HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — The Pennsylvania Supreme Court’s decision to redraw boundaries of the state’s congressional districts has triggered a volcanic reaction from Republicans, including talk of impeaching justices and a Democratic Party plot to stop President Donald Trump. The ruling was indeed novel: Constitutional law scholars say they know of no other state court that has ever thrown out congressional district boundaries over a partisan gerrymandering claim.
It has implications for Republican control of Congress. It also has implications for state government: Republicans say they are worried about what the court — with a 5-2 Democratic majority — may do in the future to weaken the power of a Republican-controlled Legislature. “This is without precedent and could have far-reaching impact, not just for congressional lines, but for the rule of law and separation of powers,” said Pennsylvania’s Republican Party chairman, Val DiGiorgio.
For Republicans, the decision came at a stressful time — this year’s mid-term election is a time when the party of the president traditionally loses seats in Congress. Republicans also have enormous clout invested in the other branches of government. The GOP controls an all-time high of 32 state legislatures, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures, and 33 of 50 governor’s offices. Democrats suggest there’s desperation in the strident Republican rhetoric.
MONTPELIER, Vt. (AP) — Republican Gov. Phil Scott’s administration says they have taken steps to remove Vermont inmates from a public prison in Pennsylvania. The effort was announced Thursday — one day after state Sen. Dick Sears and Rep. Alice Emmons, Democrats who head the Joint Legislative Justice Oversight Committee, asked for inmates to be moved to another prison.
Criminal justice advocates have raised concerns about conditions at Camp Hill in Pennsylvania, where two Vermont inmates have died since October. A third inmate died shortly after returning to Vermont from the prison. Scott says the state will issue a request for proposals soon, and Human Services Secretary Al Gobeille says Vermont wants a better contract to address the prisoners’ needs, but the interest in moving is unrelated to the deaths.
Copyright 2017 The Associated Press. All rights reserved
Features
MOUNDSVILLE, W.Va. (AP) — A West Virginia judge has dismissed a lawsuit brought by coal company Murray Energy against HBO host John Oliver. A segment of Oliver’s Sunday show “Last Week Tonight” in June poked fun at Murray Energy CEO Robert Murray, who blames regulatory efforts by the Obama administration for damaging the coal industry. Oliver said the 77-year-old looked like a “geriatric Dr. Evil.”
A Circuit Court judge in Marshall County, West Virginia, ruled on Wednesday that Murray’s company failed to state a claim. The two-page ruling from Senior Judge Jeffrey Cramer was posted online by The Hollywood Reporter. The Ohio-based company was seeking financial damages and a court order barring rebroadcasts of the segment’s “defamatory statements.” HBO had argued the show didn’t violate Murray Energy’s rights or those of Murray.
NEW YORK (AP) — Three more companies said Friday they had ended discount programs with the National Rifle Association, as U.S. corporations take a closer look at investments, co-branding deals and other ties to the gun industry after the latest school massacre. Petitions are circulating online targeting companies that offer discounts to NRA members on its website. #BoycottNRA has trended on Twitter. Members of the NRA have access to special offers from partner companies on its website, ranging from life insurance to wine clubs.
For a second consecutive day, companies listed on the site have cut ties to the group as it aggressively resists calls for stricter gun control in the wake of the mass shooting last week at a Florida high school that left 17 dead. The insurance company MetLife Inc. discontinued its discount program with the NRA on Friday. The car rental company Hertz and Symantec Corp., the software company that makes Norton Antivirus technology, did the same.
JOHANNESBURG (AP) — Much of what is seen in “Black Panther” is fictional, including the country where the movie is based. But in Wakanda, they do speak a language that is very much real, with distinctive click sounds that had some cast members struggling to speak it. “The clicks are no joke,” Oscar-winning actress Lupita Nyong’o said recently, calling isiXhosa “one of the hardest languages on the planet.”
The idea to use isiXhosa, one of South Africa’s 11 official languages, in the blockbuster came from South African actor and cast member John Kani. Kani plays the father of the king T’Challa, played by Chadwick Boseman. Now, in the wake of “Black Panther,” the language is having a moment. Even the foundation of Nobel Peace Prize-winner and anti-apartheid activist Desmond Tutu, who rarely makes public statements these days at the age of 86, pointed out this week on Twitter: “Archbishop Tutu comes from a #Xhosa background as well.”
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — Brown University is providing scholarships to cover the tuition for master’s degree students studying acting and directing. The Ivy League university in Rhode Island announced the change Friday. It says it wants to ease student debt and diversify the pool of actors and directors in training, to encourage innovation in the arts and ultimately redefine whose stories are told on stage.
The university will begin providing the funds in the 2018-2019 academic year for students in the Brown/Trinity Rep master of fine arts programs in acting and directing. The university projects about 12 students will benefit. Patricia Ybarra chairs Brown’s theatre arts and performance studies department. She says even successful artists often can’t repay debt, which deters students from low-income and middle-income families from applying to MFA programs.
Copyright 2017 The Associated Press. All rights reserved
Sports, Scores & Skeds
Newsradio 1070 WKOK and WKOK continues our busy weekend of news, information and sports. Day 1 and Catholic Perspective, local news, AccuWeather and sports, Legends of Success and Meet the Press—with US Senator Pat Toomey. Penn State plays Nebraska 4:45pm Sunday afternoon.
Boys Basketball:
District 4 Class A Semifinals:
Lourdes Regional 52, Meadowbrook, 32
Girls Basketball:
District 4 Class 4A Quaterfinals:
Danville 51, Athens 38
| NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION | ||||
| Final | Philadelphia | 116 | Orlando | 105 |
| Final | Miami | 115 | Memphis | 89 |
| Final | Boston | 121 | N-Y Knicks | 112 |
| Final | Golden State | 112 | Oklahoma City | 80 |
| Final | Utah | 97 | Dallas | 90 |
| Final | Minnesota | 122 | Chicago | 104 |
| Final | Portland | 106 | Phoenix | 104 |
| Final | L.A. Lakers |
Copyright 2017 The Associated Press. All rights reserved
