HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Former Penn State president Graham Spanier hopes a Pennsylvania appeals court will agree that too much time had passed for him to be charged with endangering the welfare of children over his handling of a complaint about Jerry Sandusky. A three-judge Superior Court panel heard oral argument Wednesday in the 69-year-old Spanier’s appeal.
Spanier’s challenging a misdemeanor guilty verdict for how he responded to a 2001 report that former assistant football coach Sandusky sexually abused a boy in a team shower. He’s arguing a two-year statute of limitations applies and had expired by the time he was charged in 2012. The jury acquitted Spanier of conspiracy and a second count of child endangerment. He’s been sentenced to two months in jail, but is on bail pending appeal.
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — The championship parade Philadelphia has dreamed about and agonized over — year after year, decade after decade, across generations of faithful but frustrated fans — well, it’s here, Philly. It’s finally here. Your beloved Eagles are heading up Broad Street. The city’s first Super Bowl parade steps off Thursday, capping a glorious week for jubilant fans celebrating an NFL title that had eluded them for nearly 60 years. Led by backup quarterback Nick Foles and second-year coach Doug Pederson, the Eagles beat the New England Patriots 41-33.
Schools, museums, courts, government offices and even the Philadelphia Zoo will be shut down as the city fetes an underdog Eagles team that few outside Philadelphia thought had a prayer of beating the mighty Patriots. The parade starts near the team’s stadium and, fittingly, ends its 5-mile (8-kilometer) trek at the art museum steps that Sylvester Stallone climbed in the “Rocky” movies. Organizers said they’re preparing for as many as 2 million people to jam the parade route. No official estimate was released for the parade after the Phillies won the World Series in 2008, but experts have said that crowd likely didn’t exceed 750,000.
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Philadelphia police have charged a city man with assaulting an Associated Press photographer during street celebrations after the Eagles won the Super Bowl. The arrest was one of eight announced Wednesday stemming from violence and vandalism late Sunday and early Monday. Police say the AP photographer was struck in the face with his own camera and punched multiple times in the head.
He suffered cuts, bruises and other injuries. They say the AP photographer was attacked after telling the man he was too busy taking photos to talk with him. The man was charged with aggravated assault and other counts. Among the other arrests were a man accused of helping flip a car and two men who police say threw bottles at police vehicles.
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — A Pennsylvania Supreme Court majority is explaining why it found the state’s widely criticized congressional district boundaries to be unconstitutionally gerrymandered to benefit Republicans last month. In a 139-page majority opinion released late Wednesday afternoon, Justice Debra Todd wrote that the plan violates the elections clause of the state’s Constitution.
She writes that a map of congressional districts violates that clause when neutral standards such as compact and contiguous districts are subordinated for unfair partisan political advantage. She says those standards were written into the state constitution in 1874 to address gerrymandering concerns in state legislative districts, and says those neutral benchmarks are suitable to apply to a congressional map.
The court struck down the Republican-drawn district boundaries on Jan. 22. The justices’ 5-2 decision broke along partisan lines, with Democrats in the majority. The court’s majority gave lawmakers until this Friday to produce a replacement. Otherwise, the justices say they’ll adopt a plan for this year’s elections.
LANCASTER, Pa. (AP) — Police say a hand-drawn sketch has helped investigators identify a suspect in a theft from a Pennsylvania farmers market. Lancaster police say the suspect pretended to be an employee before stealing an undisclosed amount in cash from a stand inside Central Market Feb. 6. A witness provided a simple black-and-white drawing to officers, and police say while the drawing was cartoonish it helped remind an investigator of a potential suspect. WHP-TV reports a photo of the suspect was given to the witness, who made a positive identification. Police are now searching for the 44-year-old suspect on two counts of theft.
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Pennsylvania lawmakers headed home Wednesday with two days left to comply with a court order to redraw boundaries of the state’s widely criticized congressional districts as top Republican lawmakers hunkered down to figure out a plan. Voting sessions were canceled amid a winter storm, and rank-and-file lawmakers awaited word from House Republican leaders about whether they would be recalled to Harrisburg by Friday’s deadline to vote on a new congressional district map that they had not yet seen.
Drew Crompton, chief of staff to Senate President Pro Tempore Joe Scarnati, said Wednesday it was “highly unlikely” the Republican-controlled Legislature could pass a bill containing new boundaries for 18 congressional districts by the end of the day Friday.
Rather, a possibility is that Scarnati, R-Jefferson, and House Speaker Mike Turzai, R-Allegheny, — the Legislature’s presiding officers — would sign a document containing new congressional boundaries and deliver it to Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf by Friday’s deadline, without bringing it to a vote, Crompton said.
Any redrawing of the boundaries is expected to make the districts less friendly to Republicans, and give Democrats a boost as they try to take control of the U.S. House of Representatives in November’s election. The state Supreme Court’s order means the boundaries of Pennsylvania’s congressional districts are up in the air barely three months before the May 15th primary.
Meanwhile, late Wednesday afternoon, the court issued a 139-page majority opinion explaining why it had found Pennsylvania’s congressional districts to be unconstitutionally gerrymandered to benefit Republicans, 16 days after ordering the new boundaries. Justice Debra Todd wrote that the plan violates the elections clause of the state’s Constitution, which guarantees that elections “shall be free and equal.”
Todd wrote that a map of congressional districts violates that clause when neutral standards such as compact and contiguous districts are subordinated for unfair partisan political advantage. Those standards were first written into the state Constitution in 1874 to address gerrymandering concerns in state legislative districts, and are suitable to apply now to the state’s congressional map, Todd wrote.
“Such a plan, aimed at achieving unfair partisan gain, undermines voters’ ability to exercise their right to vote in free and ‘equal’ elections if the term is to be interpreted in any credible way,” Todd wrote. “An election corrupted by extensive, sophisticated gerrymandering and partisan dilution of votes is not ‘free and equal.'”
The court struck down the Republican-drawn district boundaries on Jan. 22, in a victory for the registered Democratic voters who sued last June. The boundaries, used in three straight elections going back to 2012, “clearly, plainly and palpably” violated the state constitution, the justices wrote in a 5-2 decision that broke along partisan lines, with Democrats in the majority.
The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday turned down Turzai and Scarnati’s request to halt the redrawing. However, Crompton said Wednesday that the court’s opinion could provide new fodder for another appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court. He said it does not answer the question of how much partisanship is allowed in drawing congressional boundaries, and he said the timing of the opinion made it nearly impossible to comply with court-ordered deadlines.
“They just gave us 200 pages of narrative to follow, 48 hours before our own deadline, 16 days later,” Crompton said. “It’s absurd.” Neither Wolf’s office nor Senate Minority Leader Jay Costa, D-Allegheny, said they had heard from top Republicans about collaborating on a bipartisan product. “The governor’s been clear about what he wants,” said press secretary J.J. Abbott. “We’re ready to review something and determine whether it’s fair.”
As of Wednesday, House Republican leaders had not shown any new plan to rank-and-file members or told rank-and-file members whether they had made a decision to bring a plan to a vote. If he accepts the Republican product, Wolf must submit it to the court by Feb. 15. Otherwise, the justices wrote, they would adopt a plan no later than Feb. 19, potentially one proposed by a party to the case, to keep the primary election on schedule.
Some House Republicans said they did not want the chamber to vote on a map and thus dignify a court-ordered process that they see as unconstitutional. The map has produced three straight elections of 13 Republicans to five Democrats. The majority of statewide elected officials in Pennsylvania are Democrats, and registered Democratic voters outnumber Republican ones by a 5-to-4 ratio.
VERSAILLES, Ky. (AP) — Philadelphia quarterback Carson Wentz couldn’t play in the Super Bowl, but he still gets a ring — and now his girlfriend gets one, too. “She said YES! And now Maddie and I both got us a ring … can’t wait to marry my best friend! God is doing some amazing things and I can’t thank him enough!” the 25-year-old Wentz said in a tweet Tuesday , accompanied by a photo spread of Kentucky native Maddie Oberg accepting his marriage proposal.
They got engaged at CastlePost, also known as Kentucky Castle. The boutique hotel said in a Facebook post it was proud to be “a part of their story.” Wentz was the Eagles starting quarterback until he suffered a season-ending knee injury in December..”
ERIE, Pa. (AP) — It’s official — this is the snowiest winter season on record for the city of Erie. A National Weather Service meteorologist tells The Erie Times-News that as of 1 p.m. Wednesday the seasonal snowfall at Erie International Airport totals 152.1 inches. That smashes the previous record of 149.1 inches during the 2000-2001 season.
Meteorologist Mark Adams of the weather service’s Cleveland office says with two more months of snow likely, “you’ll be way higher than the record.” December’s 120.9 inches was the single-highest monthly snowfall in Erie history, much of it falling during the Christmastime storm that brought five feet of snow to the northwestern Pennsylvania. Forecasters said a low pressure system was expected to drop three to five inches Wednesday, and by afternoon three inches had fallen.
Copyright 2017 The Associated Press. All rights reserved
Features
WASHINGTON (AP) — For generations, as America’s authoritarian rivals strutted their tanks, troops and jets through main thoroughfares in dramatic displays of strength, the United States watched from afar, but did not emulate. Widely accepted as the world’s mightiest, the U.S. military has no tradition of putting itself on parade like in Russia, North Korea or China. But President Donald Trump does not often stand on tradition.
So Trump’s directive to the Pentagon to draft options for a massive march reverberated across Washington on Wednesday like the thud of a discharged cannon, as lawmakers and military leaders mused about the cost, the risk and the purpose. “People will wonder, ‘Well, what are they afraid of now? What are they trying to prove?'” Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton, who represents the District of Columbia in Congress, said in an interview. “We don’t have to show off to make a point.”
WASHINGTON (AP) — House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi has ended an eight-hour filibuster aimed at forcing a House vote on protections for young immigrants known as “Dreamers.” The California Democrat took to the House floor at about 10:04 a.m. Eastern time and yielded at 6:11 p.m. Caucus leaders are allowed to speak without limits under House rules.
Wearing four-inch heels and forgoing any breaks, Pelosi read touching and personal letters from the young immigrants whose temporary protection from deportation is set to expire next month. The performance had no immediate impact on Republican leaders, who have not agreed to a vote. Pelosi says she hopes the House follows the Senate’s example and takes up an immigration bill. She says it should be “bipartisan, transparent and unifyin
ACTON, Mass. (AP) — A Massachusetts couple says it was fun when they started receiving free mystery packages from Amazon they hadn’t ordered. Now they want it to stop. Mike and Kelly Gallivan, of Acton, tell The Boston Globe the first package arrived in October. They have continued to receive one or two a week with mostly cheap stuff like plastic fans and phone chargers.
The Gallivans say Amazon told them the merchandise was paid with a gift card with no sender’s name. Two experts say the Gallivans are likely being used to manipulate Amazon buyer reviews. The anonymous sender is likely writing glowing reviews of their own product. An Amazon spokeswoman said the Seattle-based company is investigating inquiries from consumers who have received unsolicited packages and will ban vendors who abuse the reviews system.
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Delete your account. That’s what Jim Carrey says Facebook users should do, as the actor looks to pull the mask off fake news. The star of “Ace Ventura: Pet Detective” and “The Mask” said on Twitter on Tuesday that he’s dumping his Facebook stock and deleting his page because the social media giant profited from Russian interference in the U.S. presidential election via spreading false news with Russian origins, and says the company is still not doing enough to stop it.
The 56-year-old Carrey encouraged other investors and users to do the same. He ended his tweet with the hashtag “unfriendfacebook.” Facebook has not responded to Carrey’s tweet, but founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg has said stemming the flow of misinformation is among the company’s foremost goals.
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – A man who stole a seat from U.S. Bank Stadium after the Philadelphia Eagles beat the New England Patriots in the Super Bowl has agreed to pay for its replacement and the stadium management company says it plans no further action against the Eagles fan. Video of the man with a purple seat in the stadium’s coat check generated more than 190,000 views on Facebook as of yesterday afternoon. According to the Star Tribune, a traveler later snapped a photo of him at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport, with the seat strapped to his carry-on suitcase. A Minnesota Sports Facilities Authority spokeswoman said the fan regrets his actions and that he “was exuberant and excited and he pulled the chair out.”
JERSEY CITY, N.J. (AP) – A New Jersey sheriff’s officer has lost her job because she previously appeared in bondage films as a dominatrix. The department suspended her six days before her academy graduation last year, saying she failed to disclose that she appeared in the films and sometimes saw clients privately for money. A judge had rescinded the suspension, and Hyman was sworn in June 8. But she then went on paid administrative leave pending the hearing.
FLORHAM PARK, N.J. (AP) – One-year-old Lucas Warren’s contagious smile won over executives at Gerber baby food who have made him their “spokesbaby” this year. Lucas is Gerber’s first spokesbaby with Down syndrome in the company’s 91-year history. His photo was chosen out of more than 140,000 submissions. He will receive $50,000, and the Dalton, Georgia, boy’s image will be featured in the company’s social media posts. Lucas’ mom, says she hopes this will bring help increase the acceptance of special needs kids.
LONDON (AP) — The father of actors Ben and Casey Affleck, Timothy has criticized the culture of Hollywood for ruining the lives of his sons. He calls the film industry a “disgusting place” and says showbiz has “been a major factor in Ben’s drinking. He said in Grazia magazine that he, himself, was a long time “chronic, severe alcoholic” in the past, but recovered. He also says he thinks fame cost Ben his marriage with actor Jennifer Garner. The couple split in 2015.
He dismissed the allegations of sexual misconduct against his sons. Hilarie Burton claimed Ben groped her when she was a host of MTV’s TRL in 2003, for which the actor offered an apology. Casey went for an out-of-court settlement in case of sexual harassment in 2010, when two female crew members accused him of inappropriate behavior after they worked with him on the sets of “I’m Still Here.”
Copyright 2017 The Associated Press. All rights reserved
Sports, Scores & Skeds
Here are the scores from yesterday’s sports events:
———
NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION
Final Detroit 115 Brooklyn 106
Final Houston 109 Miami 101
Final OT Cleveland 140 Minnesota 138
Final Utah 92 Memphis 88
Final San Antonio 129 Phoenix 81
Indiana at New Orleans 8:00 p.m., postponed
———
NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE
Final SO Toronto 3 Nashville 2
Final Boston 6 N-Y Rangers 1
Final L.A. Kings 5 Edmonton 2
———
TOP-25 COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Final St. John’s 79 (1) Villanova 75
Final (2) Virginia 59 Florida St. 55
Final (14) Ohio St. 64 (3) Purdue 63
Final (7) Texas Tech 76 Iowa St. 58
Final Texas A&M 81 (8) Auburn 80
Final UNLV 86 (23) Nevada 78
Final (25) Miami 87 Wake Forest 81
TODAY’S SPORTS SCHEDULE
———
NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION
Atlanta at Orlando 7:00 p.m.
N-Y Knicks at Toronto 7:30 p.m.
Boston at Washington 8:00 p.m.
Charlotte at Portland 10:00 p.m.
Dallas at Golden State 10:30 p.m.
Oklahoma City at L.A. Lakers 10:30 p.m.
———
NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE
N-Y Islanders at Buffalo 7:00 p.m.
Calgary at New Jersey 7:00 p.m.
Montreal at Philadelphia 7:00 p.m.
Nashville at Ottawa 7:30 p.m.
Vancouver at Tampa Bay 7:30 p.m.
Arizona at Minnesota 8:00 p.m.
Colorado at St. Louis 8:00 p.m.
Dallas at Chicago 8:30 p.m.
Vegas at San Jose 10:30 p.m.
———
TOP-25 COLLEGE BASKETBALL
(9) Duke at (21) North Carolina 8:00 p.m.
(11) Saint Mary’s (Cal) at Loyola Marymount 10:00 p.m.
(12) Gonzaga at Pacific 10:00 p.m.
UCLA at (13) Arizona 10:00 p.m.
Pittsburgh at (16) Clemson 7:00 p.m.
Copyright 2017 The Associated Press. All rights reserved
