http://www.philly.com/r?19=960&32=3796&7=195342&40=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.philly.com%2Finquirer%2Ffront_page%2F Stories from the front page of the Philadelphia Inquirer en-us Fri, 16 May 2008 15:33:37 GMT 2008-05-16T15:33:37Z en-us http://www.philly.com/r?19=961&43=166721&44=19001944&32=3796&7=195342&40=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.philly.com%2Finquirer%2Ffront_page%2F20080516_There_was_no_oversight_at_Phila__Academy__probers_say__Charter_s_financial_controls_faulted.html Brien N. Gardiner, the founder of Philadelphia Academy Charter School, and the former chief executive officer, Kevin M. O'Shea, were the only people at the school with authority to write checks, and there was no oversight on how the money was spent, according to lawyers hired by the school's board. Fri, 16 May 2008 07:01:00 GMT 4b70e5c84d93fdfee1ecb5de6ddda7c0 2008-05-16T07:01:00Z http://www.philly.com/r?19=961&43=166721&44=19008539&32=3796&7=195342&40=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.philly.com%2Finquirer%2Ffront_page%2FCalifornias_top_court_legalizes_gay_marriage.html California's Supreme Court declared that gay couples in the nation's most populous state can marry _ a monumental but perhaps short-lived victory for the gay rights movement Thursday that was greeted with tears, hugs, kisses and at least one instant proposal of matrimony. Fri, 16 May 2008 15:33:37 GMT 0a1533a424b0d55d7e8b39de41d35fa1 2008-05-16T15:33:37Z http://www.philly.com/r?19=961&43=166721&44=19001924&32=3796&7=195342&40=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.philly.com%2Finquirer%2Ffront_page%2F20080516_A_frenzy_of_filming_in_Philly.html When David Frankel agreed to direct the movie adaptation of John Grogan's best seller Marley & Me, he expected to shoot in Philadelphia at The Inquirer, where Grogan had been a columnist. Fri, 16 May 2008 07:01:00 GMT 742788ee65f565c4d4f012dfa56bd2bc 2008-05-16T07:01:00Z http://www.philly.com/r?19=961&43=166721&44=19001939&32=3796&7=195342&40=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.philly.com%2Finquirer%2Ffront_page%2F20080516_Suspect_apologizes_to_the_Liczbinski_family.html Eric DeShawn Floyd, arrested in a Southwest Philadelphia hideout five days after the shooting death of Police Sgt. Stephen Liczbinski, apologized to the officer's family in a confession admitting his role in the killing. Fri, 16 May 2008 07:01:00 GMT b9ab15e921b19d5446e06d214de5cb10 2008-05-16T07:01:00Z http://www.philly.com/r?19=961&43=166721&44=19001934&32=3796&7=195342&40=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.philly.com%2Finquirer%2Ffront_page%2F20080516_Stack_associate_on_board_of_firm_in_FBI_mob_probe.html The chief of staff for Democratic Pennsylvania State Sen. Michael Stack is a member of the board of directors of a Texas company at the center of an FBI organized-crime-linked fraud investigation. Fri, 16 May 2008 07:01:00 GMT 87c8d2e2b487db768dca4583b8a7325b 2008-05-16T07:01:00Z http://www.philly.com/r?19=961&43=166721&44=18965104&32=3796&7=195342&40=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.philly.com%2Finquirer%2Ffront_page%2F20080515_Local_aid_crosses_boundaries.html As the devastation and horror from the China earthquake grew clearer yesterday, Paul Michele blasted out e-mail messages to a few hundred of his closest friends, urging them to help a group of children overlooked in the round-the-clock news coverage: Thu, 15 May 2008 07:01:00 GMT 83ad6784f964835530bcbbb6d2a1a55c 2008-05-15T07:01:00Z http://www.philly.com/r?19=961&43=166721&44=18959449&32=3796&7=195342&40=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.philly.com%2Finquirer%2Ffront_page%2F20080514_Protection_for_polar_bear.html WASHINGTON - The Interior Department declared the polar bear a threatened species yesterday because of the loss of Arctic sea ice but also cautioned the decision should not be viewed as a path to address global warming. Thu, 15 May 2008 09:13:55 GMT c772bbac3e279fd3d1abb085406f6b17 2008-05-15T09:13:55Z http://www.philly.com/r?19=961&43=166721&44=18965099&32=3796&7=195342&40=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.philly.com%2Finquirer%2Ffront_page%2F20080515_Major_changes_at_troubled_charter.html The board of Philadelphia Academy Charter School last night made sweeping changes in its leadership in a bid to ensure that the Northeast school's charter wins approval to continue operating for five more years. Thu, 15 May 2008 07:01:00 GMT 6897ed0b17df7ced2ce57f4f746d6557 2008-05-15T07:01:00Z http://www.philly.com/r?19=961&43=166721&44=18965079&32=3796&7=195342&40=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.philly.com%2Finquirer%2Ffront_page%2F20080515_Boeing_helicopter_work_to_resume_amid_foul-play_concerns.html Work remained halted at the Boeing Co. plant in Ridley Township yesterday as suspicions of foul play dominated an unfolding investigation into how two military helicopters were damaged as they were nearing completion for an Army contract. Thu, 15 May 2008 07:01:00 GMT c5205185496a6858d2930df384477873 2008-05-15T07:01:00Z http://www.philly.com/r?19=961&43=166721&44=18922224&32=3796&7=195342&40=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.philly.com%2Finquirer%2Ffront_page%2F20080514_Charter_founder_getting_consulting_fees.html Philadelphia Academy Charter School founder Brien N. Gardiner's web of business relationships includes a $108,000-a-year consulting agreement with an education company that does business with the city's school district. Wed, 14 May 2008 07:01:00 GMT c22ffac8f3e5dcf96d9488ad961b5675 2008-05-14T07:01:00Z http://www.philly.com/r?19=961&43=166721&44=18922229&32=3796&7=195342&40=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.philly.com%2Finquirer%2Ffront_page%2F20080514_Report_finds_safety_problems_in_Phila__schools.html Violence in city schools is unacceptably high, and the Philadelphia School District needs to take immediate aggressive steps to stem the rising tide, a report released yesterday by state Secretary of Education Gerald Zahorchak concluded. Wed, 14 May 2008 07:01:00 GMT 3b790ef93b883f8ed7c7a79de0b5b228 2008-05-14T07:01:00Z http://www.philly.com/r?19=961&43=166721&44=18922234&32=3796&7=195342&40=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.philly.com%2Finquirer%2Ffront_page%2F20080514_Beasley_heirs_dispute_the_lawyer_s_estate.html In death as in life, feisty lawyer James E. Beasley Sr. has stirred a courthouse fracas. The renowned malpractice and libel lawyer died in 2004, leaving an estate valued at $59 million, including two vintage P-51 fighter planes. He also left behind five children from two marriages, and bequeathed each child a slice of his fortune with one caveat: Any heir who challenged the will in court would be disinherited. Wed, 14 May 2008 07:01:00 GMT efc2b19d916812e509f67db3a8a50d63 2008-05-14T07:01:00Z http://www.philly.com/r?19=961&43=166721&44=18922214&32=3796&7=195342&40=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.philly.com%2Finquirer%2Ffront_page%2F20080514_Nor_easter_damaged_Jersey_Shore_beaches.html On what otherwise would have been the perfect beach day, officials at the Jersey Shore yesterday assessed erosion caused by Monday's nor'easter and vowed to get their resorts in shape for the Memorial Day weekend. Wed, 14 May 2008 07:01:00 GMT 8eee72b2999980c59ef5b954a289e4bb 2008-05-14T07:01:00Z http://www.philly.com/r?19=961&43=166721&44=18922219&32=3796&7=195342&40=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.philly.com%2Finquirer%2Ffront_page%2F20080514_Quake_leaves_China_in_race_against_time.html BEIJING - Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao, megaphone in hand, personally directed efforts yesterday to cope with the most calamitous earthquake to hit China in three decades as soldiers poured into rubble-strewn Sichuan province to provide relief. Wed, 14 May 2008 07:01:00 GMT 8f0f971afa54bdb70e80d3845a420714 2008-05-14T07:01:00Z