NFL says Vick eligible to play in 3rd game

NEW YORK (AP)—NFL commissioner Roger Goodell says Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Michael Vickis eligible to play beginning in the third game of the regular season.

Goodell met with Vick for 45 minutes Thursday before announcing his decision. Vick, recently signed by the Eagles, played in last week’s exhibition game and was expected to play against the New York Jets on Thursday night.

Previously, Goodell said he would consider Vick for full reinstatement by no later than Week 6.

Vick was released from federal custody July 20 after serving 18 months of a 23-month sentence for his role in running a dogfighting ring.

“I think he’s making real progress,” Goodell said. “I think he has a better feel for the challenges ahead of him.”

Philadelphia Eagles quarterbacks Donovan McNabb,
left, and Michael Vick are seen during afternoon
practice at NFL football training camp in Philadelphia,
Monday, Aug. 31, 2009.

ESPN.com first reported the Goodell-Vick meeting.

The Eagles told The Associated Press that the commissioner met with Vick at the team hotel near the Newark airport.

A three-time Pro Bowl pick during six seasons with the Atlanta Falcons, Vick was a surprise signing by the Eagles on Aug. 13. He received a one-year deal for $1.6 million with a team option for a second year at $5.2 million.

Vick started practicing with the Eagles on Aug. 15, but did not travel with the team to its second preseason game a week later in Indianapolis because he could not play.

He played six snaps in Philadelphia’s home game against Jacksonville last week, lining up at quarterback and receiver. He completed all four of his pass attempts, but the Eagles offense scored just three points in the possessions he played.

The Eagles plan to use Vick in their version of the wildcat offense, and coach Andy Reid has stated that Kevin Kolb remains the backup to Donovan McNabb.

Vick’s familiarity with the West Coast offense has expedited his learning process with Philadelphia. He’s said that he’s content doing whatever he can to help the team win and wants to learn from McNabb how to become a better QB.

While McNabb is an excellent scrambler, he prefers being a pocket passer. Vick always has been far more inclined to take off and run than stay in the pocket and find an open receiver. His career completion percentage is only 53.8 percent, and he has more career 100-yard rushing games (8) than 250-yard passing games (among the lowest for a starting NFL quarterback. Vick has 71 career touchdown passes, but 52 interceptions.

The Eagles were heavily criticized by animal rights activists for signing Vick and dozens of protesters voiced their outrage outside the team’s practice facility the day after he signed.

But the explosive debate that consumed the city upon Vick’s arrival played out on a much smaller and subdued scale when Vick made his Eagles debut last Thursday night at Lincoln Financial Field.

An animal welfare event was held across town, while the local NAACP’s planned march outside the stadium to support Vick did not materialize, although about a dozen members set up a table with banners supporting him.

Philadelphia Eagles quarterback
Michael Vick is seen during
afternoon practice at NFL football
training camp in Philadelphia,
Monday, Aug. 31, 2009.

Local animal rights activists have opted not to protest the player, but to use Vick’s arrival in Philadelphia to spotlight their work and have asked the Eagles to support them. The team has been receptive, inviting several groups to a meeting at their practice facility a few days before Vick played to discuss ways to help, including the possibility of financial support.

Some activists said at the meeting that the team had an obligation to get involved in fighting animal cruelty after signing Vick, who admitted during his criminal case to torturing to death dogs that underperformed in fights.

Eagles spokeswoman Pamela Browner-Crawley called the conversation a tough but constructive beginning.

She says the team has an obligation to the community and work with kids particularly, to discourage them from engaging in dog fighting or any animal abuse.

Dogfighting remains a serious problem in Philadelphia. The Sunday before Vick returned to the field, police broke up a dogfighting ring and rescued several injured pit bulls.

Derrick Ford And Children's Baseball In North Philly by Van Stone vspfoundation@yahoo.com (610) 931-8810

Derrick Ford And Children's Baseball In North Philly by Van Stone vspfoundation@yahoo.com (610) 931-8810


Derrick Ford, M.H.S. Behavioral Health, Community Liaison recently agreed to coach and organize a youth baseball team in the Strawberry Mansion section of Philadelphia, PA. Ford deserve credit for taking on the special role of volunteer baseball coach.

Ford, who has worked with children for many years is about to embark on a one-of-a-kind journey that he and his players will remember for the rest of their lives. Derrick’s season was packed with many special moments, coming from the practices and your
games.


Above: Strawberry Mansion youth preparing for the game.

Ford and other coaches approach to the season was to create goals that put in place how adults should interact with the kids during practices and games. Coaches would impact how your youth players will feel about themselves, the sport of baseball, and their coaches.

Most of the time Derrick used his many job responsibilities dealing with recovery to help the kids develop great passion for the game. Coaches were sure to get the season headed in the right direction and to keep it on course. Interestingly kids leaned all kinds of quality information on all the different aspects of the game.

The baseball program was designed to teach what it takes to build solid relationships with
parents, to get them working with the community leaders rather than against them, and to take a peek at the rules and terms that are a big part of the game.


Above: Derrick Ford, center, and community activist
supporting children baseball.

Many anti-violence activist and others volunteered with Derrick’s base ball program to coach this season because they wanted to spend more time with children even if the child was not theirs. Many adults were right there on the field introducing
black children and others to the great game of baseball.



Above: Male role models involved with the game.

Ford had little problem finding coaches to participate in the local league. One of the biggest challenges to the coaches was how to relate to such young players, make them like their coach, and teach them the skills of the game.


Above: Kids crossing their hearts and getting ready to
be little league heroes of inner city baseball.

But before any youngster took the field for their first practice under team direction, Derrick had plenty of behind-the-scenes work to do. He had to do the work that would ensure that the season got off to a smooth start.


Above: Kids suiting up for the game.

Derrick Ford is a case manager, a therapist, and community activist. ... Derrick is a key figure in the Philadelphia Police Department's Heads up Program. He is the founder and director of Brothers Reaching Back, has formed a Youth Baseball League in Philadelphia, and hosts the first recovery talk show on radio station WURD 900 AM in Philadelphia. Derrick is a talk radio co-host on the Janet Powell show, WNWR 1540 AM. If you are interested in youth sports with Ford and his coaches call (215) 327-5065

HoopGurlz at Phila. Front Page News

HoopGurlz at Phila. Front Page News

There are a lot of factors that come into play during the recruiting process, and it's important for recruits to find the programs that feel like the best fit for their playing styles.

Whether you're talking about shoes, clothes, relationships or college basketball programs, "fit" seems to be a word that implies many different meanings. I had a powder-blue leisure suit that fit perfectly back in the '70s, but, I assure you, it wasn't right for me, or anyone else for that matter. Just because it feels comfortable on the surface -- or because it's a popular choice -- doesn't make it the appropriate decision, and that couldn't be more true than in the recruiting process.

It's easy to get caught up in all that a school has to offer and forget to take a good look at how the team plays and what your actual role might be.

Each year as I sit courtside, I think about how important an athlete's choice of program is to her ultimate success at the college level. There are an elite few prospects every year who will be impact players and have success no matter what program they choose. And then there will be those who forget that fit has many different components and choose a place that seems to be ideal but ultimately just isn't right.

Many schools can be the perfect setting, both academically and personally, and have all the resources you could ever want in a basketball program but still not be the best choice.

Just as with fashion, you can't talk about fit without talking about style. A coach's style of play, the conference the team plays in and the roster you might be a part of are all critical to a program being the right place to call home.

If you're not a transition player, the opportunity to be your best doesn't lie with a program that has seldom seen its shot clock get under 20 seconds. Conversely, if you're looking to run, you don't want to be playing for the queen of quick-hitters with the bench counting down the clock from 10 every possession.

For the most part, college coaches seldom actively recruit prospects who don't fit their style. Yet it's not uncommon for a half-court-oriented coach to want to get more athletic or for a fast-break-style program to look for more control.

In those situations it's important to understand why a particular coach might be recruiting you. You'll need to know if the coach is committing to a different style or just looking to add some speed or discipline to what they already do. Keep in mind you'll be joining three classes of recruits in front of you that might have been signed to play a different style from yours. Look at who else they're recruiting and who was in their last signing class to see if they're staying the course or if the winds of change are blowing.

Recruiting can be like shopping for new clothes -- you wouldn't buy anything without trying it on.

Style often gets overlooked particularly when Big-Time U. comes calling. It's easy to get caught up in all the school has to offer and forget to take a good look at how the team plays and what your actual role might be. Everything might be the perfect fit, but if it's not right on the court, you have some prioritizing to do.

You have to decide if you can live out of your comfort zone and develop in the role they see for you or decide whether it's more important to find a setting that will allow you take your game as it stands now further. Neither choice is wrong. It's just important to know up front. This is the time when you get to decide the style you want to play. Once you're on board in a new program, your coaches will make those choices and you'll have to live with them.

Basketball style and fit goes beyond X's and O's. If a program has always recruited and played a certain type of player at a position and now is recruiting a player who doesn't fit that mold, it's time for some questions. It's important to know why a coach is looking to sign a 6-foot-6 true low post when he or she has always had success with the 6-2 players who can run with the guards. A lot of college coaches have reputations for preferring a type of player. When players commit you hear it again and again: "She's their type of point guard" or "She fits the mold for their program." There's nothing wrong with going in a different direction, but if they're recruiting you as the instrument of change you'd better know why the change is being made and -- even more so -- why you seem to be heralding it.

Lastly, know a staff's experience with coaching a certain style or type of player. If a coach has always been a half-court coach, the coach isn't likely to let the team run. When a program has never worked with a player like that 6-6 post, it's important to know what the approach and long-term plan will be for that athlete's development. Just because coaches might see you in a different role or might want to move in a different direction doesn't make them a bad choice. It just means you need to get some answers that make you comfortable.

Many other elements go into recruiting decisions. Fit and style is an important part of that decision and a very individual component. Just like when you're purchasing clothing, you wouldn't buy anything without trying it on. Look at a program's style and the role the coach lays out for you and see how it matches up with the mirror in your mind. It's your comfort that's important. And, if you choose wisely, you might end up on someone's best-dressed list.

Phillies' Wives Donate Sneakers to Needy Schoolkids

Phillies' Wives Donate Sneakers to Needy Schoolkids

by KYW's Hadas Kuznits

The Phillies organization has donated new sneakers to some underprivleged kids for the start of the new school year.

At the Police Athletic League building at 6th and Snyder Streets in South Philadelphia, excited youngsters showed their new shoes off to each other:

(Kid:) "I think it's really generous for them to do that because some people can't get shoes."

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

Temple and Villanova Kick-off First Annual 'Mayor's Cup'

Temple and Villanova Kick-off First Annual 'Mayor's Cup'

by KYW's John McDevitt

The inaugural Mayor's Cup football game takes place Thursday night at the Linc between Temple University and Villanova. It kicks off the 2009 college football season for both schools with high hopes.

There was a pep rally of sorts for the game Wednesday afternoon.

Temple's Hooter the owl mascot and Villanova’s wildcat mascot joined their schools’ cheerleading squads in Love Park passing out $10 coupons for $10 off on sideline tickets for the Temple football home opener at the Linc.

Mike Bamonti is with the Temple athletic department:

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

Phila. Schools Boss Says Hundreds of Teachers Bailing Just Before School Starts

Phila. Schools Boss Says Hundreds of Teachers Bailing Just Before School Starts

by KYW's Mike DeNardo

Philadelphia school administrators are peeved at the number of teachers who are suddenly resigning or not showing up for work, just days before the school year begins.

Schools superintendent Arlene Ackerman says she's astounded that so many teachers have either resigned without 60 days' notice, put in longterm illness claims, or just not shown up for work during the previous week:

"It's been to our horror that, like I said, an average over the last week of 35 a day -- 35 resignations, or reports that teachers aren't coming back at the last minute, has been shocking to me."

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

Federer, Hewitt each win to set up US Open rematch

Federer, Hewitt each win to set up US Open rematch

Roger Federer, of Switzerland, reacts after defeating Simon Greul, of Germany, 6-3, 7-5, 7-5 in the second round of the U.S. Open tennis tournament in New York, Wednesday, Sept. 2, 2009.

NEW YORK (AP) -- Roger Federer once wondered how he was ever going to beat Lleyton Hewitt.

Hewitt dominated the series back when the Australian was in the midst of winning two Grand Slam titles and Federer was still chasing his first major championship.

Hard to remember now that the top-ranked Swiss has won 13 straight matchups.

The two set up another showdown by winning their second-round matches Wednesday at the U.S. Open. Federer beat Simon Greul 6-3, 7-5, 7-5, while Hewitt defeated Juan Ignacio Chela 6-3, 6-3, 6-4.

"On any given day, a former world No. 1, a guy who's won majors, is very, very dangerous," Federer said. "That's why I have to make sure I get into the match quickly, not give him the lead, because we know he's not going to go down without a fight."

The player who has given Federer fits more recently - Rafael Nadal - motored around the court like a guy with two healthy knees Wednesday. He defeated Richard Gasquet 6-2, 6-2, 6-3 in his first Grand Slam action since May 31, when Nadal's 31-match French Open winning streak ended in the fourth round at Roland Garros.

Tendinitis in both knees sidelined Nadal for more than two months. He pulled out of Wimbledon instead of defending his title, saying he couldn't play without thinking about the injury.

Not anymore.

"I don't have pain, so I don't think," Nadal said.

The defending women's champion, Serena Williams, needed just 53 minutes to dispatch 51st-ranked Melinda Czink 6-1, 6-1 in Wednesday's last match.

Her next opponent is Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez, who pushed Williams to three sets in a drama-filled match in the third round of the French Open. Williams insisted the ball went off Martinez Sanchez's arm on a point that helped the Spaniard win the first set; she later accused Martinez Sanchez of cheating.

"She plays a fun game," Williams said Wednesday. "She's a tough cookie."

Venus Williams had wide patches of white tape above and below her left knee, which began bothering her when she struggled through a first-round win Monday. But like Nadal, Williams looked just fine Wednesday, and she easily eliminated Bethanie Mattek-Sands of the United States 6-4, 6-2.

Nadal never mentioned his knee issues publicly until after the French Open, but he said Wednesday the pain dated to April, when he won the Monte Carlo Masters. He also won the next week, and the week after that, but he now attributes that success to "being on a roll."

Kim Clijsters was away for two years, not two months, but she's rolling, too. After ending her retirement in August, she continues to play as if she never left. Unseeded, unranked and playing at the U.S. Open for the first time since winning the 2005 title, the 26-year-old Belgian reached the third round by knocking off No. 14-seeded Marion Bartoli 5-7, 6-1, 6-2.

Other seeded women sent home included No. 15 Samantha Stosur, a French Open semifinalist, who was beaten by Vania King of Long Beach, Calif., 7-5, 6-4; two-time major champion Amelie Mauresmo, who lost to Aleksandra Wozniak of Canada; No. 12 Agnieszka Radwanska and No. 20 Anabel Medina Garrigues.

Two fixtures on the men's tour said goodbye to Grand Slam tennis with first-round exits: Marat Safin of Russia and Fabrice Santoro of France, who are retiring at the end of the season.

The 29-year-old Safin, the 2000 U.S. Open champion, lost to Jurgen Melzer of Austria 1-6, 6-4, 6-3, 6-4; the 36-year-old Santoro, appearing in his record 69th major tournament, was beaten by No. 24 Juan Carlos Ferrero of Spain 6-4, 6-3, 6-3.

Former U.S. Open champs Maria Sharapova, Andy Roddick and Svetlana Kuznetsova play Thursday. Dinara Safina returns to the court after nearly becoming the first women's No. 1 seed to lose in the Open's first round Tuesday.

Hewitt won at Flushing Meadows in 2001. Three years later, Federer beat him in the finals - the first of five straight titles that he's seeking to turn into six.

"He started his run here in 2004 in the final, so it would be nice if I could finish it," Hewitt said with a smile.

Star-filled mausoleum awaits Michael Jackson

Star-filled mausoleum awaits Michael Jackson

FILE - In this March 17, 2005 file photo, pop star Michael Jackson arrives at the Santa Barbara County Courthouse in Santa Maria, Calif.

GLENDALE, Calif. (AP) -- One month after a lavish public memorial for Michael Jackson, the pop singer's family prepared to inter him privately Thursday in a mausoleum filled with legendary entertainers.

On Wednesday, a judge said Jackson's estate will bear the funeral costs, which were characterized by an attorney as "extraordinary." It was disclosed in court that 12 burial spaces were being purchased at Forest Lawn Glendale, about eight miles north of downtown Los Angeles, but no details were offered on how they would be used.

In a declaration filed Wednesday by Katherine Jackson's attorney, Burt Levitch, stated that the cemetery told him the spaces had to be purchased as a unit and could not be subdivided.

"Mrs. Jackson and her family wish to honor her son by a funeral that seeks to offer solace to his multitude of fans and by which the family also may be comforted," Levitch wrote in the declaration.

A copy of the contract with the cemetery filed with the court has been redacted so that costs and details of Thursday's service have been removed.

Jackson will rest in the cemetery's Great Mausoleum with Hollywood stars including Clark Gable, Jean Harlow and W.C. Fields.

Jackson's funeral won't end the legal drama over his drug-induced death at age 50, which authorities have labeled a homicide. No criminal charges have been filed over his June 25 death, which came on the cusp of London concerts meant to restore Jackson to his once-incandescent stardom.

Last week, coroner's officials said they believed Jackson's death was homicide, and his death certificate has been amended to reflect that. It cites "injection by another" as the fatal injury.

Investigators have said a mix of the powerful anesthetic propofol and another sedative killed the pop singer. The new record lists "acute propofol intoxication" as the main cause of death and "benzodiazepine effect" as another significant contributor.

The certificate does not mention Dr. Conrad Murray, who was Jackson's personal physician. He told detectives that he gave the singer a series of sedatives and propofol to try to help him sleep.

The coroner's determination of homicide makes it easier for prosecutors to seek criminal charges, but does not necessarily mean a crime was committed.

Biden: Obama health plan to be bold, contentious

Biden: Obama health plan to be bold, contentious

President Barack Obama waves as he walks across the South Lawn of the White House prior to his departure on Marine One helicopter in Washington, Wednesday, Sept. 2, 2009.

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Vice President Joe Biden said Thursday the Obama administration is fiercely determined to get a health care overhaul, although he conceded it likely won't happen without "an awful lot of screaming and hollering."

Appearing at a Brookings Institution gathering to talk up the employment dividends of the $787 billion economic stimulus plan, Biden said it will be difficult to find a consensus on remaking the system. But he also predicted that "we're going to get something substantial" and said he believes "we're going to get there."

Biden spoke as President Barack Obama continued a pre-Labor Day rest at Camp David. Obama is shifting his push for health care changes into high gear next week with a State of the Union-style address to a joint meeting of Congress.

The vice president suggested Obama will tell Congress and the American people precisely what he thinks must be included in the package that the White House is pressing lawmakers to approve this fall.

Obama's scheduled speech next Wednesday is in no small part a bid to salvage his health initiative in the face of withering attacks from Republicans, interest groups and many private citizens.

Biden did not say whether the screaming would come from liberals who feel Obama is accepting too many compromises, or from conservatives and moderates who feel his plan costs too much and threatens the health of private insurance companies.

Biden said he would not provide details of the scheduled speech, but he said Obama will lay out the main options for a health care overhaul and "what he thinks those pieces have to be and will be."

The president's speech will come a day after lawmakers return from their August recess. It underscores the White House's determination to confront critics of Obama's overhaul proposals and to buck up supporters who have been thrown on the defensive. Allies have been urging Obama to be more specific about his plans and to take a greater role in the debate.

The speech's timing also suggests that top Democrats have all but given up hope for a bipartisan breakthrough by Senate Finance Committee negotiators. The White House had given those six lawmakers until Sept. 15 to draft a plan, but next week's speech comes well ahead of that deadline.

It follows an August recess in which critics of Obama's health proposals dominated many public forums. Approval ratings for Obama, and for his health care proposals, dropped during the month.

White House senior adviser David Axelrod told reporters Wednesday, "We believe this is the best way to kick off the final discussions, the final debate, and bring this thing to a close in a way that is meaningful."

Many advocates of sweeping health care changes - which would include health coverage for virtually every American, greater competition among insurers and incentives to increase the quality of care instead of the number of medical procedures performed - welcomed the president's more direct role in the debate.

Obama and congressional Democrats clearly lost momentum during the August recess, they say, and the president's high profile and still-considerable personal popularity are needed to change the dynamic.

"He's got to get into the nitty-gritty and embrace very concrete proposals," said Ralph Neas, head of the National Coalition on Health Care.

Republicans fiercely oppose creation of a government-run plan, and the White House has been talking directly with Sen. Olympia Snowe, a moderate Republican from Maine, who has proposed an alternative.

Snowe's idea is to use the threat of a government plan to force private insurers to become more competitive and cost conscious. She has been advocating the approach for months in closed-door negotiations with fellow senators and in talks with White House aides and the president.

The precise details have yet to be worked out, but the general idea is to give the insurance industry a fixed time to show that it can stem rising medical costs. If the private carriers fail, the government-run plan would be created. The approach could be tailored so that the government plan is used only in areas of the country where one or two private insurers control the market and have failed to bring down costs.

But the government plan wouldn't have to be used in regions where consumers have a choice of insurance companies and competition has kept prices low.

However, liberals are wary of Snowe's plan, favoring a robust government-run plan.

Several lawmakers say Obama must convincingly show that he can reduce the cost of pending health care plans. Nonpartisan budget officials have said Obama's proposals could increase the federal deficit by about $1 trillion over the next decade.

In one measure of the intense opposition Obama and his allies faced this summer, opponents of the Democratic effort outspent supporters on television commercials in August for the first time this year, according to a company that monitors political advertising.

NJ Assembly Speaker Roberts Calls Off His Re-Election Bid

NJ Assembly Speaker Roberts Calls Off His Re-Election Bid
by KYW's David Madden

Longtime New Jersey assemblyman Joe Roberts (D-Camden County) announced on Wednesday afternoon that he’s stepping down at the end of his term this year.

"I think it’s, from my perspective, time to take a break."

Roberts (in file photo above) has been a state assemblyman for 22 years, rising through the ranks to become Assembly speaker in 2006. His most recent achievement was requiring insurance companies to cover autistic children.

Prior to taking his legislative seat in Trenton in 1987, he had served two terms on the Camden County Board of Freeholders.

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

Ballpark Janitor Arrested in Disappearance of Phillies' World Series Ring

Ballpark Janitor Arrested in Disappearance of Phillies' World Series Ring

by KYW's John Ostapkovich and Mike DeNardo

Charges were expected to be filed on Wednesday against a Citizens Bank Park janitor in the case of the missing world championship ring.

The ring -- belonging to an unnamed Phillies' marketing executive who took it off to wash his hands -- is now back on its proper finger, having been found in a utility closet at the ballpark.

The Phillies' employee told police he took the ring off Monday to wash his hands and inadvertently left it in the bathroom. He said he returned a half-hour later to find the ring gone.

Philadelphia police captain Laurence Nodiff of South Detectives (right) says investigators had worked up a short list of suspects:

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

Sports At Phila. Front Page News

Sports At Phila. Front Page News

Rafael Nadal of Spain, grimaces during his match against Richard Gasquet of France during the first round of the U.S. Open tennis tournament in New York, Wednesday, Sept. 2, 2009. Nadal won 6-2, 6-2, 6-3.

NEW YORK (AP) -- Venus Williams moved on, Rafael Nadal came back and Marat Safin said goodbye at the U.S. Open on Wednesday. Her left knee heavily wrapped, the third-seeded Williams defeated Bethanie Mattek-Sands 6-4, 6-2, in a less taxing match than she had two nights earlier when she fell behind a set before rallying against Vera Dushevina.

Nadal, whose knees kept him out of Wimbledon, returned to Grand Slam play with a 6-2, 6-2, 6-3 win over Richard Gasquet, while Safin, a former world No. 1, closed out his Grand Slam career, losing to Jurgen Melzer 1-6, 6-4, 6-3, 6-4.

Williams hurt her knee in the first set of the opener, and the heavy tape she wore for the second round confirmed the injury was more than just a tweak. But the two-time U.S. Open champ, who fielded no fewer than a dozen questions about her health in the postmatch interview, insisted she wouldn't use it as an excuse.

"I'm still playing well and I feel I'll continue to play better as the rounds go on," she said. "I'm trying not to make this injury a factor at all."

She said she had no plans to pull out of the doubles with her sister, Serena, where they are trying to add the U.S. Open to their Australian and Wimbledon titles this year.

"My mentality for doubles is, it's a major title and I love winning majors," Venus said. "It's not a decision I take lightly. I'm going to do my best to be able to prepare."

Nadal, the No. 3 seed, showed very little rust after missing most of the summer with tendinitis in his knees. He ripped through Gasquet - also on the comeback after a 2 1/2-month drug suspension - and answered any questions about his mobility by easily getting to a pair of drop shots en route to a decisive break in the eighth game of the third set.

"I don't have pain, so I don't think about it," Nadal said.

While Williams and Nadal keep playing, Safin's Grand Slam career is over.

It ends with two Grand Slam titles, a smaller number than many experts thought possible when he broke through by beating Pete Sampras in the 2000 U.S. Open final.

"That match was a miracle for me," Safin said. "It took some time for me to see how big this thing was. It was difficult because I was also 20 years old, I wasn't ready for this. It was difficult to understand it."

Now he's 29 and wants to move to the next chapter of his life, though he concedes he's not sure what, exactly, that will be. Watching his top-ranked sister, Dinara Safina, probably won't be a big part of it.

"I really love my sister, but I think she can manage without me," he said.

He leaves behind a lot of good memories. He was a fiery, emotional player in a sport that doesn't have many - a player who estimated he's broken more than 300 rackets in his career and also got fined for pulling his pants down once during a French Open match.

Will he miss tennis as much as tennis misses him?

"I need to get away from tennis for some time to realize what I'll miss," he said. "Right now, it's difficult to decide exactly what I'll miss."

Defending champions Serena Williams and Roger Federer were scheduled for night matches.

Also losing Wednesday was two-time major champion Amelie Mauresmo, who fell 6-4, 6-0 to Aleksandra Wozniak. Mauresmo recently turned 30 and is also thinking about retirement, though she won't commit to a decision.

"The thing I don't want to do is make the decision to stop and then after two, six, eight months think, it was not quite the time yet," Mauresmo said. "Because then it's too hard, I would say, probably to make a comeback as Kim is making now, given the age."

Kim Clijsters, who came back to the U.S. Open after a long break with an easy win Monday, played her second round Wednesday and defeated 14th-seeded Marion Bartoli 5-7, 6-1, 6-2.

Other seeded winners were men's No. 13 Gael Monfils and No. 24 Juan Carlos Ferrero, and women's No. 7 Vera Zvonareva, No. 8 Victoria Azarenka, No. 9 Francesca Schiavone, No. 18 Li Na and No. 31 Elena Vesnina. No. 10 Flavia Pennetta also won 6-0, 6-0 over Sania Mirza - the first double-bagel of this year's tournament.

Nobody in the top 10 had lost heading into the night session.

AP source: DJ AM autopsy finds pills in stomach

AP source: DJ AM autopsy finds pills in stomach

FILE - In this March 18, 2006 photo, celebrity disc jockey Adam Goldstein, also known as DJ AM, spins records at the Moody Blues clothing store opening in Scottsdale, Ariz. .

NEW YORK (AP) -- DJ AM had prescription pills in his stomach and one in his throat when police found him dead in his apartment, a New York City official said Wednesday.

The official told The Associated Press that six pills were found in the celebrity disc jockey's stomach and that the pill in his throat appeared to be the powerful painkiller OxyContin.

The official didn't know how strong a dose each pill contained and wasn't sure what kind of pills were in DJ AM's stomach.

The official was familiar with the preliminary autopsy report released last week but was not authorized to talk publicly about it and spoke on condition of anonymity.

The 36-year-old, whose real name was Adam Goldstein, was found Friday evening in his apartment in New York City's trendy SoHo neighborhood after a friend called 911. Paramedics had to break down the door before they found him, shirtless and wearing sweat pants, in his bed around 5:20 p.m. There was no evidence of foul play.

A crack pipe and prescription pill bottles were discovered there. Final autopsy and toxicology reports are pending.

Goldstein had openly discussed past addictions to crack cocaine, Ecstasy and other drugs. In October, MTV was to debut his reality show, "Gone Too Far," in which he and concerned families staged interventions for drug abusers. MTV hasn't said whether Goldstein's show will air.

In an interview with the AP last month, he said the show provided a "terrifying" reminder of his own addiction.

Goldstein was critically hurt in a plane crash last September in Columbia, S.C., that killed four people. He was flying in a Learjet after a performance with Travis Barker, a drummer for the pop-punk band Blink-182 and Goldstein's partner in the duo TRVSDJ-AM.

Barker and Goldstein were burned. Goldstein had to get skin graft surgery but resumed performing about a month later. Over the weekend, Blink-182 pulled out of a show in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., saying band members were grieving over the death of their friend.

Goldstein rose to fame several years ago as a DJ known for his mashups - blends of at least two songs. He performed in clubs, on concert stages and at exclusive Hollywood parties. His personal life also garnered attention, as he dated actress-singer Mandy Moore and reality TV star Nicole Richie.

Documents filed Wednesday in Los Angeles by Goldstein's mother, Andrea Gross, show the entertainer was trying to sell his Hollywood Hills home and his attorneys were in settlement discussions in a lawsuit filed over the plane crash.

Goldstein had sought $20 million in damages, but any award would have been decided by a jury if the case went to trial.

Goldstein was earning $400,000 a year, according to the records, which state that he died without a will and that Gross is his legal heir.

Israeli archaeologists find ancient fortification

Israeli archaeologists find ancient fortification

This image made available by Israel's Antiquities Authority Wednesday, Sept. 2, 2009 shows part of a a 3,700-year-old fortification wall discovered in Jerusalem. Archaeologists have discovered a 3,700-year-old wall in the City of David, part of the earliest fortification construction on such a large scale ever found in Jerusalem, the Israel Antiquities Authority said Wednesday. The 26-foot high wall is believed to have been part of a protected passage used by the Biblical Canaanites that led from a fortress on top of a hill to a spring. Ronny Reich, director of the excavation and a professor of archaeology at the University of Haifa, said the discovery marks the first time such "massive construction" before the time of King Herod was found in the oldest parts of the city.

JERUSALEM (AP) -- Archaeologists digging in Jerusalem have uncovered a 3,700-year-old wall that is the oldest example of massive fortifications ever found in the city, the Israel Antiquities Authority said Wednesday.

The 26-foot-high wall is believed to have been part of a protected passage built by ancient Canaanites from a hilltop fortress to a nearby spring that was the city's only water source and vulnerable to marauders.

The discovery marks the first time archaeologists have found such massive construction from before the time of Herod, the ruler behind numerous monumental projects in the city 2,000 years ago, and shows that Jerusalem of the Middle Bronze Age had a powerful population capable of complex building projects, said Ronny Reich, director of the excavation and an archaeology professor at the University of Haifa.

The wall dates to the 17th century B.C., when Jerusalem was a small, fortified enclave controlled by the Canaanites, one of the peoples the Bible says lived in the Holy Land before the Hebrew conquest. The kingdom thought to have been ruled from Jerusalem by the biblical King David is usually dated to at least seven centuries later.

A small section of the wall was first discovered in 1909, but diggers have now exposed a 79-foot portion, and Reich believes it stretches much further. Reich said budget constraints related to the global financial crisis put an end to the excavation, at least for now.

"The wall is enormous, and that it survived 3,700 years - this is, even for us, a long time," Reich said. It was remarkable that a fortification of this kind was not dismantled for later building projects, he said.

"When you just stand there and see it, it is amazing," he said.

The wall and other archaeological finds at the site will be opened to the public beginning Thursday, the Antiquities Authority said.

Archaeological research at the site known as the City of David, just outside the walls of Jerusalem's Old City, is caught up in the struggle for control over the city.

The archaeological site, one of the richest in a country full of ancient remains, is in the midst of a Palestinian neighborhood in east Jerusalem.

The City of David digs are funded by Elad, a Jewish settler organization that also buys Palestinian homes and brings Jewish families into the neighborhood. Palestinian and Israeli critics have charged that the archaeology is being used as a political tool to cement Jewish control over parts of Jerusalem that Palestinians want for the capital of a future state.

Israel captured the Arab section of Jerusalem in the 1967 Mideast war. Unlike other areas it captured, Israel quickly annexed east Jerusalem and declared the whole city as its capital. In some rounds of failed peace talks, Israel has indicated willingness to cede Arab sections to a Palestinian state, but no agreement was reached.

The current Israeli government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has taken such offers off the table, and no peace negotiations are in progress now.

Fire official: Big LA forest fire human caused

Fire official: Big LA forest fire human caused

Firefighters work to clear a fire break in the Angeles National Forest around Mt. Wilson, Calif., Wednesday, Sept. 2, 2009.

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Firefighters made more progress Wednesday against a giant wildfire that has ravaged a national forest north of Los Angeles as investigators searched for information about how the fire started.

Officials are still trying to figure out what set off the blaze in the Angeles National Forest that had burned nearly 219 square miles, or 140,150 acres, by early Wednesday. Deputy incident commander Carlton Joseph said Wednesday that the fire was human-caused, but it's not known specifically how it was started or whether it was accidental or arson.

Joseph said a human cause could include a range of things from a dropped cigarette to a spark from something like a lawn mower. Joseph says investigators have several leads and notes that lightning has been ruled out as a possible cause.

Firefighters have created a perimeter around 22 percent of the blaze, largely by removing brush with bulldozers and setting controlled burns. Bulldozers still have 95 miles of fire line to build, mostly on the blaze's eastern front near the San Gabriel Wilderness Area.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger visited the fire area Wednesday morning and served breakfast to firefighters, scooping Cream of Wheat into paper bowls and giving them plenty of protein so "they get all pumped up for the next fight out there with those fires."

"The crews are making excellent progress based on the improved weather conditions," U.S. Forest Service incident commander Mike Dietrich said at a Wednesday news conference.

Since erupting Aug. 26, the blaze has destroyed more than five dozen homes, killed two firefighters and forced thousands of people from their homes.

Officials also were keeping a close eye on the wind, which had been calm overnight but could pick up Wednesday afternoon and move flames closer to homes and a historic observatory on Mount Wilson.

In a hillside neighborhood of Glendale, Frank Virgallito stood in a group anxiously watching a controlled burn edge toward their neighborhood.

Virgallito said he and his neighbors had been on high alert since Friday but ignored a voluntary evacuation.

"You don't sleep well," Virgallito said. "I get up every hour and a half or two hours to get a good view of where the fire is. For four days we've been a little sleep-deprived. It's unnerving."

Virgallito said he saw deer, coyote and skunks scampering down his street away from the heat and ash of the smoldering wilderness.

Officials also worried about the threat to a historic observatory and TV, radio and other antennas on Mount Wilson northeast of Los Angeles. But on Tuesday, firefighters set backfires near the facilities before a giant World War II-era seaplane-turned-air tanker made a huge water drop on flames inching toward the peak from the north and west.

By nightfall, 150 firefighters and engines were stationed at the peak to defend the towers, said fire spokesman Paul Lowenthal.

The flames crossed the Angeles Crest Highway into the San Gabriel Wilderness to the east on Tuesday, Lowenthal said. Firefighters made progress on fire breaks to the north near Acton and southwest from Altadena to the Sunland neighborhood.

Firefighters and longtime residents know it could be so much worse. Autumn is the season for the ferocious Santa Ana winds to sweep in from the northeastern deserts, gaining speed through narrow mountain canyons, sapping moisture from vegetation and pushing flames farther out into the suburbs.

"If we had Santa Anas, we still have all this open land here on the western flank and islands of vegetation would throw embers into the air, which would blow down to the homes," Fire spokesman Henry Martinez said, his voice trailing off as he imagined the worst-case scenario. "Let's hope that doesn't happen."

The wildfire season usually doesn't gather steam until the winds hit in October, but the fire has been driven by dryness instead of wind. The region is in the midst of a three-year drought, and the tinder-dry forest is ripe for an explosive fire.

Fire officials said 12,000 homes were threatened, but as evacuations are lifted, that number will likely fall.

Smoke billowed thousands of feet up in the air, forming what firefighters call an "ice cap," which dissipated and was pushed east for at least 800 miles.

In Colorado, smoke from the Station Fire combined with soot from local fires to block mountain views from Denver.

"That really speaks to the columns of smoke and how much burning was going on," said Norv Larson, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Grand Junction, Colo.

"I've put haze in the forecast. I don't see it ending anytime soon," Larson said. "We've got our fires here, you've got your fires there."

Flames charred other parts of Southern California, including one that burned at least 1.5 square miles in the San Bernardino County community of Oak Glen and another that threatened 400 homes in Yucaipa and was at 70 percent containment.

"There's action everywhere," Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said Tuesday as a helicopter interrupted his comments at a news conference in San Bernardino County.

Lance Williams, 49, managed to save his aunt's home in Delta Flats, a remote community tucked in a canyon in the Angeles National Forest, but returned Tuesday to find his neighbors' homes in ashes.

"It looked like hell," Williams said. "The fire was creating its own winds. There was no way of predicting which way it would go."

He said he used a water pump to fight off the firestorm that raced down hillsides into the canyon. By the time he ran out of water, fire crews had arrived to defend the home that had been in his family since 1945.

Near the remains of house, the charred frames of animal cages swayed in a light wind. In one of the cages, the remains of three small dogs were found.

The massive fire also took a toll on firefighters who bunk down each night in tents at the huge fire command center. Glendale firefighter-paramedic Jack Hayes, 31, said he had not taken a day off for a week.

"You can't sleep," said Hayes, who had the beginnings of a beard and bloodshot eyes. "You're ready to go and there's always something you could be doing."

Two firefighters - Capt. Tedmund Hall, 47, of San Bernardino and firefighter Specialist Arnaldo "Arnie" Quinones, 35, of Palmdale - were killed Sunday when their vehicle plummeted off a mountain road. Quinones' wife is expecting a child soon, and Hall had a wife and two adult children.

Big speech: Obama wants control of health debate

Big speech: Obama wants control of health debate

President Barack Obama makes statements about the economy and H1N1 swine flu virus in the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington, Tuesday, Sept. 1, 2009.

WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Barack Obama will deliver a major prime-time health care address to Congress next week, opening an urgent autumn push to gain control of the debate that has been slipping from his grasp under withering Republican-led attacks.

Scheduling of the speech next Wednesday night, just a day after lawmakers return from their August recess, underscores the determination of the White House to confront critics of Obama's overhaul proposals and to buck up supporters who have been thrown on the defensive. Allies have been urging the president to be more specific about his plans and to take a greater role in the debate, and aides have signaled he will do that in the address to a joint session of Congress in the House chamber.

The speech's timing also suggests that top Democrats have all but given up hope for a bipartisan breakthrough by Senate Finance Committee negotiators. The White House had given those six lawmakers until Sept. 15 to draft a plan, but next week's speech comes well ahead of that deadline.

It follows an August recess in which critics of Obama's health proposals dominated many public forums. Approval ratings for Obama, and for his health care proposals, dropped during August.

Senior adviser David Axelrod had said Tuesday that Obama was considering being "more prescriptive" about what he feels Congress must include in a health bill. Axelrod said all the key ideas for revising health care are "on the table," suggesting that Obama will not offer major new proposals.

But he may talk more specifically about his top priorities, and perhaps add details to pending plans, to save a high-profile initiative whose defeat would deliver a huge blow to his young presidency.

The president hopes to "take the reins of this debate and take it to the finish line," said an administration official who spoke Wednesday on condition of anonymity to discuss White House strategy. Obama hopes to put opponents in the position of having to propose their own plans or explain why they think it best to do nothing, the official said.

Many advocates of sweeping health care changes - which would include health coverage for virtually every American, greater competition among insurers and incentives to increase the quality of care instead of the number of medical procedures performed - welcomed the president's more direct role. Obama and congressional Democrats clearly lost momentum during the August recess, they say, and the president's high profile and still-considerable personal popularity are needed to change the dynamic.

"He's got to get into the nitty-gritty and embrace very concrete proposals," said Ralph Neas, head of the National Coalition on Health Care.

Richard Kirsch, national campaign manager for the liberal advocacy group Health Care for America Now, said, "It's really clear they understand they have to provide more presidential leadership, more presidential direction."

Kirsch said Obama doesn't have to provide legislative language, but he must detail "the contours of the reform he needs."

It's far from clear that Obama's speech will satisfy grumbling liberals. For instance, he consistently has refused to insist on a government-run program to compete with private health insurers, a top goal of liberals, even though he says he prefers such an option.

Several lawmakers say Obama must convincingly show that he can reduce the cost of pending health care plans. Nonpartisan budget officials have said Obama's proposals could increase the federal deficit by about $1 trillion over the next decade.

Neas said billions of dollars can be saved by changing health payment practices to discourage unnecessary procedures. He also said insurance and pharmaceutical companies should be required to offer more savings to the nation's health care system because they will benefit from millions of new customers if greater coverage of Americans is mandated.

Such demands could be awkward for Obama. He has praised those industries for the cost reductions - worth tens of billions of dollars over the next decade - they already have pledged to make.

Before Obama's speech to Congress was announced, the Republicans' top negotiator on health care indicated Wednesday that bipartisan talks would continue despite White House suggestions that he and another GOP bargainer have not acted in good faith.

Jill Kozeny, a spokeswoman for Sen. Charles Grassley of Iowa, said the accusations were unjustified. She said Grassley and five other Senate Finance Committee members - half Republicans, half Democrats - will hold their scheduled conference call Friday to try again to reach common ground on a health care bill that could win broad support in the full Senate.

Axelrod on Tuesday suggested that Grassley and Sen. Mike Enzi, R-Wyo., have not acted in good faith because they sharply criticized Democratic plans during the August recess.

Kozeny said Wednesday: "Attacks by political operatives in the White House undermine bipartisan efforts and drive senators away from the table. Anyone who's working on an alternative plan - one that would actually drive down costs and not drive up the deficit - knows how difficult the issues are."

Enzi spokeswoman Elly Pickett said of her boss: "Repeating that you don't agree with plans put together solely by one side doesn't mean you aren't willing to work together on a different plan. He is. He has been doing that."

In one measure of the intense opposition Obama and his allies faced this summer, opponents of the Democratic effort outspent supporters on television commercials in August for the first time this year, according to a firm that monitors political advertising.

Foes of the Democratic drive spent $12.1 million last month, compared with $9.1 million for backers of the effort, according to Evan Tracey, president of the Campaign Media Analysis Group in Arlington, Va. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce and several conservative groups were the biggest advertisers against the health care overhaul, while the drug industry, labor and AARP spent the most on the effort's behalf.

Republicans and groups opposed to Democratic health care proposals have vowed to keep up the fight. A few hours before the president's speech on Wednesday, activists will present lawmakers with stacks of petitions opposing "government-run health care." The event is sponsored by the conservative National Center for Policy Analysis and Salem Radio Network

HoopGurlz at Phila. Front Page News

HoopGurlz at Phila. Front Page News

Justine Hartman worked hard this summer, and it's paying off as the former No. 12 moves into the No. 7 ranking on the HoopGurlz Super 60.

The rise of Justine Hartman from No. 12 to No. 7 in the 2011 women's basketball recruiting class might not seem meteoric, but to climb five spots among the nation's best players is a remarkable feat.

Justine Hartman jumped from the No. 12 ranking in the Terrific 25 to No. 7 in the Super 60.

For Hartman, a 6-foot-2 post, basketball was spurred not from what friends were doing but from watching from the sideline as her father played in recreation leagues.

But the darling of Brea Olinda High School, the California Division II state champion last season, didn't have the instant success that now seems innate in her game. Take her first game in the sixth grade.

"I remember my first game, I scored on the wrong basket," Hartman said.

But she has been on the rise since.

The summer between a prospect's sophomore and junior years often can be characterized as a coming-into-her-own season for the nation's elite girls' hoop stars. They have two years of high school competition under their belts and have been out on the summer exposure circuit for at least one summer. The tensions aren't as ripe as they are for the prospects in the class ahead, which is understandable because those players have just one last July to make their final impressions on college recruiters.

Whether it's the discovery of maturity, abundance of opportunity, lack of pressure or pieces of all of those and more, a great group of 2011 prospects emerged this summer, which prompted ESPN HoopGurlz to expand its Terrific 25 from the spring to the Super 60.

Led by Hartman, the rest of the prospects previously ranked in the Terrific 25 also find themselves in the Super 60. The one-two punch of Elizabeth Williams (Virginia Beach, Va.) and Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis (Anaheim, Calif.) remain atop the class. Rounding out the top five are Ariel Massengale (Bolingbrook, Ill.), up two spots from No. 5; Amber Henson (Tampa, Fla.), also up two spots; and Bria Smith (Massapequa, N.Y.), up five spots to No. 5.

Hartman was not the only player from Southern California's Orange County to come into her own this summer. Bonnie Samuelson, a 3-point specialist from Huntington Beach, has been on the radar for a while because of her shooting accuracy, but that alone was not enough for her to crack the initial top 25 in the class.

But this summer, the silent assassin added more to her bag of tricks than just sharpshooting from long range.

"I talked to her about being one-dimensional," said Cal Swish club team coach Russ Davis of his pre-summer talks with Samuelson. "You need to use your length. It doesn't do any good to shoot 99 percent from the free throw line if you aren't doing the things to get you there."

Message received.

Samuelson, while still holding down her perimeter shooting duties, expanded her game greatly by listening to Davis and using her length to get by defenders gunning to take her shooting away. It paid dividends almost immediately, as the Swish won three of the four tournaments in which they played in July, and Samuelson's confidence seemed to grow with each trophy.

Samuelson now is ranked No. 14 in the class, the highest ranking of any player not previously ranked in the top 25. In addition to her newfound confidence, she has more offensive weapons at her disposal and has improved noticeably at using her length when rebounding.

Justine Hartman and her Cal Storm team won the Summer Showcase in Chicago.

Whitney Knight, a 6-1 guard from Winston-Salem, N.C., also cracked the top 20 from outside the previous top 25. Like Samuelson, she was invited to the USA under-16 trials but didn't make the final roster. Knight used the summer circuit with her Boo Williams club team to show what she was made of.

Early on, there has been a strong emergence from California in the 2011 class, with 11 of the Super 60 calling that state their home.

Hartman, the top prospect from the Golden State, was becoming a star as she entered the high school ranks at Brea Olinda. During her freshman and sophomore seasons, she led coach Jeff Sink's team in scoring and was poised to explode as one of the nation's top post prospects. Fate had another plan.

While trying out for the California Storm club team in March 2008, she elevated for a rebound in traffic and came down on another player's foot. Hartman injured her right knee, and it was her first real step back since scoring on the wrong goal in her first game as a sixth-grader.

The injury was a partially torn anterior cruciate ligament; those words are perhaps the scariest in the sport. Hartman had no prior history of knee problems, and the relief when her doctors told her she did not need surgery was monumental.

"I was just excited to not have surgery, so I was willing to do with whatever," Hartman said.

"Whatever" became three therapy sessions a week for at least two hours with an emphasis on building strength around the torn ligament.

A determined Hartman was ready to do what it took to get healthy and back on the court; there were big things on the horizon, with an invitation to the USA Basketball under-16 trials and a chance to play for the Stars and Stripes team in the FIBA Americas tournament.

"My knee would hurt sometimes, and we'd have to take a step back. Of course I got frustrated," Hartman said of the hiccups in her recovery. "I did get frustrated; I [didn't] want to be hurt. But I still kept with my therapy."

Without spring club ball to measure herself, Hartman went into the USA Basketball trials hoping she was ready.

Her play at the trials earned her a spot on the under-16 national team, and in Mexico City, she was one of five American players who averaged double figures in the tournament. Hartman's performance in August was the result of her making a bigger commitment to the game after the trials.

"I went back home after the USA trials eating less, eating the right things and working out training," said Hartman, adding that she dropped some weight before the July NCAA-certified evaluation period.

Although quickness never has been a major part of Hartman's game, the more nimble post took pride in more than just the scoring she'd been asked to do as a freshman and sophomore. She now has focused on the little things, and they've started to lead to big ones.

Philadelphia Struggles to Conserve Cash as Budget Crisis Drags On

Philadelphia Struggles to Conserve Cash as Budget Crisis Drags On

by KYW's Mike Dunn

Philadelphia's budget director says the Nutter administration is forced to watch every penny and nickel -- with a high-stakes juggling of cash -- as the city and state budget crises drag on.

City Hall has a cash flow crunch at the moment, to the tune of about $500 million. That includes reimbursements from Harrisburg that are held up because there's no state budget, and a routine short-term borrowing delayed because the city budget is not settled.

This gives headaches to city budget director Rob DuBow:

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

Next Target for Phila. DA: Falsified 'Carry' Permits

Next Target for Phila. DA: Falsified 'Carry' Permits

(Phila. DA Lynne Abraham at press conference on Monday.)

by KYW's Steve Tawa

Philadelphia's Gun Violence Task Force has found another loophole it wants to close: people who falsify application forms in an attempt to obtain a license to carry a firearm.

The task force was originally set up in late 2006, when the murder count in Philadelphia spiked above 400. In large part, it was an attempt to go after "straw" purchasers -- people who buy guns for felons who cannot legally do so themselves.

Now, Philadelphia district attorney Lynne Abraham says the next step is to crack down on those who are lying on the application that would allow them to carry a firearm:

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

MLK High School Shows Off Its Urban Gardening Program

MLK High School Shows Off Its Urban Gardening Program

by KYWs John Ostapkovich

Urban organic gardening sure was tasty at a community luncheon on Monday at Philadelphia's Martin Luther King High School, which also doubles as a farm.

"We have jambalya, vegetarian...."

For full story go to:

http://www.kyw1060.com/

Temple University Prepares for Swine Flu as Students Return to Class

Temple University Prepares for Swine Flu as Students Return to Class

by KYW's Nancy Griffin

An ounce of prevention beats a pound of cure, according to officials at Temple University who are preparing for a possible H1N1 ("swine flu") outbreak.

Dr. Zahra Tavakoli (right) says the flu can easily spread from person to person, so officials at Temple University's student health service are taking every precaution:

"It's always important to take preventive measures, whether it's for swine flu or any cold symptoms, but particularly this year there's a lot of social concern around this.

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

Dodgers acquire Jim Thome and Jon Garland

Dodgers acquire Jim Thome and Jon Garland

FILE - In this May 12, 2009 file photo, Chicago White Sox's Jim Thome watches his two-run home run off Cleveland Indians starting pitcher Jeremy Sowers in the fifth inning of a baseball game in Cleveland. The Los Angeles Dodgers acquired Thome from the Chicago White Sox on Monday night, Aug. 31, 2009. Also joining the Dodgers' lineup is right-hander Jon Garland, who came over from the Arizona Diamondbacks. The deals were announced in the top of the eighth inning of the Dodgers-Diamondbacks game, with both trades completed before the midnight EDT deadline required for postseason eligibility.

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- It'll be old home week when Jim Thome joins Manny Ramirez on the Los Angeles Dodgers. Their reunion was set up when the Dodgers acquired the slugging first baseman from the Chicago White Sox on Monday night. Also joining the Dodgers' lineup is right-hander Jon Garland, who came over from the Arizona Diamondbacks.

The deals were announced in the top of the eighth inning of the Dodgers-Diamondbacks game, with both trades completed before the midnight EDT deadline required for postseason eligibility.

Ramirez was all smiles about the deal for Thome after the Dodgers lost 5-3 to Arizona in 10 innings. The two men played together in Cleveland for eight seasons from 1993-2000, including the 1997 World Series. They have a combined 1,106 homers. The Dodgers entered Monday ranked 12th in the NL with 114 homers.

"He's one of the best guys I ever played with in my entire career," Ramirez said. "He's a great guy in the clubhouse. I'm happy to see him. He's one of the best hitters, too. I'm just glad he's on my team."

The 39-year-old Thome is hitting .252 with 23 home runs and 74 RBI in 106 games this season. He has 564 career home runs.

The five-time All-Star is owed $2,415,301 from his $13 million salary, and is eligible to become a free agent after the World Series.

The White Sox get minor league infielder Justin Fuller and will send cash to the Dodgers. It was not immediately known how much Chicago was sending to the Dodgers. The Diamondbacks will receive a player to be named for Garland.

Center fielder Matt Kemp said he found out about the deals when the young sons of CNN's Larry King shouted the news into the Dodgers' dugout.

"They give us a big boost," he said. "We'll take anything they can help us to win games. It lets us know they want to win and they're doing whatever it takes. I'm excited to have them."

Thome, who has not played first base since playing one game in 2007, goes from a third-place team trailing Detroit and Minnesota in the AL Central Division to the first-place Dodgers, who lead Colorado by 5 1/2 games in the NL West.

Dodgers general manager Ned Colletti envisions Thome playing a role similar to the one Matt Stairs filled for the World Series champion Phillies last year - he hit a key home run against the Dodgers in the NLCS. James Loney is the Dodgers' regular first baseman.

"We're not bringing him over here to play first base," Colletti said. "We're bringing him here to come off the bench and be a great influence in the clubhouse. He's one of the true great guys in the game.

"In fact, the night before the deadline he called me. ... He just said: `I just want to be honest with you. I'd love to come. I want to help you guys any way I can. But playing first base is not something I'm going to be able to do - maybe in an emergency situation, perhaps.'"

Garland is 8-11 with a 4.29 ERA. He gave up five hits and a walk over seven sharp innings in a 9-0 victory over the Houston Astros on Saturday.

When reached by The Associated Press, White Sox general manager Kenny Williams refused to comment.

Dodgers manager Joe Torre said he planned to talk to Garland about starting on Thursday in place of knuckleballer Charlie Haeger.

"Jon Garland is going to get the ball every five days and if we have six starters, so be it," Torre said. "It has made us stronger. We have some threat off the bench now, and with Garland, we have someone who knows how to pitch."

Garland made one start in the 2005 World Series for the White Sox en route to the championship. He pitched a complete game to earn the win in his one start in the ALCS.

"He's somebody we had interest in this past winter and who we've watched for a while and have seen in our division. He's pitched in the postseason, he's been on a team that's won the World Series," Colletti said. "When you get to the month of August and you start looking for additional help and can add a veteran starter who can give you innings and is a winning-type player, you go for it."

Garland is due $1,161,202 from his $6.25 million salary. His contract includes a $10 million mutual option. He gets a $2.5 million buyout if the team declines and $1 million if he declines. Because he was traded, the Dodgers cannot offer him salary arbitration if he is a Type A free agent.

Garland knew something was up when he began receiving text messages during the game. He went into the visitors' clubhouse, showered, packed up and then made what he called a "definitely weird" walk to the Dodgers' side.

"I didn't want it so late," he said, explaining his initial resistance to the trade. "This late in the season coming to a team that's been going strong, they might feel they don't need anybody. They've done all the work. I don't want to feel like I'm sliding in easy. Hopefully they accept me well."

Same-sex marriages begin in Vermont

Same-sex marriages begin in Vermont

Bill Slimback, left, and Bob Sullivan, both of Whitehall, N.Y., exchange rings during their wedding ceremony at Moose Meadow Lodge in Waterbury, Vt., while Justice of the Peace Greg Trulson, center, who is a co-owner of the lodge, officiates on Tuesday, Sept. 1, 2009.

DUXBURY, Vt. (AP) -- After 17 years together, Bill Slimback and Bob Sullivan couldn't wait another minute to get married. So they didn't.

With Vermont's new law allowing same-sex marriage only a minute old, they tied the knot in a midnight ceremony at a rustic lodge, becoming one of the first couples to legally wed under a law that took effect at midnight Monday.

Dressed in suits, saying their vows under a large wall-mounted moose head, the two Whitehall, N.Y., men promised their love, exchanged rings and held hands during a modest 17-minute ceremony. Moose Meadow Lodge co-owner Greg Trulson, who's also a Justice of the Peace, presided.

"It feels wonderful," said Slimback, 38, an out-of-work Teamster who is taking Sullivan's last name as his own. "It's a day I've been long waiting for, and a day I truly honestly thought would never come."

Slimback said he and Sullivan, 41, have long wanted to cement their relationship with a wedding, but since they couldn't legally marry in New York they chose to wed even before Vermont's gay marriage era officially dawned.

Vermont is one of five states that now allow same-sex couples to marry. Massachusetts, Connecticut and Iowa are the others. New Hampshire's law takes effect Jan. 1, 2010.

Vermont, which invented civil unions in 2000 after a same-sex couple challenged the inequality of state marriage statutes, was a mecca for gay couples who to that point had no way to officially recognize their relationships.

Since then, other states have allowed gay marriage, as did Vermont, which in April became the first state to legalize gay marriage through a legislative decree and not a court case.

Some couples - including many who obtained civil unions in Vermont - plan to return to the state to get married. But most are in no rush. City and town officials say only a handful of licenses had been issued to same-sex couples in anticipation of Tuesday's start.

"We've waited a long time to do this - basically, our whole lives," Slimback said Monday. "We've been waiting for a chance to actually solidify it," he said. He and Sullivan said they never wanted to obtain a civil union because they believe that's a kind of second-class recognition.

(This version CORRECTS SUBS 6th graf to correct that NH's law takes effect Jan. 1.)

July pending home sales rise to 2-year high

July pending home sales rise to 2-year high

FILE - In this July 24, 2009 file photo, a pending home sale in Palo Alto, Calif., is shown. The National Association of Realtors said Tuesday, Sept. 1, 2009, pending U.S. home sales rose more than expected in July to the highest level in more than two years as first-time buyers rushed to take advantage of a tax credit that expires this fall.

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Pending U.S. home sales rose more than expected in July to the highest level in more than two years as first-time buyers rushed to take advantage of a tax credit that expires this fall.

The National Association of Realtors said Tuesday its seasonally adjusted index of sales contracts signed in July for previously occupied homes rose 3.2 percent to 97.6. It was the sixth straight increase and 12 percent above the same month last year.

Economists surveyed by Thomson Reuters expected the index would edge up to 96.5.

Typically there is a one- to two-month lag between a contract and a done deal, so the index is a barometer of how sales completed this month and next will turn out. However, delays in getting mortgages approved and appraisals completed have lengthened the time it takes to close a deal in many cases.

The U.S. housing market is rebounding more rapidly than expected from its historic bust, as low prices and the looming expiration on Nov. 30 of a first-time homebuyers tax credit of up to $8,000 have spurred sales. Home prices in most of the country have started to rise from the depths of the housing slump.

But analysts predict sales will drop off when the tax credit expires, or if mortgage rates rise from near-record lows. Foreclosures also continue to rise, and banks are forced to sell those properties at deep discounts, pushing prices down.

The Realtors group projects that around 2 million first-time buyers will take advantage of the credit this year, and says it is spurring 350,000 additional sales that wouldn't have happened otherwise.

Nationally, home prices in the second quarter posted their first quarterly increase in three years, according to the Standard & Poor's/Case-Shiller national index released last week.

While home prices are still 30 percent below the mid-2006 peak, their new direction should bring relief to both lenders and homeowners. Falling property values have wiped out $4 trillion in homeowner equity, and thousands have walked away from homes that are worth far less than their mortgage balance.

Fire near Los Angeles grows in size

Fire near Los Angeles grows in size

Smoke from the Station Fire rises over downtown Los Angeles Monday, Aug. 31, 2009.

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- A relentless Southern California wildfire raged Tuesday with 53 homes up in smoke, thousands more threatened and new rounds of evacuations as towering flames crackled close to foothill neighborhoods in the path of the blaze.

Flames plowed through half-century-old thickets of tinder-dry brush, bush and trees just 15 miles north of downtown Los Angeles. Firefighters awaited daybreak to learn the new extent of the 6-day-old fire, which is now expected to burn for weeks.

The size of fire in the Angeles National Forest grew to more than 190 square miles overnight, U.S. Forest Service Cmdr. Mike Dietrich said.

It was spreading in all directions early Tuesday, from Sunland on the western front of the fire to the high desert ranchlands of Acton on the northeast.

"Pretty much everywhere, right now, is the hot spot," forest spokesman Shane Rollman said.

Firefighters planned to set backfires to protect the Sunland area and will try to halt its northeastern spread with bulldozers to carve eight miles of firebreak in the Acton area, Rollman said.

Firefighters were keeping a close eye on the weather. Hurricane Jimena roared toward Baja California, but was not forecast to have much of a factor in firefighting efforts because it is expected to dissipate by the time it hits Southern California.

Meteorologist Curt Kaplan says there is a 20 percent chance of a thunderstorm in the fire area Tuesday, but that could end up being a bad thing because the storm could spawn 40-mph wind gusts. The one factor that's helped firefighters this week has been the lack of wind to drive the flames. Kaplan says temperatures will begin slowly cooling later in the week.

The blaze threatened some 12,000 homes but had already done its worst to the suburban Tujunga Canyon neighborhood, where residents returned to their wrecked homes.

Bert Voorhees and his son on Monday fetched several cases of wine from the brackish water of their backyard swimming pool, about all he salvaged from his home.

"You're going to be living in a lunar landscape for at least a couple of years, and these trees might not come back," the 53-year-old Voorhees said. "Are enough of our neighbors going to rebuild?"

About 2,000 people were chased from their homes in triple-digit heat as fire bosses said it could take weeks to contain the fire. Fire spokesman Paul Lowenthal said Tuesday that the blaze is expected to be fully surrounded Sept. 15. Only 5 percent of the fire, the largest of several California wildfires, was contained so far.

Some people wouldn't leave. Authorities said five men and one woman refused several orders to evacuate a remote ranch in a canyon near Gold Creek. The Los Angeles County sheriff's office had initially said the people were trapped and could not be rescued.

"When we tried to get them out, they said they're fine, no problem, they didn't want to leave," said fire spokesman Larry Marinas.

Crews fighting the blaze also were contending with favorable fire conditions such as high temperatures topping 100 degrees and low humidity. Temperatures near the fire were expected to hit 102 degrees Tuesday, the National Weather Service said.

The swath of fire extends from the densely populated foothill communities of Altadena, La Canada Flintridge, La Crescenta, Tujunga and Sunland in the south to Acton.

Beth Halaas knew her creekside home in Big Tujunga Canyon was gone when she saw her favorite Norwegian dishware on television news. But she was desperate to see for herself and cajoled fire officials to escort her through barricaded roads.

"It's just stuff," she murmured, as her 5-year-old son Robert kicked at a deflated soccer ball in his sandbox. She raked ceramic cups from the ashes.

Two firefighters - Capt. Tedmund Hall, 47, of San Bernardino and firefighter Specialist Arnaldo "Arnie" Quinones, 35, of Palmdale - were killed when their vehicle plummeted off a mountain road on Sunday. Quinones' wife is expecting a child any week, and Hall has a wife and two adult children.

The 53 homes destroyed included some forest cabins, said U.S. Forest Service spokesman Dennis Cross. He did not know how many were full-time residences.

Fire crews set backfires and sprayed fire retardant at Mount Wilson, home to at least 20 television transmission towers, radio and cell phone antennas, and the century-old Mount Wilson Observatory. It also houses two giant telescopes and several multimillion-dollar university programs in its role as both a landmark for its historic discoveries and a thriving modern center for astronomy.

If the flames hit the mountain, some cell phone service and TV and radio transmissions would be disrupted.

T.J. Lynch and his wife, Maggie, were among residents who evacuated late Monday after the eerie orange glow on the horizon turned into flames cresting the hill near their Tujunga home.

"It's pretty surreal, pretty humbling, how your life is represented in these objects that you collect and then you have to whittle them down," he said, describing the difficulty of choosing what to bring with them.

He said his wife would miss the 1965 Mustang that she has owned since she was a teenager. He would miss the antiques that decorate their home.

"It's a beautiful place - is? Was? I don't know anymore," he said of their home.

The blaze in the Los Angeles foothills was the biggest but not most destructive of California's wildfires. Northeast of Sacramento, a wind-driven fire destroyed 60 structures over the weekend, many of them homes in the town of Auburn.

The 340-acre blaze wiped out an entire cul-de-sac, leaving only smoldering ruins, a handful of chimneys and burned cars.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on Monday toured the Auburn area, where only charred remnants of some homes remained. At some houses, the only things left on the foundation are metal cabinets and washers and dryers.

East of Los Angeles, a 1,000-acre fire damaged one home, threatened 2,000 others and forced the evacuation of a scenic community of apple orchards in an oak-studded area of San Bernardino County. Brush in the area had not burned for a century, fire officials said. Flames burning like huge candles erupted between rocky slopes of the San Bernardino Mountains and the neat farmhouses below. A few miles away, a 300-acre wildfire that erupted on the edge of Yucaipa forced the evacuation of 200 homes.