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To Patti Carbone, serving a life sentence for murder, the reporter's pitch seemed almost too good to be true. Fourteen years before, she'd rejected a plea agreement, believing that when she stabbed a Somerset County man who abducted her outside a tavern, she had acted in self-defense.

Eagles coach Andy Reid and his players show their frustration after Donovan McNabb´s fourth-down sneak was ruled short. Reid challenged the call, but it was upheld, costing him his last time-out.

Phil Sheridan: Once again, time is trouble for Eagles

Andy Reid's reasoning wasn't terrible when he sent his field-goal team out with 4 minutes, 33 seconds showing on the clock. His math was another story.

Cowboys coach Wade Phillips slaps hands with tight end Jason Witten after a key fourth-quarter first down.

Bob Ford: Sloppy play is putting NFC East in a muddle

Midway through the third quarter last night, when the Eagles lined up for what should have been a simple quarterback sneak on fourth and inches, they tried to outsmart the Dallas Cowboys instead of merely settling for beating them.

Winging It: Sometimes, airfares hardly seem fair

Consumers who can still afford to fly have been helped this year by the sharp drop in the price of an airline ticket, down 13 percent in the second quarter, according to the U.S. Bureau of Transportation Statistics.

Ask Dr. H: She's had digestive distress since gall bladder removal

Question: I'm a 66-year-old female who had gallbladder removal 31/2 years ago. Ever since then, I've had more abdominal pain, cramping, nausea, pressure, belching, and flatulence than ever before! I've had all the tests done - colonoscopy, upper endoscopy, small-intestine study, and stool samples - all normal. Can you offer advice on how to deal with life without a gallbladder?

Dennis Hopper says a new treatment for his prostate cancer "has great promise."

Sideshow: 76ers say: Snuff the sun

When the Philadelphia 76ers play the Phoenix Suns at 7 tonight, they will try to encourage their fans to block out the sun - literally. Main Line Health will conduct free melanoma screenings on the main concourse beginning at 6 p.m. and will distribute in

Cole Hamels, in the dugout with manager Charlie Manuel, is expected to play a big role in 2010. "We expect him to come back and be the pitcher he can be," GM Ruben Amaro Jr. said.

Bob Ford: Phillies' future hinges on Hamels

If the Phillies are going to get back to the World Series in 2010, they will need Cole Hamels to pitch like Cole Hamels and quit channeling his inner Tyler Green.

Worldview: Afghan women need help to sustain their fragile gains: HERAT, Afghanistan - I came to this city of clean, tree-lined streets, near the Iranian border, to write about Afghan women.
Half Empty: Mayor Nutter's feelings hurt?: Only his shrink knows for sure.

The following is a partial transcript of Mayor Nutter's most recent session with his psychiatrist. P: You look tired.
Phil Sheridan: Eagles' road to playoffs goes through Dallas: One week after the big two-part grudge match against New York - and just days after the Phillies' dismissal from the World Series - the Eagles face the NFL equivalent of those Damned Yankees.
Inqlings: Cataldi says WIP contract talks "more difficult": WIP without Angelo Cataldi in the morning? Possible. With less than two months remaining in his contract - and three months before WIP's signature Wing Bowl - there's nervous buzz around the sports-talk station that a new deal is not at hand between CBS Radio and its 20-year veteran.
Annette John-Hall: Fox News strangles open debate by firing a liberal Philly voice: I'm sure Fox News, cash cow that it is, doesn't need little ol' me to bolster its already fat ratings.
Web Wealth:: New rules for Individual Retirement Accounts should induce you to see if 2010 is the year to convert any traditional IRA into a Roth IRA. It depends on when you'd rather pay the taxes.
Personal Finance: Losses, not taxes, should be concern in futures trading: Question: I've started trading futures and currencies. It's a small account, but I'm worried about the effect on my taxes because there is so much trading. Is there anything I can do about that?
Head Strong: Here's a hard truth for the hard right: Who is Dede Scozzafava? If you believe Rush Limbaugh, she's a "liberal woman." Columnist Michelle Malkin called her a "radical leftist." There's "nothing Republican" about her, according to the New York Post editorial board.
PhillyDeals: Snagging big firms' clients: One in 10 Americans is out of work. But James Wiley says this is a good time to quit corporate America and set up your own investment firm.
Back Channels: Obama should heed his own lofty words: The U.S. Chamber of Commerce will not be bullied into silence, its president says. It's time for dialogue.

'I chose to run for the presidency at this moment in history because I believe deeply that we cannot solve the challenges of our time unless we solve them together. ..."
Monica Yant Kinney: Staring death in the face: Frank Bender lives for the dead. For 30 years, the forensic sculptor has peered into skulls and seen souls. With no scientific training and no college education, he became an internationally heralded "recomposer of the decomposed," an artist who solves crimes while providing comfort to strangers.