Hopefuls

JASON PETERS says the right Achilles' tendon he ruptured twice last spring is 100 percent again. Todd Herremans says the broken right foot that cost him half the 2012 season is as good as new. And Jason Kelce says the right ACL he tore last September is getting better every day and he expects to be "full go" for the start of training camp in 2 1/2 months. If you're looking for a reason to believe that the Eagles can be more than a 6-10 or 7-9 football team in Chip Kelly's first season as an NFL head coach, Peters, Herremans, Kelce and the rest of the offensive line are it. Let's face it. We don't have the slightest clue at this point what kind of production they will get from the quarterback position because we don't even know who the hell the quarterback will be, and probably won't know until the middle of August.

Revel's exit strategy from Chapter 11 bankruptcy was approved by a judge Monday, clearing the way for the lavish but financially troubled casino to restructure its finances and pump resources into better marketing and new amenities in time for the busy summer. "I can conclude that withstanding the challenges that await the debtor - including difficult competing circumstances of the industry and Atlantic City as well - a reasonable prospect of success has been shown on this record," Judge Judith Wizmur said in approving the plan.

There will be expectations heaped on the shoulders of Lane Johnson, but they may come earlier than normal, even for a top-five draft pick, because of the position he plays. From 2006 to 2012, seven tackles were taken in the first five draft picks, and all six started in the season opener. The Eagles will most certainly want Johnson to start right away. But can he, considering how little he played on the offensive line in college? Asked after his first practice as an Eagle if he felt that he needed to start from Day 1, Johnson said Friday: "I just feel I have to kind of work every day and do my best, and I think if I do that then good things will happen.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Astronauts making a rare, hastily planned space walk replaced a pump outside the International Space Station on Saturday in hopes of plugging a serious ammonia leak. The prospects of success grew as the minutes, then hours, passed and no frozen flecks of ammonia appeared. Mission Control said it appeared the leak may have been plugged, although additional monitoring over the coming weeks will be needed before declaring a victory. "I will tell you that we're happy.

SAN FRANCISCO - Roy Halladay slouched on a couch Wednesday morning and kept a large cup of coffee at his side while the rest of the Phillies clubhouse stirred before another day of baseball. He watched Atlanta against Cincinnati on TV. They played the game to which he has dedicated his life. A surgeon will soon cut a small incision in Halladay's right shoulder, and it will be months before he can pitch again. Still, he smiled Wednesday. He vowed that it would take more to pry baseball from his prized but defective arm. "I have no regrets at any point in my career," Halladay said.

By Raymond Lamboy Gov. Christie has set the stage, and Mayor Dana L. Redd has cleared the path for a grand experiment in urban public education that will unfold in Camden. As with every well-thought-out experiment, a thesis or hypothesis statement is presented to measure success or failure. In this instance, the thesis seems to be this: The introduction and expansion of alternative-education models will lead to a functioning education system that will provide the children of Camden with an education on par with their suburban neighbors and will result in greatly increased student achievement.

An amazing thing has happened over 30 years with the Broad Street Run. It has become more than a footrace. For thousands, this 10-mile run through the heart of Philadelphia represents a refusal to surrender to infirmity or disability. It's a celebration of achievement on the journey to health and happiness. Here are some of their stories. On New Year's Day, Christine Meyer, a physician in Exton, "woke up feeling crappy: fat, tired, and depressed. " "I could not get my aunt off my mind," she said.

NEW YORK - In the grand scheme of things, a backup catcher is not crucial to a team's success. The Phillies possessed two backup catchers during the season's first month, and one had to go Sunday when Carlos Ruiz returned from his suspension. Humberto Quintero's locker was cleared early in the morning. The Phillies chose Erik Kratz as their backup and designated Quintero for assignment. They hope to retain Quintero in the organization, but that requires his passing through waivers unclaimed.

READING - The gang, such as it is, will be back together Sunday in New York. Catcher Carlos Ruiz returns from his 25-game suspension for using the banned substance Adderall and the Phillies hope it becomes a trigger point for a team that has stumbled out of the starting gate for the second straight season. Returns, of course, have become as commonplace for the Phillies in recent years as they are the day after Christmas. They were able to survive and recover from the lengthy absences of shortstop Jimmy Rollins in 2010 and second baseman Chase Utley in 2011.