Philly.com Business

Business headlines from Philly.com.

• 62,000 jobs cut in June; more losses predicted
  WASHINGTON - The nation's job market stumbled badly through the first half of 2008, government figures released yesterday showed, and analysts said it was likely to keep faltering through the rest of the year.


• JUNKYARD CASH
  DETROIT - It took an hour's worth of work, but Roman Knight didn't mind. The 18-year-old needed a bumper for his '94 Buick LeSabre, and a Detroit salvage yard had the right one. So he got down to business, prying off the bumper from a junked-out car, walking it to the clerk's desk, and hoisting it up to the checkout counter.


• Highmark CEO foresees merger benefits out of state
  The proposed merger of Independence Blue Cross and Pittsburgh's expansion-minded Highmark Inc. would create the biggest health insurer in Pennsylvania.


• Judge tells YouTube to share user data
  NEW YORK - Dismissing privacy concerns, a federal judge overseeing a $1 billion copyright-infringement lawsuit against YouTube has ordered the video-sharing service to disclose who watches which video clips and when.


• Stocks mixed at end of 3d dismal week
  NEW YORK - Wall Street capped a shortened trading week with a mixed finish yesterday after some uneven economic data: news of a contraction in the nation's services sector and a tame reading on employment. But stocks still had their third dismal week in a row.


• Business news in brief


• Utah trims workweek to save fuel
  SALT LAKE CITY - Starting next month, it will be "TGIT" for Utah state employees. As in: "Thank God It's Thursday."


• Radian rebounds after steep stock-price decline
  Shares in Radian Group Inc. rose from Wednesday's close of 77 cents after the Philadelphia mortgage and bond insurer gave investors a peek at second-quarter results.


• Europe's Fed raises benchmark rate
  FRANKFURT, Germany - Wary of rising energy and commodity prices, the European Central Bank raised its benchmark interest rate yesterday a quarter of a percentage point, to 4.25 percent, a move it hopes will help curtail inflation in the 15 countries that use the euro.


• Records: Oil tops $145; gasoline at $4.10
  NEW YORK - Oil prices raced above $145 a barrel for the first time yesterday as traders added to their bets on the commodity ahead of the long holiday weekend.

Philly.com Entertainment

Philly.com entertainment headlines.

• Not past sharing
  VENTNOR - On a recent Sunday afternoon, Shelly Goldstein gathered her roommates on the wide front porch of their shared summer house before strolling to the beach.


• Despite all of his flaws, Hancock still a superhero
  Remember the beginning of The Incredibles? Superheroes banned from performing their crime-fighting, life-saving stunts because of lawsuits from disgruntled citizens, costly damages incurred in the line of rescue, accusations that the caped crusader with the X-ray vision was a Peeping Tom?


• Changing Skyline: Adding coffee to the culture
  When you think about it, the development sagas of Benjamin Franklin Parkway and Independence Mall are awfully similar. Each started out with the aim of concentrating Philadelphia's cultural power in one part of the city. And after that imperial ambition was thwarted, each remained militantly opposed to allowing displays of commerce to interrupt its vision of grandeur. For years, it was nearly impossible to buy so much as a bottle of water as you slogged between widely spaced monuments.


• New This Week
  Vantage Point *** (Sony Pictures, '08) $28.96. 90 mins. An assassination attempt on the U.S. president while at a counter-terrorism summit in Spain is told through eight perspectives. With Dennis Quaid, Matthew Fox, Forest Whitaker, Sigourney Weaver, William Hurt. PG-13 (mature themes, violence, profanity)


• Seun Kuti keeps Egypt 80 going
  In 1997, Seun Kuti's father, the larger-than-life Nigerian Afro-beat founder and outspoken political figure Fela Anikulapo Kuti, died of AIDS. At the time, Seun, who brings his father's great 15-piece band Egypt 80 to World Cafe Live on Saturday, was just 14.


• Sideshow: Grogan pens a childhood memoir
  Former Inquirer columnist John Grogan, whose tale of a wayward yellow Labrador became the huge best-seller Marley & Me, has written a memoir of his Michigan childhood that will be published in the fall.


• 'Burn' star happy to share limelight
  It's a little difficult to tell the good guys from the bad guys on USA's Burn Notice, and that's one of the things that make the character-driven thriller unique.


• Journalism's wild one, loved and loathed
  It's a fitting day, Independence Day, for the release of Gonzo: The Life and Work of Dr. Hunter S. Thompson.


• Casino shows and concerts
  Casinos Atlantic City Hilton Boston & the Boardwalk, Atlantic City; 609-347-7111. www.hiltonac.com. The Beach Boys. 7/4 6 pm. Three Dog Night/Shorty Long Band. 7/5 5 pm. Beach Party - Concert by Bruce in the USA, radio broadcasts & bikini contest. 7/6 10


• War, Inc. *1/2
  This review originally appeared Wednesday. Directed by Joshua Seftel. With Ben Kingsley, Hilary Duff, Joan Cusack, John Cusack and Marisa Tomei. Distributed by First Look Studios. 1 hour, 46 mins. R (violence, profanity and brief sexual material). Playing at: Ritz Five.

Philly.com National/World News

Philly.com national headlines.

• In the Nation


• President will attend Olympics' opening
  WASHINGTON - President Bush will attend the opening ceremonies of the Olympics in Beijing, the White House said yesterday. The announcement quashed any talk of a presidential boycott over China's violent crackdown after antigovernment riots in Tibet.


• Independent studies
  CLARKSBURG, Md. - Historian James Heintze can tick off colorful accounts of how the nation has celebrated the Fourth of July over the years: In the 19th century, cannons fired, church bells sounded, and fireworks exploded.


• Aided suicide roils Germany
  BERLIN - Bettina Schardt knew that the combination of drugs she drank in the living room of her home in Wuerzburg last week would kill her, and she died alone.


• Some defy fire evacuations to save property
  BIG SUR, Calif. - An explosive wildfire ravaged the hillsides above this scenic coastal community yesterday, leaving the popular tourist region mostly deserted ahead of the holiday weekend.


• McCain praises Mexican drug fight, U.S. aid
  MEXICO CITY - Ending a three-day trip to Colombia and Mexico, John McCain praised Mexican drug-fighting efforts yesterday and hailed a U.S. aid package for security forces here as a key step forward in bilateral relations.


• Hedge-fund scammer begins serving sentence
  NEW YORK - A hedge-fund cheat who tried to fake his death and spent nearly a month as a fugitive told a judge yesterday that he really did try to commit suicide while on the run, saying he thought it would be better to do himself in than turn himself in.


• Probe finds more passport snoops
  WASHINGTON - An internal State Department investigative report suggests that employees may have been snooping on the passport records of celebrities far more than previously disclosed. It urges new steps to secure the files.


• Pope backs sainthood for Belgian
  VATICAN CITY - Pope Benedict XVI yesterday approved a miracle attributed to the intercession of a 19th-century Belgian priest who ministered to leprosy patients in Hawaii, opening the way for sainthood.


• As hostages, life kept getting worse
  BOGOTA, Colombia - A meal was rice and beans. Bed was the ground under a patched plastic tarp. They bathed in rivers, and when they were not chained by the neck to trees, they were forced on long marches to new hideouts under the jungle canopy.

Inquirer Health and Science

Inquirer health and science

• The Buzz on Native Bees
  An estimated 4,000 bee species are native to the United States, including about 350 in the Philadelphia region.


• Widened coverage for autism is approved
  Parents of autistic children would be able to pay for behavioral therapy and related services with private health insurance starting next year under legislation that strikes a compromise between the insurance industry and advocates for the disabled.


• Eagles increase and thrive in Pa. and N.J.
  Two bald eagles that last year nested in Philadelphia - the first in at least 200 years, according to state game officials - have returned.


• Flooded areas face mosquito explosion
  CHICAGO - First came the floods. Now the mosquitoes. An explosion of pesky insects is pestering cleanup crews and just about anyone venturing outside in the waterlogged Midwest.


• FDA widens salmonella vegetable hunt
  WASHINGTON - Adding to tomato confusion, the government is about to start testing numerous other types of fresh produce in the hunt for the source of the nation's record salmonella outbreak - even as it insists tomatoes remain the leading suspect.


• Pa. health care cost council takes political hit
  The Pennsylvania Health Care Cost Containment Council - nationally known for reporting on the quality and cost of medical care across the state - is now itself in critical condition.


• As Games near, China targets locusts
  BEIJING - Two days after announcing the mobilization of 10,000 workers to clear blue-green algae from Olympic sailing waters, officials said yesterday that more than 33,000 exterminators have been dispatched to battle a locust infestation in northern China in hopes of preventing a potentially disastrous migration to Beijing during next month's Games.

Philly.com National/World News

Philly.com national headlines.

• In the Nation


• President will attend Olympics' opening
  WASHINGTON - President Bush will attend the opening ceremonies of the Olympics in Beijing, the White House said yesterday. The announcement quashed any talk of a presidential boycott over China's violent crackdown after antigovernment riots in Tibet.


• Independent studies
  CLARKSBURG, Md. - Historian James Heintze can tick off colorful accounts of how the nation has celebrated the Fourth of July over the years: In the 19th century, cannons fired, church bells sounded, and fireworks exploded.


• Aided suicide roils Germany
  BERLIN - Bettina Schardt knew that the combination of drugs she drank in the living room of her home in Wuerzburg last week would kill her, and she died alone.


• Some defy fire evacuations to save property
  BIG SUR, Calif. - An explosive wildfire ravaged the hillsides above this scenic coastal community yesterday, leaving the popular tourist region mostly deserted ahead of the holiday weekend.


• McCain praises Mexican drug fight, U.S. aid
  MEXICO CITY - Ending a three-day trip to Colombia and Mexico, John McCain praised Mexican drug-fighting efforts yesterday and hailed a U.S. aid package for security forces here as a key step forward in bilateral relations.


• Hedge-fund scammer begins serving sentence
  NEW YORK - A hedge-fund cheat who tried to fake his death and spent nearly a month as a fugitive told a judge yesterday that he really did try to commit suicide while on the run, saying he thought it would be better to do himself in than turn himself in.


• Probe finds more passport snoops
  WASHINGTON - An internal State Department investigative report suggests that employees may have been snooping on the passport records of celebrities far more than previously disclosed. It urges new steps to secure the files.


• Pope backs sainthood for Belgian
  VATICAN CITY - Pope Benedict XVI yesterday approved a miracle attributed to the intercession of a 19th-century Belgian priest who ministered to leprosy patients in Hawaii, opening the way for sainthood.


• As hostages, life kept getting worse
  BOGOTA, Colombia - A meal was rice and beans. Bed was the ground under a patched plastic tarp. They bathed in rivers, and when they were not chained by the neck to trees, they were forced on long marches to new hideouts under the jungle canopy.

Philly.com News Local

Headlines from the Philly.com local section.

• Contents of alleged drug dealer's home auctioned off
  While Marlon Abrahams cools his heels in cell block G1 of the Montgomery County Correctional Facility, his allegedly marijuana-financed two-story East Norriton ranch house - and everything in it - is being sold off to benefit law enforcement.


• Ben and Betsy tie the knot
  To some in the crowd of hundreds gathered outside Independence Hall tonight, it seemed like just another part of the holiday weekend celebration: Betsy Ross marrying Benjamin Franklin. With Thomas Jefferson as best man.


• Tourists, Shore business owners facing an unsettled summer
  The Hilton Hotel & Casino in Atlantic City is giving away $2,500 gas cards to 50 table and slots players this month. The Angel of the Sea bed and breakfast in Cape May is offering an "economic stimulus package," which includes a free dinner at a local restaurant and a bottle of champagne.


• Camden County cuts police coverage in parks
  Camden County is cutting overnight police coverage at its 22 parks, drawing the ire of police chiefs across the county who say they lack the money and manpower to fill in the gaps.


• Two plead guilty to violations related to environmental crimes A firm owner and a former day-care-center operator submitted false data to N.J.
  Two South Jersey residents have pleaded guilty to charges related to environmental crimes, the state Attorney General's Office announced yesterday.


• Elections post invalidated in S. Jersey
  A Superior Court judge in Camden yesterday invalidated the creation of an elections superintendent in Gloucester County because the freeholder board held discussions about the matter behind closed doors.


• N.J. troopers join mourners at soldier's funeral
  For hours yesterday, they walked down the aisle of Tabernacle Baptist Church in Burlington City and paused at the open, flag-draped casket to say goodbye.


• Possible gas leak forces hotel evacuation
  The Hyatt Hotel in Mount Laurel was evacuated last night and at least one person taken to West Jersey Hospital after what authorities believe might have been a natural gas leak.

  Police were called to 8000 Crawford Place just after 8 p.m. and ordered the hotel evacuated, according to Burlington County dispatch. Several people were checked for respiratory difficulties.

  The Mount Laurel Township police were investigating last night and did not release more details.

  ---

  - Joelle Farrell


• Phila. lawyer arrives in Vienna for envoy post


• City man charged with harassing Delco family

Philly.com News

News from the Inquirer and Daily News.

• Contents of alleged drug dealer's home auctioned off
  While Marlon Abrahams cools his heels in cell block G1 of the Montgomery County Correctional Facility, his allegedly marijuana-financed two-story East Norriton ranch house - and everything in it - is being sold off to benefit law enforcement.


• Ben and Betsy tie the knot
  To some in the crowd of hundreds gathered outside Independence Hall tonight, it seemed like just another part of the holiday weekend celebration: Betsy Ross marrying Benjamin Franklin. With Thomas Jefferson as best man.


• Flying high on patriotism
  VENTNOR, N.J. - Even at the Shore, where people feel very strongly about flying the flag near the beach - the Shore is where, after all, America begins, at least geographically, where locals still remember the Army patrolling the Boardwalk during wartime - this flag stands out.


• Tourists, Shore business owners facing an unsettled summer
  The Hilton Hotel & Casino in Atlantic City is giving away $2,500 gas cards to 50 table and slots players this month. The Angel of the Sea bed and breakfast in Cape May is offering an "economic stimulus package," which includes a free dinner at a local restaurant and a bottle of champagne.


• N.J. troopers join mourners at soldier's funeral
  For hours yesterday, they walked down the aisle of Tabernacle Baptist Church in Burlington City and paused at the open, flag-draped casket to say goodbye.


• Two plead guilty to violations related to environmental crimes A firm owner and a former day-care-center operator submitted false data to N.J.
  Two South Jersey residents have pleaded guilty to charges related to environmental crimes, the state Attorney General's Office announced yesterday.


• Camden County cuts police coverage in parks
  Camden County is cutting overnight police coverage at its 22 parks, drawing the ire of police chiefs across the county who say they lack the money and manpower to fill in the gaps.


• Elections post invalidated in S. Jersey
  A Superior Court judge in Camden yesterday invalidated the creation of an elections superintendent in Gloucester County because the freeholder board held discussions about the matter behind closed doors.


• Phila. lawyer arrives in Vienna for envoy post


• City man charged with harassing Delco family

Philly.com Sports

Philly.com Sports section with sports news from the Daily News and the Inquirer.

• Penguins sign goalie Fleury for $35 million
  The Pittsburgh Penguins on Thursday signed goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury to a seven-year, $35 million contract, the third long-term deal inked with one of their younger players in two days.


• Smith leaves impressed but without 76ers offer
  The Josh Smith tour of Philadelphia ended yesterday, with the power forward of the Atlanta Hawks being impressed by the presentation of the 76ers and reactions of the people of the city toward him.


• Happ will get his second chance tonight
  ATLANTA - J.A. Happ is a much different pitcher from the one who started once last year for the Phillies.


• Strong-arm Man
  ATLANTA - During the saga of Brett Myers: Decision '08, the Phillies made an obvious but important adjustment to their rotation.


• Rangers sign Naslund, Kalinin; say goodbye to Jagr
  Just as the New York Rangers ushered in the Markus Naslund era on Broadway, they turned out the lights on the Jaromir Jagr show. Naslund, the longtime Vancouver Canucks captain, agreed to terms Thursday with New York on a two-year deal worth $8 million.


• Merritt stuns Wariner in men's 400-meter track final
  EUGENE, Ore. - LaShawn Merritt nervously fingered the beaded necklace he wore as he set himself at the start of last night's men's 400-meter final at the U.S. Olympic track and field trials.


• Williams sisters will meet for Wimbledon title
  WIMBLEDON, England - A spot in her seventh Wimbledon final already secured, Venus Williams headed back to Centre Court yesterday to catch the end of the next match.


• Drug tests given after round in Md.
  BETHESDA, Md. - In the 237 times that Charles Howell III has teed it up on the PGA Tour, a round never ended the way yesterday's did in the AT&T National at Congressional. After signing for an even-par 70, he was handed a pink slip.


• Eugene, Ore.: Track heaven
  EUGENE, Ore. - Not surprisingly, amid all the floral bouquets and handwritten notes tossed at this city's most popular tourist attraction are track medals, numbered race bibs, and worn running shoes.


• Irwin's Hastings to row with U.S. team
  Just about two years ago, Eliza Hastings picked up an oar for the first time. Later this month, the Agnes Irwin senior will be representing the United States at the Junior World Rowing Championships in Austria.

Philly.com Politics

Philly.com politics headlines.

• McCain praises Mexican drug fight, U.S. aid
  MEXICO CITY - Ending a three-day trip to Colombia and Mexico, John McCain praised Mexican drug-fighting efforts yesterday and hailed a U.S. aid package for security forces here as a key step forward in bilateral relations.


• Fur flying over Pennsylvania kennel bill
  HARRISBURG - Against the backdrop of the seemingly endless struggle over the Pennsylvania budget, a dogfight has erupted in the state House over Gov. Rendell's bill to clean up commercial breeding kennels.


• Pa. Senate OKs Great Lakes compact
  HARRISBURG - The state Senate unanimously approved a bill yesterday that would allow Pennsylvania to join a multistate compact to protect and manage the water in the Great Lakes.


• Evans, Fumo give casinos an ultimatum on sites
  HARRISBURG - Move it or lose it. That was the message from two powerful Philadelphia lawmakers to the Foxwoods and SugarHouse casinos last night.


• Deficit, tax hike shadow budget
  HARRISBURG - If the economy continues to slide, Pennsylvania this time next year could be facing a gaping budget deficit a billion dollars wide that could force a tax increase, top legislators said yesterday as they prepared to approve a fiscal spending package for 2008-2009.


• Voters not gettin' what they paid for
  Philadelphia taxpayers have spent $20 million over the last five years to upgrade the city's voting machinery, permitting a rapid, computerized vote count on election night.


• Details on $28.2 billion Pa. budget still lacking
  HARRISBURG - Three days after a smile-and-a-handshake deal was struck on the state budget, mum's the word on the details of its contents.


• In Colombia, McCain talks up trade deals
  CARTAGENA, Colombia - John McCain hailed the economic benefits of free trade to Colombians yesterday, raising the possibility of an eventual hemisphere-wide agreement even though a weak economy at home has soured many U.S. voters on trade agreements.


• Obama urges voluntary service to country
  COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - Continuing to press values themes, Sen. Barack Obama exhorted Americans yesterday "to step into the strong currents of history" and volunteer for service to their country, pledging to dramatically expand opportunities for those accepting his challenge.


• McCain in Colombia sends message home
  CARTAGENA, Colombia - Sen. John McCain's trip here yesterday was part of an unusual three-day presidential-campaign swing to Latin America with a dual message for voters back home.