallying in support of tougher gun laws, but experts say the chance of us getting new gun control legislation is slim. That's because it's mostly only city residents who care about such stuff at all - the rest of the state isn't interested. Not to mention the fact that many state legislators come from rural, pro-hunting communities where it's not even an issue. D'oh.
  • The United in Memory 9/11 Victims Memorial Quilt, a 16,000-square-foot quilt made to honor each victim of the attacks on September 11th, 2001 and consisting of more than 3,000 squares made by more than 3,000 volunteers from 18 different countries, will be on display at Cabrini College in Radnor from September 15th through the 17th.
  • Thankfully, Northwest Philly's John Staggs, a State House hopeful, challenged the oath and threatened to sue the state. As a result, the State Supreme Court has said officials should stop enforcing the oath, although it will technically remain on the books.



    Breaking
    the law, breaking the law
    . We -ist folks love us some crime, and no
    misdemeanor is too petty for a post on any of our sites. This week,
    join us for a rogues' gallery of miscreants major, minor, and alleged.

    Gothamist gets us started with
    "Law
    & Order", muppet style
    . Oh, you know what isn't a crime? Taking
    pictures on the MTA. So, why
    are cops stopping photographers
    ? In other Gotham crime, a group
    of Asian men
    was attacked
    by a group of white guys in Queens
    . Finally, Boy
    George reports for his court mandated community service
    . Sweet.

    Londonist brings us the tale
    of poor Bob Hoskins, shaken
    at his near-miss with terrorists
    . Meanwhile, Interpol
    sweeps in to reclaim a lost Peruvian artifact
    . Then, there's the
    slasher
    who claims he got his weapon from President Bush
    . Ouch!

    Phillyist's bus system, SEPTA,
    is fighting
    crime in a whole new way
    , and it would be a crime in and of itself
    for you not
    to read this story about Oreo the cat
    . Oh, and can
    we agree that requesting "Piano Man" at a piano bar
    should be
    illegal?

    Torontoist's thorough
    coverage
    of the XVI
    International AIDS Conference
    , doesn't fit into the "crime" theme,
    but it's too great to pass up. But we're back on track with their href="http://www.torontoist.com/archives/2006/08/toronto_bike_po.php">post
    on bike rack vulnerability and an
    interview with a controversial crime fighter
    .

    DCist brings us a murder
    that gets more mysterious by the day
    , and we're considering a life
    of crime ourselves, if it'll allow us to dine
    out like DCist
    . And if it's not illegal to sell
    soiled mattresses
    , it should be.

    SFist muses on the negligent behavior of a public transit employee, covered the
    questionable confession
    of a man arrested for the murder of
    JonBenet Ramsey, and delineated the highway robbery that is the Bay Area real estate market.



    Shanghaiist brings us this
    video of "one
    of the worst cover bands we have seen in China"
    , which isn't
    illegal, but should be. We're unclear on the legal status of an "invisible
    monster cock"
    , and we'd prefer to stay that way. Price
    gouging on drinks
    is a criminal act, in our opinion.

    Chicagoist gets thrown in the
    hoosgow by readers
    who hate the Annual Air & Water Show
    . Should bottle service be illegal? Chicagoist's commenters debate that,
    too. And the criminally overdiscussed (and we say this even as we
    trotted this out as a theme last week) gets the Chicagoist
    commenter treatment, as well
    .

    LAist exposes the questionable ethics of 's marketing, tells us how to make the
    criminally tasty Moscow
    mule
    , and creates
    a criminal amount of garbage
    .

    Houstonist blows us away with
    the announcement that they
    wear pantyhose
    . Someone call the fashion police! Houston's city
    council takes a bite
    out of shoddy newspaper rack crime
    . The only real criminals in
    Houston seem to be flying
    roaches
    . (No, not those kind.)

    Those miscreants at Bostonist
    take their shot at our
    newest public enemy number one, Mel Gibson
    . Public enemy number
    two? Gold
    bricking spammers
    . Number three? Bad
    mergers
    .

    Seattlest gets a
    photo of missing person Bettie Page
    , breaks some laws of their own
    by getting "drunk
    on clandestine vodka, and yell(ing) at passing cars."
    When is
    domestic violence kinda understandable? Now.

    Austinist's lovable rogues
    tell us about issues in their
    state's gubernatorial race
    , eagerly anticipate the arrival of the
    criminally hilarious Onion
    , and bemoan
    the firing
    of a teacher who committed the crime of (gasp!) partial
    nudity.

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