Seven people were shot in five separate incidents within about a 12-hour span from Monday into yesterday. The judge for the Fumo corruption trial is still ill, a fact that may delay the trial for at least a month. Monday was the first work day with higher tolls on the DRPA's Ben Franklin, Walt Whitman, Commodore Barry, and Betsy Ross Bridges, so it's not entirely surprising that commuter traffic dropped on those bridges Monday,......

In other areas it might not be news that another supermarket just opened, but in West Philly it's a big deal. "In an unexpected move, federal prosecutors said last night that they would ask a judge to revoke bail today and detain Jocelyn S. Kirsch." She was scheduled to plead guilty at a hearing this afternoon, but now a detention hearing will be held instead. It seems the feds are mad about her recent Target......

Yesterday Police Commissioner Charles H. Ramsey fired four police officers and disciplined four others for taking part in the infamous videotaped beating of three shooting suspects. "Students from four Philadelphia-area high schools are meeting at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia today, with other students videoconferencing from as far away as Louisiana, to discuss issues in the presidential election and create a student agenda for the candidates." As promised, Governor Rendell announced the highest......

The Daily News points out that while the Philadelphia School District is looking for ways to balance its budget, the organization might want to consider cutting the abnormally high salaries of its legal counsel. "Jury selection is expected to begin today in the 19-year-old murder of a North Philadelphia black man in what has been labeled a 'racial killing.'" "The Esherick House, a rare private residence designed by revered 20th-century architect Louis Kahn and tucked......

Ben Franklin and Betsy Ross are getting married! We're freaking out!! (Via Sarah) The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Building at 16th and Callowhill Streets was evacuated yesterday morning when a white, powdery substance was found in a third-floor office. The substance turned out to be foot powder. D'oh. (Via Sarah) An accident on the westbound Pennsylvania Turnpike between the Mid-County and Valley Forge interchanges led to the death of the driver of a FedEx......

The Pennsylvania Turnpike has been closed in both directions between the Philadelphia and Willow Grove interchanges, and is likely to stay closed most of the morning, due to a fiery five-car accident earlier today involving a tractor trailer and a pickup truck. Thankfully, as of this writing, no fatalities have been reported. The Fort Dix suspects are asking to be moved Special Housing Unit at the Federal Detention Center in Philadelphia due to the fact......

A heavy bag left on the sidewalk on Broad Street early yesterday morning led to the street being closed between Spring Garden and Callowhill, and to the evacuation of the school district's administration building. The bomb squad came and blew up the bag at 8:30AM yesterday. There's no official word as to whether the bag actually contained explosives, but from what the Inquirer was able to dig up, it sounds like it was just......

The latest in local politics: it looks like Brady is going to get a bunch of union endorsements. But it could be TV ads that decide the race. Meanwhile, Tom Knox is partnering with Councilwoman Jannie Blackwell to create a "reform ticket" - even though, as the Inquirer points out, Blackwell was the only Council member to vote against reform. Speaking of campaigns and the City Council, the nastiest campaign this election season is......

A Penn State football player and his girlfriend got into "an altercation" with some guys on the street, and then later called up his other football-playing buddies and they all went and broke into the apartment building where the guys lived, where "a melee ensued." All of this is allegedly, of course. Anyway, half a dozen Penn State football players are facing charges ranging from criminal trespass to burglary. (Via reader Ross) A senior......

Oh no! The Zoo's three African elephants are all of the sudden in limbo. The plan was to ship them to the Maryland Zoo in Baltimore, where they could frolic in the expanded elephant habitat there, but now it turns out the expansion won't be ready on schedule. Officials at the Philadelphia Zoo "are working with the Association of Zoos and Aquariums to find another home for the animals." So, how about this mayoral......