Support Building for Center City-to-Riverfront Light Rail

by KYW's Mike Dunn

US senator Arlen Specter (D-Pa.) and Mayor Nutter have lent their support to a plan to build a half-billion-dollar light rail mass transit system in Philadelphia, connecting center city to the Delaware River waterfront.

At a meeting attended on Monday by Specter, Nutter, and congresswoman Allyson Schwartz (D-13th Dist.) among others, the Delaware River Port Authority presented a feasibility study on an above-ground light rail system that would make it easier to get around I-95 to the waterfront… and up and down Delaware Avenue.

See the Entire DRPA Plan (.pdf format)

John Matheussen (in file photo at right) is head of the DRPA:

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

Buddhist Monk Begins Sand Painting for Peace in Philadelphia

by KYW's Karin Phillips

A local Buddhist monk will spend the next four weeks constructing a sand painting to help bring peace to his adopted city of Philadelphia.

Members of the Tibetan Buddhist Center of Philadelphia joined with Venerable Losang Samten on Monday in prayers and chants around a roped-off platform in the lobby of the Gershman Y, at Broad and Pine Streets in center city.

Over the next four weeks, he says, he will construct a colorful and intricate mandala -- a flat sand sculpture -- for the benefit of Philadelphia:

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Phila. School Students Begin Receiving Swine Flu Vaccine

by KYW's Steve Tawa

The School District of Philadelphia on Monday began its free H1N1 ("swine") flu vaccination program. And it's a big project.

There are 160,000 young people in the district, although about 20 percent of them are not eligible for the inoculation because of pre-existing medical conditions.

All told, about 27,000 students submitted written consent from their parents to receive the free Flu Mist nasal spray, according to the school district's Tomas Hanna:

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

Senate health care bill to include public option

Senate health care bill to include public option

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nev. gestures while speaking on health care reform during a news conference, Monday, Oct. 26, 2009, on Capitol Hill in Washington.

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Health care legislation heading for the Senate floor will give millions of Americans the option of purchasing government-run insurance coverage, Majority Leader Harry Reid announced Monday, although he stopped short of claiming the 60 votes needed to pass a plan steeped in controversy. Reid, D-Nev., said individual states would have the choice of opting out of the program.

His announcement was cheered by liberal lawmakers, greeted less effusively by the White House and noted with a noncommittal response by Democratic moderates whose votes will be pivotal.

Sen. Olympia Snowe of Maine, the only Republican to vote with Democrats on health care so far this year, issued a statement saying she was "deeply disappointed" in the approach the Democratic leader had chosen.

Reid said, "While the public option is not a silver bullet, I believe it's an important way to ensure competition and to level the playing field for patients with the insurance industry." He said a long-delayed Senate debate on President Barack Obama's call for an overhaul of the health care system would begin as soon as the Congressional Budget Office completes a mandatory assessment of the bill's cost and impact on coverage.

Changes on the public option - and numerous other provisions in the measure - are possible during a debate expected to last for weeks.

And officials said Reid had prepared several variations of key provisions so he could make adjustments in his bill at the last minute and still make sure he was within Obama's target of a $900 billion price tag over a decade.

Both the House and Senate are struggling to complete work by year's end on legislation extending coverage to millions who lack it, to ban insurance industry practices such as denying coverage because of pre-existing medical conditions and to slow the rise in medical costs nationally.

As in the Senate, attempts to complete drafting a measure in the House have been delayed by internal Democratic divisions on the details of a government-run option. Differences in bills passed by the House and Senate would have to be reconciled before any legislation reached Obama's desk.

In an appearance at a Florida senior center during the day, Speaker Nancy Pelosi suggested a new name for the same approach to ease the opposition. She suggested "the consumer option." Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Fla., appearing at Pelosi's side, used the term "competitive option."

Critics say that by any name, the approach amounts to a government takeover of the insurance industry.

In deference to moderates, Reid also said he was including a provision for nonprofit co-ops to sell insurance in competition with private companies.

Senate Democratic officials say the bill Reid envisions would require most individuals to purchase insurance, with exemptions for those unable to find affordable coverage. Large businesses would not be required to provide insurance to their workers, but would face penalties of as much as $750 per employee if any qualified for federal subsidies to afford coverage on their own.

The bill will also include a tax on high-cost insurance policies, despite opposition from organized labor, officials said. In a gesture to critics of the plan, Reid decided to apply the new tax to family plans with total premiums of $23,000 a year. The Senate Finance Committee approved a tax beginning at $21,000 in total premiums.

Nominally, the majority leader has spent the past two weeks melding bills passed earlier by the Senate's Finance Committee and Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee. But in reality, he has had a virtual free hand to craft a new measure in consultations with senior members of the two panels and top White House aides.

"I feel good about the consensus that was reached within our caucus and with the White House," he said at his news conference. And we're all optimistic about reform because of the unprecedented momentum that now exists."

Within minutes, the White House released a statement saying Obama was "pleased that the Senate has decided to include a public option for health coverage, in this case with an allowance for states to opt out."

Obama has long voiced support for such a plan but has also signaled it is not a requirement for a health care bill he would sign. He has also said he would like bipartisan support for the legislation - and Snowe appears to be his last, best hope for that.

She favors a standby provision for government coverage if there is not enough competition in the private marketplace. Reid said that was not in his bill. "We hope that Olympia will come back. ... She's a very good legislator. I'm disappointed that the one issue, the public option, has been something that's frightened her."

Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., who has long backed a government-run insurance option, said the approach "has a new life because as Americans have learned more about it, they have come to see it is the best way to reduce costs and increase competition in the health insurance industry."

Ben Nelson of Nebraska, the most conservative Democrat in the Senate, "is not committing how we will vote regarding any proposal Senator Reid is advancing," said spokesman Jake Thompson.

Sen. Blanche Lincoln, D-Ark., a moderate seeking a new term in 2010, said through a spokesman she intends to study the details and decide how to vote based on the impact on her home state.

With the support of two independents, Democrats command 60 seats in the Senate, precisely the number needed to overcome any Republican filibuster.

Asked about the prospects for success, Reid answered, "We have 60 people in the caucus. ... We all hug together and see where we come out."

While the controversy over government-run insurance is the most intense, there are numerous other issues to be settled before legislation can win passage.

Obama has set a $900 billion, 10-year price tag for the legislation, and the program would be funded through cuts in future payments to Medicare providers and through higher taxes - an income surcharge on million-dollar earners in the House version and a new levy on high-cost insurance policies in the Senate.

Pelosi has said the House bill will strip the insurance industry of its exemption from antitrust laws, a provision that the Congressional Budget Office said during the day would have only a small impact on the cost of insurance to consumers.

The insurance industry was sharply critical of Reid's announcement.

"A new government-run plan would underpay doctors and hospitals rather than driving real reforms that bring down costs and improve quality. The American people want health care reform that will reduce costs, and this plan doesn't do that," said Karen Ignagni, head of America's Health Insurance Plans.

Thousands Walk to Cure Diabetes in Phila.

Thousands Walk to Cure Diabetes in Phila.

by KYW’s Al Novack

The Juvenile Diabetes Research foundation held its annual walk to cure diabetes on Sunday in honor of national diabetes month.

The Philadelphia Diabetes Walk for the Cure had a familiar course and begins at 10am at the art museum and went through Fairmount Park ending at about noon.

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

Transport Workers Union 234 Authorizes Strike Action Against SEPTA

by KYW’s Jim Melwert

The union representing Septa bus drivers, subway and trolley operators has voted to allow leadership to call for a strike.

Transport Workers Union 234 president Willie Brown says union members have given him the authority to call for a strike:

"We have been without a contract since March, and enough is enough. We have to have a deadline, we'll negotiate the rest of the week as long as we can, but this is our last week working without a contract."

Septa spokesman Richard Maloney says they've been willing to negotiate since last winter:

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

Bombings target government in Baghdad, 147 killed

Bombings target government in Baghdad, 147 killed

Iraqis gather at the site of a massive bomb attack at the Ministry of Justice in Baghdad, Iraq, Sunday, Oct. 25, 2009 after a pair of powerful explosions rocked downtown Baghdad. The blasts went off in front of the headquarters of the Baghdad provincial administration and near the Ministry of Justice building during the morning rush hour as people headed to work.

BAGHDAD (AP) -- A pair of suicide car bombings Sunday devastated the heart of Iraq's capital, killing at least 147 people in the country's deadliest attack in more than two years. The bombs targeted two government buildings and called into question Iraq's ability to protect its people as U.S. forces withdraw.

The bombings show that insurgents still have the ability to launch horrific attacks even as violence has dropped dramatically in Iraq. Many fear such attacks will only increase as Iraq prepares for crucial January elections.

The dead included 35 employees at the Ministry of Justice and at least 25 staff members of the Baghdad Provincial Council, said police and medical officials speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media. At least 721 people were wounded, including three American contractors.

The street where the blasts occurred had just been reopened to vehicle traffic six months ago. Shortly after, blast walls were repositioned to allow traffic closer to the government buildings. Such changes were touted by Iraq's Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki as a sign that safety was returning to the city.

The Iraqi leader walked among the mangled and blackened cars, which lay in front of blast walls that had been decorated with peaceful street scenes of Iraq. At the Justice Ministry, windows and walls on both sides of the street were blown away, and blood pooled with water from burst pipes.

Al-Maliki has staked his political reputation and re-election bid on his ability to bring peace to the country and pledged to punish those responsible, who he said wanted to "spread chaos in the country, undermine the political process and prevent the holding of parliamentary elections." But the Sunday attacks seemed designed to paint the Iraqi leader as incapable of providing security to the beleaguered city, undermining much of his political support.

The attacks occurred just hours before Iraq's top leadership was scheduled to meet with heads of political parties in order to reach a compromise on election guidelines needed to hold the January vote.

President Barack Obama, who earlier this week reaffirmed the U.S.'s commitment to withdrawing its troops from the country, called al-Maliki to offer his condolences.

"These bombings serve no purpose other than the murder of innocent men, women and children, and they only reveal the hateful and destructive agenda of those who would deny the Iraqi people the future that they deserve," Obama said.

The fact that the vehicles were able to get into an area home to numerous government institutions - just hundreds of yards from the heavily fortified Green Zone where the U.S. Embassy and the prime minister's office are located - sparked demands that those in charge of the city's security be held accountable.

"Those responsible for security and intelligence should be checked and interrogated," said Sunni Iraqi lawmaker Wathab Shakir. "Why should innocent people be killed?"

The initial investigation suggested the vehicles, each loaded down with more than 1,500 pounds of explosives, might have passed through some security checkpoints before hitting their destination, said Maj. Gen. Qassim al-Mousawi, a spokesman for the city's operations command center.

There have been no claims of responsibility so far, but massive car bombs have been the hallmark of the Sunni insurgents seeking to overthrow the country's Shiite-dominated government. Iraq has accused members of the outlawed Baath Party living in neighboring Syria of being behind another series of deadly bombings in August that also targeted government buildings. Al-Maliki blamed the attacks on Baathist and Al-Qaida.

Black smoke billowed from the frantic scene, as emergency service vehicles sped to the area. Many of the wounded were loaded into the back of trucks and into civilian cars because there were too many for ambulances to carry.

"The walls collapsed and we had to run out," said Yasmeen Afdhal, 24, an employee of the Baghdad provincial administration, which runs the city. "There are many wounded, and I saw them being taken away. They were pulling victims out of the rubble, and rushing them to ambulances."

The provincial council is the city government, which oversees a broad range of city services such as garbage collection, electricity, distribution of fuel for generators and school maintenance.

U.S. troops were also called in at the request of the Iraqi government to help secure the area, deal with any explosive material and offer forensics personnel to assist in the investigation, said a military spokesman, Maj. Dave Shoupe.

The coordinated bombings were the deadliest since a series of massive truck bombs in northern Iraq killed nearly 500 villagers from the minority Yazidi sect in August 2007. In Baghdad itself, it was the worst attack since a series of suicide bombings against Shiite neighborhoods in April 2007 killed 183.

Three American security contractors working for the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad were injured in the blasts, said Philip Frayne, an embassy spokesman. Frayne could not immediately provide details about who the contractors were escorting, which company they worked for or the nature of their injuries.

The explosions were just a few hundred yards from Iraq's Foreign Ministry, which is still rebuilding after massive bombings there in August. The bombings were a devastating blow for a country that has seen a dramatic drop in violence since the height of the sectarian fighting in 2006 and 2007.

On the streets of Baghdad, many Iraqis were angry at what they described as a lapse in security and wary about what will happen when U.S. forces leave.

"Everyday, we hear statements from different government officials that our forces are ready to control the situation on the ground when the U.S. forces withdraw," Zahid Hussain Najim said. "But day after day it has been found that these officials are either liars or have no idea about what's going on outside their offices."

Phila.'s Famous Spectrum Holds an Open House

by KYW's Matt Leon

It’s a special day in South Philadelphia as the doors of the Spectrum were thrown open to give fans a chance to say goodbye to "America's Showplace" with "One Last Stroll" through the historic Arena.

With the Spectrum slated to be razed to make room for Philly Live!; a retail and entertainment district, this was a chance for folks to soak in the history and relish some of their favorite memories:

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

UN nuclear inspectors head to Iran to visit site

UN nuclear inspectors head to Iran to visit site

U.N inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) check in at Vienna's International Airport on their way to Iran, Vienna, Austria, Saturday Oct. 24, 2009. A team of U.N. inspectors is heading to Iran to visit a recently revealed nuclear site. The International Atomic Energy Agency experts are slated to examine an unfinished uranium enrichment facility near the holy city of Qom to verify it is for peaceful purposes. Disclosure of its existence last month raised international suspicion over the extent and aim of the country's nuclear program.

VIENNA (AP) -- A team of U.N. inspectors went to Iran on Saturday to visit a recently revealed nuclear site, amid new efforts to curb Iran's nuclear program.

The International Atomic Energy Agency experts are slated to examine an unfinished uranium enrichment facility near the holy city of Qom to verify it is for peaceful purposes. Disclosure of its existence last month raised international suspicion over the extent and aim of the country's nuclear program.

Iran insists its nuclear program serves to generate power and denies allegations it is trying to make nuclear weapons. Tehran asked for more time Friday to consider a U.N.-backed plan to ship much of its uranium to Russia for enrichment.

The U.S., Russia and France endorsed the deal Friday, but Iran's representative to the IAEA, Ali Asghar Soltanieh, said Tehran wants until next week to respond

President Barack Obama called French President Nicolas Sarkozy on Saturday to discuss Iran. "The two chiefs of state stated their perfect convergence of views on the Iranian nuclear issue," according to a statement from Sarkozy's office. It would not comment further on what they discussed or the timing for an eventual new international meeting on Iran.

The White House said Obama thanked Sarkozy for France's close cooperation on the issue and that they agreed to continue consultations in the weeks ahead. Obama also spoke with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, stressing the need for unity between Washington and Moscow on Iran, according to the White House.

Obama declares swine flu a national emergency

Obama declares swine flu a national emergency

Registered nurse Bethlehem Tekolla administers the swine flu vaccine to Katie Alms, 3, as her mother Kim Alms of McLean Va., watches during a vaccine clinic at the Fairfax County Government Center in Fairfax, Va., on Saturday, Oct. 24, 2009.

WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Barack Obama declared the swine flu outbreak a national emergency, giving his health chief the power to let hospitals move emergency rooms offsite to speed treatment and protect noninfected patients.

The declaration, signed Friday night and announced Saturday, comes with the disease more prevalent than ever in the country and production delays undercutting the government's initial, optimistic estimates that as many as 120 million doses of the vaccine could be available by mid-October.

Health authorities say more than 1,000 people in the United States, including almost 100 children, have died from the strain of flu known as H1N1, and 46 states have widespread flu activity. So far only 11 million doses have gone out to health departments, doctor's offices and other providers, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention officials.

Administration officials said the declaration was a pre-emptive move designed to make decisions easier when they need to be made. Officials said the move was not in response to any single development.

Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius now has authority to bypass federal rules when opening alternative care sites, such as offsite hospital centers at schools or community centers if hospitals seek permission.

Some hospitals have opened drive-thrus and drive-up tent clinics to screen and treat swine flu patients. The idea is to keep infectious people out of regular emergency rooms and away from other sick patients.

Hospitals could modify patient rules - for example, requiring them to give less information during a hectic time - to quicken access to treatment, with government approval, under the declaration.

It also addresses a financial question for hospitals - reimbursement for treating people at sites not typically approved. For instance, federal rules do not allow hospitals to put up treatment tents more than 250 yards away from the doors; if the tents are 300 yards or more away, typically federal dollars won't go to pay for treatment.

Administration officials said those rules might not make sense while fighting the swine flu, especially if the best piece of pavement is in the middle of a parking lot and some medical centers already are putting in place parts of their emergency plans.

The national emergency declaration was the second of two steps needed to give Sebelius extraordinary powers during a crisis.

On April 26, the administration declared swine flu a public health emergency, allowing the shipment of roughly 12 million doses of flu-fighting medications from a federal stockpile to states in case they eventually needed them. At the time, there were 20 confirmed cases in the U.S. of people recovering easily. There was no vaccine against swine flu, but the CDC had taken the initial step necessary for producing one.

"As a nation, we have prepared at all levels of government, and as individuals and communities, taking unprecedented steps to counter the emerging pandemic," Obama wrote in Saturday's declaration.

He said the pandemic keeps evolving, the rates of illness are rising rapidly in many areas and there's a potential "to overburden health care resources."

The government now hopes to have about 50 million doses of swine flu vaccine out by mid-November and 150 million in December. The flu virus has to be grown in chicken eggs, and the yield hasn't been as high as was initially hoped, officials have said.

"Many millions" of Americans have had swine flu so far, according to an estimate that CDC Director Dr. Thomas Frieden gave Friday. The government doesn't test everyone to confirm swine flu so it doesn't have an exact count. He also said there have been more than 20,000 hospitalizations.

Woodson Foundation Make A Difference Day 2009; Class News: Monster Drawing by Van Stone vspfoundation@yahoo.com (610) 931-9910

Woodson Foundation Make A Difference Day 2009; Class News: Monster Drawing
by Van Stone vspfoundation@yahoo.com (610) 931-9910



Above Fay Dawson, Founder of the
Woodson Foundation, and Van Stone.
Dawson held her first vigil for the
remembrance of her son Vincent Woodson
on Tuesday, October 31, 2006 which
was featured in the local news

On Saturday, Oct. 24, 2009 Fay Dawson, President of the Woodson Foundation will take the lead in a plan to give local homeless veterans a light lunch, sandwiches, juices, cookies, and donuts at the Veron Park Green Street and Chelten Avenue honoring Make A Difference Day. Make A Difference Day is the national day of helping others and so the Woodson Foundation will be where the homeless are located. Feeding, talking, and prayer with them will be celebrated so that anyone may join.

The Woodson Foundation has promoted the importance of community home repair projects emphasizing being on the green helping family, neighbors, and friends including gardening with the Make A Difference Day project for quite some time.

Millions of Americans across the country are expected to spend time to do a mentoring program in which members of a sorority and fraternity provide one-on-one support to hundreds of underprivileged children.

Fay Dawson’s son, Vincent Michael Woodson. Fay’s son was shot and killed, in the 300 block of East Price Street. "Vincent was not involved in a melee that happened during the early morning hours of January 9, 2005 when a group of men came to a party and started a fight," says Fay. Vincent Woodson was only 23 years old. He was the dad of two children. The alleged perpetrator was caught tried and convicted. But as for Fay, this year and each year onward the longing to see many kids survive the street culture has been her passion and care. For more info contact Fay Dawson: (215) 200-8453. Email tasha.dawson@hotmail.com. And now it’s time for some classroom news:

Kids do better around Halloween when they are encouraged by parents and teachers to learn all about how to do funny drawings of monsters, superheroes, and folk tale legends. School can be so cool when artist who want to mentor kids are willing to explain to kids what drawing is all about using photos, digital cameras, pencils, pens, and India ink. A sheet of paper and a few shapes can help express that Halloween is not spelled Holloween. Also, you must use an upper case letter H instead of a lower case letter h when spelling the word Halloween.

Halloween is the evening of October 31, the eve of All Saints’ Day, celebrated by dressing up in costumes and playing monsters like good-werewolf, superheroes like Storm, and folk tale legends like John Henry. Halloween is from the phrase All hallows Even ‘All Saints’ Eve. Meaning all Saints are equal. Come to find out, the celebration is based on friendly competition between Christian holy day of All Saints and Pagan holy day of children going from house to house, asking for treats such as confectionery, or sometimes money. Personally, this is a good time to for good kids to ask for some money. But, don’t hold your breath if no one gives out money. Just open your bag and keep on getting up.

We are asking positive artist who have some skills in drawing and story reading to participate in our Fostergrandparents draw funny monsters afternoon get together at the University Square, located 39th and Market St., in West Philly on Oct. 23rd from 3:30pm to 5pm. Mentors and kids need to bring their own sheets of paper and pencils for the affair as seniors and youth draws how hallow is to make holy or sacred. Flag Football?

Derrick Ford and the Strawberry Mansion Flag Football League located at 33rd and Diamond Street have begun their youth flag football season on Saturday Oct. 9. Two morning games are played beginning at 10am and ending by 12noon. The first game ended in a victory and the second game ended in a tie. If you are a West Philly coach and can get your kids to a season game there is still time to sign up kids ages 8 to 13. Interested? Call Commissioner Ford at (215) 337-5065 or Referee Stone at (610) 931-8810.

Eagles linebacker Omar Gaither likely out for season

Philadelphia Eagles linebacker Omar Gaither

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Philadelphia Eagles linebacker Omar Gaither will have surgery on his left foot and is "most likely" to miss the rest of the season, head coach Andy Reid said on Thursday.

Gaither, 25, suffered the injury during Sunday's 13-9 loss to the Oakland Raiders and will be replaced as a starter by Will Witherspoon for Monday's game away to the Washington Redskins.

Linebacker Witherspoon was acquired by the Eagles from the St. Louis Rams on Tuesday.

"Will brings some experience to that position," Reid told the team's website (www.philadelphiaeagles.com). "We'll put him in there in the same position that Omar was in.

"(Witherspoon) just came from St. Louis so he's been running this defense."

The Eagles are 3-2 this season.

Walk to Support Domestic Violence Awareness is Saturday, Along Schuylkill River

by KYW's Karin Phillips

October is "Domestic Violence Awareness Month," with a walk against domestic violence being held on Saturday morning along Martin Luther King Drive in Fairmount Park.

The walk was organized by a local state senator who was once a victim.

Fourth District Pennsylvania state senator LeAnna Washington (right) says she had a black eye the day after she was married, and still suffers from injuries she received:

"It's called the Big Secret -- that's the name that I've given it."

She divorced her husband in 1972. Since then, she has advocated for more information, more help, and more legislative movement on the domestic violence front:

For full story go to:

http://www.kyw1060.com/

Burlington County, NJ Offers Swine Flu Shots to Pregnant Women

Burlington County, NJ Offers Swine Flu Shots to Pregnant Women

by KYW's David Madden

Several hundred pregnant women came to the Burlington County, NJ health department in Westhampton on Friday to get a free swine flu inoculation.

They were among the first in South Jersey to get the vaccine.

You didn’t have to live in the county to get the shot. Chelsea Du Brul of Allentown (Monmouth County), NJ (above left) is due to have a boy in about three months:

"Since it’s the height of flu season and pregnant women are being hospitalized, I figured it was pretty important."

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

Philadelphia High School Student Authors a NY Times Crossword Puzzle

by KYW's Steve Tawa

A 17-year-old senior at Masterman High School in Philadelphia is the author behind Thursday's New York Times crossword puzzle.

The Times crossword puzzle becomes more challenging through the week, and Thursday's was Joel Fagliano's first published puzzle:

"A lot of times the black squares are used to cut off words. I had an idea: what if a word would keep going through the black squares? So, the theme is 'A Shot in the Dark.' "

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

Montco Chiropractor Sentenced in Muder-for-Hire Plot Against Wife

(Alan Kushner, at time of his arrest.)

by KYW's Brad Segall

A Lower Merion, Pa. chiropractor will spend at least 7½ years in state prison for trying to hire a hitman to kill his wife.

Montgomery County judge Steven O’Neill called this case "a sad, chilling tale of domestic abuse." He says that Alan Kushner continues to be a threat to his wife and two children, and his only remorse is that he got caught.

Kushner, 59, was sentenced on Friday to 7½ to 20 years behind bars. Prosecutor Tom McGoldrick is pleased with the sentence:

Pie-splattered comedian Soupy Sales dies at 83

Pie-splattered comedian Soupy Sales dies at 83

FILE - In this Nov. 17, 1966 file photo, Soupy Sales rehearses for his Broadway debut in "Come Live With Me", in New York. Soupy Sales, the rubber-faced comedian whose anything-for-a-chuckle career was built on 20,000 pies to the face and 5,000 live TV appearances across a half-century of laughs, has died, Thursday, Oct. 22, 2009. He was 83.

DETROIT (AP) -- Soupy Sales, the rubber-faced comedian whose anything-for-a-chuckle career was built on 20,000 pies to the face and 5,000 live TV appearances across a half-century of laughs, has died. He was 83.

Sales died Thursday night at Calvary Hospice in the Bronx, New York, said his former manager and longtime friend, Dave Usher. Sales had many health problems and entered the hospice last week, Usher said.

At the peak of his fame in the 1950s and '60s, Sales was one of the best-known faces in the nation, Usher said.

"If President Eisenhower would have walked down the street, no one would have recognized him as much as Soupy," Usher said.

At the same time, Sales retained an openness to fans that turned every restaurant meal into an endless autograph-signing session, Usher said.

"He was just good to people," said Usher, a former jazz music producer who managed Sales in the 1950s and now owns Detroit-based Marine Pollution Control.

Sales began his TV career in Cincinnati and Cleveland, then moved to Detroit, where he drew a large audience on WXYZ-TV. He moved to Los Angeles in 1961.

The comic's pie-throwing schtick became his trademark, and celebrities lined up to take one on the chin alongside Sales. During the early 1960s, stars such as Frank Sinatra, Tony Curtis and Shirley MacLaine received their just desserts side-by-side with the comedian on his television show.

"I'll probably be remembered for the pies, and that's all right," Sales said in a 1985 interview.

Sales was born Milton Supman on Jan. 8, 1926, in Franklinton, N.C., where his was the only Jewish family in town. His parents, owners of a dry-goods store, sold sheets to the Ku Klux Klan. The family later moved to Huntington, W.Va.

His greatest success came in New York with "The Soupy Sales Show" - an ostensible children's show that had little to do with Captain Kangaroo and other kiddie fare. Sales' manic, improvisational style also attracted an older audience that responded to his envelope-pushing antics.

Sales, who was typically clad in a black sweater and oversized bow-tie, was once suspended for a week after telling his legion of tiny listeners to empty their mothers' purse and mail him all the pieces of green paper bearing pictures of the presidents.

The cast of "Saturday Night Live" later paid homage by asking their audience to send in their joints. His influence was also obvious in the Pee-Wee Herman character created by Paul Reubens.

Sales returned from the Navy after World War II and became a $20-a-week reporter at a West Virginia radio station. He jumped to a DJ gig, changed his name to Soupy Heinz and headed for Ohio.

His first pie to the face came in 1951, when the newly christened Soupy Sales was hosting a children's show in Cleveland. In Detroit, Sales' show garnered a national reputation as he honed his act - a barrage of sketches, gags and bad puns that played in the Motor City for seven years.

After moving to Los Angeles, he eventually became a fill-in host on "The Tonight Show."

He moved to New York in 1964 and debuted "The Soupy Sales Show," with co-star puppets White Fang (the meanest dog in the United States) and Black Tooth (the nicest dog in the United States). By the time his Big Apple run ended two years later, Sales had appeared on 5,370 live television programs - the most in the medium's history, he boasted. He had a pair of albums that hit the Billboard Top 10 in 1965; "Do the Mouse" sold 250,000 copies in New York alone.

Sales remained a familiar television face, first as a regular from 1968-75 on the game show "What's My Line?" and later appearing on everything from "The Mike Douglas Show" to "The Love Boat." He played himself in the 1998 movie "Holy Man," which starred Eddie Murphy.

He joined WNBC-AM as a disc jockey in 1985, a stint best remembered because Sales filled the hours between shock jocks Don Imus and Howard Stern.

Sales is survived by his wife, Trudy, and two sons, Hunt and Tony, a pair of musicians who backed David Bowie in the band Tin Machine.

NATO considers beefing up Afghan war support

NATO considers beefing up Afghan war support

U.S. Secretary for Defense Robert Gates, second left, shares a word with U.S. Military commander in Afghanistan General Stanley McChrystal, right, during a round table meeting of NATO defense ministers in Bratislava, Friday Oct. 23, 2009. General Stanley McChrystal, the top U.S. military commander in Afghanistan, planned an unexpected appearance Friday at a meeting of NATO defense ministers focused on making Afghan security forces responsible for fighting the war there.

BRATISLAVA, Slovakia (AP) -- Top NATO and United Nations officials signaled Friday they may request more international troops to join American forces in Afghanistan as the top U.S. defense official said President Barack Obama is still weeks away from deciding on a shift in war strategy.

At a Friday meeting of 28 NATO defense ministers, Pentagon chief Robert Gates said allies indicated a willingness to boost military and civilian aid - even as Obama remains undecided over whether to escalate U.S. troop strength to counter Afghan insurgents.

"I do believe that additional international troops will be needed in the future," agreed Kai Eide, the top U.N. official in Afghanistan.

NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen cited "broad support" from defense ministers to stick with a war strategy devised by American commander Gen. Stanley McChrystal that calls for tens of thousands more combat troops - including as many as 80,000 Americans.

The NATO ministers did not, however, discuss specific numbers of troops to be sent, Rasmussen said. Gates added he did not seek specific aid promises.

NATO officials have largely resisted American entreaties to boost their troop contributions to Afghanistan. Britain recently pledged to send 500 troops but only if NATO and the U.S. increased their numbers as well.

The Obama administration is still mulling whether to approve McChystal's proposed strategy aimed at eliminating terrorist threats by curbing the Taliban, in part by securing communities and protecting local Afghan people.

Top Obama advisers, including Vice President Joe Biden, favor a more focused war strategy of targeting al-Qaida leaders in neighboring Pakistan with armed unmanned spy planes and special forces strikes.

In Washington, a senior administration official said Friday that Obama was far from settled on a strategy and that there were no assurances that McChrystal will get what he is seeking. The official was not authorized to discuss the issue publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.

Gates said Friday that the "analytical phase" of the administration's war strategy review was nearing an end, but cautioned that Obama will sift over options provided by his national security team over the next two to three weeks. That target date could coincide closely with the planned Nov. 7 election runoff between Afghan President Hamid Karzai and his challenger, Abdullah Abdullah.

An estimated 104,000 U.S. and NATO troops will be in Afghanistan by the end of the year - two-thirds of which are American.

McChrystal, who flew to Bratislava late Thursday, offered the ministers a 15-minute update on the war and his overview of how to win it. The ministers did not ask any questions or have any reaction during the closed-door lunch meeting, according to a U.S. defense official who described it on condition of anonymity to discuss the meeting more candidly.

Gates, the U.S. defense secretary, said he was buoyed by the allied support of the 8-year-old war that has grown increasingly unpopular in NATO nations. He said NATO ministers would remain in Afghanistan until the conflict is successfully resolved, citing "a renewed determination to see this through."

"There were a number of allies who indicated they were thinking about, or were moving toward, increasing either their military or their civilian contributions, or both," Gates said at a news conference in Bratislava. "And I found that very heartening."

Still, several NATO ministers sounded dubious about agreeing to send more forces without assurances by the Obama administration to do the same. They also cited concerns about committing more aid to Karzai's corruption-tainted government - at least before the Nov. 7 runoff.

With 2,160 troops in Afghanistan, Dutch Defense Minister Eimert Van Middelkoop said his country is awaiting the final election results "because the legitimacy of the Afghan government is key."

Danish Defense Minister Soeren Gade predicted allies won't increase troop levels until they're assured the government in Kabul is committed to the NATO goals.

"We have to make sure the new government in Afghanistan are committed to their job before we send any more troops," Gade said. Denmark has 690 soldiers in Afghanistan.

Additionally, Defense Minister Franz Josef Jung of Germany said he does not expect his country to increase its troop numbers in Afghanistan when their soldiers' orders come up for renewal in December. Germany's existing policy allows the deployment of up to 4,500 soldiers, and just over 4,200 currently are in Afghanistan.

Phillies finish off Dodgers in Game 5 of the NLCS to return to the World Series

Phillies finish off Dodgers in Game 5 of the NLCS to return to the World Series

Jayson Werth hit two homers in Game 5, but his three-run shot in the first put the Phillies ahead to stay.

PHILADELPHIA -- A long, long time ago, they set out on a journey that has led them to this place.

For the Phillies of Jimmy Rollins and Chase Utley and Ryan Howard, the mission has never been just about winning. It's been about history.

And not just making history.

Erasing history.

They had to wipe away the ghosts of 10,000 losses, of the historic El Foldo of 1964, of all those seasons of hopes and dreams that ended in pain and heartbreak.

They had to heal the scars from the two decades of futility that preceded the arrival of this generation.

They even had to remind their city just what a beautiful game baseball can be, because it seems like only yesterday that millions of Philadelphians would rather have attended an arena-football game than a Phillies game. And we are not making that up.

But they've done it now, just about done it all. They've busted those ghosts. They've healed those scars. They've lifted their sport to the very top of their city's mountaintop.

And then, on a gorgeous Wednesday night in the third week of October, the 2009 Phillies arrived at a place where no Phillies team before them had ever been.

Just 12 months after winning one World Series, they are heading for another World Series. No Phillies team before them had ever done that. Not a one.

Not the Phillies of Richie Ashburn and Robin Roberts. Not the Phillies of Mike Schmidt and Steve Carlton. Not the Phillies of Curt Schilling and Lenny Dykstra. And, it goes without saying, sure as heck not the Phillies of Jerry Spradlin or Juan Bell.

This team has separated itself from all of them now. It guaranteed that much with a 10-4 thumping of the Dodgers on Wednesday that finished off the National League Championship Series in five games.

And while this team hasn't finished the mission, hasn't defended yet or repeated yet or ridden the parade floats yet, these Phillies have already accomplished something almost as important:

The metamorphosis of an entire franchise.

"You know, it's not only the franchise that's different now, but the city," said Phillies right fielder Jayson Werth, standing in the middle of a still-pulsating baseball field, an hour after the final out. "It's the fans. Everything. It's all different now.

"I've only been here for three years, but I feel like I've seen a transformation … where it's at now and where it was. I feel like I was here for the old Philly and the old Phillies. And now I'm here for the new Philly and the new Phillies. We've got something special going on here. And hopefully, it's going to continue for a long time."

We don't know, of course, how long it's going to last. Heck, it may not even last for one more series -- not with the Yankees or the Angels waiting for them in the World Series next week. But no matter how that World Series turns out, these Phillies already have done something historic and remarkable:

Before last October, this team had won only four postseason series in the history of the franchise. And now it's won five series in a row.

It wasn't so long ago that this franchise had played in two World Series in its first 97 seasons of existence. And now it's about to play in its second World Series in 12 months.

No National League team had ever won 16 times in any stretch of 20 postseason games -- and only the Yankees have ever done that in the American League. But now this Phillies team has done exactly that over the last two Octobers.

Only two other National League teams in the division-play era -- the 1975-76 Reds and 1995-96 Braves -- had ever won one World Series and then gone back to another. Only four National League teams had done that in the last half-century -- those two, plus the 1965-66 Dodgers and 1967-68 Cardinals. But now it's time to add this Phillies team to that list.

Their closer, Brad Lidge, played on a World Series team in Houston just four years ago -- and watched that same team fade to just two games over .500 the next year. So he knows what can happen The Next Year, and how easy it is for it to happen.

"But there's just something different about these guys," he said. "It's really hard to explain, other than it's the talent. And the belief. When they keep coming back over and over, it's not luck. They really have the talent, and they really believe this is how it's supposed to be."

It was hard to remember, as he spoke those words, that the Phillies had actually come from behind in this game, too. But four hours earlier, Cole Hamels had served up a first-inning home run to Andre Ethier. And it was Dodgers 1, Phillies 0, heading for the bottom of the first.

But not for long. Five days earlier, the Phillies had made Dodgers starter Vicente Padilla look like Orel Hershiser reincarnate. But the rematch was 2,500 miles away in Philadelphia, Padilla's not-so-favorite former hometown. It wasn't his kind of place on this night, either.

"Let's just say," said Werth, "we were very confident we were going to get him, and we were going to get him early."

Uh, bingo. In the bottom of the first, with two outs and nobody on, Padilla walked Chase Utley on five pitches. And then, as 46,214 Philadelphians showered Ryan Howard with, uh, affection, he walked on four pitches.

Philadelphia fans are hoping the Phillies become the first NL club since the 1975-76 Reds to win back-to-back World Series titles.

Padilla stomped around the mound uncomfortably. Rally towels swirled in the night. The most intimidating ballpark in the National League rocked with mojo. And Vicente Padilla looked like he'd rather have been just about anywhere else on this planet than standing on that pitcher's mound.

So he promptly went 3-and-0 on Werth, threw a couple of strikes, and then laid a fastball right down Broad Street. Oops.

Werth cocked that bat, recoiled and mashed it over the right-field scoreboard for a three-run homer. And as he circled the bases, his stadium trembling, he knew this was one orbit that was not going to fade into the repository of a thousand other home run trots in his lifetime.

"You know, that was a pretty cool moment," he said, "because this place got really loud. You could feel it. It was electric. It was running through you. You're pumped up. You're flying around the bases, and the fans are right there with you. It was a pretty special moment."

It was also a game-turning moment. A Pedro Feliz bomb made it 4-2 in the second. Two fourth-inning runs finished Padilla and made it 6-2. And a town that knew exactly what a trip to the World Series smelled like could clearly sniff that scent again.

Except there was a slight hitch in the plotline: Last year's October hero, Hamels, couldn't get them there. He'd already given up two home runs in the first two innings. And then, in the fifth, he allowed No. 3, to pinch-hitter Orlando Hudson -- the first postseason pinch homer by a Dodger since Kirk Gibson's legendary blast off Dennis Eckersley in 1988.

When Rafael Furcal followed Hudson's blast by rifling a double to left, Charlie Manuel decided he'd run out of rope, even for the reigning World Series MVP. And Hamels was about to join Ralph Terry (Game 5 of the 1961 World Series) as the only starting pitchers in history to get hooked with a three-run lead in a clinching postseason game before they'd gone enough innings to qualify for a win.

But this inning would get even stickier. J.A. Happ marched in and promptly walked Ronnie Belliard. And so here it came -- the at-bat of the night: Manny Ramirez, out of the shower and heading for home plate to face the third Phillies pitcher du jour, Chad Durbin.

Manny tapped the dirt with his bat once, then twice. All around him, admiring Phillies fans chanted, "Take a shower, take a shower." Durbin heaved a breath and went at him.

The count went to 0-and-2. Then 2-and-2. Then Durbin jammed Manny with a fastball. Ramirez dribbled it toward the mound, where Durbin scooped it up and threw him out. And this game, for all intents and purposes, was over.

"That was a huge at-bat," Durbin would say later, the Domaine Ste. Michelle Brut still dripping from his hair. "The momentum was on their side. And if he puts a ball up the gap or hits the ball out of the park, it changes everything."

But that isn't how this duel turned out. And from there, the Phillies' offense did the rest. Shane Victorino made it 8-3 with a two-run homer in the sixth. Werth inflated that lead to 9-3 with a monstrous seventh-inning rocket that made him the Phillies' all-time postseason home run leader (with seven) and the second man in history (along with Steve Garvey) to hit two homers in an NLCS clincher.

Brad Lidge celebrates with
teammates after his fifth straight
scoreless outing in the 2009 playoffs.

Then Lidge finished it off with a 1-2-3 ninth -- the fifth consecutive scoreless outing of his astonishing, back-from-the-dead October. He's now the first pitcher to get the final out of back-to-back LCS clinchers since some guy named Mariano Rivera, in 2000-01. Who knew.

"It never gets old," Lidge said. "No way. The whole night, I just sat down there, hoping things would work out and I'd get an opportunity to do that again."

But that, of course, is what his whole team has been waiting for. Since last October, when the parade floats stopped rolling. Since the second week of February, when these Phillies began the journey all over again under the Florida palm trees. Since Sept. 30, the night they clinched the NL East for the third straight year. It's been all about getting the opportunity to do it all again.

They were always focused on this night, on this moment, on the quest to put themselves four wins away from joining just the Big Red Machine and the 1921-22 Giants as the only NL teams in the last 100 years to win two World Series in a row.

These Phillies know how many championship teams talked that talk The Next Year through all those no-repeat decades. But with this group, it was more than just talk.

"Maybe some teams have success, and they forget how hard it is to get there," said Jimmy Rollins, the longest-tenured Phillie of them all. "Maybe they feel like what happened last year is supposed to happen again. Nuh-uh. You're supposed to make it happen again. But to do that, you're going to be tested."

And this team, for the second straight October, has been acing one test after another. With this champagne bath, it has now become the first team in the history of the National League to win five straight postseason series and never trail in games at any point in any of them.

"It's been pretty cool to see the staying power of these guys," said injured pitcher Jamie Moyer. "It would have been really easy, after winning the World Series, to come in this spring and set the cruise control and say, 'Hey, we've already won. So we'll go play and whatever happens, happens.' But this team never did that. You always go through ups and downs in any year. But with this team, the attitude was always, 'We're going to win. And whatever happens, we're going to find a way to win.'"

For years, for decades, the Phillies teams that came before them never thought that way. For years, for decades, the fans that had to watch those teams had zero faith they would ever again see a group of players who ever felt that way.

But now, whether they win another World Series or not, these men have changed everything -- everything -- about baseball in the town they play in.

"We've gone from being doubters to being contenders, on both sides of the ball -- fans and team," said Werth, nontendered by the Dodgers less than three years ago, and now the No. 5 hitter on the best team in the National League. "It's been awesome to be a part of."

But the journey of the 2009 Phillies isn't over. And these men are well aware of that, too. Just because the mission may have been successful doesn't mean it's been accomplished.

"It's hard to say where that mission ends," Werth said. "Maybe when my career is over, I might be able to answer that. Or maybe, when I'm not a Phillie any more, I might be able to answer that. But not right now.

"Right now," said Jayson Werth, "we've still got four more games to win."

Penn Museum Opens Exhibition of 1920s Iraq Excavation

Penn Museum Opens Exhibition of 1920s Iraq Excavation

by KYW's Karin Phillips

Penn Museum is opening a new long-term exhibition that highlights the museum's world renowned expedition in the 1920s.

The exhibition has been on tour for several years and is now back home to open in a new exhibit, Iraq's Ancient Part - which examines the 1922 Penn/British Museum expedition to the ancient site of Ur in Southern Iraq by highlighting over 200 artifacts -- a lot of gold, lapiz lazuli, electrolyte, silver -- that came from a 4,500-year-old royal cemetery.

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

Olympic Skating Hopefuls Training at a Delaware County Rink

Olympic Skating Hopefuls Training at a Delaware County Rink

by KYW's Hadas Kuznits

Olympic athletes are ice skating in Aston (Delaware County), Pa. as they prepare for the Vancouver Winter Olympics.

The season has begun here at the Ice Works Skating Complex in Aston, where figure skating director Joey Suchodolski says visitors can watch Olympic athletes train for the upcoming Vancouver winter games:

"It's very exciting to have some of the best teams in the world training right outside of Philadelphia."

Tanith Belbin (above left) and Ben Agosto (above right) will be representing the USA in February in the ice dance competition.

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

Middle Schoolers Take Part in City Health ''Summit''

Middle Schoolers Take Part in City Health ''Summit''

by KYW's Karin Phillips

Hundreds of students were meeting on Thursday at a summit at Temple University, to share ideas about how to keep their communities healthy.

They're all middle school students, from 15 schools in the Philadelphia school district, acting as nutrition and health leaders, partnering with the Food Trust to help make sure their schools and communities get affordable fresh food.

Thirteen-year-old Harry is a seventh grader at Shawmont School, where he and his fellow healthy leaders have started a walking club:

"We're planning on having five-minute breaks in our classes for teachers to start exercises to keep people moving."

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

Father, Stepmother Being Charged in Death of Feltonville Girl

Father, Stepmother Being Charged in Death of Feltonville Girl

by KYW's Mark Abrams

KYW Newsradio has learned that murder charges are being filed against two people in connection with Wednesday's death of a 10-year-old girl from the Feltonville section of the city.

A law enforcement source says the father and stepmother of the girl are being charged with murder and related offenses. The death has been ruled a homicide.

Investigators say the girl was found unconcious in her home, in the 4700 block of C Street, and taken to St. Christopher's Hospital, where she was later pronounced dead.

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

Lil Wayne pleads to attempted gun possession

Lil Wayne pleads to attempted gun possession

Rapper Lil Wayne enters Manhattan criminal court, Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2009, in New York. A hearing on a DNA profiling technique used in the rapper's 2007 gun-possession case was due to start Wednesday.

NEW YORK (AP) -- In the midst of a career surge that has made him one of rap's biggest stars, Lil Wayne is bracing for a year behind bars after pleading guilty Thursday in a two-year-old gun case.

A glum Lil Wayne said little as he admitted illegally having a loaded gun on his tour bus in 2007, moving to end a case that had churned along as he collected Grammys and gold records. He's expected to get a year in jail at his sentencing, set for February.

The plea, which came as he boasted the country's No. 1 pop song, makes Lil Wayne the latest in a long line of rappers to face incarceration after topping the charts.

Arguably rap's most popular artist, Lil Wayne somberly answered his judge's questions with "yes, sir" and "no, sir" as he pleaded guilty to a felony charge of attempted criminal possession of a weapon.

He acknowledged he had a loaded .40-caliber semiautomatic gun when the bus was stopped shortly after a Manhattan concert on July 22, 2007. His lawyer had previously disputed the gun was the rapper's, in part by questioning the reliability of a highly sensitive DNA test that prosecutors said tied him to the weapon.

State Supreme Court Justice Charles Solomon warned Lil Wayne that he wouldn't be able later to withdraw the plea, as some people try to do.

"I'm not one of those people," said the rapper, who sat in court in jeans and a hooded parka. He pulled up the hood and didn't speak as he left the courthouse with members of his entourage, who piled into four black SUVs. He's due back in court Dec. 15 before his sentencing date, which has yet to be set.

He had faced at least 3 1/2 years in prison if convicted of the original weapons-possession charges against him.

Lil Wayne, 27, also is scheduled for trial in Arizona in March on felony drug possession and weapons charges stemming from a January 2008 arrest at a U.S. Border Patrol checkpoint. He has pleaded not guilty in that case.

In March, an Atlanta judge dismissed felony drug charges against Lil Wayne. His lawyer had said the rapper wasn't staying in the hotel room where police said the drugs were found in 2006.

Over the past two years, Lil Wayne - born Dwayne Carter - has emerged as the best-selling figure in music. His "Tha Carter III" topped all album sales in 2008 with 2.8 million copies sold off of such hits as the No. 1 smash "Lollipop." His Grammys include last year's best rap solo performance award, for "A Milli."

A rapper since he was a teen, Lil Wayne exploded in popularity thanks to his voluminous output on the mixtape circuit and collaborations with other artists. He currently has the No. 1 song in the country with Jay Sean, "Down."

While his lyrics sometimes are laced with violence, he's more known for clever wordplay and risque material.

The relationship between chronicling crime and living it has long been an issue in rap. Some of the genre's big names - including Tupac Shakur, Lil' Kim, Beanie Sigel, Shyne, Mystikal and C-Murder - have done a few months to several years behind bars for crimes committed after they became famous.

T.I., another of rap's top sellers, reported to a federal prison in May for his conviction on weapons charges. He's expected to serve a year and a day.

While some rappers haven't regained their chart status after prison or jail, Shakur became even more popular, and T.I. remains popular on the radio.

Police pulled over Lil Wayne's tour bus shortly after it left a concert venue, saying they had seen and smelled marijuana smoke wafting out the door when it was parked.

After ordering roughly a dozen or so other people off the bus, police found a freshly showered Lil Wayne in his boxer shorts in a bedroom at the back of the bus. Police said that as an officer approached, the rapper tossed away a Louis Vuitton bag containing the gun.

The Miami-based rapper wasn't licensed to carry a gun in New York, prosecutors said.

The Manhattan District Attorney's office said small amounts of DNA found on the gun connected it to Lil Wayne. Defense lawyer Stacey Richman had raised questions about the relatively new technique, used to derive the results from DNA samples that can consist of fewer than roughly 16 human cells.

A hearing on the method's level of scientific acceptance started Wednesday and had been expected to continue for days. After Lil Wayne's guilty plea, both prosecutors and Richman stressed that they stood by their contrasting positions on the technique.

But, Solomon said, "The issue is not going to be decided in this courtroom, in this case."

Meanwhile, another platinum-selling rapper, Ja Rule, still faces gun-possession charges stemming from his separate arrest after playing the same July 2007 show as Lil Wayne. Ja Rule, known to the court as Jeff Atkins, has pleaded not guilty. He has a court date next month.

Eagles pick up Witherspoon

Eagles pick up Witherspoon

Witherspoon: The St Louis Rams traded their linebacker Will Witherspoon to the Philadelphia Eagles in exchange for a fifth-round draft pick and rookie wide receiver Brandon Gibson.

The Eagles are light at linebacker with scheduled starter Stewart Bradley out with a torn knee ligament, and his replacements have so far failed to sparkle.

Eight-year NFL veteran Witherspoon is the man head coach Andy Reid has brought in to shore-up his defence, and he will play in the middle for the Eagles.

"He's a three-down linebacker, and he can play both the mike position and the will linebacker position," Reid said of Witherspoon.

"He's very good at both of them. He's a good cover linebacker. He has the flexibility to cover tight ends and running backs and that type of thing, which is a plus."
Witherspoon, who has 33 tackles this season, now moves up a notch in the NFL - going from the 0-6 Rams to an Eagles team being touted as possible Super Bowl contenders despite their surprise loss in Oakland on Sunday.

"It means a lot to go to a team that has the opportunity to be a contender," he said. "That's what you have to look at. You have to sit there and say, 'OK, take the positives out of everything.'

"I know I'm leaving kind of a comfort zone here, being that I've been here for almost the last four years, but I'm moving into another situation."

Along with the draft pick, the Rams acquired rookie wideout Gibson, who the Eagles took out of the sixth round of the draft, in the deal.

Gibson had impressed the Eagles but with a wealth of talent on their roster he has not seen any action this season - but that should change in St Louis.

The Rams have been hurting at receiver all season and arguably their first choice Donny Avery picked up a hip injury during Sunday's