DAILY GRINDER: Councilwoman Discriminates Against Jehovah’s Witness?
Jehovah’s Witness and former Councilwoman Jannie Blackwell assistant Tyeisha Boulware has filed a federal lawsuit against the city of Philadelphia and City Council for unlawful religious discrimination. Boulware claims being a Jehovah’s Witness barred her from wearing a Christmas-themed sweater to a holiday party and voting. Blackwell didn’t like that,...
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Occupy Philly Performs Street Theater, Says U.S. Senate Worse than Historical Fascists
Occupy Philly held a day of action against the National Defense Authorization Act of 2012, which, they and other critics contend, would allow the indefinite detention of U.S. citizens on U.S. soil. The crowd of about 30 marched around the city, hitting both Sen. Bob Casey and Sen. Pat Toomey’s offices, among other spots. Both senators voted in favor of the...
Continue ReadingDAILY GRINDER: Sunday Beer Hours Extended
The Pennsylvania Legislature voted yesterday to extend Sunday beer hours, in spite of the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board’s “You’re gonna get raped” ad campaign. The way it was, you were only allowed to shop from noon until 5 p.m. Now, assuming Gov. Corbett spills some ink, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. The PLCB doesn’t sell beer, though it does license beer distributors....
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City Commissioner-Elect Al Schmidt Makes Senate Endorsement
When the clock strikes midnight on New Years Eve, we’ll officially be in campaign season. There’s a national GOP primary to see who can make for good TV until the national Republican Party says, “Fine, give us Mitt Romney,” and here in Pennsylvania, a mess of small government aggressives are clawing to replace Democratic Senator Bob Casey. The Republicans...
Continue ReadingDAILY GRINDER: DA Williams to Address Future of Mumia Abu-Jamal Today? (Updated)
DA Seth Williams is expected to hold a press conference regarding the future of convicted cop-killer Mumia Abu-Jamal today. Last night, a federal judge ordered the state to take action (conduct a new sentencing hearing on the case, seek the death penalty again or order Jamal to life in prison). Williams will answer and Daniel Faulkner’s (who Jamal killed) widow,...
Continue ReadingDAILY GRINDER: State Senate Grants Mayor Nutter More Power
Remember last year’s awfulness that was the Carl Green/PHA/former Mayor Street dirty ditty? After it sort of ended, Mayor Michael Nutter insisted he should have more say over the Housing Authority. And guess what? The Pennsylvania Senate said OK! By a unanimous vote of 49-0, Mayor Nutter was approved to get the power to appoint all nine—not some of the five—members...
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Senate Passes National Defense Authorization Act; PA Sens. Have No Response on Indefinite Incarceration Provision
Image: Shutterstock We’ve been contacting both Pennsylvania Sens. Bob Casey and Pat Toomey all week to get the rationale behind their Tuesday votes in favor of Section 1031 of the National Defense Authorization Act. This section, according to some critics, essentially turns the entirety of the United States into part of the “battlefield” in the...
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National Defense Authorization Bill Makes Unlikely Allies; Casey Office Responds
The National Defense Authorization Act Bill, which many believe could make way for the “infinite detention” of U.S. citizens in the name of fighting terrorism, has made allies out of unlikely members of Congress. A provision of the bill, as we wrote yesterday, would require military custody — rather using than the U.S. Justice system — of a suspect...
Continue ReadingDAILY GRINDER: Some Occupy Homeless Move to Port Richmond
There’s a story in the Daily News this morning all about how homeless advocate Dennis Payne “commandeered” the move of about 20 tents to an park encampment east of Richmond Street, north of Cumberland, along the Delaware River. Payne is calling it Liberty One and says it’s only for the homeless, many of whom left Occupy Philly Sunday night to live there. Numbers...
Continue ReadingDAILY GRINDER: Occupy Philly Told To Move; Offered ‘Non-Occupation’ Deal
I can’t really remember; what’s a kick in the groin feel like, again? Oh, right: The City of Philadelphia has decided Occupy Philly cannot keep their tents or protest at City Hall. And they can move to Thomas Paine Plaza, so long as they don’t bring their tents and only hang around from—get this—9 a.m. to 7 p.m. (And no video games until you’ve finished...
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