promoearn: 'Men of God ... did nothing.' Or worse.

Tuesday, August 14, 2018

'Men of God ... did nothing.' Or worse.

with Editors

'Men of God ... did nothing': Grand jury report rattles 6 Pennsylvania Catholic dioceses

Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro talks about a statewide grand jury report on Catholic clergy abuse in six dioceses on Tuesday, Aug. 14, in Harrisburg.

Pray for us

"Priests were raping little boys and girls and the men of God who were responsible for them not only did nothing: They hid it all," says a grand jury report released Tuesday, claiming that 300 "predator priests" in six Roman Catholic dioceses across Pennsylvania were protected by the church. The two-year investigation uncovered abuses spanning roughly six decades in the dioceses of Allentown, Erie, Greensburg, Harrisburg, Pittsburgh and Scranton that minister to more than 1.7 million Catholics. Many sexual assault survivors wrestle with PTSD, especially if they were young victims and the perpetrator was someone they trusted. Acknowledgement of the crimes can be a step toward healing, past clergy abuse survivors have said.

'The defense rests'

Lawyers for Paul Manafort told a federal judge Tuesday that they aren't calling witnesses to defend the former Donald Trump campaign chairman in his bank and tax fraud trial. The decision means that the case moves to final arguments Wednesday. Earlier this week, we heard from a bank CEO saying there were "red flags" about granting Manafort $16 million in loans in 2016. Prosecutors offered up dozens of exhibits in the case, trying to show how Manafort funded his lavish lifestyle with unreported income. Manafort is facing 18 criminal counts of bank fraud and tax evasion. If convicted on all counts, he'll spend the rest of his life in prison. It's the first case to go to trial as part of special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation.

Trump vs. Omarosa

The war of words between President Trump and Omarosa Manigault Newman escalated Tuesday, with the president being accused of making a racially charged attack against his former aide, calling her a "lowlife" and a "dog." Meanwhile, Manigault Newman revealed another in a series of secretly recorded tapes in support of her book, "Unhinged: An Insider's Account of the Trump White House." The new tape featured a discussion among Trump campaign aides that suggested he had used a racial slur to describe black people. Manigault Newman says she's ready to turn over her tapes to Mueller. A day earlier, Trump claimed she violated a Non-Disclosure Agreement, which ignited a debate over whether such an agreement would be legal.

'Oh God, oh God!': Bridge collapse kills dozens in Italy

Italy was searching for answers Tuesday after a major highway bridge in Genoa collapsed during a torrential rainstorm , sending vehicles plunging more than 100 feet into a river and onto buildings below. At least 22 people were killed, but authorities said more victims were likely still buried in rubble. Officials said up to 35 cars and three trucks were on the Morandi bridge when it collapsed just before noon. Italy's transport chief said the reason for the collapse was unknown; one eyewitness said the bridge was struck by lightning just before it fell. Video captured the sound of a man screaming: "Oh God, oh God."

The very American middle class story of the first Mustang owner

It was 1964 and Gail Wise (present name) was a 22-year-old teacher living with her parents, a cook and a waitress, who lent her money for a new car. She walked onto a Ford lot and asked for a convertible. The salesman took her in back, lifted the tarp and there it was: a skylight blue Ford Mustang convertible . She bought it for less than $3,500, married a couple of years later and used it as the family car for her four children, never knowing that it was the first one sold. When the car stopped running Gail's husband insisted on saving it as his "retirement project." Now it's worth $350,000. "When you look back at the history of the Mustang, the very first car was purchased by a young professional that totally represented that era," said a Ford historian. "America had a sense of optimism. Baby boomers were coming of age. Mustang was this beautiful combination of time and place."

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This is a compilation of stories from across USA TODAY, brought to you by Anne Godlasky, John Riley and Ashley May.

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