JOE PATERNO'S WIDOW TELLS KATIE COURIC THAT JERRY SANDUSKY FOOLED EVERYONE, INCLUDING THE PATERNO FAMILY. "WHEN WE WERE AT A BOWL GAME IN WARM WEATHER, HE WOULD GO IN THE POOL AND PLAY WITH THE KIDS, OUR KIDS INCLUDED. DO YOU THINK WE'D LET OUR KIDS PLAY WITH SOMEONE WHO MIGHT BE A PEDOPHILE? WOULD YOU LET YOUR CHILDREN IN THE POOL? SO, OBVIOUSLY WE WERE TOTALLY UNAWARE," SUE PATERNO SAYS. SHE TOLD COURIC SHE WAS HORRIFIED BY THE SANDUSKY SEX-ABUSE SCANDAL AND WHAT YOU SAW FROM HER HUSBAND WAS WHAT HE WAS: A MAN OF HONESTY, INTEGRITY AND A MAN WHO DID THINGS THE RIGHT WAY.
NIKE CO-FOUNDER PHIL KNIGHT HAS ISSUED A STATEMENT BLASTING THE FREEH REPORT'S CHARACTERIZATION OF PENN STATE COACH JOE PATERNO IN THE CHILD SEX ABUSE SCANDAL INVOLVING ASSISTANT COACH JERRY SANDUSKY. FOLLOWING THE RELEASE LAST YEAR OF FORMER FBI DIRECTOR LOUIS FREEH'S REPORT, KNIGHT ISSUED A STATEMENT SAYING HE WAS SADDENED THAT PATERNO APPARENTLY MADE MISSTEPS THAT LED TO "HEARTBREAKING CONSEQUENCES." BUT KNIGHT NOW SAYS THAT HE MAY HAVE JUMPED TO CONCLUSIONS, AFTER A NEW REPORT BY FORMER U.S. ATTORNEY GENERAL AND PENNSYLVANIA GOV. DICK THORNBURGH THAT WAS COMMISSIONED BY THE PATERNO FAMILY. IN A STATEMENT RELEASED MONDAY, KNIGHT CALLED THE FINDINGS OF THE FREEH REPORT UNJUSTIFIED AND UNSUBSTANTIATED. HE ALSO CRITICIZED THE NCAA'S SUBSEQUENT SANCTIONS ON PENN STATE'S FOOTBALL PROGRAM AS UNWARRANTED.
PENN STATE IS CONSIDERING OFFERS FROM MOST OF THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE TOLD THE SCHOOL THEY SUFFERED DAMAGES RELATED TO THE JERRY SANDUSKY CHILD MOLESTATION SCANDAL. KEN FEINBERG, THE LAWYER HIRED BY THE UNIVERSITY TO FACILITATE SETTLEMENTS, TOLD THE ASSOCIATED PRESS ON MONDAY THAT HE DELIVERED THE DEMANDS TO PENN STATE ADMINISTRATORS, LAWYERS AND BOARD OF TRUSTEES MEMBERS ON FRIDAY. FEINBERG SAYS THE NEXT STEP IS A RESPONSE BY THE UNIVERSITY IN THE COMING WEEKS. HE SAYS DEMANDS ARE ON THE TABLE FROM MOST BUT NOT ALL OF THE CLAIMANTS' LAWYERS. FEINBERG SAID LAST MONTH THE SCHOOL WAS IN TALKS WITH 28 CLAIMANTS. SANDUSKY, THE SCHOOL'S FORMER ASSISTANT FOOTBALL COACH, IS SERVING A PRISON TERM FOR 45 COUNTS OF CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE INVOLVING 10 BOYS.
DeSALES UNIVERSITY'S FATHER THOMAS DAILEY SAYS HE WAS INITIALLY SHOCKED BY THE NEWS POPE BENEDICT IS RESIGNING AT THE END OF THIS MONTH. HOWEVER, DAILEY SAYS THE MORE HE THOUGHT ABOUT IT, THE MORE SENSE IT MADE. "AS A MAN WHO IS CONSUMATELY AN INTELLECTUAL, ONE WHO CAN THINK CLEARLY AND SEE THE WAYS OF THE WORLD AND THE NEEDS OF THE CHURCH, THIS IS A LOGICAL DECISION FOR HIM," SAYS FATHER DAILEY. HE SAYS BENEDICT HAD WRITTEN IN THE PAST ABOUT A POPE LEAVING IF HE WERE NO LONGER ABLE TO FULFILL THE OBLIGATIONS OF THE JOB.
46-YEAR-OLD CATHERINE VENUSTO COULD GET UP TO SEVEN YEARS IN JAIL WHEN SHE'S SENTENCED NEXT MONTH AFTER PLEADING GUILTY TO HACKING INTO A SCHOOL DISTRICT'S COMPUTER SYSTEM AND CHANGES THE GRADES OF BOTH HER SON AND DAUGHTER. VENUSTO WAS A SECRETARY AT NORTHWESTERN LEHIGH SCHOOL DISTRICT AND USED THE SUPERINTENDENT'S PASSWORD TO HACK INTO THE DISTRICT'S COMPUTERS TO CHANGE HER SON'S GRADE OF 98 PERCENT TO 99 PERCENT AND HER DAUGHTER'S GRADE FROM A FAILING GRADE TO A MEDICAL EXCEPTION.
AN ALLENTOWN MAN WILL SPEND THE NEXT 40 TO 80 YEARS IN PRISON AFTER ADMITTING MONDAY TO KILLING HAGOS MEZGEBO IN JANUARY 2012. ENRIQUE ORTIZ SHOT MEZGEBO TO DEATH AFTER MEZGEBO WALKED BY ORTIZ'S CAR AS HE WAS ARGUING WITH HIS GIRLFRIEND, WHO TOLD POLICE ABOUT THE SHOOTING THE NEXT DAY. ORTIZ AVOIDED THE DEATH PENALTY WITH MONDAY'S PLEA.
NORTHAMPTON COUNTY'S D.A. SAYS SIX MORE WOMEN HAVE COME FORWARD IN THE INVESTIGATION OF DAVID MARTINEZ, WHO IS BELIEVED TO BE A SERIAL RAPIST. JOHN MORGANELLI BELIEVES DAVID MARTINEZ USED SOCIAL MEDIA TO PREY ON YOUNG WOMEN AND GIRLS AND HE EXPECTS MORE WOMEN TO COME FORWARD. MARTINEZ IS IN PRISON FOR ALLEGEDLY RAPING A 14 YEAR OLD GIRL AND 17 YEAR OLD GIRL LAST YEAR AT HIS HOME IN BETHLEHEM. NO ADDITIONAL CHARGES HAVE BEEN FILED YET AGAINST MARTINEZ.
MEGAN THODE IS SUING LEHIGH UNIVERSITY OVER HER C+ GRADE SHE RECEIVED IN 2009 IN HER FIELDWORK CLASS SHE WAS TAKING TO BECOME A LICENSED PROFESSIONAL COUNSELOR. THODE IS SEEKING $1.3 MILLION IN THE LAWSUIT, CLAIMING THE GRADE WAS A RESULT OF HER ADVOCACY FOR GAY RIGHTS AND COMPLAINTS SHE MADE AFTER SHE AND THREE OTHER STUDENTS WERE FORCED TO FIND AN ADDITIONAL INTERNSHIP MIDWAY THROUGH THE SEMESTER. LEHIGH'S ATTORNEY SAYS THODE HAD TO MEET THE ACADEMIC STANDARDS OF THE COURSE AND DIDN'T. THE REQUIRED GRADE TO MOVE ON WAS A 'B'. THODE WAS ATTENDING LEHIGH FOR FREE BECAUSE HER FATHER IS A PROFESSOR THERE. THE CIVIL TRIAL CONTINUES TODAY.
VICE PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN SAYS NOW IS THE TIME TO ENACT GUN CONTROL MEASURES. "THERE IS A SENSE OF URGENCY IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, TO THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS TO ACT," THE VICE PRESIDENT SAID. BIDEN DISCUSSED GUN CONTROL IN PHILADELPHIA'S GIRARD COLLEGE MONDAY AND WAS JOINED BY THREE DEMOCRATIC MEMBERS OF CONGRESS AND SENATOR BOB CASEY. HE SAYS THINGS LIKE UNIVERSAL BACKGROUND CHECKS FOR GUN PURCHASES HAVE WIDESPREAD SUPPORT.
REPUBLICAN SENATOR PAT TOOMEY HAS GOTTEN SOME HEAT FOR HIS VOTE TO SHIP FIGHTER JETS AND TANKS TO EGYPT'S MILITARY. TOOMEY SAYS THAT'S THE WAY IT'S BEEN AS PART OF A DECADES-OLD PEACE DEAL BETWEEN EGYPT AND ISRAEL AND HE SAYS EVENTHOUGH HE'S NOT A FAN OF EGYPT'S NEW GOVERNMENT, BACKING ITS MILITARY IS A WISE DECISION. "THE NEW GOVERNMENT IS VERY DISTURBING. I'M NOT A FAN OF IT AND WHAT IT'S DOING. BUT, YOU HAVE TO REMEMBER EGYPT IS NOT LIKE AMERICA IN MANY WAYS AND ONE OF WHICH IS THE INDEPENDENCE OF THE MILITARY, WHICH I THINK IS A STABILIZING FORCE AND A PRO-AMERICAN FORCE," TOOMEY SAYS. TOOMEY SAYS THE ONLY INSTITUTION IN EGYPT THAT HAS BEEN CONSISTENTLY STABILE, SECULAR AND NOT INVOLVED WITH MUSLIM EXTREMISTS AND THAT INSTITUTION IS THE MILITARY.
THE PENNSYLVANIA CONVENTION CENTER WILL PLAY HOST TO A BEAUTY CONTEST OF SORTS, AS SIX GROUPS OF WEALTHY BUSINESSMEN AND CASINO COMPANY REPRESENTATIVES PURSUE A CASINO LICENSE IN PHILADELPHIA. THE PENNSYLVANIA GAMING CONTROL BOARD'S DAYLONG HEARING TODAY AT THE CONVENTION CENTER WILL GIVE EACH APPLICANT ABOUT 45 MINUTES TO SHOWCASE THEIR CASINO PLANS. THE APPLICANTS INCLUDE CASINO DEVELOPERS FROM LONDON, PENNSYLVANIA AND LAS VEGAS, AS WELL AS PHILADELPHIA-AREA DEVELOPERS AND A MAN WHO FOUNDED ONE OF THE COUNTRY'S LARGEST WHOLESALE FRUIT AND VEGETABLE DISTRIBUTORS. A LICENSING DECISION WILL TAKE MONTHS.
REVENUE AT ATLANTIC CITY'S CASINOS WAS DOWN MORE THAN 13 PERCENT IN JANUARY COMPARED WITH THE SAME MONTH A YEAR AGO. IT WAS AN INAUSPICIOUS START TO WHAT COULD BE A SEVENTH STRAIGHT YEAR OF FALLING CASINO REVENUES IN A MARKET THAT USED TO BE THE NATION'S SECOND-LARGEST BUT HAS SINCE LOST THAT TITLE TO PENNSYLVANIA. THE CITY'S 12 CASINOS WON $205.6 MILLION FROM GAMBLERS LAST MONTH. TABLE GAMES REVENUE FELL BY $5.1 MILLION, TO $67.1 MILLION. SLOT MACHINE REVENUE FELL BY $26.2 MILLION, TO $138.5 MILLION. ATLANTIC CITY'S CASINO REVENUE HAS FALLEN FROM A HIGH OF $5.2 BILLION IN 2006 TO JUST OVER $3 BILLION LAST YEAR.
NEW JERSEY LAWMAKERS PLAN TO MOVE QUICKLY TO ADOPT AN INTERNET GAMBLING BILL NOW THAT GOV. CHRIS CHRISTIE HAS LAID HIS CARDS ON THE TABLE. AFTER YEARS OF AMBIVALENCE ABOUT ONLINE BETTING, CHRISTIE LAST WEEK VETOED NEW JERSEY'S SECOND ATTEMPT AT LEGALIZING IT. BUT THE GOVERNOR SAID HE WOULD SIGN A BILL THAT MADE CHANGES LIKE A 10-YEAR TRIAL PERIOD AND HIGHER TAXES ON THE CASINOS' ONLINE WINNINGS. LEADERS OF THE STATE SENATE AND ASSEMBLY SAY THEY WILL VOTE FEB. 26 ON CHRISTIE'S RECOMMENDATIONS. NEW JERSEY WOULD BECOME THE THIRD STATE IN THE NATION, AFTER NEVADA AND DELAWARE, TO LEGALIZE INTERNET GAMBLING.
EMAILS BETWEEN SEN. ROBERT MENENDEZ'S OFFICE AND THE HOMELAND SECURITY DEPARTMENT DESCRIBE EFFORTS BY THE NEW JERSEY DEMOCRAT IN JANUARY TO THWART ANY U.S. DONATIONS OF CARGO-SCREENING EQUIPMENT TO THE GOVERNMENT OF THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC. DONATED EQUIPMENT COULD HAVE JEOPARDIZED A DOMINICAN PORT SECURITY CONTRACT BENEFITING A CLOSE MENENDEZ ASSOCIATE AND FUNDRAISER. THE EMAILS CAME SIX MONTHS AFTER MENENDEZ RAISED CONCERNS ABOUT THE DOMINICAN GOVERNMENT'S PORT SECURITY IN A SENATE HEARING WITH SENIOR OFFICIALS FROM THE STATE AND COMMERCE DEPARTMENTS. IN THE HEARING AND EMAILS, MENENDEZ AND HIS STAFF DID NOT NAME THE PRIVATE FIRM. BUT A COMPANY RUN BY DR. SALOMON MELGEN, MENENDEZ'S BIGGEST DONOR, HAS PUSHED TO SECURE A LUCRATIVE PORT SECURITY CONTRACT WITH THE DOMINICAN GOVERNMENT.
