O'Jays Son Dies After Taken From Jail

O'Jays Son Dies After Taken From Jail

LeVert, the rhythm and blues pop trio of Marc Gordon, right, and brothers, from left, Gerald LeVert and Sean LeVert is seen in this May 15, 1989 file photo. The coroner in Cleveland says the son of lead O'Jays singer Eddie Levert, Sean LeVert has died after a medical emergency in jail. Thirty-nine-year-old Sean Levert was sent to jail last week for failing to pay child support. He died late Sunday night, March 30, 2008, at Lutheran Hospital in Cleveland.

CLEVELAND (AP) -- Sean Levert, a third of the 1980s R&B trio LeVert and son of lead O'Jays singer Eddie Levert, has died after falling ill while serving a jail term. He was 39.

Authorities said Monday that an autopsy was inconclusive but foul play was ruled out.

Levert was sentenced last week to one year and 10 months in jail for failing to pay $89,025 in child support. He died at Lutheran Hospital in Cleveland late Sunday, less than an hour after he was taken there from the jail, said coroner Frank Miller.

Levert was sentenced by Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Judge Nancy Margaret Russo, who said a presentence report indicated he had been addicted to marijuana from the time he was 14 until recently. He didn't speak at his sentencing and gave no indication of any health problems, the judge said Monday.

His brother Gerald Levert, who had success as a solo artist after leaving their trio died in 2006 at age 40 of an accidental mix of prescription and over-the-counter drugs.

The brothers had formed LeVert in the 1980s with childhood friend Marc Gordon. Their hits included "Baby I'm Ready," "(Pop, Pop, Pop, Pop) Goes My Mind" and "Casanova."

"Casanova" was nominated for a Grammy in 1988 for best R&B performance by a duo or group with vocal. It was also nominated for best R&B song.

At Gerald Levert's funeral service in November 2006, Sean Levert and his father performed "Dance With My Father" and personalized the words for Gerald. The elder Levert's group, the O'Jays, was known for such smash hits as "Back Stabbers" and "Love Train."

Sean Levert found a new third partner last year and was trying to revive LeVert.

An autopsy was done Monday but no immediate cause of death was determined, according to Powell Caesar, a spokesman for the Cuyahoga County's coroner's office, but he said there was no evidence of foul play or trauma.

Levert suffered from high blood pressure and had been hallucinating in jail, Caesar said. Toxicology reports could take four to six weeks, he said.

Warden Kevin McDonough said earlier that Levert had been sick and guards were watching him at the jail's regular cellblock because he had been acting strangely.

Sean Levert had pleaded guilty last week to six counts of nonsupport involving children ages 11, 15 and 17.

Van Stone's The Making of America Straight Talk; 1700's

Van Stone's The Making of America Straight Talk; 1700's
by Van Stone vspfoundation@yahoo.com (215) 747-8746



Above: Olaudah Equiano, also known as Gustavus Vassa, is one of the living blacks that worked to help students of American History know that Africans coming to the making of America spoke jabber is a Myth. Blacks were Kings and Queens of territory in the African Empire as equal to Kings of England in the British Empire. He fought hard along side true freedom fighters for women, the Jewish, the Islamic, and the Christian to have the opportunity to become President of the United States of America in Continental Congress. Shortly a new branch of government for the U.S.A. President was written to prevent Olaudah's work.

I read an article once where basically the writer was looking for the simple way to get talk about America's original beginning straight. The straight story of America would mean, telling its history about whites and blacks, Islamic, Christianity, and Judaism, which either were the true first Presidents, Congress, and makers of a banner year for state independence or should have been. American History is its religion, ethnology (nationality or territory), and race pre-time period and post-time period that became the making of America. Somewhere during the American Revolution positive -women, both white and black, and blacks and the English were the true bold people that made it all possible to achieve. Positive forefathers-race was African, Irish, Swedish, German, Dutch, Spanish, Portugal, Danish, Italian, and Native American making the American experience. You have touched England soil through their spiritual person. As far as the majority goes, in England all men were measured as 100% men, all women were measured as 100% leaders and no man or woman that set foot on England territory were measured as slaves.

So, if you were a slave anywhere in the world and you somehow reached England by force or an assignment from the slave owner you were free. This law was transferred throughout the ages from Africa, to Rome, to England, and eventually to the making of America. But like other Empires it would take hundreds of years for the United States of America in the U.S. Constitution empowerment to be free of slavery and unfair measurements of all humankind. And across America we need to get this straight.

In America 2008, we see Barack Obama, a black man, Hillary Clinton, a white woman and John McCain, a white man, running for President of the United States of America. But, there was a time when all of these folks just mentioned above could have ran for President of the United States of America in Continental Congress. Do you see what's missing in the first reference to our America, the land of the free? Yeah. The two words, in, and Congress. Two words made all the difference in the world between real intentions of freedom and hope of freedom. The first United States of America was really about and for men, women and children and their equal rights all together.

There were 13 colonies that were a part of the British Empire territory fighting mad about women abuse, slavery and religious intolerance. The second addition of the United States of American, less the in Continental Congress was really about and for religion tolerance and nationality. We the people of the U.S.A. are a republic government that allows without hindrance and/or permit a non-understanding attitude toward persons whose beliefs, race, nationality, etc., differ from one's own. So, if a woman would have desired to be in Congress or the President of the United States in Continental Congress it would or could has happened. But not in the United States of America. No woman has been President of the U.S.A. No Islamic has been President of the U.S.A. This shows that woman fought for rights that were not meant to last in the United States of America.

Women and Slavery, Islam and Slavery are so closely related as to their own views in the 1700's that it's no wonder these two groups are hardly mentioned in the United States Constitution. Therefore, if we are going to tell the history of America straight, one starting point should be where it all began. So, it started from a place called Africa. In 1745 America had whom therein? England, the Spanish Empire and African nobles.

Olaudah Equiano, a black man, also known as Gustavus Vassa, lived to tell the making of America straight. He proved that blacks spoke the languages: English, African, Spanish, and French right out of Africa and not because slavery was involved. He showed how Africans coming to America speaking jabber is a Myth. Also, The Hispanic Empire ruled America at the start. Islam was plenty throughout the Americas and Portugal at the start. England was the most gentle in its day toward guarding the decision that women and men are altogether human beings at the start. And at the same moment in time the great exodus of a 500 Nations crowd from an African territory close enough to Canada right across into America happened, by both boat (the Spanish word was "canoa"; Native Americans and the British called it canoe), and walking. How should we feel after an adjustment like this? There are some who feel no different after a Black History moment.

Opinion/Views at Phila. Front Page News; Doreen Ludwig

Opinion/Views at Phila. Front Page News; Doreen Ludwig


Scams of Family Court
by Doreen Ludwig

Imagine that you are elected King. You are endowed with the power to issue orders. You are permitted to punish through jailing. You NEVER need to give a reason for your decisions. No one ever looks to see if your decisions are fair or based on fact. Once you are given your Kingdom, you preside for ten years. People who appear before the King wish to purchase your services of dictatorship. Solomon’s wisdom is not required.

Americans live under a cloud of illusion. Belief in Government purity is archaic. Conversely, there those who want a system of Government service purchase. Some benefit from Government corruption and they work to maintain their access and privilege. They give campaign contributions. They join social groups. They use family and friendships to cultivate inroads. There join membership organizations and trade associations that network at conferences giving unfair advantage to other members.

It is a fact of life that men and woman get together, have sex and have children. They may marry or not. Then they argue or find out the other person has addictions or psychological problems. Partners with habits of using violence to relieve stress or get their way become frightening. The relationship erodes and someone leaves. Whether or not divorce papers are filed, family court will determine custody; which gets to raise the children and how much power each parent will have over the child and by connection, the other parent.

In family court no one is on equal footing. The almighty singular power of Kings is bestowed on Pennsylvania county judges. Oversight of the judicial system is non-existent in Pennsylvania. The Judicial Conduct Board (JCB) is given the duty to oversee judicial conduct by the Pennsylvania Constitution. Mr. Joseph Massa heads the JCB. The Governor’s friends staff the JCB and Court Judges. Judges are not supposed to violate the law. The law includes the Constitution of the United States, The Pennsylvania Constitution and the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes. This law provides the framework for judicial decisions. Yet, the JCB does nothing when Family Court judges violate Pennsylvania law.

U.S. Constitutional Amendments 5 and 14 give every citizen the right of due process. This is so important that it is guaranteed twice. Black’s Law Dictionary defines Due Process as “the right of the person affected thereby to be present before the tribunal which pronounces judgment upon the question of life, liberty, or property, in its most comprehensive sense; to be heard, by testimony or otherwise, and to have the right of controverting, by proof, every material fact which bears on the question of right in the matter involved. If any question of fact or liability be conclusively presumed against him, this is not due process of law.”

In family court it is easy to manufacture a false record. What the Judge does is only permit due process that substantiates a false record. If your family court case is pre-determined, the Judge will deny witnesses, exhibits, and cross-examination. The Judge will ignore Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes. The Judge will issue orders without hearings or trials based on no facts. If you oppose this obvious lack of due process, you will be yelled at, threatened and jailed.

The King is given absolute power to deny due process. Appellate Courts and the Judicial Conduct Board do not correct violations of due process nor does the JCB punish Judges who purposely and overwhelming violate a parties due process rights.

What we would like to do is start documenting these cases of judicial corruption – the rigged family court case. I am able to analysis the record and find the violations of law that contributed to the false record and one-sided orders. Most Lawyers won’t tell you how the law was violated. They are bound to uphold the judicial system. As a layperson, I may not give legal advice, yet I am able to analysis your Court record and issue a report listing legal snafus.

Once we compile an adequate number of cases, we can require Pennsylvania Court Administration to hold themselves accountable to the law and ethics.

In my next article, I’ll explain the custody evaluator racket or how an outside businessperson is used to violate the law.

Doreen Ludwig is an owner of entrepreneur legal aid within domestic relations. Contact her at berksfamilycourtabuse@dejazzd.com

Child being held hostage in Bronx

Child being held hostage in Bronx

A hostage situation is going on in the Bronx.A father holding two young boys hostage barricaded himself inside an apartment.

The standoff started this morning. The man is getting divorced from the boys mother. One of the boys has been released.

It's happening on Creston avenue in the University Heights section.

Police say 27-year-old Camilo Mejias is the man that has been sticking his head outside the window talking to heavily armed police officers.

Inside that apartment along with Mejias was his wife's 10-year-old boy Francisco, and his child with her infant Mathew.

Leonardo Espinal is the boys grandfather, and he says Mejias is crazy and uses drugs.

Rosmary Espinal is the boys mother. She's been in a police car for hours, ever since her sister told us Mejias pushed his way into her apartment.

Earlier Friday, the ESU team moved in with sheilds up, guns drawn, and within minutes 10-year-old Francisco is released.

The couple has been separated for months now and Rosmary has an order of protection against Mejias.

Her sister says whatever problems they had, this was unexpected.

So for now one boy is safe and one, and an 11-month is still inside with a man who's intentions are not clear to anyone.

It's All About MC Hammer Recent Time In Philadelphia and Malik Aziz At Philadelphia Front Page News

It's All About MC Hammer Recent Time In Philadelphia and Malik Aziz At Philadelphia Front Page News

MC Hammer is one of the forces behind DanceJam.com, which hopes to be a hub for sharing and watching dance videos. It debuts midmonth.

MC Hammer -TMZ.com reports that Stanley Burrell.

Hammer's latest time is a Web site called DanceJam where people can upload videos of themselves dancing for Hammer to critique:

Dance world finds a place on the Web

By JULIE BLOOM

New York Times News Service

For proof of dance's mainstream popularity on the Internet, look no further than YouTube.

That site's most-viewed video, an absurdly silly stand-up comedy routine called "Evolution of Dance" (youtube.com/watch?v=

dMH0bHeiRNg), still captures hit after hit.

But until recently, such attention to movement on the Web has largely eluded the professional dance world.

In the past year, dance has finally carved out a space for itself online as dancers, choreographers and institutions embraced the Internet with video, blogs and new Web sites.

Now artists are using the medium as a way not just to build awareness for their work but also to change the nature of the form.

Driving these developments is a wave of young dance artists, among them Camille A. Brown, 28, the choreographer whose new work, "The Groove to Nobody's Business," premiered this month as part of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater's season at New York's City Center.

Along with the pictures of friends and shout-outs to the singer Jill Scott and the actress/singer Jennifer Hudson, Brown's MySpace page,

profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&frie ndID=68029298, is flooded with studio portraits, reviews of "Groove" and blog entries about the City Center engagement, as well as an up-to-date calendar of her performance schedule.

Brown, who put up her page a year ago, is one of many young artists using the Web as a way to level the artistic playing field.

"Everyone has a page," she said, "and people have contacted me about jobs through MySpace - both dancers looking for jobs and directors who want to use my work. A lot of companies have them now."

These include companies as diverse as Martha Graham and the Pennsylvania Ballet.

"It's the sign of the times," Brown added.

"A year ago, it wasn't really geared toward business, but in the past six months it's been turning into that. The amount of contacts you can have - you can send out a bulletin about your show, and all of your friends, whether it's 1,000 people or whatever, can find out about it. You can reach so many people."

Reaching out and connecting with fellow dancers is a big part of what going online is about.

When Jennifer Alexander, a corps dancer with American Ballet Theater, was killed in a car crash in early December, her colleague David Hallberg paid tribute with photos and reminisces on The Winger (thewinger.com/

words/), a blog started by Kristin Sloan, 27, a former dancer with New York City Ballet who is now the new-media director for the company. His posts were met with an outpouring of comments.

"The dance world, particularly ballet, is very closed and isolated," Sloan said.

"It's supposed to be mysterious, which kind of goes against everything today. There are tons of reality TV shows; people want to know what goes on behind the scenes, and what goes into creating things."

Sloan started by posting photos, which she took backstage, and eventually other artists, including Hallberg, wanted to contribute.

"I did a lot of blogging in Saratoga in 2005," she said. "I did it from my mobile phone, and there was no community online yet to provide links or anything. It's not like now; you make a blog and everyone knows about it. It was literally a needle in a haystack of nothing."

The Winger links to a range of blogs, including Great Dance (greatdance.com) and Danciti (danciti.com), and Sloan was even featured in a television commercial for the iPhone as a mobile blogger.

Dance Theater Workshop (dancetheaterworkshop.org/) rolled out the first phase of its new Web site in September. With constantly changing photographs and video, the new site is sleeker and inspired by sites as diverse as those for the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago, the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis and MC Hammer's Dance Jam. The workshop put $25,000 into making the site more user-friendly.

"We knew we wanted there to be much more movement," said Megan Sprenger, the workshop's marketing director. "On the previous site there was almost none, and here's a movement institution with no video. What's that about?

"So definitely we wanted much more motion," she said, "and to have it be a part of the DNA, which is why we chose the changing colors. Every click, it changes colors to kind of subconsciously highlight the user's movement through the site."

The site now also focuses more on resources for artists and international programming. "People didn't even know we offered grants," Sprenger said, "and it was because it was buried in the navigation bar."

The next phases of the rollout, expected in February and in the fall, will involve creating a members-only section, turning the artists' directory into a collection of profile pages like those on MySpace.

"It's a place for them to speak to each other," Sprenger said. "Now we have a member directory that lists those people and links to their Web site if they have one. What we're doing in the fall is making it much more depthful." She said the site would provide members with pictures, links to video and a networking system.

The Merce Cunningham Dance Company (merce.org) is also moving much of its focus online, said Trevor Carlson, the company's executive director.

"We've been engaging in biweekly e-newsletters and e-mails," he said.

"The biggest thing we recognize is that Web access is really driving the way that we communicate with one another, and how can we utilize that form of technology not only to communicate but to influence our creative concepts?"

This focus is hardly surprising for Cunningham, who has spent much of his career experimenting with technology, from incorporating iPod shuffles into a dance score to using DanceForms software, to visualize and chronicle dance steps in 3-D images. Other companies, including New York City Ballet, are putting their entire repertory online. *

It's Hammer time again

Associated Press -The former rap star is remaking himself as an Internet dance video maven

- MC Hammer hasn't topped the music charts since the early 1990s, but the former rap star says he has another hit in him - this time as a Silicon Valley entrepreneur.

Hammer, whose real name is Stanley Burrell, has a new career as cofounder and chief strategy officer of DanceJam.com.

The Menlo Park, Calif., Web site, scheduled to debut in mid-January, will try to upstage YouTube to become the Internet's hub for sharing and watching dance videos.

DanceJam then hopes to grab a piece of the rapidly growing Internet advertising market, which is expected to reach $27.5 billion in 2008, according to eMarketer, an Internet market research company.

If the business pans out, DanceJam could help Hammer compensate for losing his fortune when he went bankrupt in 1996 with nearly $14 million in debts.

The bankruptcy was a sobering comedown for Hammer, who parlayed the popularity of his once-ubiquitous song, "U Can't Touch This," to become a pop icon in the early 1990s. Besides becoming a fixture on MTV, Hammer appeared on kids' lunch boxes and even had his own action figure.

Hammer's involvement in DanceJam has more to do with his technological savvy than his celebrity, said Ron Conway, a longtime Silicon Valley investor who is part of a small group that provided DanceJam with $1 million in start-up funds.

Hammer, 45, started poking around Silicon Valley while he was still selling millions of records. He often hung out at computer-makers such as Silicon Graphics Inc. and Apple Inc., hoping to learn more about how technology might help his music career.

"There is no high-tech lingo or business strategy that you can talk that is above my head," Hammer said during an interview. "I breathe this stuff."

His entrepreneurial roots date to the 1980s, when he began recording songs with financial help from a few players on the Oakland Athletics, for whom he once worked as a ball boy. His nickname came from his resemblance to the former home-run king, Hammerin' Hank Aaron.

Without the support of a major music label, Hammer built a loyal fan base by hitting the streets and selling his early recordings out of a car.

Hammer and his DanceJam partners - Geoffrey Arone, the chief executive, and Anthony Young, the chief technology officer - are wading into a market saturated with dozens of Web sites that have built huge video libraries.

Drawing upon the popularity of such reality shows as Dancing With the Stars, DanceJam will stage head-to-head competitions where contestants submit videos that will be judged by viewers. The site also will provide demonstrations and information about a wide variety of dances, ranging from boogaloo to krump.

Arone, Hammer and Young say they have stockpiled about 100 gigabytes of video to launch DanceJam.

James McQuivey, a media analyst with Forrester Research, doubts that will be enough to lure people away from Google Inc.'s YouTube, which listed 1.7 million dance videos in its index as of late December.

Hammer recognized YouTube's potential before most people did, he said. Besides putting some of his own clips on the site, he visited YouTube's offices in February 2006 when there were still just a handful of people running the site above a pizza parlor.

Until then, Hammer had doubts about the Web's entertainment value.

"When everybody started raving about the Internet, I always wondered, 'If it's so great, why can't you see my videos on the Internet?' " he said. "It looks like technology has finally caught up with my vision."

Nutter in a funny hat.

So MC Hammer dropped by City Hall yesterday for a little face time with Mixmaster Mayor Nutter.

Hammer is in town to speak to ex-offenders and kids today. Nutter tells PhillyClout that during the former rap star's visit to the Mayor's office, he played him the of his inauguration party performance of "Rapper's Delight."

And Hammer was impressed. "He thought it was good," Nutter said.

(But did he think it was Too Legit Too Quit?)

So is there a celebrity duet in their future? Or a rap contest? We can only pray..

Pa. Sen. Bob Casey Endorses Obama

Pa. Sen. Bob Casey Endorses Obama

Democratic presidential hopeful Sen. Barack Obama D-Ill., left, laughs with Sen. Bob Casey Jr., D-Pa., Friday, March 28, 2008, at the Soldiers and Sailors Museum and Memorial in Pittsburgh, Pa. where Casey announced his endorsement of Obama.

PITTSBURGH (AP) -- Pennsylvania Sen. Bob Casey endorsed Democrat Barack Obama on Friday, a move that could help the presidential candidate make inroads with white working-class voters dubbed "Casey Democrats" in the Keystone State.

Appearing on stage beside the Illinois senator, Casey told a boisterous rally, "I believe in my heart that there is one person who's uniquely qualified to lead us in that new direction and that is Barack Obama."

Pennsylvania's April 22 primary will allocate 158 delegates, the biggest single prize left in the drawn-out nomination battle between Obama and Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York. Clinton is leading Obama in the state, by 12 points in one poll this month.

Casey is a first-term senator and the son of a popular former governor of the state. Casey is Catholic and, like his father, is known for his opposition to abortion and support of gun rights. His support could help Obama make inroads among Catholic voters, who have preferred Clinton to Obama in earlier primaries and strongly favor her in Pennsylvania polls.

"I really believe that in a time of danger around the world and in division here at home, Barack Obama can lead us, he can heal us, he can help rebuild America," he said.

Obama told the crowd that he had not pushed Casey hard for an endorsement.

"Bob is such a gracious person and such a thoughtful person that I did not press him on this endorsement," especially since Obama trails Clinton in Pennsylvania polls.

"It would have been easy for Bob just to stay out of it, just to stay neutral, I think everybody would have accepted that," Obama said.

Casey said that he called Clinton Thursday night to tell her of his decision.

"She was very gracious. We know that she's a great senator, she's a great leader," Casey said.

Asked by Casey's endorsement, Clinton spokesman Mo Elleithee said, "We're proud of the support we have from across Pennsylvania, including Gov. (Ed) Rendell, several members of Congress and mayors from across the state. We look forward to having his support in the general election as Democrats unite to beat John McCain and to turn our country around."

Clinton's backers in the state include Rep. John Murtha, who was an early advocate of withdrawing from Iraq, and Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter, who is black.

Meantime, a leading Obama backer, Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., is saying Clinton should abandon her White House run.

"There is no way that Sen. Clinton is going to win enough delegates to get the nomination," Leahy told Vermont Public Radio in an interview that aired Thursday.

In a statement issued Friday, Leahy, the Senate Judiciary Committee chairman who endorsed Obama in January, said Casey's endorsement of Obama is the latest sign of how the race is going.

"Sen. Clinton has every right, but not a very good reason, to remain a candidate for as long as she wants to. As far as the delegate count and the interests of a Democratic victory in November go, there is not a very good reason for drawing this out. But as I have said before, that is a decision that only she can make," Leahy said.

The Casey endorsement came as Obama began a six-day campaign swing through Pennsylvania.

Pennsylvania has an estimated 3.8 million Catholics, or just over 30 percent of the state's population, and the percentage among Democrats is estimated to be slightly higher.

Obama's team hopes that Casey will help narrow Clinton's huge lead among white working-class voters - men in particular. Clinton routed Obama among that demographic in Ohio and Texas on March 4, raising questions about his electability in November. In recent weeks, Obama has stressed economic issues important to the middle class, and he is outspending Clinton on television advertising that features blue-collar imagery.

Clinton and her supporters have been making their own direct appeals: backers Kathleen Kennedy Townsend and Robert F. Kennedy Jr., last week wrote a letter to Pennsylvania Catholics emphasizing her plans on health care, mortgage foreclosures and fuel costs. Clinton has been endorsed by Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell, giving her access to his potent political operation.

Obama has lacked a major endorsement by a statewide Pennsylvania politician, and Casey's could help jump-start his Pennsylvania campaign. Casey has close ties to organized labor, which has been divided in Pennsylvania between the two candidates.

Casey had a 62 percent approval rating among Democrats in a recent Quinnipiac University poll.

Casey's move could also be seen as a political jab at the Clintons. Bill Clinton was the Democrats' presidential nominee in 1992 when Casey's father was not given a prime-time speaking position at the party's convention, which outraged many of the state's conservative Democrats.

Casey was to campaign with Obama as he travels across Pennsylvania by bus.

The bus tour will feature "listening sessions," a technique Clinton used in her 2000 Senate campaign to convince skeptical New Yorkers that she was not just a carpetbagger looking for a plum post after leaving the White House.

Obama hopes to prevent Clinton from racking up a large win in the state which could eat away at his delegate advantage and give her new life in the final primaries running to June.

It may be a tough sell for some in the state, which has a sizable elderly population. In the previous primaries, older Democrats have favored Clinton, while younger voters tend toward Obama.

Casey served two four-year terms as state auditor general. He lost a 2002 gubernatorial bid in the Democratic primary to Rendell.

Casey was elected to the Senate in 2006, defeating conservative GOP incumbent Rick Santorum. Obama campaigned for Casey, but so did Clinton and her husband.

Consumer Spending Weak in February

Consumer Spending Weak in February

WASHINGTON (AP) - Consumers, jolted by a credit crisis, job cuts and soaring energy costs, turned in the weakest spending performance in 17 months in February, further evidence that the risks of a recession are increasing.

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Consumers, jolted by a credit crisis, job cuts and soaring energy costs, turned in the weakest spending performance in 17 months in February, further evidence that the risks of a recession are increasing.

The Commerce Department said Friday that consumer spending edged up by just 0.1 percent last month, the poorest showing since September 2006. And if the effects of inflation are removed, spending was flat in February, the third consecutive month of sluggish activity.

The performance of the consumer is closely watched since consumer spending accounts for two-thirds of total economic activity. Economists said the sustained weakness in this area is one of the most worrisome signs that the economy could be tipping into a recession.

A second report showed the prolonged slump in housing, rising job layoffs, soaring energy costs and a severe credit crisis are taking their toll on consumer confidence. The Reuters/University of Michigan consumer sentiment survey dropped to 69.5 in March, the lowest reading in 16 years and down from 70.8 in February.

"Consumers are facing bad news on all fronts," said Nigel Gault, an economist with Global Insight. "Food and energy prices are climbing ever higher, the labor market is slowing, credit is becoming tighter and household wealth is declining as house prices drop."

While many economists believe the economy has slid into a recession, they still expect it will be short and mild, ending this summer when 130 million U.S. households start spending their rebate checks.

Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson said Friday that the administration is looking for the $168 billion economic stimulus package focused on tax rebate checks to give a boost to the economy in coming months.

"These checks should be a big part of adding 500,000 to 600,000 additional jobs this year," Paulson said in an interview with CNN.

Wall Street rebounded on Friday with the Dow Jones industrial average up more than 30 points in late morning trading.

The 0.1 percent gain in spending was in line with expectations. Personal incomes rose by a better-than-expected 0.5 percent in February, which was a surprise given that employers cut jobs for a second consecutive month in February.

A key inflation gauge that is tied to consumer spending showed a minuscule 0.1 percent gain in February, after excluding energy and food. Over the past 12 months, this gauge, which is closely watched by the Federal Reserve, is up by 2 percent, putting it back within the Fed's 1 percent to 2 percent comfort zone for core inflation.

The Fed has been aggressively cutting interest rates and taking other unprecedented moves to pump money into the financial system in an effort to keep a severe credit crisis from worsening and bringing on a deep recession.

Disposable income, which is what consumers have left after paying taxes, went up by 0.5 percent in February. The personal savings rate, savings as a percentage of disposable income, edged up to 0.3 percent, after tipping into negative territory in January.

Obama Offers Plan for Economic Woes

Obama Offers Plan for Economic Woes

Democratic presidential hopeful Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., speaks in the Great Hall of New York's Cooper Union, Thursday, March 27, 2008.

NEW YORK (AP) -- Democrat Barack Obama proposes relief for homeowners and an additional $30 billion stimulus package to address the nation's economic woes.

The presidential candidate spoke not far from Wall Street, hard hit by the mortgage meltdown and credit problems. New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, the almost candidate, introduced Obama but stopped short of an endorsement.

Bemoaning the nation's economic woes, Obama dismisses Republican rival John McCain's approach. Obama says McCain's plan "amounts to little more than watching this crisis happen."

The political debate comes as a new government report shows the economy nearly sputtered out at the end of the year and is probably faring even worse amid continuing housing, credit and financial crises.

Economy Sputters With 0.6 Percent Growth

Economy Sputters With 0.6 Percent Growth

People line up to attend a job fair on Wednesday, March 26, 2008 in New York. New York's financial community, hit by the subprime mortgage crisis, has suffered thousands of layoffs in 2008, with many more to come.

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The economy nearly sputtered out at the end of the year and is probably faring even worse now amid continuing housing, credit and financial crises.

The Commerce Department reported Thursday that gross domestic product increased at a feeble 0.6 percent annual rate in the October-to-December quarter. The reading - unchanged from a previous estimate a month ago - provided stark evidence of just how much the economy has weakened. In the prior quarter, the economy clocked in at a sizzling 4.9 percent growth rate.

The gross domestic product (GDP) measures the value of all goods and services produced in the United States and is the best barometer of the country's economic health.

Many economists say they believe growth in the current January-to-March quarter will be even weaker than the 0.6 percent figure of the previous quarter. A growing number also say the economy may actually be shrinking now. Under one rough rule, the economy needs to contract for six straight months to be considered in a recession. The government will release its estimate for first-quarter GDP in late April.

In another report, fewer people signed up for unemployment benefits last week, although that didn't change the broader picture of a deteriorating jobs market. The Labor Department said jobless claims fell by 9,000 to 366,000, a better showing than many economists were forecasting. Still, unemployment is expected to rise this year given all the problems clobbering the economy.

The newly released fourth-quarter GDP figure matched analysts' expectations.

Thursday's report underscored the damage to the economy from the collapse in the housing market, which has dragged down housing prices, pushed home foreclosures up to record highs and has led to a glut of unsold homes.

Against that backdrop, builders slashed spending on housing projects by a whopping 25.2 percent on an annualized basis in the fourth quarter, the biggest cut in 26 years.

To limit the damage from the crises, the Federal Reserve has taken a number of extraordinary actions. It has slashed a key interest rate over the last two months by the most in a quarter century. And to relieve turmoil on Wall Street, which intensified after the crash of the country's fifth-largest investment firm, Bear Stearns, the Fed has resorted to its greatest expansion of lending authority since the 1930s. Big securities firms will temporarily be allowed to go to the Fed directly for loans - a privilege that had been afforded only to commercial banks.

Consumers, whose spending is indispensable to the economy's vitality, boosted buying at a 2.3 percent pace in the fourth quarter. That was better than the 1.9 percent growth rate previously estimated but still marked a slowing from the third quarter's 2.8 percent pace.

Businesses - nervous about customers' waning appetite to buy given all the problems in the economy - cut back sharply on their inventories of unsold goods. That shaved 1.79 percentage points off fourth-quarter GDP, the most in more than two years.

Spending by businesses on equipment and software, meanwhile, rose at a pace of 3.1 percent in the final quarter of last year. That was slightly less than previously estimated and marked a slowdown from the prior quarter's 6.2 percent growth rate.

Businesses profits also took a hit in the final quarter. A measure linked to the GDP report showed that after-tax profits fell 3.3 percent at the end of last year, after being flat in the prior quarter.

There was a bright spot in the mostly gloomy report, however. Sales of U.S. goods and services to other countries grew at a 6.5 percent pace. That was better than the 4.8 percent growth rate previously estimated, although it was down sharply from the prior quarter's blistering 19.1 percent growth rate.

U.S. exports have been helped by the sinking value of the U.S. dollar, which makes U.S. goods less expensive to foreign buyers. The U.S. dollar recently plunged to record lows against the euro and has fallen sharply against the Japanese yen.

The drooping dollar can aggravate inflation pressures.

An inflation measure linked to the GDP report showed that overall prices increased at a rate of 3.9 percent in the fourth quarter. That was not as high as previously estimated but marked a big pickup from the third quarter's 1.8 percent pace.

Another gauge showed that "core" prices - excluding food and energy - grew at a rate of 2.5 percent at the end of last year. That was down from a previous estimate of a 2.7 percent pace but was up from the prior quarter's 2 percent growth rate.

The new core inflation figure is above the Fed's comfort zone - the upper bound of which is a 2 percent inflation rate.

Although the Fed's No. 1 job is trying to save the economy from a deep and prolonged recession, it is also keeping close tabs on inflation and soaring energy prices.

Oil prices are topping $105 a barrel. Gasoline prices have marched higher, too. High energy prices can spread inflation if lots of companies boost prices charged to customers for a wide range of goods and services. High energy prices also can be a drag on overall economic growth by crimping consumer spending.

The combination of slowing economic growth and rising inflation make the Fed's job more difficult. It also has raised fears the country may be headed for a bout of stagflation, a scenario the U.S. hasn't experienced since the 1970s. Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke, however, has said that's not the case.

Mayor Nutter This Summer Plans to Fill City Hall With Interns

Mayor Nutter This Summer Plans to Fill City Hall With Interns

Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter is looking for a few good -- interns.

Mayor Nutter (file photo above) believes one way to get the best and the brightest to City Hall is to nab them while they're in high school and college, through internships.

To illustrate this, he presented Joe Savage, who got a job in the city's Office of Supportive Housing after starting as an intern:

"The Mayor's internship program really helped me take my first step towards my career in public service. So I can really say that the program is a great experience, and its truly unlocking doors to careers in public service."

So Nutter is expanding the program by setting up a six week paid summer internship program for 100 high schoolers, then an eight week unpaid summer internship program for 20 to 30 college undergrads.

Comcast, Time Warner Eye Wireless Plan

Comcast, Time Warner Eye Wireless Plan

NEW YORK (AP) -- Comcast Corp. and Time Warner Cable Inc. are discussing a plan to fund a new wireless Internet venture that would be run by Sprint Nextel Corp. and Clearwire Corp., The Wall Street Journal reported late Tuesday.

The partnership would create a nationwide network using WiMax technology, which promises faster wireless Web connection speeds for laptops and cell phones than mobile operators' third-generation networks.

Under the plan, Philadelphia-based Comcast, the nation's largest cable operator, would put up as much as $1 billion, while No. 2 Time Warner Cable would add $500 million, the Journal reported, citing unnamed people familiar with the matter. Another cable operator, Bright House Networks, would contribute $100 million to $200 million, the Journal said.

Spokesmen for Comcast and Sprint declined to comment when reached by The Associated Press late Tuesday. Representatives of New York-based Time Warner Cable could not immediately be reached for comment.

Sprint, based in Overland Park, Kan., is testing WiMax service in a few markets, and Clearwire, a Kirkland, Wash., startup founded by wireless pioneer Craig McCaw, has its own network based on WiMax technology in some parts of the country. The two companies have been working for months on a joint WiMax venture that would attract funding from WiMax backer Intel Corp.

Google Inc. could also provide funding, the Journal reported.

Under the plan being discussed, the amount of each company's contribution could change, and it is still possible the entire deal could fall through, the Journal said.

Doreen Ludwig, help with Family Court Paperwork

Doreen Ludwig, help with Family Court Paperwork

Analysis of Violations of Law for Pennsylvania Family Court Litigants

If you suspect Pennsylvania Judges violated the law in your divorce, custody, support case, Doreen Ludwig is qualified to analyze your Court record.

Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes are the legislative law. In family court, the law is routinely violated. The Pennsylvania Constitution protects your due process right of appeal and adherence to law.

Attorney’s will NOT tell you how the law is violated! They can’t! They are bound to protect the Judicial System or they will suffer disciplinary action.

My name is Doreen Ludwig. I have represented myself in Pennsylvania for over two years. I have completed an appeal brief for custody, support, divorce and Protection from Abuse. I have filed a Due Process Lawsuit (complaint), Memorandums of Law, and an Appeal Brief in Federal Court, and a Writ of Certiorari in the United States Supreme Court. I have given a workshop on Representing Yourself in Court. I am an excellent researcher and writer.

Non-adherence to Due Process and Law is a Crime! 18 U.S.C. 242 Deprivation of Rights Under Color of Law: “This statute makes it a crime for any person acting under color of law, statute, ordinance, regulation, or custom to willfully deprive or cause to be deprived from any person those rights, privileges, or immunities secured or protected by the Constitution and laws of the U.S. Acts under "color of any law" include individuals such as Judges, persons who are bound by laws, statutes ordinances, or customs. The unlawful acts must be done while such official is purporting or pretending to act in the performance of his/her official duties.”

I have the skills to analyze your legal record and compile a report of violations of law, including violations of the Crimes Code and Pennsylvania Rules of Court.

Justice and Reform can only be achieved by documentation. The Administrative Office of Pennsylvania Courts (AOPC), the Judicial Conduct Board, The Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, President Judges, and Legislators MUST be required to follow the law and ensure accountability in Family Court! We can only force accountability by providing well documented violations of law.

To keep me fed and warm while I continue to hold the Courts accountable, I propose my service to others with questionable court records. I am asking a fee. This is less than a lawyer – and I guarantee – Most Lawyers Won't Tell You the Violations of Law!

The written analysis can be used to assess the validity of Civil Liberties infractions, for individual or class action suits. We can demand legislative hearings!

I can send proof of my work in briefs, memorandums of law, and a 30 page “violations of law” letter sent to legislators in August, 2007.

I can be contacted at dmludwig@dejazzd.com or #610-913-0526.

Don’t Count Rep Blackwell Out In ’08 Just Yet.

Don’t Count Rep Blackwell Out In ’08 Just Yet.
by Van Stone vspfoundation@yahoo.com (215) 747-8746

Thomas W. Blackwell (Democrat)
Philadelphia County (Part)

Above: Tracey Lofton Stone Downing Walker, former candidate for Philadelphia Traffic Court Judge. Downing and fellow West Philadelphia constituents of Thomas Blackwell,state Rep. 190th District, are crying possible foul play in recent court decision to order Rep. Blackwell off Democratic primary. Many wonder what choice is there? Like other great political leaders in the past, Blackwell could write his own historic legacy if it's legal to change parties, defy a Judge, win the seat, and then change back to the candidates former party altogether in the same election period. Stone investigates for change.

I got the 1st and 2nd call about State Rep. Tommy Blackwell. It was call # 2 that lead me to write about supporters of Rep. Blackwell and his work. Tracey Lofton Stone Downing Walker, former Philly candidate for Traffic Court Judge, was the second caller who wanted to know my understanding of how she is proposing to keep Rep. Blackwell in the ’08 race for 190th Legislative District House of Representatives PA seat. “Everyone is so upset about it. But I think I can file as an Independent, get my signatures, sign T. Blackwell’s name as successor, you know, the place where it says in case, I resign, “ Stone Downing said. ‘Uh, what’s going on? Who’s upset about what,’ I asked. “Wait let me finish,” Tracey says. “And when I win, I know I can win against Democratic, Vanessa Brown, -I’ll resign on purpose, and get Blackwell the seat as the Rep, “ she said. Before I could get an answer to my question, about who’s Brown and why are you talking about getting incumbent Blackwell the seat, Walker turned the whole thing into what I always know what this type of phone call is gonna be. A can you help me phone call. “Can you help us? Because they’re trying to take Blackwell out,” she said.

Just in case you didn’t know, Van Stone, I am the Icon; always get calls from good neighbors, friends, and good complete strangers too, asking me will I help them? Everyone knows one thing is for sure about me. If you’re asking for my assistance, and the matter at hand is something that I can take an independent position on, mostly likely, I want to know, what do you think you need? I’m about it. But first here’s news.

State Rep. Blackwell was ordered off the Democratic primary ballot on Tuesday, March 18, by Judge Bonnie Leadbetter. Judge Leadbetter ruled that Blackwell had fallen short of the 300 voter signatures he needed to be in the primary. Leadbetter’s decision was that all signatures on particular pages were no good. According to the Judge, the handwriting looked the same. If the higher judge dealing with these things holds the decision, Vanessa L. Brown will be the sole Democrat on the ballot and will win by no competition. So, far there is only 1 Republican challenger for the Rep seat. And if this remains the case, Brown, will most likely win based on percentage of Democratic registered voters compared to registered Republicans living in that district. But wait! Don’t trip yet.

If you are a new reader of the Scoop here, you’re probably wondering why would Van Stone get the call about Judges and politics. Well, I’m pretty much a specialist in dealing with predatory justices and social politics. What I mean is, a predatory justice is the same as predatory lenders but having a different theme. I don’t know much about professional politicians I’ll admit, so don’t ask for my help on that kind of thing. But, in the case of Rep Blackwell, this is a social political issue. Both issues here are easy for me to look at.

To be clear, this is not a case of Judge Leadbetter being a concrete predator dealing with the courts. But, there is the strong question of timing and unfairness involved in this ruling to stop the political success for the betterment of the community involved with Rep. Blackwell’s great name. If you ever been to the Rep. Blackwell’s offices serving West Philly and North Philly, you will always find them to be in physical and paperwork clean order. And the office staff are very inviting pretty much, willing to get on the phone and call whomever if you have a situation or need quick info. A signature on a ballot is the last thing that should have been an issue for Blackwell. Rep. Blackwell is extremely social in judicious affairs. Recall most recently, justices backed him completely on issues dealing with illegal gambling, etc., in the community. Would not justices see this tie in with signatures? Also, in ’07 Congressman Brady was challenged about signatures. I support Brady and Blackwell. They are proven doers in fighting high murder rates.

So, can the constituents of the state Rep., (hint, hint,), or the state Rep himself, (hint, hint), legally run as an Independent, get on the ballot before November, and well, station the seat, for the next 2 years for the honorable Rep. Blackwell? I’ll check to find out. In the meantime, lucky for the challengers, a few years ago, someone changed my residence out of the 190th Rep. District. I’d run, win it, and run it back to Rep. Blackwell. Fair?

Boondocks at Philadelphia Front Page News

Pa. Democrats Set Voter Registration Record

Pa. Democrats Set Voter Registration Record

The number of registered Democrats in Pennsylvania has surged to over four million (see related story), thanks to a tight race for the party's presidential nomination between senators Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama.

Herbert Whren was among those scrambling to beat the midnight deadline in order to be eligible for the April 22nd primary. He was changing from Independent to Democrat so he could have a say in what he calls an historic race:

"A lot of things are going on like the war in Iraq and things like that. I feel like if I don't do this than I would have missed out in the long run."

Philadelphia county voter registration administrator Bob Lee says it's been busy leading up to the registration deadline:

"Normally presidential primaries have been relatively quiet, this is comparable - if not more than - the '84 primary when Jesse Jackson ran, I think it was."

With the surge in registrations, the Democratic Party becomes the first party in the state to reach the four million mark.

Detroit Mayor to Be Arraigned Today

Detroit Mayor to Be Arraigned Today

This Monday, March 24, 2008 booking photo released by the Wayne County Sheriff's Deptarment shows Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick. Kilpatrick was charged with perjury and other offenses Monday - and got a stern lecture about the importance of telling the truth - after a trove of raunchy text messages contradicted his sworn denials of an affair with his chief aide. Kilpatrick's former chief of staff, Christine Beatty, 37, who also denied under oath that she and Kilpatrick had an intimate relationship in 2002 and 2003, was charged with many of the same offenses.

DETROIT (AP) -- Six years after being sworn into office with hopes of revitalizing his troubled city, Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick is under increasing pressure to resign now that he's been booked on charges of lying about steamy text messages with his former chief of staff.

The former aide, Christine Beatty, went through the same booking process, the first step in criminal arraignments scheduled for Tuesday afternoon.

Attorneys for Kilpatrick and Beatty said Monday their clients would be exonerated.

Both were accused of multiple counts of perjury, conspiracy, obstruction of justice and misconduct in a scandal that is threatening to prematurely end Kilpatrick's second term as mayor of Detroit, a city of 900,000 with deeply entrenched poverty made worse by the downturn in the auto industry.

Kilpatrick met with the leaders of several philanthropic organizations Tuesday morning, just hours before his arraignment.

Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy announced the charges after an investigation that began in late January after the Detroit Free Press published excerpts from 14,000 text messages that were sent or received in 2002-03 from Beatty's city-issued pager.

The messages called into question testimony Kilpatrick and Beatty gave last August in a lawsuit filed by two police officers who said they were fired for investigating claims that the mayor used his security unit to cover up extramarital affairs.

In court, Kilpatrick and Beatty strongly denied having an intimate relationship. But the text messages revealed a flirty, sometimes sexually explicit, dialogue about where to meet and how to conceal their trysts.

Kilpatrick, 37, is married with three children. Beatty, also 37, was married at the time and has two children.

The city eventually agreed to pay $8.4 million to the two officers and a third former officer. Some of the charges brought against the mayor accuse him of agreeing to the settlement in an effort to keep the text messages from becoming public.

"I'm madly in love with you," Kilpatrick wrote on Oct. 3, 2002.

"I hope you feel that way for a long time," Beatty replied. "In case you haven't noticed, I am madly in love with you, too!"

On Oct. 16, 2002, Kilpatrick wrote: "I've been dreaming all day about having you all to myself for 3 days. Relaxing, laughing, talking, sleeping and making love."

All of the charges against the mayor are felonies. Under the city charter, a felony conviction would mean the mayor's immediate expulsion.

Worthy said her investigation was about violations of the public trust, and not "focused on lying about sex."

"This investigation is about whether public dollars were used unlawfully, and more," she said.

Kilpatrick said Worthy's actions were disappointing, but not unexpected.

"This has been a very flawed process from the very beginning," he said. "However, at the same time, I recognize that this is merely a first step in a process that I believe in, that's grounded in a presumption of innocence that is guaranteed to each and every American."

Worthy said the investigation was ongoing and other people could be charged. She said she has had conversations with the U.S. attorney, but would not elaborate.

In announcing the charges, Worthy delivered a 14-minute lecture on the oath that all witnesses take before testifying in court.

"Even children understand that lying is wrong," she said. "If a witness lies, innocent people can go to jail or prison, people can literally get away with murder, civil litigants who deserve money may not get it or may get money they don't deserve.

"And lying cannot be tolerated even if a judge or jury sees through it."

Mayer Morganroth, Beatty's attorney, called Worthy's comments full of "assertions and conjecture."

"I was sort of stunned by the prosecutor laying out the charges in the way that she did," he said, noting Beatty's right to a fair and unbiased trial. "It sounded more like a closing argument to a jury."

The mayor's lawyer, Dan Webb, said he plans to attack the text messages and ask a judge to prevent them from being admitted as evidence.

"I am as certain as I stand here that the initial production of those text messages in fact were illegal under the law," Webb said.

Controversy has surrounded Kilpatrick since his 2001 election. Embraced by many residents for his boldness and confidence, Kilpatrick, then 31, embodied the new black politician and wore a diamond stud earring that helped earn him the unofficial title of "Hip-Hop Mayor." His mother is Democratic U.S. Rep. Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick.

During his first four years, he caused a furor over his use of his city-issued credit card for expensive travel, the city's lease of a luxury Lincoln Navigator for his wife and unsubstantiated allegations of a wild party involving his security team and strippers at the mayor's mansion.

At the start of his second term, Kilpatrick vowed to not make the same mistakes and announced a residential redevelopment along Detroit's dormant riverfront, hosted a Super Bowl that spotlighted the city's renewal efforts and initiated other improvements. He had been expected to seek a third term in 2009.

Despite calls from the City Council and Michigan Attorney General Mike Cox to step down, Kilpatrick has said he will not resign.

The Detroit Free Press and The Detroit News separately called for Kilpatrick's resignation in editorials posted Monday night on their Web sites.

"Our call for him to resign has nothing to do with the ultimate verdict in court, whether innocent or guilty," Free Press vice president and editor Paul Anger said in a statement e-mailed to The Associated Press. "The reason we are calling for the mayor to resign is to spare Detroit the distraction and pain of weeks, months and possibly years of turmoil with a mayor who won't be able to focus on his job and a lingering, hurtful spectacle in front of the country."

The Detroit News said the "charges place a cloud over Kilpatrick that greatly reduce his effectiveness."

Forcing him to step down now would punish Kilpatrick before he has had his day in court, Webb said.

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Villanova Beats Siena for Spot in the 'Sweet 16'

Villanova Beats Siena for Spot in the 'Sweet 16'

The Villanova Wildcats advances to the NCAA's "Sweet 16" Sunday afternoon, beating the Siena Saints 84-72 to move on to the Midwest regionals in Detroit next week.

It was a battle between two teams that few believed would still be playing today, but Villanova upset fifth seeded Clemson, while the 13th seeded Saints shocked fourth seeded Vanderbilt.

The win puts Villanova in the “Sweet 16” for the third time in four years.

Villanova last won the national championship in 1985.

KYW’s Jim Melwert reports parishioners attending mass at St. Thomas of Villanova Church say the Easter celebration is the most important part of the day right now. But the NCAA tournament game against Siena is also figuring into holiday plans.

Wrapping up Mass, Father Donahue mentioned that typically the Augustinians are compared to Jesuits, referencing a rivalry with the St. Joe’s Hawks, but today it is the Franciscans that they are worried about as they take on those

Final Day of Pa. Voter Registration Arrives

Final Day of Pa. Voter Registration Arrives

Sen. Hillary Clinton was scheduled to be in Philadelphia for what her campaign has billed as a major policy address.

Sen. Barack Obama had no campaign events scheduled for Monday. He is expected to return to the campaign trail in North Carolina on Wednesday.

KYW's Mike DeNardo reports Monday was the deadline for voters to register for Pennsylvania's April 22nd presidential primary.

The Obama and Clinton campaigns have staged intense registration drives, to sign up as many Pennsylvania Democrats as possible before Monday night's deadline. If you're a registered Republican or Independent and you want to have a say in the choice for Democratic nominee, you have to be a registered Democrat.

Zack Stalberg, who heads the election watchdog Committee of Seventy, says this year's voter registration deadline is attracting unprecedented interest:

"Once the city commissioners sort through it we'll see some very big numbers, I think, of people who have registered for the first time or have switched parties."

If you want to register or change registrations and a campaign worker hasn't already handed you a form, you can download one from the state website, www.votespa.com. And Stalberg recommends hand-delivering the form to your county election office.


KYW's Larry Kane says since last fall, The Democrats have picked up 100,000 new voters. The Obama campaign claims to have signed up most of them, but the Clinton campaign also looks at a windfall from this.

One factor: recent surveys have not accounted for new voters in Pa. Will registration tighten the race?

In the background, there are furious calls to superdelegates by both sides especially after Bill Richardson endorsed Obama over the weekend.

On the endorsement front: two locally big names are missing. Neither Senators Joe Biden of Delaware nor Bob Casey of Pa. has endorsed a candidate. There are less than 30 days until the Pa. primary.

KYW’s John McDevitt reports as Monday's deadline to register to vote in the Pennsylvania primary approached, volunteers for both of the Democratic candidates were out in force in the Philadelphia area this past weekend.

"Voter registration forms folks. Monday is the deadline."

Armed with a clip board Obama supporter Dave Lipshutz from Voorhees, New Jersey, was on the corner of 16th and Walnut Streets in Center City registering people to vote.

"I’ve been volunteering for four months. I’m from Jersey so I started back when the primary didn't turn out that great there. So I come over here and try to hit on a win here."

At Bryn Mawr College in Montgomery County about 100 Hillary Clinton supporters attended an event where actress America Ferrera who plays Betty on ABC's "Ugly Betty" appeared on a panel:

“We don't need to demand that things change we need to change things and that’s what I so admire in Hillary Clinton. It’s not just about her sitting around waiting for her to do her job."

Senator Clinton was slated to make what's billed as a major policy address at UPenn Monday morning and then make an appearance at Montgomery County Community College in Blue Bell.

Senator Obama campaigned Saturday in Oregon.

Republican Senator John McCain is back in the US after wrapping up his tour of the Middle East and Europe.

Overall US Death Toll in Iraq Hits 4,000

Overall US Death Toll in Iraq Hits 4,000

A US soldier stands guard in the area where a suicide car bomber detonated his load in Shula, Baghdad, Iraq, Sunday, March 23, 2008. At least seven died and 14 were wounded in the blast.

BAGHDAD (AP) -- The overall U.S. death toll in Iraq rose to 4,000 after four soldiers were killed in a roadside bombing in Baghdad, a grim milestone that is likely to fuel calls for the withdrawal of American forces as the war enters its sixth year.

The American deaths occurred Sunday, the same day rockets and mortars pounded the U.S.-protected Green Zone in Baghdad and a wave of attacks left at least 61 Iraqis dead nationwide.

An Iraqi military spokesman said Monday that troops had found rocket launching pads in different areas in predominantly Shiite eastern Baghdad that had been used by extremists to fire on the Green Zone, which houses the U.S. Embassy and the Iraqi government headquarters.

"We hope to deal with this issue professionally to avoid civilian casualties," said spokesman Qassim al-Moussawi.

The four soldiers with Multi-National Division - Baghdad were on a patrol when their vehicle was struck at about 10 p.m. Sunday in southern Baghdad, the U.S. military said. Another soldier was wounded in the attack - less than a week after the fifth anniversary of the conflict.

Navy Lt. Patrick Evans, a military spokesman, expressed condolences to all the families of soldiers killed in Iraq, saying each death is "equally tragic."

"There have been some significant gains. However, this enemy is resilient and will not give up, nor will we," he said. "There's still a lot of work to be done."

Last year, U.S. military deaths spiked as U.S. troops sought to regain control of Baghdad and surrounding areas. The death toll has seesawed since, with 2007 ending as the deadliest year for American troops at 901 deaths. That was 51 more deaths than 2004, the second deadliest year for U.S. soldiers.

The Associated Press count of 4,000 deaths is based on U.S. military reports and includes eight civilians who worked for the Department of Defense.

Tens of thousands of Iraqi civilians also have been killed since the U.S.-led invasion on March 20, 2003, although estimates of a specific figure vary widely due to the difficulty in collecting accurate information.

One widely respected tally by Iraq Body Count, which collects figures based mostly on media reports, estimates that 82,349 to 89,867 Iraqi civilians have lost their lives in the conflict.

Overall attacks also have decreased against Iraqi civilians but recent weeks have seen several high-profile bombings, underscoring the fragile security situation and the resilience of both Sunni and Shiite extremist groups.

Mosul, Iraq's third largest city about 225 miles northwest of Baghdad, has been described as the last major urban area where the Sunni extremist al-Qaida group maintains a significant presence.

The persistent violence has led to strong public opposition to the war in the United States, with both Democratic presidential hopefuls Sens. Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton promising a quick pullout if they are elected.

President Bush has insisted the decline in violence shows his strategy is working and needs more time, a position taken by Republican presidential candidate Sen. John McCain.

Iraq's National Security Adviser Mouwaffak al-Rubaie said he sympathized with the American losses but warned against pulling out U.S. troops before Iraqi forces are ready to take over their own security and the situation is sufficiently stable.

"Honestly, this war is well worth fighting. This war, we are talking about war against global terror," he said Sunday in an interview with CNN.

No group claimed responsibility for the Green Zone attacks, but suspicion fell on Shiite extremists based on the eastern areas from which the weapons appeared to have been fired.

At least 10 civilians were killed and 20 more were wounded in rocket or mortar blasts in scattered areas of eastern Baghdad, some probably due to rounds aimed at the Green Zone that fell short.

The U.S. Embassy said at least five people were injured but no Americans were reported killed in the Green Zone attacks, which sent dark plumes of smoke rising over the district in the heart of the capital.

A U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity because the official was not authorized to release the information, said those injured included an American and four third-country nationals, meaning they were not American, British or Iraqi.

The heavily fortified area has frequently come under fire by Shiite and Sunni extremists, but the attacks have tapered off as violence declined over the past year.

The attacks followed a series of clashes last week between U.S. and Iraqi forces and factions of the Mahdi Army, the biggest Shiite militia loyal to radical cleric Muqtada al-Sadr.

Al-Sadr has declared a cease-fire through mid-August to purge the militia of criminal and dissident elements but it has come under severe strains in recent weeks.

Al-Sadr's followers have accused the Shiite-dominated government of exploiting the cease-fire to target the cleric's supporters in advance of provincial elections expected this fall and demanded the release of supporters rounded up in recent weeks.