December 10, 2019 2:33 am
HARRISBURG (AP) – A Pennsylvania appeals court has rejected Bill Cosby’s bid to overturn his sexual assault conviction. The ruling Tuesday is being closely watched as Cosby was the first celebrity tried and convicted in the (hash)MeToo era. Defense lawyers say the trial judge improperly allowed five other accusers to testify. But the state Superior Court says the testimony is lawful and shows Cosby had a pattern of drugging and molesting women. The 82-year-old Cosby is serving a 3- to 10-year prison term for the 2004 encounter at his suburban Philadelphia home. He can now ask the state Supreme Court to consider his appeal.
December 9, 2019 4:03 pm
LOS ANGELES (AP) – Some of the stars associated with Star Trek are mourning the loss of one of their own. Rene Auberjonois (ruh-NAY’ oh-BAYR’-zhan-wah) was known for his work in the “Star Trek: Deep Space Nine” series. And after news of his death spread, Trek actors like George Takei and William Shatner paid tribute to him online. Auberjonois is also remembered for his work on the TV show “Benson” and for playing the priest in the movie version of “M.A.S.H.” Rene Auberjonois was 79. He had metastatic lung cancer.
December 9, 2019 12:28 pm
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (AP) – A group of West Virginians have gone to Canada to find affordable insulin. The Charleston Gazette-Mail reports the caravan left Morgantown Sunday morning for Niagara Falls, where riders hoped to find insulin at about a tenth of the price found in the states. The newspaper says insulin prices have been rising for the last decade, making it difficult for some to access the necessary medication, even with health insurance. No prescription is necessary to purchase the drug in Canada, where insulin prices are reported to be about a tenth of what people have to pay in the United States.
December 9, 2019 12:20 pm
NEW YORK (AP) – In the Golden Globe TV nominations, the transition was complete with broadcast networks completely shut out. Netflix was dominant, getting 17 TV nods to go with 17 on the film side. HBO was a close second with 15. The leading TV series across the categories were “The Crown,” “Unbelievable” and “Chernobyl,” all with four nominations. Among the snubs were two acclaimed shows in their final seasons. “Game of Thrones” managed only one nomination, for acting, and “Veep” was shut out in the comedy category. The Globes will air Jan. 5 on NBC, a network that earned zero nominations.
December 9, 2019 8:48 am
No injuries are reported following a house fire Sunday night in Cecil Township. The blaze broke out around 11 p.m. at the home along Charles Street. According to reports, the occupant had just returned home and found the fire inside. They ran to a neighbor’s home and called 9-1-1. There is no word on the cause of the fire but it is not considered suspicious. Two cats reportedly died in the blaze.
December 9, 2019 4:52 am
LOS ANGELES (AP) – The Sesame Workshop says Caroll Spinney, who gave Big Bird his warmth and Oscar the Grouch his growl for nearly 50 years on “Sesame Street,” died Sunday at the age of 85 at his home in Connecticut. The Sesame Workshop said in a statement that the legendary puppeteer lived for some time with dystonia, which causes involuntary muscle contractions. Spinney voiced and operated the two major Muppets from their inception in 1969 when he was 36, and performed them almost exclusively into his 80s on the PBS kids’ television show that later moved to HBO.
December 9, 2019 4:25 am
BOSTON (AP) – A former college baseball player whose battle with Lou Gehrig’s disease helped inspire the ice bucket challenge has died. Pete Frates was 34. Frates’ family says he died Monday. The ice bucket challenge has raised more than $200 million worldwide for research into ALS, which is also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. Participants would challenge others to share videos of themselves dumping a bucket of icy water over their own heads to raise awareness. The fundraiser began in 2014 when pro golfer Chris Kennedy challenged his wife’s cousin Jeanette Senerchia, whose husband has ALS. (Photo: CNN)
December 9, 2019 4:24 am
WHAKATANE, New Zealand (AP) – A New Zealand volcanic island has erupted in a tower of ash and steam while dozens of tourists were exploring the moon-like surface, killing five people and leaving many more missing. The site was still too dangerous hours later for police and rescuers to search for the missing. Both New Zealand and overseas tourists were among the injured. Most of the 18 who survived were injured and some had suffered severe burns. Already people are questioning why tourists were still able to visit the island after scientists recently noted an uptick in volcanic activity.
December 9, 2019 4:24 am
WASHINGTON (AP) – Top House lawyers are sparring heatedly with lawmakers and each other over the impeachment case against President Donald Trump in an acrimonious hearing as Democrats prepare formal charges. Democrats insisted that Trump’s push to have Ukraine investigate rival Joe Biden while at the same time withholding U.S. military aid ran counter to U.S. policy and benefited Russia as well as himself. But in one testy exchange Monday, Republican attorney Stephen Castor dismissed the transcript of Trump’s crucial call with Ukraine as “eight ambiguous lines” that did not amount to the president seeking a personal political favor.dismissed the transcript of Trump’s crucial call with Ukraine as “eight ambiguous lines” that did not amount to the president seeking a personal political favor.
December 9, 2019 4:22 am
WASHINGTON (AP) – FBI Director Chris Wray says the problems found by the Justice Department watchdog examining the origins of the Russia probe are “unacceptable.” He told The Associated Press on Monday that they are “unrepresentative of who we are as an institution.” His comments came after the watchdog found that the FBI was justified in opening its investigation and did not act with political bias, but there were “serious performance failures” up the bureau’s chain of command. The findings undercut President Donald Trump’s claim that he was the target of a “witch hunt.”
