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Chris Satullo: Look clearly at charter schools

These are dark days for a once-bright idea in Philadelphia. Charter schools have been a core element of Philadelphia public school reform. Charter schools get taxpayer money, but operate outside the traditional system's rules.

Bob Ford: Pimlico stirs memories of triumph and tragedy

BALTIMORE - Thirty years ago, on the third Saturday in May, in what was grandly called the "Auxiliary Press Viewing Area," I leaned against a loose timber railing on the edge of Pimlico Race Course's roof and saw a horse named Affirmed gallop down the stretch exactly one neck ahead of a horse named Alydar, and had no idea what I was seeing.

Cowboys' Tony Romo can't sing and John Buccigross knows.

Dave on Demand: 'Hills' hooey

These brats are icons of a generation? Like, whoa!

Wow, that was some thrilling season finale to The Hills, huh, kids? On MTV's zeitgeisty reality show, Lauren cried (or maybe her contacts were giving her trouble), and Heidi left her boss in the lurch to flee Las Vegas with Spencer. (Did you see Heidi skulking down the casino escalator? Who takes that much luggage on a day trip?)

Portia de Rossi (left) and Ellen DeGeneres plan to make it legal.

Sideshow: Wedding bells to peal for Ellen

Just hours after the California Supreme Court struck down a state law banning same-sex marriage on Thursday, TV talker Ellen DeGeneres announced that she and actress Portia de Rossi plan to wed.

Annette John-Hall: Moving beyond the stereotypes

It feels like a lifetime ago, but it's been only two months since Barack Obama made his historic speech at the National Constitution Center that challenged us to examine our racial attitudes.

Phil Sheridan: Flyers win - by just shooting the puck

It seemed like a little thing at the time, not even worth bringing up. On the off day between Games 1 and 2 in Pittsburgh, Flyers center Danny Briere was asked about taking just one shot the night before. Briere bristled a bit at the implication that a lack of shots meant a lack of production.

Morning Bytes: White Sox' pranksters strike out

Poor baseball. Even when the sport is in the pink, it can't avoid a red face. One week before pink bats and pink wristbands were used on Mother's Day to raise awareness of breast cancer, the Chicago White Sox employed their own bit of sexual symbolism.

Sideshow: A memorial for Oprah's 2 late dogs: Daniel Edwards has struck again. This time, the artist who created a shocking sculpture of Britney Spears giving birth on a bearskin rug has struck at the very heart of American spirituality with a bust of the queen of the new age, Oprah Winfrey, reports E!Online reports.
Cheat Sheet: Bring the cool with you, save money, with fans: Want to reduce your carbon footprint and lower your summer electric bill at the same time? Consider portable fans. They're relatively inexpensive, and you can take the cool with you - as long as there's an outlet close by, of course.
Time to ...: Plant with gusto, but always plant properly. Different plants have different needs. Always know the drainage and light needs of a plant and act accordingly. For all, a cloudy day or late afternoon is best for planting - wait until shade returns to a site.
Jonathan Storm: Fox taps tried-and-true producers: Out of 6 new shows slated for the network's coming season, 4 are from familiar names.

Going to the well to sign fan-favorite producers, Fox yesterday announced that four of its six new series for the 2008-09 TV season will come from the beloved creators of Lost, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Arrested Development and Family Guy.
Back Channels: Shaping a post-Iraq military: COLORADO SPRINGS - The three White House contenders didn't attend this week's conference on the U.S. military after Iraq, but their presence was felt.
Power Up: Wii workout game gets beyond thumbs: If you're worried about how you're going to look in a bathing suit this summer, perhaps video games deserve some of the blame. You know, too much Grand Theft Auto IV, not enough cardiovascular exercise.
Bob Ford: Hey, Eagles fans, Specter forgot to ask: Bad news, Eagles fans. Sen. Arlen Specter forgot to ask Matt Walsh about the 2005 Super Bowl. What do we send these people to Congress for, anyway?
Daniel Rubin: The Pied Piper of Peach Street: It's fair to say that when Leonard Bonarek moved onto Peach Street two winters ago with his pit bull, Lucca, the locals viewed him with more than a little skepticism.
Phil Sheridan: The Flyers can build with a strong effort: It makes a difference how the Flyers go out. If their season ends tonight, or Sunday in Pittsburgh, or whenever, it matters how this team plays its final periods of playoff hockey. It matters because that last impression will linger in the minds of these players and their fans.
Sideshow: Jack Black spills both beans: Brangelina is pregnant. That's not really a surprise, given the pictures of Angelina Jolie on the Internet lately. And, yes, it's twins for Jolie and Brad Pitt, as the gossips have speculated. Or so says Jack Black, who costars with Jolie in Kung Fu Panda. He let the news slip during a Today show interview in Cannes with Jolie by his side.
Inqlings: Blind boy gets his 'Idol' wish: Fox29 isn't sending a reporter to L.A. for next week's season finale of American Idol, but it will fly out 11-year-old jazz singer Rocco Fiorentino - fulfilling the Voorhees boy's longtime wish.