In Philadelphia news last month: a boycott of the Embassy Suites Hotel for unfair firings, the unification of the city's two major taxi unions and an illegal-immigration raid at a janitorial services contractor. These aren't exactly typical headlines in Philadelphia news media.

Want a cheaper outlet for movie rentals or book purchases? More Americans than ever are realizing just where they can find these services for free. Nationwide, public libraries are welcoming more visitors than they have in previous years to browse their collections.

After the excitement surrounding Stephen Colbert's week-long stay at the Zellerbach Theatre last semester, the Social Planning and Events Committee has decided to tap another Stephen for its annual fall show. Comedian, musician and Pennsylvania-born Stephen Lynch is scheduled to perform at SPEC's fall concert, officials announced today.

Students obsessed with Gmail, Google Calendar and Gchat will soon be able to add the "Google phone" to their arsenal. T-Mobile will launch the G1 phone - also known as the "Google phone" - on Oct. 22. And though analysts don't expect the same frenzy that accompanied the release of Apple's iPhone in June 2007, many say Google's strategy of open software may transform the wireless industry.

Last week, 2008 College alumnus Sujit Datta received the LeRoy Apker Award of the American Physical Society, the highest award that APS grants for undergraduate research. The award consists of $5,000, a certificate of achievement and a trip to the APS meeting, where the two annual student awards are presented.

A robbery was reported near campus early Thursday morning. Sean McLaughlin, 21, was arrested for allegedly grabbing a 21-year-old man from behind and attempting to rob him on the 200 block of S. 39th Street at about 12:30 a.m. According to Detective Mole of the Philadelphia Police, there were no injuries and the man was able to escape before McLaughlin took anything of his.

To commemorate the bicentennial of the abolition of the slave trade in the United States, White Students Confronting Racism hosted a 2-day film festival last Thursday and Friday. The purpose of the film festival was to "remind people of this bicentennial and think about what it means for us today," said Ali Michael, student leader of WSCR, an organization of the Graduate School of Education.

At 1:15 p.m. Friday, the Division of Public Safety learned that a boxcar had caught fire on the railway above 31st and Walnut streets, and a tanker containing chlorine had fallen off the tracks - causing potential chlorine release and forcing the area's residents to shelter in-place.

A new report released last week by the National Association for College Admissions Counseling stated that college admissions offices should de-emphasize applicants' SAT and ACT scores when deciding whom to admit. Penn, however, has no plans to drop the tests from its admissions criteria.

Every morning at 4 a.m., College and Wharton senior Sakina Zaidi meets friends at Philly Diner for breakfast and then goes home to sleep, fasting for the rest of the day. Since the beginning of the semester, Zaidi and many practicing Muslims in the Penn community have been celebrating Ramadan.

If everything goes according to plan, the University will erect the Weave Bridge this November - one in a series of projects underway as part of Penn's eastward expansion initiative. The move comes as the city is scheduled to close the South Street Bridge for an expected 18-month reconstruction, at which time Penn's recreational fields and Hollenback Hall will be severed from the campus by Amtrak's rail line.

Sometimes reaching the top isn't so great. A number of recent rankings in publications like Forbes and Travel & Leisure have rated Philadelphia near the top in their rankings of the most miserable, stressed, overweight and unattractive cities in the United States.

Philadelphia's art scene will descend upon Love Park tomorrow afternoon for a six-hour melange of mixed-media art, live music and dancing. The event, called "Canvas Clash," will feature eight different groups of artists, three bands, a DJ and a photo-journalism exhibition.

Despite a 3.9-percent drop in Penn's endowment over the last year, the University is sticking to its current investment plan. Given the state of the financial market, outsiders and University officials agree that Penn's commitment to its long-term strategic financial goals is the best way to keep the endowment strong in the long run.

By JESSICA BELL Staff Writer jbells@dailypennsylvanian.com Government officials are bracing for a large increase in the number of students needing financial aid, but Penn and its peer institutions are anticipating a smaller jump. Pell Grant - the country's most important student financial-aid program - may need an additional $6 billion in taxpayer dollars for the 2009-2010 school year, Bush administration officials warned Congress last week.

The hundreds of cars, bicycles and pedestrians that cross the South Street Bridge every day are going to have to find new routes across the Schuylkill River when the bridge closes for reconstruction this fall. Which alternate routes will they choose? The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation is funding a study to answer that question.

Attention female sophomores: you may be eligible for a $1,000 scholarship care of the Phi Sigma Sigma sorority, no strings attached. The scholarship, which is open to all "sophomore female leaders" regardless of Greek affiliation, hopes to reward one sophomore who has made a significant "contribution to the campus or local community," according to a letter accompanying the application.