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By: | Associated Press
Published: October 18, 2012

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PENN STATE-ABUSE
Pa. House Dems asks feds to review Sandusky probe
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) Democratic leaders in the Pennsylvania House are asking the U.S. Justice Department to look into how the investigation of Jerry Sandusky was handled by the state attorney general's office.
Rep. Frank Dermody, the floor leader, and Rep. Mike Hanna, the whip, asked Wednesday for "an independent eye" to look into how the child molestation case was investigated.
The letter was sent after House Republicans blocked a similar resolution earlier this week.
The former Penn State assistant coach is serving at least 30 years after a conviction on 45 criminal counts.
The letter notes the case was begun three years before charges were filed. It began while Republican Gov. Tom Corbett was attorney general, but news of the investigation didn't break until a few months after his inauguration early last year.
PENN STATE-ABUSE-LAWSUIT
In lawsuit, man says Sandusky groped him in 2005
UNDATED (AP) A 22-year-old man claims in a new lawsuit that Jerry Sandusky fondled him at a summer camp on the Penn State University campus in 2005.
The plaintiff, called "John Doe" in the lawsuit, says the former Penn State assistant football coach approached him in a swimming pool and grabbed his genitals. He says he backed away and left the camp.
The lawsuit was filed Monday in federal court in Scranton. The defendants include Sandusky; his charity for troubled youths; Penn State; and former university officials.
Victims or accusers in the child sexual abuse scandal have filed at least four other lawsuits seeking monetary damages. Penn State has said it wants to settle the claims.
Sandusky was sentenced last week to at least 30 years in prison for sexually assaulting 10 boys.
STATE UNIVERSITIES-FACULTY
Pa. university faculty take 1st step toward strike
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) The union representing faculty at Pennsylvania's 14 state-owned universities is taking the first step toward a possible strike.
Union officials say delegates from each campus will meet Saturday in State College for a strike authorization vote.
The move was announced amid stalled contract negotiations. On Monday, state higher education officials declined the union's offer for binding arbitration.
The two sides disagree on pay for temporary faculty, health care and retiree benefits. The union's last contract expired in June 2011.
The Association of Pennsylvania State College and University Faculties represent more than 6,000 faculty and coaches.
The union's general membership also must vote to authorize a strike before one can be called. That vote has not been scheduled.
The universities serve about 120,000 students. There has never been a faculty strike.
TAX DIVERSIONS
Corbett gets bill to let firms keep payroll taxes
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) An income tax incentive to encourage companies to hire in Pennsylvania is on its way to Gov. Tom Corbett's desk following passage in both chambers of the Legislature.
The House voted 111-to-80 late Wednesday in favor of the Promote Employment Across Pennsylvania program, which would let employers retain state income tax money related to new hires.
Corbett's office says he's not sure if he'll sign the measure, which was passed about six weeks after it was first introduced.
The Senate vote earlier in the day was 33 to 16.
SEXTING-MINORS
Lawmakers send Corbett bill on juvenile sexting
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) A bill that creates criminal penalties for minors who transmit nude or sexually explicit images of themselves or other youths is on its way to the governor.
The House and Senate both voted overwhelmingly Wednesday in favor of the measure.
It's designed to punish kids who are 17 or younger for the practice known as sexting. It would impose or a summary offense or a misdemeanor, depending on the facts.
Minors charged under the law could be referred to a diversionary program and potentially get their records expunged.
PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Lawmakers wrap without charter schools bill
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) A closely watched proposal to rewrite Pennsylvania's charter school law appears dead for the time being.
The House of Representatives wrapped up voting Wednesday without a final vote on a bill to toughen oversight of the publicly funded, privately run schools.
The Senate approved the measure Tuesday, but House Speaker Sam Smith says there wasn't enough time to deal with the complicated bill, and funding was a sticking point. Neither chamber plans votes on any blils before the session ends Nov. 30.
The bill would subject school officials to tougher ethics rules, limit how much surplus cash the schools could keep and require annual audits and performance standards.
Improving conditions for charter schools to operate is a key goal of Gov. Tom Corbett, and he supports the bill.
LAWMAKER VIDEO
Pa. House member calls video 'personal attack'
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) A Pennsylvania state representative from the Hazleton area says she's one of the people in a newly posted YouTube video that shows young women in a room with a bong and what appears to be marijuana.
But Rep. Tarah Toohil said in a statement Wednesday that the images in the "Pizza Party" video are more than a decade old. She said "I am not that young woman today."
She called the video "a blatant and personal attack" intended to "degrade me for photos taken many years ago."
Toohil says she's speaking out to tell young people that drugs are not OK and to warn them to be careful in making choices.
The Luzerne County Republican, a lawyer, is finishing her first term after upsetting Democrat Todd Eachus two years ago.
APARTMENT FALL
PSU cheerleader still critical after apt. fall
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (AP) A Penn State cheerleader who fell from a fifth-floor window at an off-campus apartment building remained in critical condition Wednesday.
A friend of the family of Paige Raque (rah-KAY'), said the 19-year-old student showed less movement compared to Tuesday, when Raque opened her eyes. According to Randy Jepson, doctors have said that's normal for someone recovering from such traumatic head and pelvic injuries.
Jepson is head coach of the Penn State men's gymnastics team. Raque's brother, Parker is the team captain.
Police have said Raque, of Louisville, Ky., fell about 39 feet through a screen and out the window on to pavement during a party Saturday night. She was flown to Altoona Regional Health System.
Authorities have said the fall appears to be accidental, though an investigation is continuing.
TEACHER-STUDENT SEX
Ex-Pa. teacher gets 20 to 40 years in sex case
(Information in the following story is from: Intelligencer Journal/Lancaster New Era , http://lancasteronline.com)
LANCASTER, Pa. (AP) A former central Pennsylvania teacher has been sentenced to 20 to 40 years in prison on convictions related to sexual relationships with two teenagers, including one from the school where she worked.
Thirty-four-year-old former McCaskey High School teacher Christy Lee Smith was convicted in Lancaster County of 18 of 22 counts involving relationships with teens between 2008 and 2010.
Prosecutors said one teen met Smith through school, the other through a dance class.
The (Lancaster) Intelligencer Journal/Lancaster New Era says Judge Dennis Reinaker said Wednesday that Smith was a good teacher but "proved incapable of knowing where to draw the line" with students.
Smith declined comment in court. Defense attorney Merrill Spahn said she didn't agree with the verdict and asked the judge to consider her good works.
BEAVER FALLS SHOOTING
Man gets 10 to 20 years in Xmas Eve Pa. slaying
(Information in the following story is from: Beaver County Times, http://www.timesonline.com/)
BEAVER, Pa. (AP) A western Pennsylvania man has been sentenced to 10 to 20 years in state prison for a slaying in a bar early on the day of Christmas Eve.
Thirty-one-year-old Lamont North of Beaver Falls was convicted in August of third-degree murder and reckless endangerment in the Dec. 24 shooting death of 20-year-old Mark Waldron in a Beaver Falls bar. He was acquitted of first-degree murder.
The Beaver County Times says North apologized in court Wednesday to Waldron's family, saying "I pray for you more than I pray for myself."
North testified that three armed men had burst into his apartment Dec. 19 and fired two shots. In the bar, he said, Waldron told him "Next time, I won't miss." No one has been charged in the home invasion.
STABBING DEATH
Defense wants evidence tossed in Pa. murder trial
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (AP) The attorney representing a man accused of having stabbed a man to death in an argument over about $20 worth of marijuana earlier this year is trying to get some of the evidence tossed out before his client's trial.
Twenty-one-year-old Tyler Marlatt of State College is charged in Centre County with first-, second- and third-degree murder as well as robbery and aggravated assault in the Jan. 16 slaying of slaying of 20-year-old Tyler Struble in Lemont.
Defense attorney Ed Blanik says his client acted in self-defense. He said in motions filed Monday that marijuana found in his client's apartment and text messages from his girlfriend should be excluded because they could prejudice jurors.
The trial is scheduled to start Nov. 5.

Nike Womens Dunk High Premium in Metallic Snakeskin

Nike amazes us with another unique pair of sneaker but unfortunately, this new pair is only exclusive for women enthusiasts. This new Sneaker is known as as Womens Nike Dunk High Premium Metallic Silver Snakeskin that they are presenting in striking colorway and unique combination of materials.This new Womens Nike Dunk High Premium in Metallic Silver Snakeskin is without a doubt the most attractive Dunk which was created for women. This sneaker consists having a snakeskin material in metallic silver found on the front area, shoelace area, as well as on the rear area. This metallic snakeskin is also combined with a fabric material highlighted in gray found on the collar and on along side it panels.Apart from these, its upper is also made up of leather located on the perforated toe box highlighted in gray, as well as on the Nike swoosh in blue. This sneaker includes a gray textile tongue with accents of blue Nike branding on the top. This pair includes light blue accent found on the shoelaces and is carried out with a white midsole and grey outsole.This Womens Dunk High Premium in Metallic Snakeskin has just reached selected Nike outlets an internet-based stores consider getting them now before they ran sold-out.Info/Image: Shoes. Mens & Womens Shoes by Jordan ,wholesale jordans shoes, DC & Vans Shoes

Inov-8 330 Mudclaw Review

Click the link to view the Inov-8 330 MudclawAnyone whose read my earlier posts knows that I'm an Inov-8 convert.I have been using their trail shoes for several years and recently tried and liked their lightest race shoe the 212 X-Talon.As the trails recently be a tad around the slippy side I needed to locate something after some more grip than my Adidas Kanadia trail shoes. The X-Talon's have fantastic grip but they offer very little support so whilst they're ideal for racing they are not that good for churning out the miles in training.I've never been a big fan of Inov-8′s fell shoe styling (212 excepted) but recent changes for their colourways plus some subtle changes to the uppers have, in my opinion, improved the range considerably.?We all know that exactly what a fell shoe looks like shouldn't matter a hoot?but we are all aware it does and how things look can have a big effect, even when it's?all in the mind.When searching for a grippy trail shoe the 330 caught my attention and whilst I understand it's designed to be considered a fell racer the upper?does look more like a trail shoe.These shoes do feel slightly larger than the same sized 212 but I guess that's to become expected because the 212 should be a tight fitting stripped down racer.Following a obligatory walk around the house for a day, my first run?within the 330s would be a 90 minute trot around Baildon Moor and the very first thing you notice is the massive levels of traction that the heavily studded sole supplies. The shoes really inspire confidence in muddy conditions and certainly live up to their name.The shoes are extremely comfy and although nice and little as a great off-road shoe ought to be, they offer descent cushioning from the midsole and also a noticable amount of welcome'bounce' in the studs on hard surfaces.The heel is very low, a feature of Inov-8 shoes that we still don't fully understand, and initially?I could feel a little movement when climbing steep wholesale jordans shoes ground. This has basically?disappeared now?the shoes have been?wet and dried several times and started to mould to my feet but I would rather a greater heel to ensure the movement isn't there to begin with.Another issue is the shoe's capability to handle wet rock-put simply, they don't! Knowing this you'll be able to?use them very effectively but the first couple of times you attempt them on a wet, hard, cambered surface the results can be very un-nerving. What I learn about shoe design / manufacture you can write around the back of a small stamp but I want to have experienced two lines of studs running across the length of the sole unit which were produced from super soft sticky rubber.For those who have a relatively efficient style and keep light on your feet these shoes can be used for almost anything from hard packed trails towards the high fells however i think they'll really come into their very own on long-distance fell races where comfort, support?and grip are needed.I've now done around 15 hours within the shoes and overall I like them very much and would gladly recommend them. If? you try before you buy to make sure you obtain the right size and become aware of their dislike of wet rock, you'll not go far wrong.Click the link to see the Inov-8 330 Mudclaw

Nike Air Max LeBron VII P.S. Midnight Navy

We have been showing you Nike Air Max LeBron VII like there's no tomorrow, and here we have the newest edition of the kicks set to be used this post season, hence the Nike Air Max LeBron VII P.S. Midnight Navy name. These are not your typical LeBron VII, some major details happen to be changed, but somehow, that could be the best thing. I'm only saying this because I think the post season edition from the LeBron VII should be cheap jordan different than the regular editions, and not simply in the color scheme.How do I begin describing this one, well top of the remains nearly as good as the regular LeBron VII, using a white base, Navy side panels, with a mixture of red and white flywire. This combination of red, navy, and white is seen through the remaining shoe, used in the white tongue, with red and navy accents, a white Nike Swoosh with a red out line, and in the LB23 lower side pin. The differences begin to be viewed inside a changed heel tab, a quilted inner lining and collar area, and in the Lion logo added to the inner side panel. The large difference though, is available in the Air Max aspect, only this time, it's gone. Stay tuned for just about any updates along with other colorways.Info/

The NBC Sports Network Hopes Ratings Will Rise

In past lives, it was called the Outdoor Life Channel, OLN and Versus. But by any name, the NBC Sports Network has been a blip in a universe dominated by ESPN.

Enlarge This Image

Robert Caplin for The New York Times

Mark Lazarus, chairman of the NBC Sports Group.

Sometimes consigned to the upper reaches of the cable listings, the network usually churns along with a low profile and modest viewership. During the London Olympic Games, however, it was temporarily transformed.

With about 14 hours of Olympic programming each day, primarily of team sports, the number of viewers swelled sixfold, to 977,000 a day, compared with the four weeks before the Games. That was an increase of 26 percent over the same period last year, providing a 17-day tonic to the ratings as special as the one CNN gets on election nights.

The idea was to enable viewers to see NBCSN as a viable sports channel, perhaps for the first time. In past Olympics, NBC Universal farmed out team sports to USA Network.

Among all cable networks, NBCSN leapt to fifth in viewership, and it was No. 1 with viewers 18 to 49 and 25 to 54. The most-watched event was the United States women’s gold medal-winning soccer match, which drew nearly 4.4 million viewers — more than the network has drawn for any event, including the Stanley Cup Final, in its 17-year existence under various owners.

“This has exceeded all our predictions,” Jon Miller, president of the NBC Sports Network, said last week from London. “There’s a great euphoria with the success these Olympics have generated.”

Now what? The Olympics are gone until the Winter Games from Sochi, Russia, in 2014. The network returns to reality, meaning a regular schedule that has experienced reduced prime-time viewership in 2012 compared with last year.

Part of that decrease is because of the overhaul the network began earlier this year, when its parent, the NBC Sports Group, renamed it and added new programming, like a monthly prime-time interview show with Bob Costas; a daily early evening show called NBC Sports Talk; and sports like Major League Soccer. They join existing content like the National Hockey League, motor racing, cycling, college football, boxing, horse racing, and hunting and fishing.

On Monday, the network added a weekday morning show, “The ‘Lights,” that disdains anchor banter for an unseen male voice narrating highlights on a 20-minute loop. The show begins at 7 a.m. Eastern and is repeated five times in succession until 9 a.m. Another show, called “Caught Looking,” was scheduled to start Wednesday night. A collaboration with Major League Baseball Productions, the show will take a behind-the-scenes look at a specific weekend series through the rest of the baseball season.

Last month, it added a monthly magazine series — similar to “Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel” on HBO and “E:60” on ESPN — in partnership with Sports Illustrated.

But most of the new additions are studio shows and not the live-action sports that NBC Sports Network so desperately needs. There remain enormous gaps in its schedule. There are no Major League Baseball, National Football League or National Basketball Association games. There is no college football from major conferences. There are no Nascar races, only those from the lower-rated IndyCar series.

And there are no defining personalities among the channel’s regular hosts and game announcers.

It is no surprise, then, that it charges cable, satellite and telephone companies an average monthly fee of 31 cents a subscriber compared with ESPN’s $5.13, according to SNL Kagan. Depending on the time of year, NBCSN’s prime-time viewership is about one-tenth to one-quarter of ESPN’s.

“We all know this is a five-year plan to make it a bigger sports network,” Mark Lazarus, chairman of the NBC Sports Group, said on Sunday. “No one here believes, ‘You did the Olympics, now we expect your ratings to go up 20 percent.’ I’m hoping we get more people to sample the network.”

Mr. Lazarus has consistently kept his public expectations low and declines to speak about directly challenging ESPN. He recognizes that Olympic success is not enough to push subscriber fees higher or to justify rewriting existing contracts with cable, satellite and affiliates. NBCSN needs a stronger slate of more prominent sports to attract consistent audiences, especially males, from season to season.

Comcast, which owns NBC Universal, spent $4.38 billion to acquire the four Olympics from 2014 to 2020, but it will have to look seriously at buying some or all of the sports whose rights will soon be up for bids — Major League Baseball, Nascar or the Big East conference, each of which would be carried on NBC’s broadcast and cable networks.

Mr. Lazarus would alter his channel’s economics drastically if he could acquire a slate of eight Thursday night games from the N.F.L. But the league, which carries one Thursday slate on its own NFL Network, has not decided to sell another.

“The idea is that if they can get these blockbuster events, they at least have the leverage to get higher carriage fees,” said Brad Adgate, senior vice president of research at Horizon Media.

Peter Liguori, the former chairman of Fox Entertainment who also ran the FX cable channel, said the Olympics got NBCSN on “people’s mental menus.” Now, he said, in addition to aggressively pursuing more sports rights, the channel “has to give an audience something to talk about and do certain things that ESPN doesn’t, either in production techniques or announcers.”

He said the network needed breakthrough programming to attract viewers, as “The Shield” did for FX and as HBO has done with “Hard Knocks,” which focuses on a single N.F.L. team in training camp.

“If you get one thing to really stand out,” he said, “you break down the barriers of habit.”

Red Sox boss says no players asked for new skipper

BOSTON (AP) -- None of the Boston Red Sox players in a series of meetings with the team's top brass called for manager Bobby Valentine to be replaced, owner John Henry said Wednesday.

Henry issued a statement one day after Yahoo! Sports reported that several players met with him and team president Larry Lucchino in New York on July 27 to complain about Valentine's handling of the team. Chairman Tom Werner was also at the meeting.
Henry said he called the meeting, and it ''quickly went to the point - what do we need to do to turn things around?''
''No one in that meeting at any time took the position that Bobby should be or needed to be replaced,'' Henry wrote.
Henry said players took responsibility for the team's performance; the Red Sox were 57-60, 12 1/2 games out of first place in the AL East, heading into Wednesday night's game in Baltimore against the Orioles.
''They weren't blaming injuries or anyone but themselves,'' Henry wrote. ''At the same time they openly spoke about what could improve in addition to their play. They made substantive points. We addressed those points.''
Valentine also declined to point fingers.
''Personally, I think we're in it together,'' he said. ''I think we're going to get hot.''
Henry said he called a similar meeting ''about this time eight years ago,'' a reference to the 2004 season in which the Red Sox won the World Series for first time in 86 years. This time, the meeting was divided up into three parts, Henry said, ''separating groups so as to have frank discussions about what was wrong.''
Henry also complained in his statement about the details of the meeting going public.
''I understand that when the team isn't playing up to our standards that issues are going to be sensationalized,'' he wrote. ''But what is important for Red Sox fans to know is that ownership, players and all staff especially Bobby Valentine are determined to turn around what has thus far been an unacceptable, failed season. We are all on the same page in that regard and will not waver.''
Valentine also said he regretted that details had gone public, but he said that the controversy hasn't weighed on him.
''If we were 10 games over .500 and in first place, he wouldn't have to make any statements,'' the manager said.
Valentine was hired last offseason to replace Terry Francona, who was let go after the team went 7-20 in September to blow what had seemed like a certain playoff berth. Valentine said he wanted to change the culture of a clubhouse where players ate fried chicken and drank beer during games, rather than sitting in the dugout to support their teammates.
Red Sox pitcher Clay Buchholz defended the manager.
''He does his job,'' Buchholz said. ''When something goes wrong, somebody has to be blamed for it and it's usually us. ... He's doing a good job. It's a game, man, it doesn't always work.''
Valentine said he planned to be back in 2013.
''And '14 and '15,'' he said. ''That's what I'm hoping.''
---
AP Sports Writer David Ginsburg contributed to this story from Baltimore.

‘NBA 2K13′ will include the Dream Team* and Team USA 2012, allow for debate-settlin’

Well, this is a neat little surprise.
Remember how for a little while there, folks were batting around the question of whether the 2012 edition of Team USA — led by present-day superstars LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Kobe Bryant and Chris Paul — could have beaten the 1992 version popularly referred to as "The Dream Team," which featured legends Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson and Larry Bird, and is widely considered the greatest team ever assembled in any sport? Well, in case you were under a rock for a couple of weeks (or got on Billy King's scotch plan to "Eternal Sunshine" the memories away), let's catch you up:
The discussion started when a reporter asked Kobe at a pre-London workout how he thought the 2012 squad would fare against the Dream Team. Kobe, unsurprisingly, said he thought his team would "pull it out," citing superior speed, scoring and wing depth. This, naturally, led to a slew of Dream Teamers, including the famously shy Charles Barkley, disputing Bryant's claim. Hoops fans all over the world, including President Barack Obama, shared their opinions on the topic, with most falling on the side of the '92 squad, which smashed its opponents by an average margin of 43.8 points per game en route to gold in Barcelona, compared to the crummy lil' 32-point average posted by 20-Doz during their 8-0 run in London.
[ Y! Sports Minute: Coach fuels Jordan-James debate ]
While chatter on the matter has largely subsided in the wake of another U.S. gold-medal win at the 2012 Summer Olympics, Wednesday has brought us a new fuel-for-the-fire nugget: "NBA 2K13" — the forthcoming annual update to the wildly successful basketball video-game series from 2K Sports, which will feature Blake Griffin, Kevin Durant and Derrick Rose on its cover and is being "executive produced" by Brooklyn Nets minority owner/hip-hop legend Jay-Z — will include both the Dream Team and the 2012 squad, enabling players to get their "Rocky Balboa" on and simulate the result for themselves (or choose their side and influence the outcome on their own, if they want to be non-scientific about it).
2K Sports shared a promotional image of the Dream Team lined up and ready to go on its Twitter account on Wednesday morning, dovetailing nicely with a story from SI.com's Sam Amick in which Jordan (as part of the 2K team announcing USA Basketball's involvement in this year's game) reiterated that he doesn't think "we would've had any problems with [2012], as much as they think they probably would've given us a lot more difficulties." Promotional synergy, y'all!

The sharper cookies among you noticed that asterisk in the subject line and might be wondering what's up. Well, the whole Dream Team isn't represented in "2K13" — Scottie Pippen won't be included on the '92 roster, because he couldn't come to terms with the game's makers, according to multiple reports. (That's especially weird considering he was one of the all-time legends available for selection in the 2012 model of the game; you'd figure there must be some relationship in place there. But apparently, not enough to get this deal done.)
That's a bummer, both because it'd be nice to have the whole gang together and because Pippen was an integral on-court part of the Dream Team — remember, he led the team in assists, trailed only Jordan in steals and gave many European players fits on the defensive end in Barcelona. Luckily, I'm sure that as soon as the game drops on Tuesday, Oct. 2, 2012, about 300 enterprising fans will upload step-by-step tutorials on how to create your own Scottie Pippen to YouTube. They're helpful like that.
The absence of Pippen puts "NBA 2K13" at a significant disadvantage in its quest to be a better video game than the Sega Genesis classic "Team USA Basketball." Will the gameplay, graphics and music be superior? Only time will tell: