http://whyy.org/cms/news News and Information from WHYY in Philadelphia Fri, 20 Nov 2009 23:49:27 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en New Jersey lawmakers return to the Statehouse on Monday for the first time since the election of Governor-elect Chris Christie. One of their first actions by state lawmakers will be to select the new leadership that will work with Christie. Sheila Oliver of East Orange is expected to be the new Assembly ... http://whyy.org/cms/news/regional-news/2009/11/20/n-j-legislature-to-announce-new-leadership-monday/23778 Pennsylvania Auditor General Jack Wagner says there's no problem with his running for governor while keeping his day job. And, he says, the same goes for Tom Corbett. Both Wagner and Attorney General Tom Corbett have formally declared their campaigns for governor, opponents have stepped up their criticism each time the ... http://whyy.org/cms/news/uncategorized/2009/11/20/wagner-no-problem-running-for-governor/23772 About 3,000 vaccinations for those considered high risk for H1N1 are expected to be given over the weekend throughout Delaware. The so-called "mass" clinics are the nation's first partnership between federal and state health agencies. "This is important because we are getting a large number of people who are at high risk for ... http://whyy.org/cms/news/health-science/2009/11/20/thousands-to-go-through-mass-h1n1-clinics/23621 The Philadelphia police began cracking down on law-breaking cyclists in the city's business district on Friday. The move comes in the wake of two recent pedestrian deaths caused by bicycles. The afternoon roll call for the ninth district bicycle cops happened in Rittenhouse Square, where pedestrians, bicycles and cars often compete ... http://whyy.org/cms/news/uncategorized/2009/11/20/bike-crackdown-begins-in-phila/23756 The thousands of runners who hit the streets this weekend in the Philadelphia Marathon may be worrying about some of their fellow runners. The recent deaths of three people at the Detroit Marathon have some experts warning athletes before they hit the pavement. It's not just jocks and exercise fanatics ... http://whyy.org/cms/news/regional-news/2009/11/20/phila-marathoners-may-be-thinking-of-detroit/23752 The fate of a 23-year old Philadelphia man is in a jury's hands. John Lewis has been convicted of first-degree murder in the 2007 murder of Philadelphia police Officer Chuck Cassidy. The jury now must decide whether John Lewis deserves the death penalty. Sandra Schultz Newman is a retired ... http://whyy.org/cms/news/regional-news/2009/11/20/jury-deliberates-death-sentence-for-cop-killer/23737 New Jersey is still assessing the damage from last week's Nor'easter. The state may seek an emergency declaration from the President that would unlock money for beach restoration funds. But there is disagreement over the value of these programs. Steward Farrell, director of the Coastal Research Center at Richard Stockton College says ... http://whyy.org/cms/news/uncategorized/2009/11/20/recent-noreaster-renews-debate-over-beach-replenishment/23727 Valero Energy is closing its Delaware City refinery for good due to financial losses, putting about 550 people out of work. Valero officials cite poor economic conditions paired with significant capital spending requirements and high operating costs as reasons for the closure. "The decision to permanently close the Delaware City refinery was ... http://whyy.org/cms/news/regional-news/delaware/2009/11/20/valero-shuts-down-de-refinery/23601 If not well documented, the impact of an appearance on Comedy Central's satirical news show The Colbert Report is at least frequently touted by the show's namesake.  Stephen Colbert has turned the art of self promotion into a fine science.  An appearance on the Report  (the 't' is silent) purportedly ... http://whyy.org/cms/news/government-politics/2009/11/20/so-much-for-the-vaunted-colbert-bump/23285 Both sides in the controversial deepening of the Delaware River are continuing their battle on the issue. Environmentalists filed more legal challenges in the federal courts in both New Jersey and Delaware while supporters held a rally on Thursday in Philadelphia. Caption: State Representative Bill Keller Listen: [audio: 091119tmdredge.mp3] Hundreds of union workers rallied ... http://whyy.org/cms/news/government-politics/2009/11/20/unions-call-for-action-on-river-dredging/23688