Mayor Nutter took the stand yesterday for a reported 90 minutes in the homeless feeding ban hearings, defending the city’s stance to deny feedings except in some areas of the city, and with a permit. During that time, he defended not just the ban’s prior purpose (fighting potentially tainted food) but said it’s part of a broader strategy to end homelessness in Philadelphia. Additionally, food is a one temporary solution: “For me, this is not just about a hungry individual,” Nutter said. “They are not just hungry. They have other needs.” Feeding the homeless, he added, “fills one need, and that need returns in about three or four hours.”

John Leck. Jr., of Levittown, is being charged with third-degree murder and other crimes after authorities say he drunkenly drove the wrong way down I-95 in Northeast Philly Sunday morning and killed Philadelphia Police Officer Brian Lorenzo.

Mayor Nutter released a statement on the death of police officer Brian Lorenzo.

Philly union leaders expect “tens of thousands” of people to descend on the city on August 11 for the Workers Stand for America rally. The rally is meant to bring attention to the principles of organized labor, and is being held here because, well, like many other things, Philly is arguably where organized American labor began. It’s also being called a  ‘shadow convention’ and is intentionally taking place before both the Republican and Democratic National Conventions.

Tomorrow night there will be a rally against animal cruelty beginning at 7 p.m. at the city’s SPCA’s headquarters, 350 E. Eric Avenue. The rally is being held after a string of cruelty incidents—most notably, dogs being set on fire in North Philly—have come to the city’s attention. There is a $5,000 reward for information about a pit bull puppy named Chloe, who died on June 25 of burn-trauma after being found in East Germantown.

John Baer seems to think Voter ID laws could serve as a “turn-out-the-vote booster.”

The two New York owners of the Kensington warehouse where two firefighters were killed in April have been subpoenaed and will appear before a Grand Jury.