Sandusky accuser says police knew of recent dinner (AP)

PHILADELPHIA ? A Penn State accuser who dined with Jerry Sandusky this summer did so only after getting permission from police, the man's lawyer said Friday as he blasted suggestions that alleged victims remained friendly with the former Penn State coach.

"Police gave their seal of approval for him to attend. They even wanted him to wear an electronic listening device," attorney Howard Janet said Friday. He also called into question Sandusky's motives for inviting the man to dinner while the ex-coach knew he was under investigation.

Sandusky has been charged with molesting eight boys over 15 years. He is accused of mining the ranks of his Second Mile charity to find underprivileged boys to abuse.

Sandusky says he is innocent and his lawyer, Joseph Amendola, has questioned several accusers' claims and the depiction of his client made in a grand jury report that identified the alleged victims by number. Earlier this week, Amendola told The Patriot-News of Harrisburg that several accusers visited the Sandusky home and stayed on good terms with the ex-coach for years.

He told The Associated Press on Friday that another dinner guest that night was the man identified in the grand jury report as Victim No. 2, who Sandusky is accused of sodomizing in a Penn State shower.

Janet said another man identified as a victim in the grand jury report attended, but he did not specify who that was. He called Amendola's claim that accusers remained friendly with Sandusky "grotesque."

Janet represents the man known in the grand jury report as Victim No. 6, who was allegedly bear-hugged by Sandusky as they showered together at Penn State in 1998, when the boy was 11. The boy's mother filed a complaint; a police investigation ended with no charges filed.

The alleged victim, now 24, contacted police this summer when Sandusky invited him over for dinner, Janet said.

The dinner started at Sandusky's house and then moved to a restaurant, and included Sandusky's wife.

Janet said Sandusky pitched the dinner as a chance for former Second Mile participants to get together. "Why was he arranging to meet with victims while under investigation? Was he trying to tamper with or improperly influence potential witnesses?" Janet said.

He would not say if the investigation came up in conversation that night, or detail what his client later reported back to police. The client didn't wear a wire because he was nervous, Janet said.

Sandusky's lawyer said the meeting was part of an effort by Sandusky and his wife to maintain "friendships with lots of kids they helped as those kids grew into adulthood."

"The dinner at a local State College restaurant last summer, which was attended by Jerry and Dottie and alleged victims 2 and 6, was simply an effort on the Sanduskys' part to maintain those long established positive relationships with young men whom the Sanduskys believed were their friends," Amendola said.

Victim No. 2 was the boy seen being abused by Sandusky in a Penn State shower in 2002, according to the grand jury report. The witness, since identified as then-graduate assistant Mike McQueary, told coach Joe Paterno about the incident, but police were not notified, the report said.

The grand jury report said Victim No. 2 had not been located. Amendola has said he believes the alleged victim is being represented by a State College attorney who did not respond to messages left by the AP late Friday.

Penn State fired Paterno and school President Graham Spanier after the report was made public. Two former Penn State officials are charged with failing to report complaints of abuse, and with lying to a grand jury. They have pleaded not guilty.

Sandusky is free on bail, and is next due in court on Dec. 13 for a preliminary hearing.

Earlier Friday, the executive committee of the university's board of trustees reaffirmed last month's shake-up of top university personnel.

In a four-minute meeting, the committee unanimously reaffirmed the firing of Paterno, the resignation of Spanier and the appointment of Rodney Erickson as his successor.

The board scheduled the meeting after criticism that the trustees violated the state open-meetings law by taking its initial votes behind closed doors last month.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/sports/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111203/ap_on_sp_ot/us_penn_state_abuse

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U.S. jobless rate drops to 2-1/2 year low (Reuters)

WASHINGTON (Reuters) ? The U.S. unemployment rate tumbled to a 2-1/2 year low in November, even though the pace of hiring remained too slow to suggest a significant acceleration in the labor market recovery.

Nonfarm payrolls increased by 120,000 jobs, the Labor Department said on Friday, and the jobless rate dropped to 8.6 percent, the lowest since March 2009, from 9 percent in October.

It was the biggest monthly decline since January. While part of the decrease was due to people leaving the labor force, the household survey from which the department calculates the unemployment rate also showed solid gains in employment.

"The economy is continuing to head in the right direction," said Millan Mulraine, senior macro strategist at TD Securities in New York. "However, the ultimate test of the sustainability of the recovery is for the economy to create a sufficient number of jobs to sustain a consumer-led rebound in activity."

"On this measure, this report falls short," he said.

Although the gain in the number of jobs created as measured by a survey of employers was relatively modest and most of the hiring was concentrated in the retail sector, the rise in employment topped October's upwardly revised 100,000 increase.

In all, 72,000 more jobs were created in October and September than previously reported.

The report could temper the appetite among some Federal Reserve officials to ease monetary policy further, although its unlikely to be much help to President Barack Obama in his bid for a second term.

In forecasts released earlier this month, the U.S. central bank said the jobless rate would likely average 9 percent to 9.1 percent in the fourth quarter. It did not expect it to drop to an 8.5 percent to 8.7 percent range until late next year.

"The drop in the unemployment rate may make them a little less antsy to pull out the big guns, but there is still not enough evidence of sustained, above-trend growth to get them to stop worrying about downside risks," said Michael Feroli, an economist at JPMorgan in New York.

FISCAL DRAG

So far, data ranging from manufacturing to retail sales suggest the U.S. economy's growth pace could top 3 percent in the fourth quarter, a sharp step up from the second quarter's 2 percent annual rate.

In contrast, much of the rest of the world is slowing and the euro zone appears to have already fallen into recession.

But economists worry the European debt crisis and upcoming fiscal tightening at home could slow U.S. growth next year.

Obama, whose economic stewardship will face the judgment of voters next November, used the data to press Congress to extend a payroll tax cut which expires at the end of this month.

"Now is not the time to slam the brakes on the recovery. Right now its time to step on the gas," he said.

Stocks on Wall Street surged early in the session on both the employment report and growing optimism of a solution to the European debt crisis, but ended flat as investors took profits from this week's big rally.

Prices for U.S. government debt rose and the dollar firmed against a basket of currencies.

Although the economy resumed growth two years ago, about 24.4 million Americans are either out of work or underemployed and employment remains 6.3 million below its level in December 2007 when the recession started.

Still, the labor market is improving. While the government's survey of employers has shown a still-tepid pace of job growth, its separate poll of households has shown a total of 1.28 million jobs created over the last four months.

SIGNS OF VIGOR

Analysts were unperturbed that 315,000 people exited the labor force last month, noting that more had piled in the prior three months.

If the labor force participation rate had held steady, the unemployment rate would have fallen less dramatically to 8.9 percent. The jobless rate is expected to drift higher in coming months as more people come back into the job market.

The scheduled expiration of extended long-term unemployment benefits at the end of December may have contributed to the big drop in the labor force last month.

In order to qualify for benefits, recipients have to show they are actively looking for work. Analysts said some of the recipients already set to receive benefits may have told the Labor Department they were no longer searching for a job.

"It is likely that many long-term unemployed workers are dropping out as their unemployment insurance benefits expire. Many of these workers will likely stay out of the job market permanently," said Sophia Koropeckyj, a director of research at Moody's Analytics in West Chester, Pennsylvania.

Still, the report was a relative bright spot for a labor market that has been the Achilles heel of the U.S. recovery.

Even as prospective workers gave up the hunt for a job, the share of the working-age population that is employed rose to an eight month high.

Also supporting the improving labor market tone, a broad measure of unemployment that includes people who want to work but have stopped looking and those working only part time but who want more work dropped to a 2-1/2 year low of 15.6 percent in November from 16.2 percent in October.

The private sector added 140,000 jobs and government employment fell 20,000.

The retail sector accounted for more than a third all new private-sector jobs, adding 49,800 workers, the most in seven months, as shops geared up for a busy holiday season. Some analysts said retail hiring could slip in December.

Construction payrolls fell for second straight month, while factory jobs edged up 2,000. Temporary hiring -- seen as a harbinger for future hiring - increased 22,300.

In one notable weak spot, average hourly earnings fell two cents.

(Editing by Andrea Ricci and Diane Craft)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/economy/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20111202/bs_nm/us_usa_economy

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John McCain Insults Long Island, Says Chuck Schumer Can't Take A Joke

WASHINGTON -- Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) managed to give 562,001 residents of New York's Long Island a reason to regret voting for him in the 2008 presidential race: He declared in a Senate floor debate that their home was "sometimes regrettably" part of the United States.

In a debate Wednesday over a controversial defense bill that would let the military detain Americans indefinitely, McCain pointed to an old case of German soldiers who were captured on Long Island as proof that the Supreme Court has addressed the issue. The case had been cited by Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor in a more recent terrorism decision.

"Isn't it true that Justice O'Connor was specifically referring to a case for a person captured on Long Island?" McCain asked Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.). "Last I checked, Long Island was part -- albeit sometimes regrettably -- part of the United States of America."

That did not sit well with New York's Democratic Sen. Chuck Schumer, who quickly tweeted: "All of America saw how heroic Long Islanders were on 9/11. #LongIsland deserves an apology."

McCain then returned to the Senate floor to respond, and took a swipe at Schumer.

"In an exchange here on the floor ... I mentioned the wonderful long people -- wonderful long island, I made a joke," McCain said. "I'm sorry there's at least one of my colleagues that can't take a joke, and so I apologize if I offended him and hope that someday he will have a sense of humor."

Schumer decided not to let it rest.

"NYers can take a joke," he tweeted back. "But if @SenJohnMcCain wants to mock parts of America, stick to Arizona."

McCain was once dubbed "McWeasel" by the New York Daily News for saying he couldn't help an ailing 9/11 recovery worker from Brooklyn, which is also part of Long Island.

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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/11/30/john-mccain-chuck-schumer-long-island_n_1121997.html

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Summary Box: Egypt stocks rally for 3rd day (AP)

MARKET RISES: Egypt's benchmark stock index extended its gains for a third consecutive day Thursday after landmark parliamentary elections passed relatively peacefully.

CLOUDS ON HORIZON: Few expect the rally to continue amid the lingering political uncertainty and growing economic problems in Egypt, the Arab world's most populous nation.

HAZY OUTLOOK: The pummeling sustained by the vital tourism sector and the drying up of foreign investment mean that the country's military rulers have been unable to meaningfully push through any real efforts at job creation and private sector growth that are key to supporting the economy in the medium and long-term.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/world/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111201/ap_on_bi_ge/ml_egypt_economy_summary_box

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LL Cool J preps for Grammy nominations double duty (AP)

LOS ANGELES ? Don't call it a comeback. It's a tribute.

"NCIS: Los Angeles" star and rapper LL Cool J is nervously excited to pause from his duties as host of the Grammy nominations concert special Wednesday to perform with a multigenerational group of rappers.

"We're doing a special dedication to `The Message,' which is one of the seminal hip-hop records," a sweaty LL Cool J said during a break from rehearsals Tuesday afternoon. "It launched the genre. I'm getting to perform with Grandmaster Flash, Scorpio, Melle Mel and then we brought in Common and Lupe Fiasco. It's this really cool version of `The Message.'"

The group practiced their rendition of the Grandmaster Flash and Furious Five 1982 classic in the Nokia Theatre lobby Tuesday before taking the stage to rehearse. Under flashing red and white lights, Grandmaster Flash manned the tables, while Furious Five members Melle Mel and Scorpio shared verses with Common, Lupe Fiasco and LL Cool J.

Other musicians set to perform during the concert special include such possible nominees as Lady Gaga, Jason Aldean, The Band Perry, Sugarland and Rihanna.

Despite hosting and performing at each of the previous three Grammy nominations concerts, LL Cool J said he still feels pressure commanding the show, which is scheduled to air live Wednesday on CBS.

"It's live TV," he said. "I never take it for granted. You gotta be ready for it."

____

CBS is a division of CBS Corp.

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Online:

http://www.grammy.com

___

AP Entertainment Writer Derrik J. Lang can be reached at www.twitter.com/derrikjlang/.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/tv/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111130/ap_en_tv/us_people_ll_cool_j

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YouTube Redesign Brings Channels and Automagically Knows You Like Kitten Videos [Video]

YouTube launched a complete redesign of their site today with emphasis on social network integration and using the power of algorithms to figure out what videos you'll like. More »

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/bcBpsWOYduQ/youtube-redesign-automagically-knows-you-like-kitten-videos

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Investing in 'place,' branding a region ? Maine Business ? Bangor ...

During the last decade, think tanks such as the Rural Policy Research Institute (RUPRI) began articulating the economic development need and value of investing in ?place.? According to RUPRI, the principles for place policy need to be ?clear, measurable and carefully evaluated goals [that] should guide investment and regulation.? The process encourages regional and community development by building partnerships in a flexible and collaborative environment to address complex problems in an integrated manner. We had seen the decade of small-business growth, entrepreneurship and innovation as a means to expand regional economies. We were now encouraged to make a strategic investment in ?place.?

Whether it?s private business development or private philanthropic foundations seeking to make a change to the local economy or add to the educational and cultural experience or public funds through federal, state and local governments, investing in ?place? seemed to have the greatest possibility of sustainability and return on investment.

As more communities begin to develop regional place-based systems and policies, it is critically important that regions have identity. What is a region? What are the assets? What is the culture? How are we unique? All are questions that must be asked if a competitive advantage can be gained by the region. Simply modifying the process and investing in place absent a brand will not work. Therefore, ?place branding? is a requirement and appropriate continuation of place investment.

Branding of a region brings together the assets that make the place special and it empowers a region or place to build on all its strengths. This effort creates a new restraint that focuses on the vision and the assets of a region. It deters a return to the prior silos, turf and singular asset development of the old economic development efforts.

Branding brings new leadership and a more creative approach to both internal and external understanding of the place. Branding enables a place to build on all its strengths and make sense out of the often confused and contradictory current and future identity.

The brand of a region must not be telling quality of place, which is merely publicity or commercial, but rather, the brand must communicate the actions and growth of the region?s special strengths and assets. Like any business, the region must compete in a global context if it is to grow by attracting investment, events and talent. A region cannot allow itself to be branded by the marketplace. The region must be proactive and ensure that its reputation is built on the qualities it holds that are positive, unique, attractive and sustainable. It is very easy for a region to become famous for the wrong reasons; it is a more challenging effort to brand globally and locally. From a local perspective, the brand must be understood in both the Bangor region and in Oslo, Norway, for instance.

Not only does a brand need to come from the region?s vision and assets, the brand must also drive the competitiveness of the vision and assets. It needs to be understood and supported and must drive its audience to action. It must be seen as something that enriches the region?s people and place.

A brand requires investment and collaboration. Once brand is developed, it must be implemented by all of the institutions and organizations within the region. It must be consistently and constantly reinforced and never confused in the marketplace by differing messages from groups that may not choose to use the brand.

In the early 21st century, geopolitical and economic regions in Maine have been actively working toward strategies that ?invest in place.? The next logical step is developing and implementing the branding effort. To do so requires transparency, clear communication, collaboration and participation by many stakeholders because these are the steps that will determine if the investment in place will perform successfully now and in the future.

Michael W. Aube is president of Eastern Maine Development Corporation in Bangor. He is a past commissioner of Maine?s Department of Economic and Community Development and former state director of Maine USDA Rural Development.

Source: http://bangordailynews.com/2011/12/01/business/investing-in-%E2%80%98place%E2%80%99-branding-a-region/

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