February 6, 2018

Woman who accused Trump of forced kiss running for Ohio seat

FREMONT, Ohio (AP) - A woman who during the 2016 election accused President Donald Trump of sexually harassing her more than a decade ago is running for a seat in Ohio's legislature.

Former Trump Tower receptionist Rachel Crooks filed paperwork Monday to run as a Democrat in Ohio's 88th House District, which covers a largely rural area southeast of Toledo.

Trump denied the accusations when they first surfaced a month before the 2016 election.

Crooks has said she met Trump in 2005 and that she was 22 when she says he kissed her "directly on the mouth" against her will. The White House disputed Crooks' claims in December.

Read more: http://www.philly.com/philly/news/politics/20180205_ap_8d0363b9520d47beb2d432e1f3eafa40.html

February 6, 2018

New Jersey to contract only with firms following net neutrality

NEWARK, N.J. (AP) - New Jersey will only agree to new contracts with internet providers who observe net neutrality under an executive order issued by Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy.

Murphy signed the order Monday in Newark. The Democratic governors of New York and Montana have taken similar executive action.

Murphy's administration also announced the state attorney general would be joining 21 other state attorneys general and the District of Columbia who are suing to block the repeal of the federal policy.

The policy banned companies from interfering with web traffic or speeds to favor certain sites or apps.

Read more: http://www.philly.com/philly/news/politics/nj/20180205_ap_5baddd16485545cda40e26bc5a1af4ae.html

February 6, 2018

Amazon should avoid Pennsylvania due to lack of LGBT protections, ad campaign says

A group of LGBT activists launched an ad campaign Thursday to demand that Amazon.com Inc. locate its second headquarters in a state that protects LGBT people from discrimination.

While the City of Philadelphia — one of 20 finalists in Amazon’s search — has an ordinance that offers such protections, Pennsylvania does not.

“Employees, their families, and customers may work within a city, but they may live in a neighboring community,” said Conor Gaughan, campaign manager for the “No Gay? No Way!!” campaign. “Without statewide protections, we are asking these LGBT citizens to give up their rights and protections on their commute beyond the city line. And without a statewide nondiscrimination law, there is no guarantee that a city ordinance won’t be struck down by a discriminatory state law.”

Amazon declined to comment Thursday, instead referring to its wish list for contenders, which includes populations of more than one million, an international airport, good transit systems, and “the presence and support of a diverse population.”

Read more: http://www.philly.com/philly/news/amazon-lgbt-discrimination-no-gay-no-way-philly-pa-20180201.html

February 6, 2018

In New Jersey, new administration giving 'pause' to charter schools

Kindergartners spun around in hula hoops and chased each other across a gym floor at Camden’s Pride Charter School this week, a joyful explosion of energy as recess began.

Most of them likely will stay with the charter network until they graduate from high school, predicts Superintendent Joe Conway. Demand has grown at his Camden’s Promise network, which enrolls 2,000 students, up from 100 sixth graders in 1998.

But Conway and other charter operators are concerned about what their future holds under the Gov. Murphy administration.

During his campaign, Murphy called for a “time out” on charter expansion — something about which his predecessor, Chris Christie, was bullish. Murphy has expressed reservations about how the schools, which are privately run but funded with tax dollars, are approved and operated. His transition team has recommended a “pause” on new approvals.

Read more: http://www.philly.com/philly/education/in-n-j-new-administration-giving-pause-to-charter-schools-20180205.html

February 6, 2018

Thousands of sex offenders no longer have to register. Should lawmakers put them back on a list for

Thousands of Pennsylvania sex offenders no longer have to register. Should lawmakers put them back on a list for life?

HARRISBURG — About 150 people in Philadelphia are in state prison and 150 more are on probation or parole for neglecting to fill out address-change notifications or missing a required reporting date — all failures to comply with a sex-offender-registration law the state Supreme Court found unconstitutional last July.

Now, the fates of those people — along with as many as 17,000 others statewide who were required, under that law, to remain on a registry for decades or life — hinge in large part on the state legislature.

On Monday, the Senate Judiciary Committee, a key gatekeeper, unanimously advanced legislation already passed by the House to replace the invalidated law.

Meanwhile, a panel of Common Pleas Court judges is deliberating whether to vacate the failure-to-comply convictions for the approximately 300 Philadelphians still under supervision.

Read more: http://www.philly.com/philly/news/364467-sex-offenders-megans-law-pennsyvlania-sorna-adam-walsh-jerry-sandusky-20180205.html

February 6, 2018

Rutgers athletics secures record $15M fundraising gift

Not long after putting a shovel in the dirt during a ceremonial groundbreaking for the $115 million RWJBarnabas Health Athletic Performance Center, Pat Hobbs turned his attention to the next project.

“It's going to be a very, very big focus in the next six months,'' the Rutgers Athletics Director said, pointing to a proposed training facility to accommodate the men’s and women’s soccer and lacrosse programs. "There are a lot of folks who are passionate about soccer and lacrosse, as I am, and they know the importance of that facility.’’

That statement seems prophetic after Hobbs on Monday announced a $15 million gift for the lacrosse and soccer training facility.

The naming rights were secured by Gary Rodkin and his wife Barbara, both Rutgers alums. Gary Rodkin is best known as the former Chief Executive Officer of Omaha-based ConAgra Foods, one of the largest food-processing companies in the country.

Read more: http://www.nj.com/rutgersfootball/index.ssf/2018/02/rutgers_ad_pat_hobbs_secures_15m_fundraising_gift.html

February 6, 2018

Mississippi honors man for college integration effort

The state of Mississippi is recognizing a man who sought to integrate a segregated university until he was falsely imprisoned and denied treatment for the cancer that claimed his life.

On Friday, the Mississippi Freedom Trail Task Force dedicated a historic marker acknowledging Forrest County native Clyde Kennard, a Black man who repeatedly tried to enroll at the all-white Mississippi Southern College, now the University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg, from 1955 to 1959 as part of an effort to desegregate higher education. It’s the trail’s 26th marker.

Ultimately, Kennard was falsely charged with stealing chicken feed and whiskey and sentenced to seven years at Mississippi’s State Penitentiary at Parchman. While there, he was diagnosed with cancer but was denied proper treatment until he was critically ill. Under pressure of bad publicity should Kennard die at Parchman, Gov. Ross Barnett ordered his release in spring 1963. He died that summer at age 36.

“He is most worthy to receive this recognition,” said Eddie A. Holloway, USM dean of students. “He plays such a significant role in the desegregation of schools in higher education in Mississippi. His life and legacy remains and should be marked or connoted by future generations.”

Read more: http://www.phillytrib.com/news/mississippi-honors-man-for-college-integration-effort/article_c230fe19-3a54-5988-96d5-2ef0e318a974.html

February 6, 2018

Broadcom raises Qualcomm bid to more than $121 billion

SAN JOSE, Calif. — Broadcom boosted its bid for Qualcomm to more than $121 billion in cash and stock Monday in what would be the largest tech deal in history.

Broadcom Ltd. said that its "best and final offer" of $82 per Qualcomm share includes $60 in cash and the rest in Broadcom shares.

Qualcomm, which makes the omnipresent Snapdragon chips used in smartphones and tablets, said Monday that it has received the revised bid and that its board, along with financial and legal advisers, will review the offer.

Qualcomm Inc. previously said that a $103 billion unsolicited acquisition offer undervalued the San Diego company. It criticized the people that Broadcom and Silver Lake Partners had wanted to put on its board, saying that they were conflicted and had no skills or expertise to offer.

Read more: http://www.phillytrib.com/news/broadcom-raises-qualcomm-bid-to-more-than-billion/article_eb18f508-f7ff-5210-a36e-01f7689e5489.html

February 5, 2018

Oklahoma considers chemical castration for sex offenders

OKLAHOMA CITY — A Republican lawmaker is pushing to add Oklahoma to the list of states in which so-called chemical castration is an option for certain sex offenders, albeit an option that rarely gets used.

State Rep. Rick West, a first-term lawmaker from Heavener, said he filed the bill at the request of a constituent and that he fully intends to push for its passage, though it’s likely to face strong opposition, even in a conservative state with a tough-on-crime reputation.

If approved, Oklahoma would join at least seven other states that have laws allowing courts to order chemical treatments that reduce male testosterone for certain sex offenders, although experts say the punishment is rarely carried out and one described it as a “half fantasy” version of criminal justice.

“When I knocked on that guy’s door when I was campaigning, he said: ‘I’ll vote for you if you’ll run this bill,'” West said.

Read more: https://nypost.com/2018/02/04/oklahoma-considers-chemical-castration-for-sex-offenders/

February 5, 2018

Marist revokes O'Reilly honorary degree amid harassment claims

Marist College in Poughkeepsie has revoked an honorary degree it awarded to former Fox News commentator Bill O’Reilly, according to a statement posted Sunday on the school’s website.

The statement referenced the sexual harassment claims made against O’Reilly during his time at Fox News and reports that the network paid millions to settle harassment cases against him. O’Reilly, who was raised in Levittown and now lives in Manhasset, hosted “The O’Reilly Factor” from 1996 until his departure from the cable news channel last April.

“To many, his reported payments of tens of millions of dollars and dismissal by Fox News lend credibility to the allegations against him,” the statement reads. “Any form of sexual harassment or abuse is deeply contrary to the values of Marist College.”

A representative for O’Reilly could not immediately be reached for comment.

Read more: https://www.newsday.com/long-island/education/oreilly-harassment-marist-degree-revoked-1.16543218