Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh: IBM and CMU building app to help blind
Scientists from IBM Research and Carnegie Mellon University are teaming up to create technology to help the blind navigate without human assistance. The new app, NavCog, is being tested on CMU’s campus and will guide users by analyzing Bluetooth signals from beacons in walkways and smartphone sensors.
Pittsburgh: Woman suing Cosby alleges sexual abuse, defamation
Renita Hill, 48, of Baldwin, alleges she was sexually abused by Bill Cosby after meeting him on the set of a TV show as a teenager. She is now suing him for defamation because of comments Cosby has made about women accusing him of abuse.
Lewisburg: Union County federal prison sees third death
Officials are investigating the death of Gerardo Arche-Felix, an inmate of the U.S. Penitentiary at Lewisburg who was reportedly involved in a fight with a cellmate. Arche-Felix is the third inmate to die at the prison in seven months. Prison spokesman Shawn Bartlett did not say if the latest death was caused by the altercation.
Philadelphia: Men who beat gay couple banned from downtown streets
Philip Williams and Kevin Harrigan, the two men accused of beating a gay couple in Philadelphia last year, pleaded guilty to assault and conspiracy charges Thursday. The plea agreement requires them to stay out of downtown.
Statewide: Medical Society will reconsider marijuana legalization
The Pennsylvania Medical Society opposed legislation to legalize medical marijuana earlier this year, but now the group is considering changing its opposition in certain circumstances. The group started their assessment by talking with a statewide network of physicians.
National
Sex assaults reported in Marine unit focused on integrating women
The Marine Corps recently established a unit to research how to integrate women into combat roles, and within the last year, seven sexual assaults were reported by service members. The Ground Combat Element Integrated Task Force had roughly 300 men and 100 women within its unit.
No annual raise for Social Security
People find joy in the falling gas prices, but retirees and others Social Security recipients may not. Due to the decline in inflation and declining gas prices, there will be no annual raise for the first time in five years.
Obama drops plan to withdraw U.S. forces from Afghanistan
President Obama’s successor will have to deal with a U.S. presence in Afghanistan after he announced Thursday that circumstances required troops to remain there on the ground. In a turnaround from a plan last year, Obama now says the 9,800 troops currently in Afghanistan will stay through much of 2016 to combat al Qaeda and train local forces.
Dietary supplements lead to E.R. trips
A federal government study found that more than 20,000 emergency room trips can be credited to the use of dietary supplements for weight loss and energy enhancement. This $32 million industry has caused injuries in young adults with cardiovascular issues, the study said.
In Other News
Woman live streams herself drunk driving
No sirens were needed in Lakeland, Fla. to pull Whitney Marie Beall over for driving drunk. She broadcast the entire incident herself on the live streaming app Periscope and now faces charges of driving under the influence.
The Daily Report was compiled by Christine Manganas, a PublicSource intern. You can reach her with questions or suggestions at cmanganas@publicsource.org
