HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Days after touring areas of eastern Pennsylvania that were hard-hit by flooding, Gov. Tom Wolf has signed a “disaster emergency” proclamation for the area. Friday’s move allows the state to ask for a federal disaster declaration and seek funding for damages and needed supplies for clean-up. On Thursday, Wolf heard stories of heroism around suburban Philadelphia, from civilian and municipal workers.
The workers rescued a police officer to people who joined officers and formed a chain to rescue a grandmother from the floodwaters. The governor praised citizens and first responders for stepping up to help each other. The rains triggered flash flooding in parts of central and eastern Pennsylvania on Monday, closing down a heavily traveled interstate and sending water into homes in the mountainous coal regions.
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — A Pennsylvania bishop named in a grand jury report on rampant sexual abuse by Roman Catholic clergy said Friday he has “profound remorse” and offers his “heartfelt apology” to the victims.
Speaking at a Mass of forgiveness, Harrisburg Bishop Ronald Gainer opened by reading the first paragraph of this week’s stunning report that said more than 300 predator priests had abused more than 1,000 children in six Pennsylvania dioceses. Forty-five of the priests named in the report served in the Harrisburg diocese.
The first paragraph of the nearly 900-page report said the grand jury knows the truth: that child sex abuse within the Catholic church happened everywhere. “In the name of our global church, I voice again my heartfelt sorrow and sincere apology to all survivors of clergy sexual abuse,” Gainer said. While acknowledging the church is faced with a “spiritual crisis,” Gainer said most of the abuse happened long ago. The diocese has taken “significant and effective measures to protect our children and remove any person who intends to do harm to them,” he said.
The grand jury report criticized Gainer for failing to advocate the defrocking of an abusive priest. The diocese defended Gainer, saying he took swift action against that priest and another abusive priest after becoming bishop in 2014. In early August, the diocese released the names of 71 priests and other members of the church who had been accused of child sex abuse and said it was holding accountable all Harrisburg bishops of the last 70 years, announcing their names would be stripped from church properties.
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — State attorneys general are largely silent about any plans to conduct investigations like Pennsylvania’s that uncovered widespread child sexual abuse in six Roman Catholic dioceses, although New York’s attorney general is exploring teaming up with local district attorneys. Pennsylvania’s grand jury report accused a succession of bishops and other church leaders of helping to keep quiet allegations against 300 “predator priests.” The Vatican has expressed “shame and sorrow” over the report.
Features
ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s political opponents on the right and left seized Thursday on his comment that America “was never that great,” with Republicans buying him a bus ticket to Canada and intra-party rival Cynthia Nixon accusing him of trying and failing to sound like a progressive.
The Democratic governor’s allies, meanwhile, rallied around Cuomo, saying his comment was merely an acknowledgement of the country’s history of racism, sexism and intolerance.
The remark was made Wednesday at a bill signing in Manhattan as the two-term governor was criticizing Republican President Donald Trump and his “Make America Great Again” slogan. “We’re not going to make America great again — it was never that great” said Cuomo, who is running for a third term this November. “We have not reached greatness. We will reach greatness when every American is fully engaged.”
NEW BRITAIN, Conn. (AP) — A Connecticut city has tweaked its sign for Paul Manafort Drive because the name agitated some residents. The Hartford Courant reports workers put up a new sign this week to make clear the street in New Britain is named after ex-Mayor Paul Manafort, not his son who worked for Donald Trump. The sign says Paul Manafort Sr. Drive.
The younger Manafort was Trump’s presidential campaign chairman and was indicted. Some residents then pushed for the street alongside Central Connecticut State University to be renamed. Republican Mayor Erin Stewart said the street name would stay because it honors the elder Manafort. Stewart on Thursday called the new sign a “small clarification.”
NEW YORK (AP) — Aretha Franklin’s funeral will be held Aug. 31 in her hometown of Detroit. The late singer’s publicist, Gwendolyn Quinn, said Friday that the funeral, to be held at Greater Grace Temple, is limited to the Queen of Soul’s family and friends. Public viewings will take place Aug. 28-29 at the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Franklin will be entombed at Woodlawn Cemetery in Detroit, along with her father Rev. C.L. Franklin; sisters Carolyn Franklin and Erma Franklin; brother Cecil Franklin; and nephew Thomas Garrett. Franklin died Thursday at her home in Detroit from pancreatic cancer. She was 76. This story has been corrected to show that the date of the funeral will be Aug. 31, not Aug. 30.
Sports, Scores & Skeds
PITTSBURGH (AP) — The Chicago Cubs tied a major league record by turning seven double plays, including a game-ending effort by rookie third baseman David Bote on a grounder by David Freese to finish off a 1-0 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates. The Cubs got six double plays on grounders, five with Cole Hamels pitching, and one on a line drive. The Elias Sports Bureau said the Cubs became the third team in big league history to turn seven DPs in a nine-inning game.
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Aaron Nola struck out 11 in seven impressive innings to stay unbeaten at Citizens Bank Park, pitching the Philadelphia Phillies over the New York Mets 4-2. Asdrubal Cabrera hit an RBI double off former teammate Noah Syndergaard during a three-run first inning, and Nola made the early lead stand up. Nola is 9-0 with a 2.00 mark in 12 starts at home this season.
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Ohio State says fact-finders investigating football coach Urban Meyer’s handling of domestic abuse allegations against a former assistant will deliver a report to university leaders sometime next week. The report will then be shared with trustees in a still-unscheduled executive meeting next week. Meyer has been on paid leave since Aug. 1, when Ohio State began investigating his handling of 2015 abuse allegations leveled by the ex-wife of former receivers coach Zach Smith.
SCOREBOARD
MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL
INTERLEAGUE
Final L-A Dodgers 11 Seattle 1
———
AMERICAN LEAGUE
Final N-Y Yankees 7 Toronto 5, 7 Innings
Final Cleveland 2 Baltimore 1
Final Boston 7 Tampa Bay 3
Final Texas 6 L-A Angels 4
Final Chi White Sox 9 Kansas City 3
Final Minnesota 5 Detroit 4
Final Oakland 4 Houston 3, 10 Innings
———
NATIONAL LEAGUE
Final Philadelphia 4 N-Y Mets 2
Final Washington 8 Miami 2
Final Chi Cubs 1 Pittsburgh 0
Final Cincinnati 2 San Francisco 1, 11 Innings
Final Colorado 11 Atlanta 5
Final St. Louis 5 Milwaukee 2
Final Arizona 9 San Diego 4
———
WOMEN’S NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION
Final Washington 69 L.A. Sparks 67
Final Connecticut 96 Minnesota 79
Final Dallas 107 Las Vegas 102
Final Seattle 85 N-Y Liberty 77
Final Phoenix 104 Atlanta 95
———
NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE PRESEASON
Final Kansas City 28 Atlanta 14
Final N-Y Giants 30 Detroit 17
Final Carolina 27 Miami 20
Final Buffalo 19 Cleveland 17
Final Arizona 20 New Orleans 15
Jacksonville at Minnesota 1:00 p.m.
Oakland at L.A. Rams 4:00 p.m.
Cincinnati at Dallas 7:00 p.m.
Tampa Bay at Tennessee 8:00 p.m.
San Francisco at Houston 8:00 p.m.
Chicago at Denver 9:05 p.m.
Seattle at L.A. Chargers 10:00 p.m.
TODAY’S SPORTS SCHEDULE
———
INTERLEAGUE
L-A Dodgers at Seattle 10:10 p.m.
———
AMERICAN LEAGUE
Toronto at N-Y Yankees 1:05 p.m.
Houston at Oakland 4:05 p.m.
Baltimore at Cleveland 4:05 p.m.
Kansas City at Chi White Sox 7:10 p.m.
Tampa Bay at Boston 7:10 p.m.
Detroit at Minnesota 7:10 p.m.
L-A Angels at Texas 8:05 p.m.
———
NATIONAL LEAGUE
N-Y Mets at Philadelphia 4:05 p.m.
Miami at Washington 7:05 p.m.
Chi Cubs at Pittsburgh 7:05 p.m.
Colorado at Atlanta 7:10 p.m.
San Francisco at Cincinnati 7:10 p.m.
Milwaukee at St. Louis 7:15 p.m.
Arizona at San Diego 8:40 p.m.
———
WOMEN’S NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION
Chicago at Indiana 4:00 p.m.
———
NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE PRESEASON
Final Kansas City 28 Atlanta 14
Final N-Y Giants 30 Detroit 17
Final Carolina 27 Miami 20
Final Buffalo 19 Cleveland 17
Final Arizona 20 New Orleans 15
Jacksonville at Minnesota 1:00 p.m.
Oakland at L.A. Rams 4:00 p.m.
Cincinnati at Dallas 7:00 p.m.
Tampa Bay at Tennessee 8:00 p.m.
San Francisco at Houston 8:00 p.m.
Chicago at Denver 9:05 p.m.
Seattle at L.A. Chargers 10:00 p.m.
———
MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER
Los Angeles at Seattle 4:00 p.m.
Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
