New Movie Being Shot In Philadelphia
Film Stars Cuba Gooding Jr.

Cuba Gooding Jr., has been spotted around Philadelphia. That's because he is filming a movie called "Shadow Boxer," directed by Philadelphia native Lee Daniels.

The movie is described as a thriller with a twisted plot.

Both Daniels and Gooding say they are thrilled to be shooting in Philadelphia.

"It's another story of redemption about a mother and stepson and their killers, said Daniels."

Daniels is known for producing the Oscar nominated movie "Monster's Ball." But this is Daniels' directorial debut.

Daniels grew up in Wynnewood. His father, William Daniels, was a police officer in Philadelphia. He was killed when Daniels was 13.

"He was killed a drug raid," said Daniels. "He was savagely killed. It was bad."

Daniels admits he had a tough childhood but never gave up on making movies and his plans to shoot them in Philadelphia.

"It is just great to be in Philadelphia where I'm able to give back to the community," said Daniels.

Gooding says his character in "Shadow Boxer" is quite a change from his other movies.

"It's interesting because if you look at my roles, they're steeped in emotion and very expressive without dialogue and this character doesn't have a lot of expression," said Gooding.

He says viewers will be conflicted when they see the movie.

Gooding has been working hard in Philadelphia but he also knows how to relax. He says he loves cheesesteaks.

"I did Gino's cheesesteaks. We were filming at Pat's so I had both," said Gooding. "But I had to catch myself from not going there every night."

"Shadow Boxer" is set to open around Christmas.


Cuba Gooding Jr.

Philadelphia Daily News endorses Kerry

PHILADELPHIA (AP) -- The Philadelphia Daily News on Wednesday backed Democrat John Kerry for president, saying it was endorsing a candidate early because Pennsylvania is a swing state and residents who didn't vote in 2000 must be pressed to action to defeat President Bush.

"For Kerry supporters to prevail they must do more than just vote, they must bring a ringer into this contest: the more than a million people in the region who did not vote in the last presidential election," the newspaper said in an 1,800-word editorial in Wednesday editions.

"We believe these nonvoters -- who will have to be mobilized over the next few months -- are the key to victory."

The endorsement comes six weeks before the Democrats gather in Boston to choose Kerry as their presidential nominee.

The paper said that the Bush administration, though deserving of praise for its leadership immediately after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, has made poor economic decisions since then, been divisive, ideologically driven and has led the nation into a "senseless war" in Iraq.

The newspaper said Kerry, "who fought in the swamps of Vietnam, can lead us out of the quagmire of the Bush administration" and urged readers to register to vote and get others to do the same.

"While the rest of the state tilts heavily Republican, Philadelphia has a rich vein of Democratic votes, which has not always been mined. It's because of Philadelphia voters that (Bill) Clinton and (Al) Gore have won the state in the past," the editorial said.

Philadelphia's Office Of Arts And Culture To Close
Program Cut From New Budget

The city's Office of Arts and Culture will close at the end of the month, making it the first casualty of budget cuts by Mayor John Street's administration.

City Commerce Director Stephanie Naidoff wrote a letter to employees Tuesday saying funding for the office wouldn't be restored in the 2005 budget being negotiated by Street and the City Council. The office will close on June 30.

The office has promoted the city's art and cultural communities for two decades.

Naidoff's letter called the decision heartbreaking.

The office has seven employees, most of them under contract with the city. It administers programs including the Art in City Hall program and the Percent for Art program that encourages artwork in public spaces.

Love Park Goes Wireless
City Adds Free Wireless Internet Connection To Public Locations

PHILADELPHIA (KYW) Philadelphia’s "Love Park" is now among one of three new "hot spots" throughout the city where people can access the Internet for free.

Mayor John Street and city officials unveiled the new effort Tuesday afternoon with the cutting of a PC cable in half.

The new wireless Internet hot-zone allows anyone with a laptop to sit down, relax, and surf the web while at the park. The best part about the new service is that it is free to users. However, each laptop must be Wi-Fi ready and properly configured with a wireless Internet card.

According to city officials, the new project is the next step in bringing residents, visitors, and businesses the best that the cutting edge of World Wide Web connectivity has to offer.

The new service will cost the city close to $53,000 for the first year alone.

Other locations to use the public Internet connection without wires and for free include the Reading Terminal Market and Convention Center.