NEW YORK (AP) — The jury for Harvey Weinstein’s rape trial is continuing to focus a lot of attention on actress Annabella Sciorra’s linchpin allegation that the once-heralded Hollywood mogul raped her in the mid-1990s. As the deliberated Thursday, the jurors were looking at emails that Weinstein sent regarding Sciorra, including ones to the private Israeli spy agency he allegedly enlisted to dig up dirt on would-be accusers. Sciorra’s allegation is too old to be charged on its own because of the statute of limitations, but it’s a key component of the most serious charges that jurors are weighing in the closely watched #MeToo case. Weinstein maintains that any sexual contact was consensual.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Roger Stone, a staunch ally of President Donald Trump, has been sentenced to more than three years in prison on his convictions for witness tampering and lying to Congress. Thursday’s action in federal court comes amid Trump’s unrelenting defense of his longtime confidant that has led to a mini-revolt inside the Justice Department and allegations the president has interfered in the case. Trump has denounced as a “miscarriage of justice” the initial recommendation by Justice Department prosecutors that Stone receive at least seven years in prison. Attorney General William Barr then backed off that recommendation, prompting four prosecutors to quit Stone’s case. Stone chose not to address the court at his sentencing.

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — The Boy Scouts of America face an uncertain future after filing for bankruptcy to deal with a mountain of sex-abuse lawsuits. Some former Scouts are worried about the damage to the Boy Scouts’ wholesome reputation. The organization hopes to set up a victims’ compensation fund for potentially thousands of men who were molested as youngsters by Scout leaders. But battles lie ahead over such things as access to internal Scout files, the deadline for filing claims and whether local Scout councils can be forced to sell campgrounds or other assets.

A human brain was seized by U.S. Customs and Border Protection at the U.S – Canadian border last week in a shipment that was only identified as an “Antique Teaching Specimen.” An inspection on a mail truck entering the United States from Canada in Port Huron revealed a package that contained a human brain inside of a clear glass mason jar. The package originated in Toronto and was on its way to Kenosha, Wisconsin, before it was intercepted by agents. The item did not have any paperwork or legal documents and was denied entry into the U.S.
Authorities are investigating how to dispose of the brain.

Airports across the country are warning the Trump Administration of a looming crisis. As you probably heard by now, beginning Oct. 1, a driver’s license will no longer be enough to allow you to board a plane. But states are struggling to meet the demand for the new Real IDs. NBC reports, states have issued 95 million of them so far, but that’s just 34% of the country. Americans have just over 7 months to upgrade or risk not being able to fly. Driver centers nationwide are packed with frustrated people trying to upgrade their licenses, making appointments months in advance and bringing the required paperwork.

(Photo of Aliquippa Athletic Director Brandon LeDonne taken by Sandy Giordano)

Tensions were running high at the Aliquippa school board meeting last night, where a resolution calling for school funding reform was adopted. Beaver County Radio News Correspondent Sandy Giordano was there. Click on ‘play’ to hear Sandy’s report…

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The stabilization of Ivy Lane in Center Township has been put on hold, as we hear in this report from Beaver County Radio News Correspondent Sandy Giordano. Click on ‘play’ to hear Sandy’s report…

Gas prices across the nation are going back up again, for the first time in weeks. Beaver County Radio’s Diane Brosius has more. Click on ‘play’ to hear Diane’s report…

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — The bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, is calling bankruptcy protection a path forward to preserve its future. The diocese filed for bankruptcy Wednesday, six months after disclosing it had paid millions of dollars to people sexually abused as children by its clerics. It says it paid more than 100 people a total of just over $12 million to compensate for claims of sexual abuse they suffered as children from its clerics, deacons and seminarians. The diocese joins at least 20 others across the U.S. in seeking protection from creditors. It is the first diocese in Pennsylvania to take such a step.

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — As many Pennsylvania counties adopting new hand-marked ballot voting systems, a persistent criticism is a perceived loss of privacy in polling places when filling them out and scanning them. State lawmakers raised those complaints Wednesday with Gov. Tom Wolf’s top elections officials during an Appropriations Committee hearing. Critics say other voters or poll workers may be able to see how someone voted while they are filling out their ballot or while they are feeding their ballot into an electronic scanner that reads it. Election officials say some complaints can be solved by using curtains or other privacy devices, or changing a polling place’s layout.