Four Weird Things They Said About the Election in Pennsylvania—Just This Week
Can you feel it? That’s the “Goodbye Cruel World” sensation of dread both liberals and conservatives are getting as the election draws near. Is Obama up in Ohio? Is Chris Christie giving the election to the Democrats? Is Wisconsin in play for Mitt Romney? What about Minnesota? Is that even still a state? Who lives there? And where the hell is my Chinese...
Continue ReadingDAILY GRINDER: New Attack Ads Hit PA Senate Candidates on Coal, Education
Looks like it’s on in Pennsylvania. The U.S. Senate race between Tom Smith and Bob Casey is getting heated and all that talk about Smith not having name-recognition during the early campaign is over—now, voters are wondering who his opponent is…this Bob Casey guy who’s been hiding for six years? Nope, sorry. Haven’t heard of him. So a Democratic Political...
Continue ReadingDAILY GRINDER: Voter ID Decision Today
A decision in the Voter ID case is due today—and no matter what Judge Robert Simpson decides this time, it is not over. Not even close! The best he can do is delay the law, not destroy it. The law was passed back to him by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, and they asked him to look at it under a new standard. I’m busy as hell this morning and may miss...
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DAILY GRINDER: Camden Officially Poorest U.S. City
Camden is now officially the poorest city in the United States. It was announced late last week that the New Jersey city across the Delaware has replaced the also localish Reading, Pennsylvania in this dishonor—although the margin of error when it comes to measuring poverty could make it hard to tell which is actually the poorest. Not sure how I missed this...
Continue ReadingDAILY GRINDER: PW Abuse Awareness Essays Due in 3 Weeks
To reiterate from this week’s issue, PW Senior Editor Nina Hoffmann made a point to note Philadelphia Weekly is still looking for first-person essays for our upcoming sexual abuse project. “I called for first-person essays from abuse survivors, their loved ones and counselors in order to show that healing from sexual abuse does not occur in a vacuum. It requires...
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DAILY GRINDER: Trocadero Bomb Threat Empty
An anonymous email was sent to the Trocadero last night, threatening an attack on the concert hall. That email read, in part: “this is 2 let u know that bomb at the trocadero set for tonight…it is there now. not only is bomb there now i have weapons there that i will use to cause mass destruction tonight. the media knows about this i want as many...
Continue ReadingTom Smith’s Rape Gaffe Offers Insight into Conservative Domination
With each repeated Republican Party rape gaffe, the public is offered a little more insight into the way several party leaders and candidates think about women’s rights. Just yesterday, for example, the virtually unknown U.S. Senate candidate here in Pennsylvania, Tom Smith, compared rape to having a child out of wedlock. “I lived something similar to that...
Continue ReadingDAILY GRINDER: Court Upholds Voter ID Law
According to Philly.com, “A Commonwealth Court judge denied a bid by civil rights groups to block the new voter identification law from taking effect,” and said the plaintiffs hadn’t proven the law would impose “irreparable” harm on citizens. The ACLU is expected to appeal the ruling. But between this, Republicans attempting to kick the Libertarian...
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DAILY GRINDER: $1.6 Million Settlement in Contaminated Water Fracking Case
So you're saying this isn't Perrier? Coulda fooled me. Three northeastern Pennsylvania families have reached a $1.6 million settlement with Oklahoma-based Chesapeake Energy over contaminating their water wells and forcing them to go somewhere else. It’s a good chunk of change, but one of the families say it’s not much considering they have to leave...
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