05-09-2024  8:30 pm   •   PDX and SEA Weather
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NORTHWEST NEWS

Portland OKs New Homeless Camping Rules That Threaten Fines or Jail in Some Cases

The mayor's office says it seeks to comply with a state law requiring cities to have “objectively reasonable” restrictions on camping.

Safety Lapses Contributed to Patient Assaults at Oregon State Hospital

A federal report says safety lapses at the Oregon State Hospital contributed to recent patient-on-patient assaults. The report by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services investigated a recent choking attack and sexual assault, among other incidents. It found that staff didn't always adequately supervise their patients, and that the hospital didn't fully investigate the incidents. In a statement, the hospital said it was dedicated to its patients and working to improve conditions. It has 10 days from receiving the report to submit a plan of correction. The hospital is Oregon's most secure inpatient psychiatric facility

Police Detain Driver Who Accelerated Toward Protesters at Portland State University in Oregon

The Portland Police Bureau said in a written statement late Thursday afternoon that the man was taken to a hospital on a police mental health hold. They did not release his name. The vehicle appeared to accelerate from a stop toward the crowd but braked before it reached anyone. 

Portland Government Will Change On Jan. 1. The City’s Transition Team Explains What We Can Expect.

‘It’s a learning curve that everyone has to be intentional about‘

NEWS BRIEFS

Governor Kotek Issues Statement on Role of First Spouse

"I take responsibility for not being more thoughtful in my approach to exploring the role of the First Spouse." ...

Legislature Makes Major Investments to Increase Housing Affordability and Expand Treatment in Multnomah County

Over million in new funding will help build a behavioral health drop in center, expand violence prevention programs, and...

Poor People’s Campaign and National Partners Announce, “Mass Poor People’s and Low-Wage Workers’ Assembly and Moral March on Washington, D.C. and to the Polls” Ahead of 2024 Elections

Scheduled for June 29th, the “Mass Poor People’s and Low-Wage Workers’ Assembly and Moral March on Washington, D.C.: A Call to...

Legendary Civil Rights Leader Medgar Wiley Evers Receives Presidential Medal of Freedom

Evers family overwhelmed with gratitude after Biden announces highest civilian honor. ...

April 30 is the Registration Deadline for the May Primary Election

Voters can register or update their registration online at OregonVotes.gov until 11:59 p.m. on April 30. ...

Seattle to open short-term recovery center for people after a fentanyl overdose

SEATTLE (AP) — Seattle will open a new space for people to recover and receive treatment for nearly 24 hours after they have overdosed on fentanyl or other drugs, Mayor Bruce Harrell announced Thursday. The center is slated to open near the Pioneer Square neighborhood in mid-2025...

Portland, Oregon, OKs new homeless camping rules that threaten fines or jail in some cases

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Homeless people who camp on public property in Portland, Oregon, and reject offers of shelter could be fined up to 0 or sentenced to up to seven days in jail under new rules approved unanimously by the City Council on Wednesday. When shelter is not...

Defending national champion LSU boosts its postseason hopes with series win against Texas A&M

With two weeks left in the regular season, LSU is scrambling to avoid becoming the third straight defending national champion to miss the NCAA Tournament. The Tigers (31-18, 9-15) won two of three against then-No. 1 Texas A&M to take a giant step over the weekend, but they...

The Bo Nix era begins in Denver, and the Broncos also drafted his top target at Oregon

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) — For the first time in his 17 seasons as a coach, Sean Payton has a rookie quarterback to nurture. Payton's Denver Broncos took Bo Nix in the first round of the NFL draft. The coach then helped out both himself and Nix by moving up to draft his new QB's top...

OPINION

The Skanner News May 2024 Primary Endorsements

Read The Skanner News endorsements and vote today. Candidates for mayor and city council will appear on the November general election ballot. ...

Nation’s Growing Racial and Gender Wealth Gaps Need Policy Reform

Never-married Black women have 8 cents in wealth for every dollar held by while males. ...

New White House Plan Could Reduce or Eliminate Accumulated Interest for 30 Million Student Loan Borrowers

Multiple recent announcements from the Biden administration offer new hope for the 43.2 million borrowers hoping to get relief from the onerous burden of a collective

Op-Ed: Why MAGA Policies Are Detrimental to Black Communities

NNPA NEWSWIRE – MAGA proponents peddle baseless claims of widespread voter fraud to justify voter suppression tactics that disproportionately target Black voters. From restrictive voter ID laws to purging voter rolls to limiting early voting hours, these...

AFRICAN AMERICANS IN THE NEWS

Body camera video shows fatal shooting of Black airman by Florida deputy in apartment doorway

FORT WALTON BEACH, Fla. (AP) — A Florida sheriff released body camera video Thursday showing a deputy outside an apartment door and firing immediately when it was opened by a Black man carrying a handgun pointed downward, a killing the family denounced as “unjustifiable.” ...

Killing of an airman by Florida deputy is among cases of Black people being shot in their homes

The fatal shooting of a U.S. Air Force airman at his off-base apartment in the Florida Panhandle by a sheriff's deputy brings to mind other instances of Black people being killed by law enforcement in their own homes as they're going about their day. Senior Airman Roger Fortson, 23,...

Harris congratulates HBCU graduates in video message for graduation season

WASHINGTON (AP) — Graduating students at historically Black colleges and universities across the country are receiving well wishes via a video greeting from a prominent fellow alumna: Vice President Kamala Harris. “As a proud HBCU graduate, I know firsthand the value of attending...

ENTERTAINMENT

Paul Auster, prolific and experimental man of letters and filmmaker, dies at 77

NEW YORK (AP) — Paul Auster, a prolific, prize-winning man of letters and filmmaker known for such inventive narratives and meta-narratives as “The New York Trilogy” and “4 3 2 1,” has died at age 77. Auster's death was confirmed by his wife and fellow author, Siri Hustvedt,...

Celebrity birthdays for the week of May 12-18

Celebrity birthdays for the week of May 12-18: May 12: Actor Millie Perkins (“Knots Landing”) is 88. Singer Jayotis Washington of The Persuasions is 83. Country singer Billy Swan is 82. Actor Linda Dano (“Another World”) is 81. Singer Steve Winwood is 76. Actor Lindsay Crouse...

Britney Spears and Sam Asghari are officially divorced and single

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Britney Spears and Sam Asghari are officially divorced and single. The dissolution of the couple’s marriage was finalized Friday by a Los Angeles County judge, nearly two years after the two were married. The judgment comes hours after the...

U.S. & WORLD NEWS

Harvey Weinstein won't be sent back to California while he awaits New York rape retrial

NEW YORK (AP) — Harvey Weinstein will remain locked up in New York as a court works out whether he should stay...

Storm-battered South is again under threat. A boy swept into a drain fights for his life

COLUMBIA, Tenn. (AP) — Dangerous storms crashed over parts of the South on Thursday even as the region cleaned...

Trump-affiliated group releases new national security book outlining possible second-term approach

WASHINGTON (AP) — Making future military aid to Ukraine contingent on the country participating in peace talks...

The Latest | Palestinians flee Rafah as Netanyahu vows to widen Gaza assault despite US warnings

Tens of thousands of displaced and exhausted Palestinians have packed up their tents and other belongings and fled...

The Biden-Netanyahu relationship is strained like never before. Can the two leaders move forward?

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have long managed a...

Trump-affiliated group releases new national security book outlining possible second-term approach

WASHINGTON (AP) — Making future military aid to Ukraine contingent on the country participating in peace talks...

CNN Wire Staff

BELLEFONTE, Pennsylvania (CNN) -- The jury considering the fate of Jerry Sandusky reconvened Friday for a second day of deliberations.

Jurors deliberated until about 9:30 p.m. Thursday before breaking off, and began reviewing testimony from two witnesses when they resumed their duties Friday morning.

The former Penn State assistant football coach is charged with dozens of counts of child sexual abuse involving 10 alleged victims over a 15-year period.

The case went to the jury as new revelations came to light.

Matt Sandusky, one of six adopted children of Jerry Sandusky, 68, said through his attorney Thursday that he was sexually abused by the former Penn State assistant football coach, adding that he had been prepared to testify against him.

The new accusation could lead to additional charges, including incest, even though he is adopted, according to Marci Hamilton, a Cardozo Law School professor who has represented victims and written on sexual abuse cases.

"At Matt's request, we immediately arranged a meeting between him and the prosecutors and investigators," attorneys Andrew Shubin and Justine Andronici said in a statement. "This has been an extremely painful experience for Matt, and he has asked us to convey his request that the media respect his privacy."

The jurors decide Jerry Sandusky's fate without having heard from the former Penn State defensive coordinator on the witness stand.

During closing arguments, his defense sought to poke holes in the prosecution's case, pointing to inconsistencies with the testimony of Mike McQueary, a former graduate student and assistant coach who said he saw Sandusky apparently sodomizing a boy in a university shower.

Defense attorney Joe Amendola reminded jurors of the lack of physical evidence in the case. He accused the alleged victims of conspiring for financial gain while blaming the media for what he described as biased coverage.

During the arguments, Sandusky's wife, Dottie, quietly wept.

Lead prosecutor Joseph McGettigan rebuffed the defense's account of a coordinated action among Sandusky's accusers allegedly bent on financial windfall.

"The commonwealth has overwhelming evidence against Mr. Sandusky," he said.

Judge John Cleland announced that three of the counts were dropped against the former coach, bringing the total number of charges to 48.

He told jurors that all three counts pertain to "alleged victim 4," while the defense further petitioned to have all counts related to "alleged victim 8" dismissed as well.

Cleland said one count of involuntary deviate sexual intercourse duplicated another charge. Two other counts -- one of involuntary deviate sexual intercourse and another of aggravated indecent assault -- were not supported by testimony and the evidence presented, Cleland found.

Prosecutors dropped one of the original 52 counts earlier this week because the statute on which that charge was based wasn't in effect on the date of the alleged incident.

Dr. Elliot Atkins testified that he diagnosed Sandusky with histrionic personality disorder, part of a class of conditions called dramatic personality disorders that are marked by unstable emotions and distorted self-images. But a second psychologist, prosecution witness Dr. John O'Brien, disputed those findings, saying that the "personality profile Mr. Sandusky exhibited was within normal limits."

Some court observers had said that if Sandusky were to testify, prosecutors could submit as new evidence a TV interview the ex-coach had with NBC sportscaster Bob Costas.

Matt Sandusky's name came up during testimony from one of the alleged victims.

The accuser talked about what occurred after he played racquetball once with Jerry and Matt Sandusky.

"Matt went into the shower, and then me and Jerry came in ... he started pumping his hand full of soap, like he was going to throw it. Matt got out ... he went to another shower [area]."

According to some alleged victims, Jerry Sandusky would often use shower "soap fights" as a prelude to inappropriate sexual contact.

In his 2001 autobiography, "Touched," Jerry Sandusky wrote about his relationship with Matt Sandusky, whom he met through Second Mile when the youth was 7 or 8.

Sandusky detailed the youth's discipline problems and struggles, ultimately becoming close to his new family.

Meanwhile, a man who claims he was repeatedly sexually abused by Sandusky while a child spoke out Thursday.

"He (once) told me if I ever said anything that nobody was going to believe me and he would get my dad fired from Penn State," Travis Weaver, 30, told NBC's "Rock Center with Brian Williams."

Weaver did not testify in Sandusky's trial, but filed a civil action against the former coach.

CNN's Susan Candiotti, Ross Levitt, Jason Carroll, Dana Garrett, Laura Dolan and In Session's Michael Christian and Mayra Cuevas contributed to this report.

 

The Skanner Foundation's 38th Annual MLK Breakfast