Phawker

EUREKA: Scientists May Have Discovered The ‘Thin Pill’
INQUIRER: Today’s booming gym business could start to go bust if scientists confirm the initial promise of two performance-enhancing, fat-melting pills that mimic the physiological benefits of exercise without all the sweat. Results published today in the journal Cell show the drugs turn ordinary mice into trim marathon champions. There should be no shortage of volunteers ready see if they do they same in humans. The two drugs, which go by their scientific names AICAR and GW1516, have two different target demographics: Couch potatoes might consider AICAR, which seems to build endurance and encourage fat burning through the same molecular processes that go on during real exercise. GW1516 may be more for athletes, because it boosted endurance even more but only if the mice did about 30 minutes of treadmill running a day. [via PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER]

TIGER BALM: Golden Retriever Adopts Three Tiger Cubs

CANEY, Kan. - A dog at a southeast Kansas zoo has adopted three tiger cubs abandoned by their mother. Safari Zoological Park owner Tom Harvey said the tiger cubs were born Sunday, but the mother had problems with them. A day later, the mother stopped caring for them. Harvey said the cubs were wandering around, trying to find their birth mother, who wouldn’t pay attention to them. That’s when the cubs were put in the care of a golden retriever, Harvey said. Harvey said it’s unusual for dogs to care for tiger cubs, but it does happen. He said he has seen reports of pigs nursing cubs in China, and he actually got the golden retriever after his wife saw television accounts of dogs caring for tiger cubs. [via ASSOCIATED PRESS]

GO, JOHNNY GO: Edwards Goes Out Of His Way To Elude Press Questions

It was only three weeks ago that John Edwards was fielding media questions on his chances of filling the Democratic Party’s vice presidential slot on Barack Obama’s ticket or a potential Cabinet position in an Obama administration. On Wednesday, however, the former U.S. senator and 2004 vice presidential nominee was eager to duck the press when the questions took a tabloid turn. About a dozen reporters and photojournalists attended a speech Edwards gave to an AARP Foundation symposium on poverty and aging in Washington. Afterward, he avoided most of the waiting reporters, at least some of whom wanted to question him about recent reports in the National Enquirer that alleged an inappropriate relationship with a former campaign videographer. On Wednesday, Edwards apparently ducked out a side area used by the kitchen staff in the fourth-floor ballroom of Washington’s historic Hotel Monaco. Edwards emerged from a lower-level handicap ramp near the rear of the hotel with two men. When approached by a Charlotte Observer reporter, Edwards said, “Can’t do it now, I’m sorry” and quickly walked past. Asked what he was doing at the Beverly Hilton last week, Edwards said “sorry” and got into a waiting car with the other men. At a July 23 speech in Houston, Edwards responded to a reporter’s question about the Enquirer story by referring to it as “tabloid trash.” [via NEWS & OBSERVER]

HIGHWAY TO HELL: Man Beheaded On Crowded Cross-Country Bus

PORTAGE LA PRAIRIE, MANITOBA, CANADA — At about 8:45 p.m. the vehicle was stopped in the eastbound lane following an apparent assault. Garnet Caton, one of 37 passengers on the bus, said he witnessed the attack. “We all heard this scream, this like blood-curdling scream,” Caton told CBC Newsworld. He alleged the suspect [NOT pictured, above] had a “large hunting knife” and repeatedly stabbed the victim “like 50 or 60 times.” “The attacker was calmy over top of the victim continually cutting him. I think the victim was gone at that point,” Caton told the CBC. He said the victim appeared to be sleeping before the attack and the suspect was not acting out of the ordinary. The bus was evacuated, but Caton said he was one of a handful of witnesses who saw the suspect allegedly trying to behead the body. The suspect later appeared at the front of the bus, he said. “He calmly walked up to the front (of the bus) with (the victim’s) head in his hand and the knife and then dropped the head in front of us,” Caton said, adding he believes the suspect later returned to the back of the bus and was seen later “taunting police with the head in his hand out the window.” [via EDMONTON SUN]

Last night’s complete Daily Show With Jon Stewart after the jump. Enjoy.

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INQUIRER: The area around Independence Mall was tied in knots this morning after a man and a woman attempted to enter the William Green Federal Building about 11 a.m. with “prohibited items,” authorities said. The couple was detained and federal agents searched a car in an adjoining garage, where they discovered additional “prohibited items.” Broadcast reports said the couple had ammunition and a knife in their pockets and a shotgun stowed in their car. As a precaution, police evacuated the Federal Building, Philadelphia’s best-known tourist attractions and a daycare center. A garage adjoining the federal building also was evacuated. Traffic was diverted on 5th and 6th Streets between Market and Arch. DEVELOPING…

DAILY MAIL: Elizabeth Taylor was put on a life support machine after suffering congestive heart failure, it was reported this evening. The 76-year-old’s condition was said to have deteriorated after she was initially diagnosed with pneumonia last week. Her children were at her bedside and doctors warned she might not survive, said the U.S. publication National Enquirer.

UPDATE: LOS ANGELES — Elizabeth Taylor was hospitalized for an undisclosed reason but was expected to return home soon, representatives for the Oscar-winning actress said Thursday. A statement released by Dick Guttman, her Los Angeles-based publicist, did not say where Taylor was staying, nor did it specify what might have been ailing the 76-year-old actress. “Ms. Taylor is fine,” the statement read. “Her hospital visit was precautionary. She will be returning home shortly. At present, she is surrounded by family, friends and fabulous jewels.” MORE

ASSOCIATED PRESS: President Bush’s top advisers are not immune from congressional subpoenas, a federal judge ruled Thursday in an unprecedented dispute between the two political branches. House Democrats called the ruling a ringing endorsement of the principle that nobody is above the law. In his ruling, U.S. District Judge John Bates said there’s no legal basis for Bush’s argument and that his former legal counsel, Harriet Miers, must appear before Congress. If she wants to refuse to testify, he said, she must do so in person. The committee also has sought to force testimony from White House chief of staff Joshua Bolten. “Harriet Miers is not immune from compelled congressional process; she is legally required to testify pursuant to a duly issued congressional subpoena,” Bates wrote. He said that both Bolten and Miers must give Congress all non-privileged documents related to the firings. MORE

BY AARON STELLA Welcome my fellow hungry Americans to another edition of Truck Stop, where each week we’ll visit street vendors in different parts of Philadelphia to assist the common wayfarer in their travels and grub scavenging. Hey, don’t give me that look — if you ain’t too proud to get your news off the Internet, then you probably ain’t too proud to eat sushi off a truck. This week: the Center City theater and financial district. As I was zooming down 12^th street on my way from Temple University to Center City, I fantasized about the fine cuisine Center City trucks must provide for the yuppie and corporate crowd. But when I visited all the major points of lunchtime congregation I found nothing but warm-water hotdog stands and cheese steak joints. Sigh.

BILLY’S TRUCK
LOCATION: On 9^th street between Market and Chestnut streets.
CUISINE: Typical lunch truck fare

Billy Hadden, owner of the cart on 9^th street, says “all the major news stations” have interviewed him about his truck. He’s a local, still living in Fishtown. The guy says he used to go to the George Chandler elementary school located at Wildey St. and Montgomery Ave., which was converted to an apartment complex sometime in the past 10 to 15 years, and where I take residence. So we had a lot to talk about. He’s had the truck in operation for 12 years now, and has known some of his customers since they were tots. Now, in their early twenties, he still receives their patronage. The menu is standard lunch truck fare: Cheese steaks, burgers, hot dogs and Wiener schnitzel. Hot chocolate, milk, soda, juice and water. Prices are not listed on the menu on the side of the truck, strangely enough. I figured I should sample cheese steaks or bacon, egg and cheese rolls. You know in Curb Your Enthusiasm when Larry David expels his infamous “eh,” shruggin his shoulders with disinterestedness? That’s how I felt about Hadden’s cheese steak. All told, a pretty paltry sandwhich, it was more baked roll than anything, and I had to use the little boy’s room about 15 minutes after I finished eating. Of course, that could just be my mild case of lactose intolerance, of which I’m in extreme denial, but that doesn’t happen with all cheese infused food I eat. I paid $3.75 for it, that’s a little under the running rate for cheese steaks. Service wasn’t the snappiest and I doubt I’ll be going back for the cheese steaks, but Hadden is very sociable and his rapport with his patrons no doubt inspires loyalty.

HARR’S TRUCK
Location: On Locus St. between Broad and 15^th streets
Cuisine: Dejavu. Need I say more.

Harr, which was the only name he gave of himself, is quiet and reserved, speaking to his customer with what little English he knows. He has his reasons for remaining anonymous and that’s just fine. By the way, the menu’s the same as Hadden’s. Service was speedy, with me at least, for Harr’s haste seems to come in bouts, only when he deemed it necessary. This time, I tried the bacon, egg and cheese. Not bad, not bad at all. It had plenty of thick strips of bacon—the best kind of bacon, you know, the hefty kind—and it was cooked not to a crisp but had a bit of give. My only criticism was that it was a tad dry, as is the case with most grease carts. Other than that, I was full and thoroughly satisfied with my purchase.

ANONYMOUS’ TRUCK
Location: On 16^th St. between Walnut and Locust streets
Cuisine: Yeah yeah, you know.

I settled to review this truck frankly because know one else would talk with me, and he least let me snap a photo of his truck. The man running the truck seemed jovial as he interacted with his customers. Service was lightning fast; he pumped out orders as if he had a five-man assembly line behind him. I had the cheese steak. The proportion of meat to roll heavily favored the meat, which was a refreshing change. It was larger, by far, in length and girth (sorry, couldn’t help it) than Hadden’s, and only cost 25 cents more. If I’m in Center City hankering for a cheese steak, I’ll definitely go back.

[Photos by AARON STELLA]

INQUIRER: [T]he FCC, for the first time, will establish enforceable rules for how Comcast and other broadband companies can treat the Internet. The agency is calling the order a precedent-setting move that will provide some consumer protections. The agency’s five commissioners are expected to vote on it tomorrow at the agency headquarters in Washington. FCC Chairman Kevin Martin, a Republican, has found allies in Democratic Commissioners Michael Copps and Jonathan S. Adelstein, who reportedly intend to vote for the punishment order. Republican Commissioners Robert M. McDowell and Deborah Taylor Tate are expected to oppose Martin’s order. Comcast and FCC have held talks to settle the dispute. Most expect Comcast to appeal to the courts if the order passes. The issue at hand involves Comcast customers who use its network to transmit enormous data files - full-length movies, for example - over the Internet. Comcast interrupts these “Internet hogs,” but not, the company says, for the anticompetitive reasons that Free Press and other critics say.

If people are downloading or uploading massive amounts of data, the Internet slows because of data jams. High online speeds are a goal for all Comcast customers, and the company had to interrupt some Internet traffic to ease jams, Comcast says. In response to the criticism, Comcast says it will change how it manages its huge Internet network and give customers more information about its practices. “We continue to assert that our network-management practices were reasonable, wholly consistent with industry practices and that we did not block access to Web sites or online applications, including peer-to-peer services. We do not believe the record supports any other conclusion,” Comcast spokeswoman Sena Fitzmaurice said in a statement. MORE

FORBES: Shares of Comcast Corp. soared on Wednesday after the cable operator reported that free cash flow more than tripled in the second quarter. The Philadelphia-based company said free cash flow rose by 216 percent to $1.2 billion. Comcast (nasdaq: CMCSA - news - people ) posted net income of $632 million, or 21 cents per share, compared with $588 million, or 19 cents, in the same quarter a year earlier. Analysts had expected, on average, profits of 22 cents on revenue of $8.54 billion. Shares of Comcast rose by 89 cents, or 4.6 percent, to close at $20.07 Wednesday. MORE

NBC10: PHILADELPHIA — Police said Wednesday a 10-year-old girl was caught in the middle of a frightening gun battle on the streets of West Philadelphia.Victoria Green, along with two men, were shot in the area of Ruby and Chestnut streets. Green was shot in the leg and rushed to Children’s Hospital.”Ten years old, out here playing, can’t even play in front of your door with violence going on. I mean it’s ridiculous,” David Smith, the victim’s uncle, said.

Police said the shooting began with a cell phone call saying there was going to be a fight. Then, police said the gunman opened fire going northbound on Ruby Street toward a group of men.Police said there were many cars damaged on the street and casings were everywhere.”Whoever was shooting at that corner right there knew there were little kids right there playing like that and had no regard for human life,” Smith said.The gunman was still being sought, NBC 10 News reported, and authorities were reviewing surveillance cameras in the area to see if the shooting was caught on tape. MORE

UPDATE: Police have arrested a man in the shootings last night of three people, including a 10-year-old girl, in West Philadelphia. Gunfire erupted at 8:40 p.m. near the 5300 block of Chestnut Street following an altercation between two groups of men, police said. The girl was playing in front of her home on Ruby Street when the gunman, who has not been named by police, fired eight shots. One of the bullets struck the youngster in the calf. Two men, ages 22 and 23, were hit in the legs. MORE

UNRELATED: Police Say Obese Cat Is NOT Considered A Suspect

ALL HIP-HOP: Presumptive Democrat presidential nominee Barack Obama has condemned an endorsement song from Ludacris, in which the Atlanta MC criticizes rivals Hillary Clinton and John McCain. The song “Politics: Obama Is Here” contains celebratory bars on Obama’s success (“The first is destined and it’s meant to be”), but turns venomous when Obama’s rivals are addressed. Ludacris references the bitter Democratic primary battle by stating “Hillary hated on you/So that b**ch is irrelevant.” Regarding Republican nominee John McCain, the rapper rhymes:

“McCain don’t belong in ANY chair unless he’s paralyzed/ Yeah I said it cause Bush is mentally handicapped/ Ball up all of his speeches and I throw ‘em like candy wrap.”

Through his campaign team, Senator Obama released a statement condemning the song as offensive and typical of much of Hip-Hop’s current lyrical content. “As Barack Obama has said many, many times in the past, rap lyrics today too often perpetuate misogyny, materialism, and degrading images that he doesn’t want his daughters or any children exposed to,” explained spokesman Bill Burton. “This song is not only outrageously offensive to Senator Clinton, Reverend Jackson, Senator McCain, and President Bush, it is offensive to all of us who are trying to raise our children with values we hold dear. While Ludacris is a talented individual he should be ashamed of these lyrics.” MORE

[From today’s edition of Fresh Air]
TERRY GROSS: I happen to know you play bassoon.

RAINN WILSON: Yeah, I do.

TERRY GROSS: Which is great, it’s a great instrument, a lot of people don’t even know what it sounds like.

RAINN WILSON: Sounds a little like this [makes bassoon sound]….I think.

TERRY GROSS: It’s a hard instrument to play.

RAINN WILSON: It’s very hard, it’s a double reed. It’s also a ‘girl repellent.’

TERRY GROSS: [laughs uproariously]

RAINN WILSON: So all you aspiring bassoonists out there, thrown down the bassoon and pick up the electric guitar.

TERRY GROSS: You have to suck on reed for a while, too.

RAINN WILSON: That’s what she said…[scolding himself] Not now! You’re on Fresh Air!

Details after the jump…

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FRESH AIRWhile his Office character may take himself seriously, actor Rainn Wilson seems to be all about the laughs. Wilson plays beet-farming, archery-loving middle-management kook Dwight Shrute on the NBC hit television series. Now, Wilson is trading his crossbow for a guitar in the new film The Rocker. In The Rocker, Wilson plays a failed hair metal musician. After he’s kicked out of his band, the group goes on to achieve great success. But when he joins his nephew’s garage band, he gets a second chance at fame. Wilson made his breakthrough as an actor playing an eccentric mortician on the HBO series Six Feet Under. He has also appeared in the films Almost Famous, Galaxy Quest, and Juno.

RADIO TIMES

Hour 1
The Delaware River Port Authority has proposed increases in tolls on Delaware River bridges and fares on the PATCO High Speed line to pay for improvements in infrastructure. The agency is in debt despite economic development expenditures of over $375 million to various cultural organizations over the last nine years. We talk about the business and politics of the DPRA with reporters PAUL NUSSBAUM and EILEEN STILWELL. Listen to this show via Real Audio | mp3
Hour 2
SHERYLL CASHIN is a Georgetown University law professor who writes about race relations, government, and inequality in America. She is also part of a family filled with political and civil rights activists, including her father,Dr. John L. Cashin Jr, who founded an independent alternative Democratic party and ran for governor against George Wallace in 1970. She discusses this legacy in her new memoir, “The Agitator’s Daughter.” Listen to this show via Real Audio | mp3

THIS AMERICAN LIFE

360: Switched At Birth
On a summer day in 1951, two baby girls were born in a hospital in small-town Wisconsin. The infants were accidentally switched, and went home with the wrong families. One of the mothers realized the mistake but chose to keep quiet. Until the day, more than 40 years later, when she decided to tell both daughters what happened. How the truth changed two families’ lives—and how it didn’t.

THE WORLD CAFE

Thursday July 24, 2008
G. Love
Host David Dye welcomes G. Love to the World Cafe for the latest taste of his hip-hop and blues style. Superhero Brother is the new album featuring guest performances from contemporaries like Ben Harper, Jack Johnson, and Blackalicious. Delivering with characteristic wailing harmonica and superb lyrical phrasing, G. Love has a fresh and relevant sound even ten albums in.

G. LOVE: Love

HEY, MR. SPACEMAN: Spiritualized, TLA, Last Night [Photos by JONATHAN VALANIA]