Last Friday’s Metro layoffs may have surprised some staffers, but they also seemed inevitable after cuts made at sister New York and Boston papers last week. The Philadelphia version of the daily ended up losing veteran copy editor Jody McClain and quick-witted writer Mike Benner, who covered politics and elections. (more…)

That nauseating groan from the alleyways of Broad Street yesterday afternoon came when news hit that the bastard New York Mets had acquired Johan Santana from the Minnesota Twins for a crop of draft picks.

Santana, whom many consider the most dominant pitcher in the league, suddenly makes the Mets rotation (and front office) look a whole lot shinier. Immediately after the announcement, the Phillies’ online faithful emitted their most colorful, exasperated reactions, most of which contained the words Nooooo and Fuckkkkk. (more…)

TASTE DAILY: See which restaurants made our top 50

GOOD LIFE DAILY: Are J. Timb’s jeans splurge-worthy?

HEALTH: Torch 1,000 calories (and have fun!)

Johnny Doc states his case: Brian McCrone interviews union boss John Dougherty about his plans to take on Fumo. Doc says: “I’ve thought about this for a while.” Really. You don’t say. [Metro]

Feds questioning Kirsch and Anderton: According to DN sources, Edward Anderton and Jocelyn Kirsch could be in some big-time trouble should the feds crack down on them about their credit card scams and stolen goods. A plea bargain is expected. [Daily News]

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Today’s Daily Examiner quip comes courtesy of the Courier Post, which ran a recap of today’s Camden County College Bill Clinton stump stop. About 1,000 supporters showed up, embracing Clinton’s promise that the real change will come from his wife in the White House. One reader who attended felt differently about it:

I was at this event. I felt like I needed a shower when it was over.

Bill Clinton: ‘Hillary Will Be There For You’ [Courier Post]

One story overlooked in yesterday’s press conference with new managing director Camille Barnett was her promise of delivering a 311 phone system by year’s end. “We don’t have to invent it,” Barnett said. “We just have to install it.” (more…)

Second suburban thug charged for Geno’s beat-down: 21-year-old Michael Morrison of Berwyn surrendered to authorities Monday in connection with charges that he and his buddy, 19-year-old Kevin Bacci of Devon, went all WWE on a Geno’s employee last December. [CBS 3]

The career of a South Jersey electronics store chain manager shall not be thwarted unjustly: An ex-manager at Best Buy hatched this confusing plan over e-mail to find out if his former employer was sabotaging his chances at getting a new job. They were. He filed suit against Best Buy last month because Jersey has a silly little law about “job prospect interference.” [Inquirer]

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From IMPRESARIO, our new arts and entertainment blog …

Yesterday, film industry trade magazine MovieMaker announced its eighth annual list of the best cities in which to make movies, with Philadelphia landing at number five, below — in this order — Austin, Albuquerque, Shreveport (yes, Shreveport), and New York.

Last year, the magazine gave us the number two spot, just behind New York, citing our generous state tax incentives, grant and loan programs, the efforts of the Greater Philadelphia Film Office, and, oh yeah, the fact that we’re just a cool city to be in, what with our “beautiful derelict outer slums” and all. Continue reading on IMPRESARIO

Although Barbaro’s been dead for a year now, his haunting spirit still lives on in the form of an online community so devoted and earnest, they make Clay Aiken’s Spanx-tossing army of middle-aged moms look inert by comparison. (more…)

The Phillies finally signed a third baseman yesterday: former San Francisco Giant Pedro Feliz. When the news hit, the baseball web erupted with the usual best-case/worst-case scenarios. Those clamoring for their own alliterative upper-deck fanbase should act now. “Pedro Persuasion” has a nice, ’80s Latino-keyboard-rock feel to it. That would be my personal choice. (more…)