Politics
The Firefighters Can’t Recall Mayor Michael Nutter Because Frank Rizzo Said So
Philadelphia’s mayors are used to a bit of razzing, good-natured or otherwise, when they’re in public. But Michael Nutter got more than an earful last […]
House Finally Approves $50b in Sandy Aid Without GOP Support
The House of Representatives at last approved $50 billion more in funding for Hurricane Sandy relief, though a majority of House Republicans opposed the measure. […]
Clarence Thomas Speaks! (First Time in 7 Years!)
Clarence Thomas, by claiming he gets all the info he needs from legal briefs, has managed to sleep through more than half a decade of […]
Disgruntled Ex-Employee Launches Vindictive Anti-Butkovitz Website
Hellish Kafkaesque bureaucracy meets “Office Space” revenge fantasy in the latest news to come out of the increasingly contentious battle for City Controller. Already, no […]
City Council has Secret Slush Fund for “Walking Around” Money
Big city politics and “constituent services” have always gone hand-in-hand: Rather than solve problems on a macro level, elected officials often get stuff done for […]
Revolution Stalled: Mubarak Guilty Verdict Overturned
If Tahrir Square isn’t humming already, it will be soon. Former Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak, sentenced to life in prison last June for authorizing the […]
If It Ain’t Broke, Privatize It: Corbett to Hand Over Lottery to British Firm
A week after a report found that Pennsylvania’s state-run lottery was raking in record profits (eclipsing last year’s then-record profits), Governor Corbett has announced his […]
Pa School System with $7 Million Deficit to Pay For Cop in Every School
In the month since the Sandy Hook elementary school shooting, many schools have bulked up security through metal detectors and armed guards (including some around […]
Jack Lew’s Signature: Just A Long Squiggly Line
There’s a whole pseudoscience devoted to the analysis of signatures. During the presidential primaries, the Daily Beast commissioned a handwriting guru to analyze the candidates’ […]
We Don’t Need “Gun Appreciation Day”
I was 10 years old the first time I shot a gun. It was an AR-15, the type of “assault rifle” that many Americans are […]
In Defense of the Nanny State
You know what would be awesome? If the United States had a real nanny state. Yes, there are conservatives who would argue that we do […]
Is Tom Corbett Less Popular Than Rick Santorum?
In Pennsylvania, Rick Santorum reigns supreme as the top once-successful-politician-who-made-the-electorate-hate-him-passionately. It’s a rare and exclusive category, but another big name may be joining him on […]
Tom Cruise for President!
Lawrence Wright, a widely respected reporter whose most famous book is about religious fanatics trying to kill us all, is out with a new book […]
Rick Santorum’s Next Move: Defeating Chuck Hagel
Last month: publicly lobbying for the U.S. not to join a treaty that protects disabled people. This month: trying to kill Chuck Hagel’s nomination for […]
Return of the Cliff: Penn Set to Lose Tens of Millions
Though the battle in Washington over tax hikes ended a week ago, big automatic spending cuts still loom. If no deal is reached on the […]