Photo taken outside the Franklin Institute last night, where protesters were barred from Romney's speech. #OccupyFirstGrade

Mitt Romney spoke in front of a Tea Party audience last night at the Franklin Institute and paid $10, $20 or $30 to see him. Romney spent the night talking about how the country needs to heal its partisan divide and find ways to compromise on those most polarizing issues. Nah, just kidding. He  ripped Barack Obama, called him a big government liberal and told the crowd, “This campaign is going to be fun. The contrast could not be greater.” He also ridiculed the ‘Buffet Rule,’ which would require all millionaires to pay a minimum 30 percent federal income tax and close tax loopholes. Romney claimed it would only pay for “11 hours of government” and that taxes should be as small as possible “to pay for things that are vital.” Some Occupy and community activists had bought tickets but, according to the above linked article at the Inquirer, were kept out of the museum and chanted “Refund” on the front steps.

And here is the AP story detailing those Occupy and community activist entrants who were denied access to a glimpse of Romney’s sweet, sweet hair helmet. Some activists claimed even though they’d bought tickets, their names were highlighted on a list and they were denied access. You call it: Efficiency or blatant censorship?

Former Presidential candidate Rick Santorum held a conference call with thousands of supporters last night—and did not endorse Mitt Romney in the general election (he is, after all, “uniquely unqualified” to run in this race). He instead spent the call telling supporters that he hasn’t “supported any candidate at this point, so that’s really up to you.” Also: Karen Santorum made her way onto the call and talked up their 3-year-old daughter, Bella. “One of my sadnesses is that we couldn’t share Bella with the world. She’s such a cute and sweet little girl. She radiates this joy and love that you can’t describe in words,” she said. Oh, and please send the Santorums some money. He really needs to pay off those campaign debts.

Remember that ESPN Magazine article that claimed Gov. Tom Corbett had at least partially orchestrated the firing of Joe Paterno from Penn State University? He called it “totally, factually wrong” and “Not even close to the facts” at a press conference yesterday. Other than that, he was mute, claiming he couldn’t get to specifics because of “the gag order imposed on participants in Sandusky’s case.”

Those guys going around robbing banks dressed in burqas? They’re now being sought out by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, in addition to Philly police and readers of JihadWatch.com.

Federal investigators are additionally looking into the deaths of Philadelphia Fire Department Lieutenant Bob Neary and firefighter Daniel Sweeney who died when a burning vacant Kensington warehouse collapsed onto a furniture store which they were inside. The feds conducting that investigation: the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health.

Acme president Dan Sanders is gone. From Acme. He’s instead headed to Albertsons in Southern California.

And the Philadelphia Inquirer won a Pulitzer Prize yesterday for their “Assault on Learning” series. That is awesome.