Mayor Nutter went on MSNBC on Sunday to speak about the Trayvon Martin killing in Sanford, Florida. “I’ve called this nothing short of an assassination,” Nutter said. “This individual Zimmerman followed Trayvon for some period of time. Trayvon was not a threat to him.”

There is a candlelight vigil for Martin tonight at 6:30 p.m. in Love Park.

Mayor Nutter wrote a blog at The Hill’s Congress blog about “FEMA’s proposal to consolidate the current homeland security grant programs into a new National Preparedness Grant Program.” He and other mayors don’t like the idea, which would get rid of the Urban Areas Security Initiative and other grants which provide funding to facilities “considered to be at greatest risk.”

A neon orange sign was put up outside the Divine Lorraine, which reads “repair or demolish,” last week, after a fire at the Broad Street building. Deputy Mayor Alan Greenberger told the Inky they’re not planning on actually blowing the thing up any time soon. They just want to keep pranksters away.

Pranksters like the Northeast Philly tire slasher. Probably. He’s up to it again and surveillance video from late last week shows him vandalizing two cars at Cottman and Rowland. Who the hell slashes tires, anyway?

SEPTA Transit Police have been brought back to the negotiating table and are now working with Bob Brady (who else?) on a deal. Philadelphia Police officials were hired by SEPTA, along with other city officials, to create a new makeshift police force in the meantime.

Here we go again. Philadelphia GOP leader Michael Meehan has appointed former mayoral candidate Karen Brown and her husband, Lee Buchanan, to lead wards outside their South Philly jurisdiction. Now there’s a new GOP infight going on, just in time for the elections!

You’re more likely to lose your phone at a coffee shop in Philadelphia than in any other city. But only because the dude behind the register wants to teach you a lesson—open your eyes man, there’s a whole world outside that tiny screen! Like this coffee shop and its music and paintings and stuff.

City Council has a hearing today on the administration’s five-year financial plan, which would likely re-assess property taxes in up-and-coming neighborhoods, which some have called a back-door tax increase. Members of Council have already hinted they’re against the mayor’s idea.

Ed Rendell thinks Rick Santorum will win his home state of Pennsylvania in the April 24 primary. Ed Rendell looks at polls.

Speaking of which: we saw Santorum and plenty of other Republican speakers this weekend at the Pennsylvania Leadership Conference in Camp Hill, PA. I’ve put up several blogs on the conference already and will have some more up today of other speakers/ideas shared at the conservative gathering.