Phila. Offering Paid Summer Internships for HS Students

by KYW's Michelle Durham

The City of Philadelphia is offering paid summer internships in a number of departments and time is running out for the high school students who are eligible. The deadline is a week away on Friday, May 7th.

Assistant to the director of finance for the City of Philadelphia, Stephanie Tipton says "Summer in The City" internship program hosts 100 students for six weeks:

"It's really a great opportunity for students who are interested in government as a possible career path. It really gives them an opportunity to get hands-on work place skills and they have to do 20 hours a week as part of the program."

For full story go to:

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Traveling Arts Festival Makes Another Visit to Pa. Convention Center

(Vendors make last-minute preparations before the opening of
the Paradise City Arts Festival on Friday.)

by KYW's Karin Phillips

The Paradise City Arts Festival, the traveling fest of "fine and functional" art, opens today at the Pennsylvania Convention Center.

Aisle after aisle of wearable art, furniture made out of found objects, and 3D photography are just some of the items on display and for sale this year at the Paradise City Arts Festival.

Linda Post is founding director:

For full story go to:

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Number Puzzle International Championship in Philadelphia

by KYW's Hadas Kuznits

Sudoku players have converged on Philadelphia for an international competition this Friday and Saturday.

It might look more like an SAT exam than a contest, but people from all over the world are participating in the World Sudoku Championship in Philadelphia. That's the puzzle game (right) in which you have to fill in digits in a 9 x 9 grid according to certain rules.

Director Will Shortz (right):

For full story go to:

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Officials Promote New Offerings for Philadelphia Summer Visitors

by KYW's Karin Phillips

City, state, and tourism officials gathered on Independence Mall on Friday to officially welcome summer visitors to Philadelphia.

They smashed breakaway champagne bottles on the side of the new "Phlash" trolley, which officially begins plying its loop on May 1st.

The name of governor Ed Rendell is on the side of the trolleys this year. He thought of the idea and has been called the Father of the Phlash:

"Very touching, very touching."

For full story go to:

http://www.kyw1060.com/

Main Line Dentist Sentenced in NJ for Fouling Beaches

by KYW's Michelle Durham

The Wynnewood, Pa. dentist convicted of dumping medical waste into the waters off the coast of Avalon, NJ right before Labor Day weekend 2008 was sentenced today in New Jersey.

Dr. Thomas McFarland was sentenced to four years' probation and a $100,000 fine.

Deputy attorney general Edward Bonanno says all of the money will end up in the affected community:

"The restitution is all going, at the state's recommendation, to Avalon. The $100,000 can be used for the expenses the borough incurred dealing with the cleanup and the aftermath of that. And then any additional monies can be used for environmental programs or projects at the borough's discretion."

For full story go to: http://www.kyw1060.com/

Ariz. gov signs bill revising new immigration law

Ariz. gov signs bill revising new immigration law

FILE - In this Monday, April 20, 2009 file photo, Republican Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer listens to a question as she testifies during a U.S. Senate's homeland security and governmental affairs committee meeting in to get local and state perspectives on how they are dealing with violence along the U.S.-Mexico border in Phoenix. Gov. Brewer signed into law on Friday, April 23, 2010 a tough new immigration law for Arizona.

PHOENIX (AP) -- Gov. Jan Brewer on Friday signed a follow-on bill approved by Arizona legislators that make revisions to the state's sweeping law against illegal immigration - changes she says should quell concerns that the measure will lead to racial profiling.

The law requires local and state law enforcement to question people about their immigration status if there's reason to suspect they're in the country illegally, and makes it a state crime to be in the United States illegally.

The follow-on bill signed by Brewer makes a number of changes that she said should lay to rest concerns of opponents.

"These new statements make it crystal clear and undeniable that racial profiling is illegal, and will not be tolerated in Arizona," she said in a statement.

The changes include one strengthening restrictions against using race or ethnicity as the basis for questioning by police and inserts those same restrictions in other parts of the law.

Another change states that immigration-status questions would follow a law enforcement officer's stopping, detaining or arresting a person while enforcing another law. The earlier law had referred to a "contact" with police.

Another change specifies that possible violations of local civil ordinances can trigger questioning on immigration status.

Stephen Montoya, a Phoenix lawyer representing a police officer whose lawsuit was one of three filed Thursday to challenge the law, said the changes wouldn't derail the lawsuit because the state is still unconstitutionally trying to regulate immigration, a federal responsibility.

Montoya said the strengthened restriction on factoring race and ethnicity makes enforcement "potentially less discriminatory" but that the local-law provision is troubling because it broadens when the law could be used.

Both the law and the changes to it will take effect July 29 unless blocked by a court or referendum filing.

Lawmakers approved the follow-on bill several hours before ending their 2010 session.

The sponsor, Sen. Russell Pearce, unveiled the changes at a House-Senate conference committee Thursday. He later said the revisions would not change how the law is implemented but provide clarifications on intent and to make the bill more defensible in court.

"There will be no profiling," Pearce, R-Mesa, said in an interview.

Pearce said the change from the "contact" wording doesn't require a formal arrest before questioning but helps make it clear that racial profiling is not allowed.

"You have to have a real legitimate reason based on some violation or some suspicious activity based on some legitimate reason. It cannot be just on how you look."

There was little debate by lawmakers when the bill was considered, but Democrats opposed to the law criticized the new bill, too.

Rep. Ben Miranda, an attorney who is helping representing a group of Latino clergy who are behind one of three lawsuits filed Thursday to challenge the law, said the Republican-led Legislature's approach to illegal immigration is misguided.

"All parts of Arizona cry out for law enforcement that is reasonable and directed at the most serious crimes that we have in the community," the Phoenix Democrat said Thursday night. "The racial profiling element is real."

Rep. Kyrsten Sinema, D-Phoenix, said the new wording regarding local civil ordinances could spur complaints of racial profiling based on complaints about cars parked on lawns and debris in yards.

Organizers of two referendum campaigns challenging the original law have said they will adjust their filings to reflect new provisions added by the Legislature.

Filing of referendum petitions by July 29 would put implementation of the legislation on hold pending a vote. That vote would either be in November or in 2012, depending largely on when the petitions are filed.

Abington Hospital to Cut 100 Jobs

by KYW's Brad Segall

Officials at Abington Memorial Hospital in Montgomery County have now put a number on how many people will lose their jobs because of declining inpatient volumes.

In a prepared statement, Abington president and CEO Larry Merlis says they’ll cut approximately 100 full and part-time employees along with relief and casual pool workers. He says the areas most directly impacted include departments where patient volumes have decreased.

For full story go to:

http://www.kyw1060.com/

Fla. gov dumps GOP, runs for Senate as independent

Fla. gov dumps GOP, runs for Senate as independent

Florida Gov. Charlie Crist points during a rally Thursday, April 29, 2010, in St. Petersburg, Fla. after announcing he will run for the U.S. Senate as an independent

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) -- Former GOP darling Gov. Charlie Crist defected from the Republican Party on Thursday to run as an independent for U.S. Senate after months of being ripped by conservatives as too supportive of President Barack Obama.

"I don't have either party helping me. But I need you. I need you more than ever," the governor said, surrounded by cheering supporters carrying signs that included "Democrats for Crist."

Crist was the heavy favorite last year, and was even among the Republican names bandied about in the 2012 presidential race. But the primary campaign quickly became a lost cause as the tea party movement embraced another candidate, Marco Rubio, and held up the governor's literal embrace of Obama last year as evidence that Crist was too liberal.

Crist was mobbed by supporters after the speech. One man shouted, "I love you!" and Crist replied, "I love you more, brother."

He said he felt liberated. Asked why, he said, "Because I only belong to the people and that's a wonderful place to be. That's what it's all about."

The charismatic governor has long been popular in Florida, but his chances of winning as an independent appear slim. He's burned bridges with Republicans, and Democrats see his announcement as an opportunity for their own likely nominee, U.S. Rep. Kendrick Meek. The Senate has two independents - Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Joe Lieberman of Connecticut - but neither had to fend off serious contenders from both parties in a general election.

Crist's outlook in the primary campaign, however, seemed even bleaker. One recent poll showed him more than 20 percentage points behind Rubio in the August primary, but Crist had a tiny lead when voters were asked who they would pick in a three-way race with Rubio and Meek.

"The odds are like a million percent better than if he were running as a Republican," said Brett Doster, a Republican political operative who managed Tom Gallagher's gubernatorial campaign against Crist in 2006.

Moderate Republican Senate candidates in several other states, including Arizona, Utah, Kentucky and New Hampshire, are facing strong challenges from conservatives supported by the tea party movement that sprung up in opposition to Obama's policies.

Crist claimed the middle ground during his short announcement in his hometown of St. Petersburg, saying politics had become too divisive.

The election, he said, is "not one club's decision or another club's decision, or one club within that club. ... We give you the chance to make that decision."

The governor said he will change his voter registration from Republican to "no party affiliation." He did not say when he will do that, but he will give up his Republican affiliation as governor when he does.

Leaving the Republicans means it will be tougher for Crist to raise money and he'll lose nearly all his campaign staff; his polling firm announced it was resigning from the campaign team soon after his announcement. His communications director did the same and his campaign manager will resign in a week.

Crist also won't have the advantage of a party infrastructure for resources like voter lists and volunteers. And the party that helped propel him to power will now do anything to defeat him.

"To be sure, he left this party. This party did not leave him," Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele said in a statement.

Just a year ago, it seemed Crist was the man to beat for the GOP nomination to run for the Senate seat Republican Mel Martinez was leaving early. But he has seen his poll numbers nose-dive as conservatives switched their support to Rubio, many driven away in part by Crist's support for Obama's $787 billion stimulus package. Rubio has frequently reminded voters that Crist hugged the president at a Florida appearance to support the bill.

Rubio grinned widely at a campaign stop in Coral Gables on Thursday when asked about Crist.

"When I got in this race I knew I was running against people that supported the Obama agenda," he said. "I just didn't realize I would have to run against both of them at the same time."

Other Republicans were making it clear that if Crist abandons the party, they will abandon him - for good.

Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, head of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, said Crist's future political aspirations would be "irreparably damaged" by an independent run. The committee had backed Crist but reversed itself and backed Rubio on Thursday.

Cornyn said he will ask Crist's campaign to return the $10,000 he donated when he recruited the governor to run for the Senate in 2009. He expects other GOP donors to do the same. Crist is not required to return the money.

The governor has spent the past several years working closely with Democrats and embracing other causes not popular among conservatives.

Just two weeks ago, he alienated many powerful Republican and business interests by vetoing a measure that would have made it easier to fire teachers and linked their pay to student test scores. At the same time, he scored points with the influential teachers union and other traditionally Democratic constituents who won't have a say in the GOP primary. Many of those teachers attended his rally Thursday.

Hours before his announcement, Crist was talking about Obama, saying he spoke with him about a massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico that could threaten Florida coastline.

"He went ahead and volunteered any assistance the federal government can do," Crist said.

Meek predicted Crist's independent candidacy will be good news for him.

"I feel that I'm running against two Republicans," he said. "There's very little difference between Marco Rubio and Charlie Crist. They both agree on a number of issues and people are sick and tired of politicians flipping and flopping and changing with the wind."

But registered Democrat Askia Aquil, 63, attended Crist's rally and said he likes that the governor was willing to step out of the mold.

"I think our state, and in fact, our country are far too large and far too diverse for interest groups to try to squeeze everybody into these two polar positions, these two parties," said Aquil, who voted for Crist for governor in 2006. "That's why there's so much gridlock."

Crist had $7 million in his campaign account at the end of last month and doesn't need to spend it introducing himself to voters because he is so well-known. Rubio had about half that amount, but his fundraising has increased tremendously and he can now ask Crist supporters for help.

David Johnson, a Tallahassee-based Republican strategist, said it's uncertain who will benefit from the three-way race: "It's like trying to predict the winner of the World Series right now based on the first month of the season."

AP source: Criminal probe of Goldman under way

AP source: Criminal probe of Goldman under way

140,000 petition signatures asking Attorney General Eric Holder for a criminal investigation of Goldman Sachs are displayed during a news conference at the Justice Department in Washington, Wednesday, April 28, 2010.

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The U.S. attorney's office in Manhattan is conducting a criminal investigation of Goldman Sachs over mortgage securities deals the big Wall Street firm arranged, a knowledgeable person said Thursday.

The person said the probe stems from a criminal referral by the Securities and Exchange Commission. The source spoke on condition of anonymity because the inquiry is in a preliminary phase. The SEC earlier this month filed civil fraud charges against Goldman and a trader in connection with the transactions, alleging it misled investors by failing to tell them the subprime mortgage securities had been chosen with help from a Goldman hedge fund client that was betting the investments would fail. Goldman has denied the charges and said it will contest them in court.

News of the action came a day after a group of 62 House lawmakers, including Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers, D-Mich., asked Justice to conduct a criminal probe of Goldman.

SEC spokesman John Nester wouldn't confirm or deny that the agency had made a referral to the Justice Department for a criminal investigation. He declined any comment on the matter, as did Yusill Scribner, a spokeswoman for the U.S. attorney's office in Manhattan.

Goldman spokesman Lucas van Praag said, "Given the recent focus on the firm, we're not surprised by the report of an inquiry. We would cooperate fully with any request for information."

The Wall Street Journal first reported the Justice Department action.

The Justice Department move was the latest in a dramatic series of turns in the Goldman saga, which has pitted the culture of Wall Street against angry lawmakers in an election year, in the wake of the financial crisis that plunged the country into the most severe recession since the Great Depression of the 1930s.

Also on Thursday, following days of failed test votes, the Senate lurched into action on sweeping legislation backed by the Obama administration that would clamp down on Wall Street and the sort of high-risk investments that nearly brought down the economy in 2008.

And two days earlier, a daylong showdown before a Senate investigative panel put Goldman's defense of its conduct in the run-up to the financial crisis on display before indignant lawmakers and a national audience. The panel, which investigated Goldman's activities for 18 months, alleges that the Wall Street powerhouse bet against its clients - and the housing market - by taking short positions on mortgage securities and failed to tell them that the securities it was selling were at very high risk of default.

Goldman CEO Lloyd Blankfein testily told the investigative subcommittee that clients who bought the subprime mortgage securities from the firm in 2006 and 2007 came looking for risk "and that's what they got."

In addition to the $2 billion so-called collateralized debt obligation that is the focus of the SEC's charges against Goldman, the subcommittee analyzed five other such transactions, totaling around $4.5 billion. All told, they formed a "Goldman Sachs conveyor belt," the panel said, that dumped toxic mortgage securities into the bloodstream of the financial system.

It wasn't immediately known whether the Justice Department's inquiry also encompasses those transactions.

The investigation, even though at a preliminary stage, opens a weighty new front in the legal aftermath of the near-meltdown of the financial system.

The Justice Department and the SEC have previously launched wide-ranging investigations of companies across the financial services industry. But a year after the crisis struck, charges haven't yet come in most of the probes. In addition to fallen mortgage lender Countrywide Financial Corp. and bailed-out insurance giant American International Group Inc., the investigations also have targeted government-owned mortgage lenders Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and crisis casualty Lehman Brothers.

The swift acquittal last November of two Bear Stearns executives in the government's criminal case tied to the financial meltdown showed how tough it can be to prove that investment bank executives committed fraud by lying to investors.

The government must show that executives were actually committing fraud and not simply doing their best to manage the worst financial crisis in decades, some legal experts say.

The SEC civil case against Goldman also could be difficult, in the view of some experts.

Political intrigue has surrounded the SEC suit, meanwhile, as some Republicans have accused the agency of timing the April 16 announcement of fraud charges against Goldman to bolster prospects for the financial overhaul legislation while it was at a critical stage in the Senate.

The speculation was heightened by the revelation that the SEC commissioners approved filing of the charges on a 3-2 vote, along party lines, with both Republicans opposing the move.

SEC Chairman Mary Schapiro has insisted there was no connection between the timing of the agency lawsuit, which followed a monthslong investigation of the firm, and the push for the legislation in the Senate. Last week, President Barack Obama denied any White House involvement in the timing of the SEC case.

"We don't time our enforcement actions by the legislative calendar or by anybody else's wishes," Schapiro told a Senate Appropriations subcommittee on Wednesday. "We bring our cases when we have the law and the facts we believe support bringing our cases."

Funeral Home Displays Shooting Victim On Motorcycle For Wake

Rather than display a Puerto Rican shooting victim's body in a boring casket for the wake, morticians at one San Juan funeral home presented the corpse on the man's Honda motorcycle.
Just because David Morales Colón is dead doesn't mean he can't also be stylish. According to Primera Hora, the 22-year-old Puerto Rican man was murdered in his San Juan neighborhood last Thursday. As a tribute to the young man, the Marin Funeral Home treated the body and then dressed him up in his typical riding outfit complete with helmet on top of the Honda CBR600 F4 the man's uncle had given to him.
As you can see in the picture above, the mortician positioned the body as if he were riding his bike all the way to heaven, though it appears to be little solace to the crying friends and family in attendance.
And yes, this is real.

Mom: Girl, 8, Threatened To Kill Self After Bullying

Girl Has Since Transferred Schools

From:WBAL-TV Baltimore,MD

BALTIMORE --
Baltimore city school officials are investigating a suspected cause of bullying after a girl threatened to commit suicide.
Mother Geneva Biggus said her 8-year-old daughter tried to jump out of a window at Gilmor Elementary School on April 20 following taunts and beatings from classmates.
Biggus said her daughter, Shaniya Boyd, who has cerebral palsy, told her that she wanted to get away after she was teased, knocked off her crutches and kicked in the head.
"Three people were fighting me -- two girls and one boy. That boy kicked me in my forehead for no reason, and then the other two was just hitting on me," Boyd told 11 News about her last day at the school.
Biggus said she got a call from the school that day and immediately met with school officials and the accused students' parents.
"I was upset about everything that happened. She was OK, but I immediately took her out of that school because it was the last straw," Biggus told 11 News.
She said the abuse had been going on for some time and that the school did little to stop it.
"They tried to separate them and put them in different classes, but it still happened in the hallway or cafeteria or outside when they had play time -- stuff like that. They still managed to get their hands on my child," Biggus said.
The three students have been suspended since the incident, school officials said.



Geneva Biggus says her daughter is happy at her new school.
"We are very confident that the student didn't actually attempt to harm herself, but because of the incident, there needed to be some consequences given to particular students," said Baltimore city schools spokesman Jonathan Brice. "This is a young person who has already overcome so much and is working hard to be a productive member of the school community, and other students are picking on her."
The school district said bullying is unacceptable in any of its schools and that it's trying to get students, parents and teachers more involved to stop it from happening.
"We believe that we can really work with our young people to create safe and supportive environments where bullying will not be tolerated," Brice said.
Reports of bulling are on the rise in the city, according to statistics. So far this year, 105 bullying cases have been reported as compared to 79 all of last year. Brice said increased awareness has made a difference.
"We believe that's attributable to the professional development we've provided to administration and teachers this summer, as well as an emphasis on making sure we're addressing this as soon as possible," he said.
Biggus said her daughter is doing much better at her new school and enjoys it there so far.

Reparations 101:The Context Card by Minister Ari S. Merretazon, M.S.CED, Board Member,

Reparations 101:The Context Card by Minister Ari S. Merretazon, M.S.CED, Board Member, Northeast Representative, National Coalition of Blacks for Reparations in America (N’COBRA)



Minister Ari S. Merretazon,
M.S.CED, Board Member

Too many people in high, middle, and low places in America are still in denial about the crimes against humanity represented by the monstrous destruction of human life, culture, and human possibilities called The Holocaust of African Enslavement and Trade.

This human tragedy covers a continuum from 1440 to the present.Often, when justice and repair is sought for such crimes, it is tagged by many “Europeanized” and “Americanized” Africans as “playing the race card” or the
“victim card.” To counter this rebuff, the “context card” must be used. The “context card” is America’s violent God complex and history of enslavement based on race.

As an expected outcome of this teaching moment, it is my objective to transfer within this short commentary,
enough defining information wherein we as Americanized Africans will use the context card as the predicate for the re-constructing of our thinking and behavior so that we might continue the struggle for economic justice, repair and sovereignty as all humans do.

The “context card” outlines and describes the defining elements of the economic legacy of Americanized Africans. In essence, my point is public policy and terror in America is still based on race, and, therefore, it must be challenged and re-constructed based on race, in the context of enslavement, and not the condescending notions of an inherent curse of God, and permanent social, economic, political pathologies, or civil rights.

I am simply using the word “context” as defined by Webster’s New World College Dictionary, Fourth Edition meaning., the whole situation, background, or environment relevant to a particular event; circumstances in which an event occurred or occurs; a setting.”

There is no card in the human capital development deck that can beat the context card because it is the core element of our moral universe. Like “deuces are wild” the context card out ranks all cards in the human capital development deck. Also, the context card is a key resource to be used at an opportune time to contend with and beat back assaults on our capacity as a people.

The comparatively small degree of economic development of Americanized Africans is often wrongly and purposefully regarded as high achievement and success. This is a delusion created, controlled, and filtered by the "matrx"
convergence strategies of the descendents of the “founding fathers” and the “power elite” of America, for example, chattel property, integration, Christian religion, civil rights, diversity, wealth-building, and, the first black
person, place or thing, to do this or that.

Please know and understand that, with no disrespect or disregard to origin, African-Americans are not to be compared with the contemporary surge of our African brothers and sisters into America. Here is an example of playing the context card--distinguishing African-Americans--from any of the Neo- African immigrant groups.

The context card in not an excuse, it is posited as the cause and the reason for our status in America. It contextualizes our experiences from any and all immigrant groups in America.

To trump the “ matrix-race card” and the “matrix-victim card,” I will not occupy the reader with the well established supporting economic and historical data, but play the “context card” so we may, as Brother Yumy Odom, Chairman, The Frator Heru Institute, often say, “start a revolution where it truly counts: in the mind!"

The vertical social system of human destruction, enslavement and trade, the beginning of “capitalism,” is the causality of the under-developed Black economy in America. Left unchanged it is our legacy. The take away from this lesson is: Push-back with the context card!

Area Volunteers Care for Trees to Mark Arbor Day

April 28th is the annual "Arbor Day of Service," and KYW's community affairs reporter Karin Phillips (above left) climbed a tree on Wednesday to talk to those volunteering their tree-tending skills in Northeast Philadelphia.

by KYW's Karin Phillips

I'm up a tree -- a horse chestnut tree -- on the grounds of Friends Hospital, with Michael Chenail of the International Society of Arboriculture.

Volunteers from the society are trimming trees free of charge this National Arbor Day. Said Chenail:

For full story go to:

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Montco Prison Guard Charged With Leaking Women's Personal Info to Inmate

by KYW's Brad Segall

A Montgomery County prison guard is under arrest, charged with turning personal information about former female inmates over to a male inmate in the jail.

Prosecutors say that William Maute (above), a corrections officer for 19 years, accessed the prison computer and gave information about six former female inmates to an inmate identified as John Valdez.

For full story go to:

http://www.kyw1060.com/

Nutter Concerned, Rendell Disappointed

by KYW's Mike Dunn

Among those voicing concern with the outcome of the newspaper auction is Mayor Nutter, who hopes the new owners don't put the bottom line above good journalism.

Mayor Nutter says he doesn't know the new owners -- as he put it -- "from a can of paint," though he would welcome a meeting with them. His two concerns are that the new owners are not Philadelphians, and that they may be more focused on profit margins than solid reporting:

"It certainly is my hope that after they get out of bankruptcy court and dealing with financiers, lawyers, etc. etc., that real newspaper people take a look at what the assets are here."

For full story go to;

http://www.kyw1060.com/

Lenders' Group Prevails at Bankruptcy Auction for Philadelphia's Newspapers

by KYW's Steve Tawa

A group that had already lent the Philadelphia Inquirer and Daily News $318 million has agreed at a bankruptcy auction to pay $135 million for the entire company.

When the bidding ended on Wednesday afternoon, the lenders had won this marathon 14-month, bitter bankruptcy feud that started in Philadelphia, went through the federal bankruptcy system, the US Court of Appeals, and probably 30, 40, or maybe 50 different court hearings, and a marathon auction that began Tuesday morning at 11am.

For full story go to:

http://www.kyw1060.com/

A group that had already lent the Philadelphia Inquirer and Daily News $318 million has agreed at a bankruptcy auction to pay $135 million for the entire company.

When the bidding ended on Wednesday afternoon, the lenders had won this marathon 14-month, bitter bankruptcy feud that started in Philadelphia, went through the federal bankruptcy system, the US Court of Appeals, and probably 30, 40, or maybe 50 different court hearings, and a marathon auction that began Tuesday morning at 11am (see related story).

Republicans end stall of financial regulation bill

Republicans end stall of financial regulation bill

Senate Banking Committee Chairman Christopher Dodd, D-Conn., right, and the committee's ranking Republican Sen. Richard Shelby, R-Ala., emerge from a meeting on Capitol Hill in Washington, Monday, April 26, 2010, ahead of a crucial test vote for the financial reform bill.

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Republicans have dropped their objections to Democratic efforts to begin debate on a sweeping overhaul of financial regulations.

The move ended GOP tactics that had stalled the bill. Republicans said they would attempt to change the bill on the Senate floor after reaching an impasse with Democrats on efforts to compromise in private talks.

Richard Shelby, the top Republican on the Senate Banking Committee, said he had received assurances that Democrats would adjust the bill to address GOP concerns that it would perpetuate bailouts of banks.

Shelby said he and Banking Committee Chairman Christopher Dodd could no longer find common ground on other provisions of the bill, including Dodd's consumer protection language that Republicans say goes too far.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.

WASHINGTON (AP) - Republicans set the stage Wednesday to lift their blockade against legislation to tighten regulations on Wall Street, opening a road to likely passage for the most sweeping rewrite since the Great Depression.

GOP lawmakers said they would now try to change the bill on the Senate floor. Democrats said the Republicans simply had realized they were losing the battle for public opinion.

Earlier in the day, Republican senators had blocked the beginning of floor debate for a third straight day, contending they needed more time to try to work out compromises with Democrats in private talks. Republicans huddled in the late afternoon on their next step.

There had been signs that some Republicans were growing weary of continuing to block the bill after President Barack Obama and other Democrats accused them of siding with Wall Street, an institution that rivals Congress in its unpopularity.

Sen. George Voinovich, R-Ohio, said on Tuesday he would vote to let the bill advance to the Senate floor if bipartisan talks were no longer progressing.

"I have an idea of how much time it takes to cut a deal," he said. "If that's not possible, then we go on."

Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., said Wednesday, "There's been immense pressure bottled up inside the Republican caucus through these last three votes. A lot of their members have been very deeply unhappy with the direction their leadership has been taking them. Better heads prevailed."

Obama, winding up a Midwest tour promoting the legislation, said he was pleased the debate would proceed.

"The time for reform is now," the president said.

The bill would establish a nine-member Financial Services Oversight Council, including the treasury secretary, Federal Reserve chairman and the heads of regulatory agencies to monitor markets for threats, such as the bubble in housing prices and mortgage-backed securities that preceded the financial collapse two years ago.

The Federal Reserve would begin policing large bank holding companies and interconnected nonbank institutions whose collapse might pose a threat to the economy. With approval of the council, the Fed could even break up complex companies that posed a grave threat.

Most investment derivatives - such as the hundreds of billions of dollars in complex instruments blamed for accelerating the crisis two years ago - would have to be traded on regulated exchanges.

Sen. Richard Shelby, the top Republican on the Banking Committee, said Wednesday he had received assurances that Democrats would adjust the bill to address GOP concerns that it would perpetuate bailouts of banks. But he said he and committee chairman Chris Dodd had given up finding common ground on other provisions, including Dodd's consumer protection language that Republicans say goes too far.

"Now that those bipartisan negotiations have ended, it is my hope that the majority's avowed interest in improving this legislation on the Senate floor is genuine and the partisan gamesmanship is over," said Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell.

Republican Sen. Susan Collins of Maine said the negotiations had addressed her concerns on how to deal with financial firms deemed "too big to fail." And she said that with the Dodd-Shelby talks over she would now support sending the bill to the floor for debate.

Dodd said he and Shelby had been engaged in productive talks. "But I cannot agree to his desire to weaken consumer protections given the enormous abuses we have seen."

Republicans said they now expect Democrats to jettison a $50 billion fund that would have been financed by banks to help liquidate large failing institutions. The Republicans said they also expect Democrats to tighten language so the bill would mandate that shareholders' stakes in a failing firm be wiped out. The current bill says there would be that presumption.

Democrats tried three times to begin debate on the bill only to be thwarted by Republican opposition. Democrats branded the Republicans as Wall Street allies. But Republicans said they were merely trying to secure changes to make the bill more bipartisan.

Republicans had already begun to drop their complaints that the Democrats' legislation would perpetuate bailouts, and had shifted their criticism to the consumer protection provision.

The Senate Democrats' bill would create a Consumer Financial Protection Bureau within the Federal Reserve that would have power to police transactions between institutions that provide financial services and their customers.

Republicans say the bill would have unintended circumstances that could ensnare small business people for merely extending credit to their customers.

By a 56-42 vote Wednesday, Democrats failed for a third time to get the necessary 60 votes to move the legislation to the Senate floor for debate. Democrats had threatened to keep the Senate in session into the night and were preparing to hold more votes testing Republican unity.

Hundreds Rally in Harrisburg to Oppose Local Gun Control Laws in Penna.

(Former Texas state rep Suzanna Hupp addresses the Harrisburg rally on Tuesday.)

by KYW's Tony Romeo

Municipalities enacting their own gun laws were in the crosshairs of gun rights activists on Tuesday, who held their annual rally on the steps of the Pennsylvania capitol.

For full story go to:

http://www.kyw1060.com/

Wednesday is ''Denim Day,'' Calling Attention to Fight Against Sexual Violence

by KYW's Karin Phillips

A local organization is asking people to wear denim on Wednesday as a visible sign of support for victims of sexual violence.

"Denim Day" has been around for a few years, but this is the first year that the day was adopted by New Jersey in order to raise awareness about the prevention of sexual violence in the community.

For full story go to:

http://www.kyw1060.com/

Inside Philadelphia Newspaper Newsrooms, Work Intermingles with Worry

by KYW's Pat Loeb

Tuesday was another excruciating day for employees of Philadelphia's two newspapers, as three bidders vie for ownership. All of the bidders have indicated they'll cut staff and salaries if they win the papers.

Meanwhile, the staff was trying to stay focused on getting tomorrow's paper out.

For full story go to: http://www.kyw1060.com/

Auction Bidders Vie for Ownership of Philadelphia Newspapers

by KYW's Steve Tawa

A high-stakes poker match was getting underway on Tuesday at a midtown Manhattan law firm: the auction of the Philadelphia Inquirer and Daily News.

The entire process was expected to take hours -- perhaps well into the evening -- to determine the owner of Philadelphia's two major daily newspapers. The three bidders were expected to make their offers, then retreat to private conference rooms, then return with counter-bids, eventually hoping to end up wtih the "highest and best" bid.

But don't look for "going, going, gone." As of 4pm, the actual bidding process had not yet begun.

For full story go to:

http://www.kyw1060.com/

Malcolm X assassin Hagan freed on parole in NYC

Malcolm X assassin Hagan freed on parole in NYC

FILE - In this 1963 file photo, Black Nationalist leader Malcolm X is pictured at a rally at Lennox Avenue and 115th St., in the Harlem section of New York. The only man to admit shooting Malcolm X has been freed on parole, 45 years after he helped assassinate the civil rights leader in New York City. State Department of Correctional Services spokeswoman Linda Foglia says Thomas Hagan was freed Tuesday, April 27, 2010.

NEW YORK (AP) -- The only man to admit shooting Malcolm X was freed on parole Tuesday, 45 years after he assassinated the civil rights leader. Thomas Hagan, the last man still serving time in the 1965 killing, was freed from a Manhattan prison where he spent two days a week under a work-release program, state Department of Correctional Services spokeswoman Linda Foglia said.

Hagan, 69, has said he was one of three gunmen who shot Malcolm X as he began a speech at Harlem's Audubon Ballroom on Feb. 21, 1965. But Hagan has said the two men convicted with him were not involved.

They maintained their innocence and were paroled in the 1980s. No one else has ever been charged.

The assassins gunned down Malcolm X out of anger at his split with the leadership of the Nation of Islam, the black Muslim movement for which he had once served as chief spokesman, said Hagan, who was then known as Talmadge X Hayer.

He has repeatedly expressed regret for his role in the assassination, which he described in a 2008 court filing as the deed of a young man who "acted out of rage on impulse and loyalty" to religious leaders.

"I've had a lot of time, a heck of a lot of time, to think about it," Hagan told a parole board last month, according to a transcript of the interview.

"I understand a lot better the dynamics of movements and what can happen inside movements, and conflicts that can come up, but I have deep regrets about my participation in that," said Hagan, adding that he had earned a master's degree in sociology since his conviction.

The board granted Hagan's parole request on his 17th try. He was initially scheduled for release Wednesday, but the date was moved up because his paperwork was completed, Foglia said.

Hagan declined to comment Tuesday afternoon.

"I really haven't had any time to gather my thoughts on anything," he said.

The Malcolm X & Dr. Betty Shabazz Memorial and Educational Center, an organization founded by the civil rights leader's late widow, hasn't taken a position on Hagan's parole, board chairman Zead Ramadan said.

"We just don't think it's ours to decide the fate of this man. We allowed the laws of this nation to develop that," Ramadan said.

But another group, the Malcolm X Commemoration Committee, decried Hagan's parole at a press conference earlier this month. The organization holds essay contests and other events in his memory.

The Manhattan District Attorney's office, which prosecuted Hagan and his co-defendants, had no immediate comment on his release.

Under his work-release arrangement, Hagan also spent five days a week working in settings that included a homeless shelter; he spent those nights at his Brooklyn home with his family. He told the parole board he hopes to become a substance abuse counselor.

Panama's ex-dictator Noriega jailed in France

Panama's ex-dictator Noriega jailed in France

FILE - In this Jan. 1990, U.S. Marshalls file photo, deposed Panamanian Gen. Manuel Antonio Noriega is seen at an undisclosed location. A U.S. official says Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton has signed off on the extradition of former Panamanian dictator Manuel Noriega to France, Monday, April 26, 2010.

PARIS (AP) -- Former Panamanian dictator Manuel Noriega, fresh out of a Miami prison where he spent two decades, was sent back behind bars in France on Tuesday to await a new legal battle - this time on charges he laundered cocaine profits by buying luxury apartments in Paris.

Hours after Noriega arrived in Paris following his extradition from the United States, a judge deemed him a flight risk and dispatched him to La Sante, a grim brick prison in southern Paris. Famous past La Sante inmates include convicted terrorist Carlos the Jackal and Nazi collaborator Maurice Papon.

Noriega lost his first battle on French territory - he unsuccessfully pressed a judge to send him home to Panama. If convicted in France, he could face another 10 years in prison, a daunting prospect for the 72-year-old. Noriega's French lawyers said they will appeal the decision putting him behind bars and say his detention and transfer are unlawful.

If Noriega had been released in France, even to house arrest, it would have been a victory after a generation in prison. It could also have been an awkward situation for France, where a string of former dictators from Haiti to Africa have settled or bought second homes in the past.

Officials are to set a trial date on May 12 for Noriega, who was deposed after a 1989 U.S. invasion and imprisoned in Florida for drug trafficking. After finishing his U.S. sentence, he was extradited from Miami and sent on a direct flight to Paris, where he was immediately served with an arrest warrant Tuesday.

France already has convicted Noriega and his wife in absentia of laundering some $7 million in cocaine profits through three major French banks and using drug cash to invest in three posh Paris apartments. But France agreed to give him a new trial if he was extradited. Noriega's wife, Felicidad Sieiro de Noriega, is living in Panama and faces no charges there.

In a hearing before Paris judge Jean-Michel Maton, Noriega pleaded to be sent home to Panama, citing his prisoner of war status. "I don't agree with the action against me," he said through a translator.

Noriega spoke little during the hearing and appeared tired. Wearing a white button-up shirt and black jacket, his black hair thinning, he periodically rested his head in one hand during the proceedings.

After the judge denied Noriega's request, he was escorted out a side door of the court by armed guards. Limping, he used a cane.

Yves Leberquier, a lawyer for Noriega, said the former dictator has been partially paralyzed since suffering a mild stroke four years ago.

Another of Noriega's lawyers said his client had seemed resigned to returning behind bars.

"Having been extradited from the U.S., he was not really expecting to be released tonight, even if he hoped for it," Olivier Metzner said.

Noriega's legal team argued that it was illegal to try a former head of state who should have immunity from prosecution.

Other legal objections are that Noriega is considered a prisoner of war, a status Leberquier said French jails aren't ready to accommodate, and that the charges against him are no longer valid because the acts he is accused of happened too long ago, the lawyer said.

Noriega was declared a POW after his 1992 drug conviction by a Miami federal judge. In Miami, Noriega had separate quarters in prison, the right to wear his military uniform and insignia, access to a television and monitoring by international rights groups.

Panama also has an outstanding request for the former dictator's extradition. He was convicted in Panama in absentia and sentenced to 60 years in prison on charges of embezzlement, corruption and murdering opponents.

Panama's foreign minister, Juan Carlos Varela, said Panama respects the U.S. decision to extradite Noriega to France but will still try to get him back to Panama "to serve the sentences handed down by Panamanian courts."

Noriega was Panama's longtime intelligence chief before he took power in 1982. He had been considered a valued CIA asset for years, but as a ruler he joined forces with drug traffickers and was implicated in the death of a political opponent.

Noriega was ousted as Panama's leader and put on trial following a 1989 U.S. military invasion ordered by President George H.W. Bush. Noriega was brought to Miami and was convicted of drug racketeering and related charges in 1992.

He finished serving his term in federal prison outside Miami in 2007, but stayed in prison while France sought his extradition.

Sandra Noriega, one of his three daughters, called Noriega's extradition to France "a violation of his rights as a citizen, and a failing by the (Panamanian) government, which is supposed to protect its citizens."

The in-absentia French conviction, obtained by The Associated Press, says Noriega "knew that (the money) came directly or indirectly from drug trafficking." It said he helped Colombia's Medellin drug cartel by authorizing the transport of cocaine through Panama en route to the United States.

The French indictment says Noriega was born in 1938, although his French lawyers say he was born four years earlier. As a youth he claimed to be older so he could enter a military academy.

Ariz. immigrant law draws ire, possible referendum

Ariz. immigrant law draws ire, possible referendum

Thousands of protesters listen to activists speak as they attend a rally at the Arizona Capitol voicing their displeasure on Sunday, April, 25, 2010, over the Friday bill signing of SB1070 by the Arizona governor, in Phoenix. The sweeping measure makes it a crime under state law to be in the country illegally, and would require local law enforcement to question people about their immigration status if there is reason to suspect they are in the country illegally.

PHOENIX (AP) -- Politicians weighed in on Arizona's tough new immigration law Tuesday, while Mexico cautioned its citizens about an "adverse political atmosphere" in the state and a Phoenix man said he was aiming to get a referendum to repeal the measure on November's ballot.

In California, Meg Whitman, the Republican front-runner in the California gubernatorial primary, said that Arizona is taking the wrong approach to with its tough new law.

"I think there's just better ways to solve this problem," Whitman said in a telephone interview with The Associated Press.

But Sen. John McCain told CBS's "The Early Show" that his state needed such a law because the Obama administration has failed to "secure our borders." The Arizona Republican called the situation in his state "the worst I've ever seen," and that ineffective border enforcement has resulted in drugs pouring into the southwestern United States from Mexico.

In Mexico, the Foreign Relations Department urged Mexicans in Arizona to "act with prudence and respect the framework of local laws" and said that the law's passage shows "an adverse political atmosphere for migrant communities and for all Mexican visitors."

Meanwhile, Jon Garrido, who produces a Hispanic website and ran unsuccessfully last year for Phoenix City Council, said he's been flooded with inquiries and that he's optimistic about putting a referendum to repeal the law on Arizona's November ballot. Qualifying a referendum requires submission of at least 76,682 voter signatures within 90 days after the current legislative session.

Opposition to the law has grown since it was signed Friday by Republican Gov. Jan Brewer, with civil rights leaders and others demanded a boycott of the state.

Brewer has said Arizona must act because Washington has failed to stop the flow of illegal immigrants and drugs from Mexico. The state is the nation's busiest gateway for people slipping into the country.

The measure - set to take effect in late July or early August - would make it a crime under state law to be in the U.S. illegally. It directs state and local police to question people about their immigration status if there is reason to suspect they are illegal.

"If you look or sound foreign, you are going to be subjected to never-ending requests for police to confirm your identity and to confirm your citizenship," said Alessandra Soler Meetze, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Arizona, which is exploring legal action.

Currently, many U.S. police departments do not ask about people's immigration status unless they have run afoul of the law in some other way. Many departments say stopping and questioning people will only discourage immigrants from cooperating to solve crimes.

Under the new Arizona law, immigrants unable to produce documents showing they are allowed to be in the U.S. could be arrested, jailed for up to six months and fined $2,500. That is a significant escalation of the typical federal punishment for being here illegally - deportation.

People arrested by Arizona police would be turned over to federal immigration officers. Opponents said the federal government could thwart the law by refusing to accept them.

Supporters of the law said it is necessary to protect Arizonans. The state is home to an estimated 460,000 illegal immigrants. Brewer has ordered state officials to develop a training course for officers to learn what constitutes reasonable suspicion that someone is in the U.S. illegally.

The crux of opponents' arguments is that only the federal government has the authority to regulate immigration.

"If every state had its own laws, we wouldn't be one country; we'd be 50 different countries," said Thomas Saenz, president and general counsel of the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund.

Legendary Rapper Guru Dead at 43

R.I.P. Guru (1966-2010).

Click Here To Watch GangStarr Video:Mass Appeal

Legendary rapper Guru has died after a battle with cancer. He was just 43.
Born in Boston's Roxbury neighborhood, Keith Elam was a member of the duo Gang Starr, and is considered one of the pioneers of hip hop-jazz crossover.
His stage name, Guru, is actually an acronym for Gifted Unlimited Rhymes Universal and/or the less often used God is Universal; he is the Ruler Universal.
According to reports, Guru passed away April,20 2010, having suffered from the grave, malicious illness for over a year and after numerous special treatments.

Guru always tried to keep his harrowing cancer diagnosis in private but in early 2010 he had to admit himself to hospital due to serious effects caused by it.
While in hospital with terminal cancer, Guru wrote a letter, which was provided by Solar, to his fans addressing his illness, career, family and loved ones.
You can read that here.

Dollar Thrifty to be bought by Hertz at $41 a share

In a deal combining two of the most prominent U.S. car-rental brands, Dollar Thrifty Auto Group agreed to a cash-and-stock buyout by Hertz Global Holdings, valuing the company at $41 a share, the companies said Monday.

Dollar Thrifty shares closed Friday at $38.85, putting the offer from its Park Ridge, N.J., peer at a 5.5% premium. A year ago, Dollar Thrifty shares were trading at $2.55.As of Dec. 31, Tulsa, Okla.-based Dollar Thrifty had nearly 27.5 million shares outstanding, which would value the deal at $1.13 billion.
The deal price is comprised of 80% in cash and 20% in Hertz stock.
"Together we will be able to compete even more effectively and efficiently against other multi-brand car-rental companies, offering customers a full range of rental options in the U.S.," Hertz /quotes/comstock/13*!htz/quotes/nls/htz (HTZ 14.70, +0.01, +0.07%) Chairman and Chief Executive Mark Frissora said in a Monday statement.
The merger is subject to conditions including regulatory clearances and approval by Dollar Thrifty /quotes/comstock/13*!dtg/quotes/nls/dtg (DTG 42.83, -0.24, -0.56%) shareholders, the companies said. Financing for the acquisition is in place, they said.
What Paulson taught Zuckerman about investing
Author of the Greatest Trade Ever, Gregory Zuckerman, explains how small investors can learn from the quirky outsider tactics of John Paulson, the hedge fund manager at the center of the Goldman Sachs subprime trading scandal.
Barclays Capital is lead financial adviser for Hertz, with Bank of America Merrill Lynch also advising. Dollar Thrifty is advised by J.P. Morgan and Goldman Sachs.

From MarketWatch.com

Reporters and Staff at Phila. Papers Nervous About Auction

by KYW's Pat Loeb

Reporters at the Philadelphia Inquirer and Daily News find out this week who they'll be working for: will it be the local investors who currently own the paper, the banks who own the debt, or a Canadian company that owns a number of businesses?

All three have put in bids for the auction to end the papers' bankruptcy. The auction is scheduled for tomorrow and the staff is nervous.

"We've been on this roller coaster ride of doom for so long, we're kind of worn out by it."

Inquirer political reporter Tom Fitzgerald says the suspense of who will win the upcoming auction is a distraction in the newsroom:

For full story go to:

http://www.kyw1060.com/

Phila. Offers Amnesty for Tax Delinquents

Phila. Offers Amnesty for Tax Delinquents

by KYW's Mike Dunn

For the first time in nearly a quarter century, Philadelphia is staging an amnesty for tax deadbeats, and it starts a week from Monday.

The city is owed hundreds of millions of dollars of back taxes -- some of it dating back decades and unlikely to be recovered.

May third brings a tax amnesty and revenue commissioner Keith Richardson hopes a tiny portion of that is recovered:

For full story go to:

http://www.kyw1060.com/

Two Pennsylvania Teens Win National Science Study Competition

by KYW's John McDevitt

Two teenage girls from Pennsylvania have won the top prize in a national public health competition for high school students.

The competition -- dubbed Young Epidemiology Scholars (or "YES") -- awarded two first-place scholarships of $50,000 each on Monday.

The winners are 17-year-old Shoshanna Goldin of Allentown, Pa. for her research on the rising consumption of energy drinks among young people, and 16-year-old Gazelle Zerafati of Villanova for her work on underdiagnosed migraines in teenage girls:

For full story go to:

http://www.kyw1060.com/

Feds Think Sentence for Phila. Cop in Drug Case is Too Ligh

Feds Think Sentence for Phila. Cop in Drug Case is Too Light

by KYW's Tony Hanson

A Philadelphia police detective who tipped off a notorious drug gang to impending police raids (see related story) has gotten a huge break at sentencing. And the government has indicated it may appeal.

Federal guidelines called for a sentence of at least 10 years in prison. The government wanted even more. But the judge lowered the guideline range to about four years in prison, and then sentenced former detective Rickie Durham to two years in prison.

Durham admitted that he had called a friend, former NBA basketball player Jerome "Pooh" Richardson, whose sister was living with drug kingpin Alton Coles, also known as "Ace Capone".

For full story go to:

http://www.kyw1060.com/

Pennsylvania Opens 54-Day Tax Amnesty Window

by KYW's Tony Romeo

Governor Rendell says the clock has started running on a 54-day amnesty program for individuals and businesses that are delinquent on Pennsylvania tax payments.

Rendell (above) says that by the time the program ends on June 18th, he believes Pennsylvania can collect $190 million in overdue taxes under the first state tax amnesty program conducted in 14 years.

But he emphatically wants people who pay their taxes on time to know that people who take advantage of the amnesty program are not getting off entirely scot free:

“(We) offered them a chance to have the statutory penalties waived and have the interest that’s accrued on their tax delinquency cut in half. But no one will pay less. Everyone will pay more, even under this amnesty program, than they would have if they had paid their taxes on time.”

For full story go to:

http://www.kyw1060.com/

Obama welcomes champion NY Yankees to White House

Obama welcomes champion NY Yankees to White House

President Barack Obama holds up an autographed New York Yankees jersey presented to him during an event to honor the 2009 World Series Champion Yankees, Monday, April 26, 2010, in the East Room of the White House in Washington.

WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Barack Obama celebrated the world champion Yankees on Monday for their heroics and character - and bemoaned that his Chicago White Sox couldn't match New York's remarkable record of success.

In a jam-packed ceremony in the East Room that was part pep rally, the president pointed out that the last time the Yankees - winners of 27 titles - were toasted at the White House was 2001.

"It's been nine years since your last title - which must have felt like eternity for Yankee fans. I think other teams would be just fine with a spell like that. The Cubs, for example," Obama said, drawing laughs from players, coaches, members of his Cabinet and Congress and other guests. He added that his White Sox have gotten close, including a title in 2005.

The Yankees won the World Series in six games last year, defeating the Philadelphia Phillies. New York Manager Joe Girardi presented Obama with a signed Yankees' jersey with the No. 27.

The White House visit was the fifth for the Yankees core four - Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera, Andy Pettitte and Jorge Posada - who have a handful of championship rings. They've met three presidents - Bill Clinton in the 1990s, George W. Bush in 2001 and now Obama.

Obama praised the players for their off-field work, from a scholarship that first baseman Mark Teixeira established at his high school with a $75,000 check, to catcher Posada's work on a support network for families with ailing children to shortstop Jeter's sportsmanship.

Earlier in the day, members of the team visited war wounded at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, which several players described as a sobering experience. Third baseman Alex Rodriguez, who wore his championship ring, called the servicemembers the "real heroes" and pitcher Andy Pettitte hailed their sacrifice. Pettitte said even a few Boston Red Sox fans among the wounded appreciated the Yankee visit - though they kept their Red Sox caps on.

Obama said underneath the famed pinstripes the players and coaches "share a belief that anybody blessed with first-class talent also has an obligation to be a first-class person."

The event at the East Room, typically the site for more formal gatherings such as presidential news conferences and bill signings, was interrupted by shouts from the crowd of "hip, hip, Jorge" for Posada and handshakes from the president. Greeting pitcher CC Sabathia, Obama could be heard saying, "watched your no-hitter," a near no-hitter earlier this season. There was even a bit of sports trash talk.

Posing with the team, assembled on risers, Obama smiled broadly, then realized the photograph should include the World Series trophy. After Girardi brought it over, a member of the Yankee organization shouted out that it might be the White Sox's No. 1 fan's only chance to hold the trophy. The remark drew laughs from the crowd.

Court: Wal-Mart to face massive class action suit

Court: Wal-Mart to face massive class action suit

FILE - In this Tuesday, Nov. 10, 2009 photo, Mary Oksten of Paulsboro N.J. loads her vehicle outside a Wal-Mart, in Deptford N.J. In a 6-5 ruling, the 9th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals ruled Monday, April 26, 2010 that a massive class action lawsuit alleging gender discrimination over pay for female workers can go to trial. Wal-Mart will have to face charges that it pays women less than men for the same jobs and that female employees receive fewer promotions and have to wait longer for those promotions than male counterparts.

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -- A sharply divided federal appeals court on Monday exposed Wal-Mart Stores Inc. to billions of dollars in legal damages when it ruled a massive class action lawsuit alleging gender discrimination over pay for female workers can go to trial.

In its 6-5 ruling, the 9th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals said the world's largest private employer will have to face charges that it pays women less than men for the same jobs and that female employees receive fewer promotions and have to wait longer for those promotions than male counterparts.

The retailer has fiercely fought the lawsuit since it was first filed by six women in federal court in San Francisco in 2001 and said it would appeal the decision to the U.S. Supreme Court.

The ruling "opens up every company in America that has employees to class actions like this," said Theodore Boutrous, the company's lead lawyer on the largest gender bias class action in U.S. history.

The appeals court upheld a lower court ruling allowing the lawsuit to go forward as a class action, which attorneys for the Wal-Mart employees said encompasses more than 1 million women. Wal-Mart disputes that figure and asserts fewer than 500,000 women are covered by the decision Monday.

Either way, the company could lose billions of dollars if it is found liable and required to fork over back pay to the affected women.

The appeals court did order the trial court judge to reconsider two important issues that would alter any potential pay out.

U.S. District Court Judge Vaughn Walker in San Francisco was told to determine the appropiateness of punitive damages and whether former employees at the time of the 2001 filing of the lawsuit should be part of the class action. The case was transferred to Walker after the resignation of U.S. District Court Judge Martin Jenkins, who ruled against Wal-Mart on those two issues.

Wal-Mart employs 1.4 million employees in the United States and 2.1 million workers in 8,000 stores worldwide, and argued that the conventional rules of class action suits should not apply because each outlet operates as an independent business. Since it doesn't have a companywide policy of discrimination, Wal-Mart argued that women alleging gender bias should file individual lawsuits against individual stores.

Finally, the retailer argued that the lawsuit is simply too big to defend.

"Although the size of this class action is large, mere size does not render a case unmanageable," Judge Michael Daly Hawkins wrote for the majority court, which didn't address the merits of the lawsuit, leaving that for the trial court.

Judge Sandra Ikuta wrote a blistering dissent, joined by four of her colleagues.

"No court has ever certified a class like this one, until now. And with good reason," Ikuta wrote. "In this case, six women who have worked in thirteen of Wal-Mart's 3,400 stores seek to represent every woman who has worked in those stores over the course of the last decade - a class estimated in 2001 to include more than 1.5 million women."

Analysts said the ruling was a setback to Wal-Mart's campaign to improve its image with shoppers.

The ruling was a "big black eye for Wal-Mart, and it's not going to heal anytime in the near future," said retail consultant Burt P. Flickinger. Flickinger said the ruling could turn off women shoppers - the company's critical base - at a time it faces increased pressure from a host of competitors, ranging from Kroger to J.C. Penney.

Wal-Mart's fourth-quarter results, announced in February, showed that total sales at its U.S. Walmart stores fell for the first time since the company went public in 1969. The company also reported its third consecutive quarter of declines in sales at stores opened at least a year. Sales at stores opened at least a year are considered a key indicator of a retailer's health.

Wal-Mart officials sought to focus on the few portions of the 95-page ruling that went its way, including the possible trimming of the number of women who stand to collect damages if Wal-Mart is found liable. The appeals court ordered the trial judge to determine whether the lawsuit should date to all workers as of 1998, as alleged in the complaint, or to 2001 when it was filed.

The appeals court also told the trial judge to reconsider the appropriateness of awarding punitive damages, which are awarded above actual damages to punish the accused for bad behavior.

Wal-Mart's top lawyer Jeff Gearhart said the company disagreed with the ruling and was considering its next step, which could include an appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court.

"We do not believe the claims alleged by the six individuals who brought this suit are representative of the experiences of our female associates," said Gearhart, an executive vice president. "Walmart is an excellent place for women to work and fosters female leadership among our associates and in the larger business world."

The attorneys suing Wal-Mart said they expected an appeal of their near-complete legal victory.

"It upheld the heart of the case," said Brad Seligman, the lead lawyer suing Wal-Mart. Seligman said the lawsuit includes newly hired employees and accused Wal-Mart of continuing discriminatory practices.

Unions and other critics have long complained that Wal-Mart's workplace practices needed improvement, especially in the areas of diversity and career advancement.

The discounter responded to the pressure last year at its annual shareholders' meeting by announcing a plan to address the issue of promoting women, creating a "global council" comprised of 14 Wal-Mart female executives.

"We are proud of the strides we have made to advance and support our female associates and have been recognized for our efforts to advance women through a number of awards and accolades," Gearhart said.

Wal-Mart shares fell 49 cents to $54.04 at the close of trading.

Boondocks At Phila. Front Page News

Boondocks At Phila. Front Page News

Pa. Worker Gets 7.5 Years in Teen's Starvation Death

by KYW’s Tony Hanson

A former founder of the private social services agency implicated in the horrific death of a 14-year-old girl in 2006 has been sentenced to prison for fraud.

Five defendants have now been sentenced with four more awaiting their penalty.

Prosecutor Bea Witzleben says 72-year-old Doctor Earle McNeill has been sentenced to 7 ½ years in prison:

for full story go to: http://www.kyw1060.com/

Circus Teachers Hold Performances in Germantown

by KYW’s John McDevitt

They're not clowning around. Instructors from the Philadelphia School of Circus Arts in Germantown will perform in their first show for audiences this weekend.

Normally it’s the students that perform in the showcases but this weekend the teachers will show their stuff.

For full story go to: http://www.kyw1060.com/

Free Legal Help at Some Phila. Free Library Branches

by KYW's John Ostapkovich

Dozens of lawyers will be available on Monday to provide free help on a variety of topics.

Legal Advice Live! will be available from noon to 2 pm at the Central Branch of the Free Library and four others round the city. Abby DuFrayne, chair of the Young Lawyers Division of the Philadelphia Bar Association, says topics run the gamut from personal injury and medical malpractice to divorce and child custody issues:

For full story go to: http://www.kyw1060.com/

Nurses Protest Outside Temple Fundraiser in Center City

by KYW's Pat Loeb

While talks on Saturday lasted nine hours with no resolution, striking nurses at Temple University Hospital gathered outside the Constitution Center. Inside the center, Temple patrons were attending a fundraiser. Outside, nurses rallied for a new contract.

The nurses sported red and white to highlight the reason for the rally -- the Cherry and White Ball taking place within earshot. Speakers talked about the financial difficulty of remaining on strike and congratulated one another on their solidarity:

For full story go to: http://www.kyw1060.com/

'Dragon' wings it back to No. 1 with $15 million

'Dragon' wings it back to No. 1 with $15 million

FILE - In this file film publicity image released by Paramount Pictures, Hiccup, voiced by Jay Baruchel, rides Toothless a scene is shown from "How to Train Your Dragon." "How to Train Your Dragon" continues to breathe fire at the box office, while newer releases are mostly blowing smoke. The animated adventure took in $15 million to reclaim the No. 1 spot a month after its debut. "How to Dragon Your Dragon" opened in first place in late March, then dropped back into the pack. But it has held up strongly and climbed to the top again amid a flurry of so-so new releases.

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- "How to Train Your Dragon" continues to breathe fire at the box office, while newer releases are mostly blowing smoke.

The DreamWorks Animation adventure took in $15 million to reclaim the No. 1 spot in its fifth weekend of release. "How to Train Your Dragon" opened in first place in late March, then dropped back into the pack. But it has held up strongly and climbed to the top again amid a flurry of so-so new releases.

The tale of a Viking youth and his pet dragon raised its total to $178 million and is on its way to becoming a $200 million hit.

Premiering weakly at No. 2 with $12.3 million was Jennifer Lopez's romantic comedy "The Back-up Plan," released by CBS Films. Another comedy, Steve Carell and Tina Fey's "Date Night" from 20th Century Fox, held up well to finish at No. 3 with $10.6 million, raising its total to $63.5 million.

Among the weekend's other newcomers, the Warner Bros. action flick "The Losers" flopped at No. 4 with $9.6 million. Disney's nature film "Oceans" had a solid opening for a documentary, coming in at No. 8 with $6 million.

"How to Train Your Dragon" nearly regained the No. 1 spot the previous weekend but wound up a close second to Lionsgate's superhero comedy "Kick-Ass." In its second weekend, "Kick-Ass" slumped to No. 5 with $9.5 million, down 52 percent from its debut, lifting its total to $34.9 million.

Revenues for "How to Train Your Dragon" were off a scant 23 percent from the previous weekend.

"To be No. 1 in week five, it's an exciting time," said Anne Globe, head of marketing for DreamWorks Animation. "Especially to be decisively No. 1 after last weekend's box-office shenanigans."

The box office had ended in rare photo finishes for two straight weekends as movies bunched up tightly in the rankings. Though "How to Train Your Dragon" was the clear winner this time, top movies again were crowded closely together as the weekend's newcomers failed to grab much attention.

Overall Hollywood revenues should top out at about $100 million, the lowest-grossing weekend of the year, said Paul Dergarabedian, box-office analyst for Hollywood.com.

Fans may simply be watching their finances amid the slow economic recovery, saving their money for the onslaught of summer blockbusters that starts May 7 with "Iron Man 2."

"They may be saying, 'I want to see big summer movies, so I'm just going to wait,'" Dergarabedian said. "Then suddenly, we're going to have this massive weekend when 'Iron Man 2' opens after we've had these mediocre weekends."

While "The Back-up Plan" opened weakly, CBS Films was hoping it would hold up well in subsequent weekends, as romantic comedies often do.

"Jennifer Lopez's films have great legs, as does she," said Steven Friedlander, head of distribution for CBS Films.

"The Back-up Plan" stars Lopez as a single woman who gets pregnant through artificial insemination, then meets the man of her dreams.

"The Losers," whose cast includes "Avatar" co-star Zoe Saldana, is a comic-book adaptation about a Special Forces team looking for payback after a mission goes bad.

Narrated by Pierce Brosnan, "Oceans" offers up-close glimpses of blue whales, walruses, sea turtles, spider crabs and other aquatic life. Since opening on Earth Day Thursday, "Oceans" has taken in $8.5 million.

"Oceans" played in narrower release than other new movies, averaging $4,975 in 1,206 theaters, a fair result for a documentary. By comparison, "The Back-up Plan" averaged $3,735 in 3,280 theaters and "The Losers" averaged $3,271 in 2,936 cinemas.

Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Hollywood.com. Final figures will be released Monday.

1. "How to Train Your Dragon," $15 million.

2. "The Back-up Plan," $12.3 million.

3. "Date Night," $10.6 million.

4. "The Losers," $9.6 million.

5. "Kick-Ass," $9.5 million.

6. "Clash of the Titans," $9 million.

7. "Death at a Funeral," $8 million.

8. "Oceans," $6 million.

9. "The Last Song," $3.7 million.

10. "Alice in Wonderland," $2.2 million.