PENNSYLVANIA
Allentown: Supreme Court favors First Amendment in online threat case
Anthony Elonis penned several explicit threats, under the guise of art, against his wife and co-workers after he lost his job five years ago. The Supreme Court ruling on Monday requires online threats contain some measure of intent.
Philadelphia: Bribery scandal
Two Pennsylvania representatives pleaded guilty to allegations that they accepted bribes from an undercover informant who posed as a lobbyist.
Harrisburg: Race for PA Supreme Court could get ugly
Ads for Supreme Court candidates can be drafted and funded by outside donors, including outspoken progressive and conservative groups. Independently funded advertisements don’t have to follow ethical guidelines for making misleading statements about opponents.
Harrisburg: Bill that monitors cyber school truancy
A truancy bill was introduced last month that tracks the attendance of children educated through cyber or charter schools. Child advocates maintain that cyber schools can hide abusive situations. If the bill passes, teachers will have to report extended unexcused absences to their administrators.
York County: Child predator sentenced
Thomas L. Deitz pleaded guilty to charges of indecent assault and possession of child pornography. Deitz faces three years of probation and 11 to 23 months of confinement.
Erie: See the doctor and the dentist at the same time
The Dr. Nicholas Hosu Dental Suite is working to consolidate its Community Health Net practices so that low-income patients can avoid the trouble of transportation and make all their medical visits in one stop.
Pittsburgh: Kenny Chesney aftermath
More police presence yielded only 11 arrests, compared to 73 in 2013, and city publics works crews have less trash to clean up.
NATIONAL
Beau Biden’s passing
On Saturday, Vice President Joe Biden’s son died of brain cancer at age 46.
Lindsey Graham for president
On Monday, the senator from South Carolina announced a run for the White House punctuated by an aggressive foreign policy.
The damage in Texas
Texas is finally getting some relief from the rain with its first dry spell in a month. Between Texas and Oklahoma, at least 31 people are dead and 10 remain missing. An initial estimate indicates that flooding caused about $45 million in damage in Houston alone.
NYC task force appointed to investigate ‘three-quarter’ homes
Something between a halfway house, permanent residence and transitional home, some ‘three-quarter’ houses exploit addicts and homeless people by taking kickbacks on Medicaid fees. The task force will investigate these unregulated, overcrowded buildings and will help relocate tenants.
IN OTHER NEWS
‘Call me Caitlyn’
The latest Vanity Fair cover depicts Bruce Jenner for the first time following facial-feminization surgery with the caption “Call me Caitlyn.” Caitlyn has a verified Twitter account, @Caitlyn_Jenner, with the description: “I’m so happy after such a long struggle to be living my true self.”
Disney shuts down ‘Tron 3’
Despite the success of 2010’s “Tron: Legacy,” the 1982 cult-film “Tron” will not see a second sequel, as the project was terminated Monday.
The daily report was compiled by Stephanie Roman, a PublicSource intern. You can reach her with questions or suggestions at sroman@publicsource.org.
