Unhappy Valley. The world of college football and higher learning is still being shaken by the sad news from State College, Pa. It was reported that the judge who ordered former Penn State defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky be freed on $100,000 unsecured bail on charges he sexually abused eight boys had volunteered for his charity.
Leslie Dutchcot, the district judge who handled the preliminary arraignment for Sandusky apparently donated money to Second Mile in addition to volunteering time, Fox affiliate WTXF-TV reported. This came out after other news that Sandusky was still receiving large pension payouts from Penn State. The Harrisburg Patriot-News reported Sandusky took a nearly $150,000 lump-sum payment at retirement and is still receiving almost $60,000 a year.
•••
Comeback for Contract with America? The Republican race for commander-in-chief tightened last week as more sexual harassment allegations came out against Herman Cain. A new national survey indicated it was all tied up between former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich in the race for the GOP nomination. Gingrich served on Capital Hill in the House from 1979 to 1999, and was the House Speaker his last four years in office.
Combine the country’s serious issues faced during the Obama administration with the Republicans having anything but a clear choice as their candidate, it may not be surprising to see Gingrich standing at the end. While the level of support has pretty much stayed the same for Romney, the former Massachusetts governor who’s making his second bid for the White House, Gingrich has seen his support jump 14 points since October.
The poll’s Monday release came seven weeks and one day before the Iowa caucuses, the first contest on the primary and caucus calendar. The survey indicates that just over six in 10 Republicans say they may change their minds, while 31 percent say they will definitely support the candidate they are currently backing. As for Cain, he seems a long shot for any Clintonesque type sidestepping. Especially after his comments about Libya to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, and other provocative remarks on foreign policy. His week got worse when Cain offered the suggestion most American Muslims are extremists. Then there was his statement that if Al Qaeda or another terrorist group insisted, he would consider authorizing the release of every detainee at Guantánamo Bay, in return for the release of one American soldier. Cain has also frequently said that he’ll rely on his advisers to help him make decisions. Maybe that’s not such a bad thing.
•••
A new study published in the latest issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine reported that almost one of every five Americans has significant hearing loss, which is a much greater percentage than earlier estimates. What that means is that over 48 million have a severe impairment in their ability to hear. “It’s impossible for them to make out what a companion is saying over the din of a crowded restaurant,” said Dr. Frank Lin, author of a new study published in the latest issue of the Archives.
Previous estimates had pegged the number affected by hearing loss at between 21 million and 29 million. Other studies have shown that hearing decline is often accompanied by losses in cognition and memory. Further, Lin said, some studies have associated hearing loss with a greater risk of dementia.
•••
The Associated Press reported that New York City police recently showed up at the park in Manhattan where the Occupy Wall Street camp is set up, but it wasn’t to bring the protestors coffee and donuts. The officers wore their riot gear and evicted and arrested dozens of protesters from what has become ground zero of the worldwide movement. Other metro areas, like Dallas and London, are expected to follow suit.
Not long after the arrests, the National Lawyers Guild obtained a court order allowing the protesters to return with their tents to the park, where they have camped for two months. The police showed up during the night, which, according to Mayor Bloomberg, was to keep confrontations from getting out of hand. The officers used floodlights and announced on bullhorns that everyone had to evacuate the premises. Police “had their pepper spray out and were ready to use it,” said protester Jake Rozak. About 70 people were arrested.