AP PA Headlines 3/15/19
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Republican U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania has backed a resolution passed by the Democratic-controlled House to block President Donald Trump from using emergency powers to fund his long-promised U.S.-Mexico border wall. Toomey says he supports Trump’s efforts to get congressional approval of more money for the border wall and border security, but said Thursday that the emergency declaration undermines the constitutional responsibility of Congress to approve how money is spent.
Toomey also says Trump’s emergency declaration sets a dangerous precedent for future presidents. Pennsylvania’s other U.S. senator, Democrat Bob Casey, supported the resolution, as did every Democrat. Twelve Republicans broke with Trump, enough to ensure the measure passed. But Trump has promised to veto the measure and is sure to be sustained by his House GOP allies.
READING, Pa. (AP) — Prosecutors have announced the federal indictment of eight alleged members of a violent drug organization blamed for as many as eight homicides in the Reading area. U.S. Attorney William McSwain says a drug gang called “Trinidad DTG” distributed methamphetamine, heroin, fentanyl and cocaine.
McSwain announced the indictment at a news conference Thursday with other law enforcement officials.
Authorities blame Trinidad DTG for a spike in homicides in Berks County last year. Berks County District Attorney John Adams called it the most violent drug trafficking organization ever encountered in that area.
Prosecutors say three of the defendants are already facing state homicide charges. McSwain says the probe is continuing and there could be more arrests.
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Musician Jim Croce and novelist John Updike are among the subjects of 18 new state historical markers given approval by the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission. The commission announced selections Thursday that also include the Bethel Burying Ground, an African-American cemetery established in 1810 in Philadelphia.
The markers were selected from a group of 55 nominees and will be added to about 2,300 that have previously been installed along the state’s roadways . Other newly approved subjects and topics include an Olympian from Washington County, an abolitionist from Warren County, a pioneering transplant surgeon and the state’s first home for veterans.
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — In a crowded hallway at Scanlon Ice Rink, Logan Johnson slid into his pads as his brother Malakye and sister Wylla skittered around sticks and bags bulging with hockey equipment. Their mother, April, tried to keep order and Wylla asked whether a board game of Candy Land might help fill the time until Malakye’s practice, which didn’t start until a half-hour after Logan wraps up. Snacks and homework were handy since the family knew they would be spending several hours here on a school night.
It was a standard visit to the rink for the Johnsons, who are familiar with the 20-minute drive from their Germantown neighborhood to Kensington in north Philadelphia. Four years after knowing nothing about hockey, the sport now consumes their lives for nine months out of the year between travel, practices and games, as it does for countless families of young players across North America.
The Johnsons, however, are African-American and the participation of people of color in a sport that has for decades been predominantly played by whites still stands out 61 years after Willie O’Ree broke the color barrier in the National Hockey League. Minority players in the NHL remain a relative rarity but the effort to increase diversity in the sport — some of it funded by the league — has never been more robust than it is now. The results can be seen in neighborhoods where basketball, baseball and football are still the top choices for many.
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Copyright 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved
Features
LOS ANGELES (AP) — “Captain Marvel” 1, Trolls 0. No, they don’t keep score on things like that. But it’s pretty clear that when “Captain Marvel” took the top spot on the box office list, it had scored a big win not only over the other movies — but over the trolls that haunt the internet. Some self-described critics flooded social media and sites like Rotten Tomatoes to rip the movie – except few people of those who made the negative comments hadn’t even seen it. The trolls also put false stories out there about “Captain Marvel” star Brie Larson. Despite the negativity, the movie scored well enough with audiences to take the top spot in the box office race this past weekend.
SEATTLE (AP) — Former Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz, who is considering an independent bid for president, is apologizing for saying he had likely spent more time with the military than the other candidates.
Schultz made the comments during an interview Thursday with conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt. Two Democratic candidates are veterans, Rep. Tulsi Gabbard of Hawaii and South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg.
Afterward, Schultz tweeted that leaders must accept responsibility for mistakes and his comment “was wrong.”
Gabbard served in Iraq with the Hawaii Army National Guard, and Buttigieg is a veteran of the Afghanistan War, having served a tour with the Navy Reserve. Buttigieg tweeted that he didn’t “recall seeing any Starbucks over there.”
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — In one of the first lawsuits to come out of the college bribery scandal, several students are suing Yale, Georgetown, Stanford and other schools involved in the case, saying they and others were denied a fair shot at admission. The plaintiffs brought the class-action complaint Wednesday in federal court in San Francisco on behalf of themselves and other applicants, asking for unspecified damages and the return of all application fees.
They argued that applicants who played by the rules were victimized when rich and famous parents paid bribes that enabled unqualified students to get into highly selective universities. “Each of the universities took the students’ admission application fees while failing to take adequate steps to ensure that their admissions process was fair and free of fraud, bribery, cheating and dishonesty,” the lawsuit said. Legal experts, though, said the students could have difficulty holding the colleges responsible.
TAYLOR, Mich. (AP) — When it comes to the middle finger, police might need a thicker skin. A federal appeals court says a Michigan woman’s constitutional rights were violated when she was handed a speeding ticket after giving the finger to a suburban Detroit officer in 2017. The decision means a lawsuit by Debra Cruise-Gulyas can proceed.
In a 3-0 decision Wednesday, the court said Taylor Officer Matthew Minard “should have known better,” even if the driver was rude. Minard stopped Cruise-Gulyas and wrote her a ticket for a lesser violation. But when that stop was over, Cruise-Gulyas raised her middle finger. Minard pulled her over again and changed the ticket to a more serious speeding offense. Cruise-Gulyas sued, saying her free-speech rights and her rights against unreasonable seizure were violated.
TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — When people cross city streets, they’re supposed to look up to make sure they have the light in their favor. But these days, so many people are glued to their smartphones, their focus is downward, not up at crossing lights. Authorities in Tel Aviv, Israel have taken a step toward helping “smartphone zombies” — by installing special LED lights at a busy crosswalk. The striped lights turn green when it’s safe and red to tell people to stop. Officials in Tel Aviv say they will expand the “zombie lights” if they seem to work.
Copyright 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved
PA Sports, Scores & Skeds
CHICAGO (AP) — Penn State’s men’s basketball team gets knocked out the Big Ten tournament. Out of sync and struggling for most of the game, Amir Coffey insisted he never really found his rhythm. It was hard to tell the way he dominated at the end. Coffey scored 10 of his 22 points in the final minute, and Minnesota rallied for a 77-72 overtime victory over Penn State in the second round of the Big Ten Tournament on Thursday night.
“I still don’t feel like I got anything going,” Coffey said. “They did a great job on the defensive end with ball screens and smash action so it was tough to score on them.” But when Minnesota needed him the most, he delivered in a big way. Coffey put the Golden Gophers (20-12) on top for good 69-66 when he drove for a 3-point play, burying the free throw after he got knocked to the floor by a rotating Josh Reaves.
Lamar Stevens then missed a jumper. Coffey got bumped by Jamari Wheeler in a scramble for a loose ball, resulting in a heated exchange that led to technicals for both players and an ejection of Penn State’s Mike Watkins for leaving the bench. Coffey then made both free throws to make it 71-66 with 33 seconds left. Penn State football and basketball are on WKOK and WKOK.com. this ends the Nittany Lions season. The Penn State Blue White Game is on WKOK April 13.
BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — Phil Kessel had a goal and an assist, Sidney Crosby added two assists and the surging Pittsburgh Penguins beat the Buffalo Sabres 5-0. Nick Bjugstad and Jake Guentzel each had a goal and an assist for Pittsburgh, which has won six of seven and sits third in the Metropolitan Division. Brian Dumoulin and Patric Hornqvist also scored, and Casey DeSmith made 26 saves for his fourth career shutout.
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Brett Connolly had two goals and an assist to help the Washington Capitals beat the Philadelphia Flyers 5-2. Evgeny Kuznetsov added a goal and an assist, and Lars Eller and Tom Wilson also scored as the Capitals remained two points ahead of the second-place New York Islanders atop the Metropolitan Division.
LEWISBURG – Bucknell’s women’s basketball team won the Patriot League Semi-Final game against Holy Cross 61-33. The Bison play American in the Patriot League title game Sunday at noon at Jojka Pavilion at Bucknell.
Here are the scores from yesterday’s national sports events:
———
INTERLEAGUE
Final Miami 12 Houston 6
Final Washington 10 Minnesota 4
Final Philadelphia 4 Tampa Bay 3
Final Cleveland 9 Colorado 3
Final L-A Angels 7 Milwaukee 7
Final Chi Cubs 2 Texas 1
———
AMERICAN LEAGUE
Final Minnesota 7 Baltimore 6
Final Boston 4 Detroit 4
Final N-Y Yankees 1 Toronto 1
Final Texas 5 Kansas City 4
———
NATIONAL LEAGUE
Final Pittsburgh 11 Philadelphia 2
Final N-Y Mets 1 St. Louis 1
Final Cincinnati 3 L-A Dodgers 3
Final Arizona 3 San Francisco 0
Final L-A Dodgers 12 San Diego 0
———
NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION
Final Indiana 108 Oklahoma City 106
Final Orlando 120 Cleveland 91
Final Boston 126 Sacramento 120
Final Toronto 111 L.A. Lakers 98
Final Utah 120 Minnesota 100
Final Denver 100 Dallas 99
———
NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE
Final Pittsburgh 5 Buffalo 0
Final N-Y Islanders 2 Montreal 1
Final Washington 5 Philadelphia 2
Final Ottawa 2 St. Louis 0
Final Tampa Bay 5 Detroit 4
Final Winnipeg 4 Boston 3
Final Dallas 4 Minnesota 1
Final Arizona 6 Anaheim 1
Final Nashville 3 L.A. Kings 1
Final Florida 4 San Jose 2
———
TOP-25 COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Final (2) Virginia 76 NC State 56
Final (3) North Carolina 83 Louisville 70
Final (5) Duke 84 Syracuse 72
Final West Virginia 79 (7) Texas Tech 74
Final OT (12) Florida St. 65 (16) Virginia Tech 63
Final (14) Nevada 77 Boise St. 69
Final (15) Kansas St. 70 TCU 61
Final (17) Kansas 65 Texas 57
Final (18) Buffalo 82 Akron 46
Final Nebraska 69 (21) Maryland 61
Final (22) Auburn 81 Missouri 71
Final (23) Marquette 86 St. John’s 54
Final (25) Villanova 73 Providence 62
TODAY’S SPORTS SCHEDULE
———
INTERLEAGUE
Toronto at Philadelphia 1:05 p.m.
L-A Angels at San Francisco 4:05 p.m.
Chi Cubs at Chi White Sox 4:05 p.m.
Arizona at L-A Angels 4:10 p.m.
Kansas City at Colorado 4:10 p.m.
St. Louis at Houston 6:05 p.m.
Houston at St. Louis 6:05 p.m.
Tampa Bay at Pittsburgh 6:05 p.m.
———
AMERICAN LEAGUE
Baltimore at Minnesota 1:05 p.m.
Boston at N-Y Yankees 1:05 p.m.
Detroit at Tampa Bay 1:05 p.m.
Cleveland at Texas 4:05 p.m.
———
NATIONAL LEAGUE
Miami at Atlanta 1:05 p.m.
Washington at N-Y Mets 1:10 p.m.
San Diego at Milwaukee 4:05 p.m.
L-A Dodgers at Cincinnati 9:05 p.m.
———
NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION
Sacramento at Philadelphia 7:00 p.m.
Charlotte at Washington 7:00 p.m.
L.A. Lakers at Detroit 7:00 p.m.
Phoenix at Houston 8:00 p.m.
Portland at New Orleans 8:00 p.m.
Milwaukee at Miami 8:00 p.m.
N-Y Knicks at San Antonio 8:30 p.m.
Chicago at L.A. Clippers 10:30 p.m.
———
NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE
Carolina at Columbus 7:00 p.m.
Philadelphia at Toronto 7:00 p.m.
Vegas at Dallas 8:00 p.m.
Anaheim at Colorado 9:00 p.m.
N-Y Rangers at Calgary 9:00 p.m.
New Jersey at Vancouver 10:00 p.m.
———
TOP-25 COLLEGE BASKETBALL
(12) Florida St. at (2) Virginia 7:00 p.m.
(5) Duke at (3) North Carolina 9:30 p.m.
Alabama at (4) Kentucky 7:00 p.m.
Ohio St. at (6) Michigan St. 12:30 p.m.
Mississippi St. at (8) Tennessee 9:30 p.m.
Florida at (9) LSU 1:00 p.m.
Iowa at (10) Michigan 9:30 p.m.
UConn at (11) Houston 12:00 p.m.
Minnesota at (13) Purdue 7:00 p.m.
San Diego St. at (14) Nevada 9:00 p.m.
Iowa St. at (15) Kansas St. 7:00 p.m.
West Virginia at (17) Kansas 9:30 p.m.
Cent. Michigan at (18) Buffalo 6:30 p.m.
Nebraska at (19) Wisconsin 3:00 p.m.
(22) Auburn at South Carolina 3:30 p.m.
Seton Hall at (23) Marquette 9:00 p.m.
SMU at (24) Cincinnati 7:00 p.m.
Xavier at (25) Villanova 6:30 p.m.
Copyright 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
