3 people sued for damages over 2014 attack on gay couple

Eyeing Senate, Clinton directing money to 2016 battlegrounds

Good evening! Here's a look at AP's general news coverage today in Pennsylvania. For questions about the state report, contact the Philadelphia bureau at 215-561-1133. Marc Levy is on the desk and Pia Sarkar is editing and can also be reached at psarkar@ap.org. A reminder this information is not for publication or broadcast, and these coverage plans are subject to change. Expected stories may not develop, or late-breaking and more newsworthy events may take precedence. Advisories, digests and digest advisories will keep you up to date. Some TV and radio stations will receive shorter APNewsNow versions of the stories below, along with updates. TOP STORIES: COSBY-LEGAL WHIRLWIND PHILADELPHIA — In any given week, elite lawyers hired by Bill Cosby fan out across the country to fight the cascade of defamation, sexual assault and insurance feuds facing the disgraced TV icon. Cosby is spending millions in a frenzied bid to salvage his reputation and stay out of prison. Legal experts say he has nothing to lose. By Maryclaire Dale and Denise Lavoie. SENT: 800 words, AP Photos. DEM 2016-CLINTON WASHINGTON (AP) — Hillary Clinton, seeking a governing coalition if she wins the White House, is pumping millions of dollars into key battleground states at the heart of her presidential map and Democrats' quest to regain control of the Senate. By Ken Thomas. SENT: 770 words, AP Photo. GOP 2016-TRUMP-SUPREME COURT WASHINGTON — Donald Trump's list of potential Supreme Court nominees is a splashy reminder that the 2016 presidential election could determine the direction of the high court for years to come. By Mark Sherman and Jill Colvin. SENT: 873 words, AP Photos. With: GOP 2016-TRUMP-SUPREME COURT-GLANCE OFFICER-CELLPHONE RECORDING READING, Pa. — A Pennsylvania police officer lied about the reason behind a traffic stop, then smashed the motorist's cellphone and punched her in the face after pulling her over without sufficient cause, prosecutors said. By Michael Rubinkam. SENT: 580 words. CONTAMINATED SYRINGES-SETTLEMENT BETHLEHEM, Pa. — A Pennsylvania drug and medical device manufacturer has agreed to pay up to $7.8 million for selling contaminated syringes, federal prosecutors say. B. Braun will avoid criminal charges in exchange for implementing procedures to improve oversight of its suppliers, authorities said Wednesday. The company will pay $4.8 million in penalties and forfeited profits, plus up to $3 million in restitution. SENT: 280 words. YOUTH TREATMENT HOME-RIOT EMLENTON, Pa. — Five youths will be charged with inciting a riot at a secure juvenile treatment center in western Pennsylvania that involved about 40 youths and injured at least eight staff members, state police said Thursday. SENT: 300 words. TEACHER-SEX ALLEGATIONS PITTSBURGH — A grand jury has recommended no criminal charges against officials in a school district where two teachers have been convicted of having sex with students and two more face related charges. SENT: 430 words. SCHOOL DISTRICT AUDIT PENN HILLS — A state audit shows that a western Pennsylvania school district's long term debt has increased from $11 million to $167 million in five years, and criminal investigations are being urged. SENT: 440 words. ELSEWHERE: BLACK BEAR WILMINGTON, Del. — New Castle County police have received reports of black bear sightings in residential areas. SENT: 130 words. RUTGERS COACH-HARASSMENT NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J. — Rutgers University has settled a lawsuit by a former men's basketball player with learning disabilities for $300,000. SENT: 92 words. CRASH-MAN KILLED CANEADEA, N.Y. — State police say a 39-year-old northern Pennsylvania man has died in a one-car crash on a rural road in New York's Southern Tier. SENT: 138 words. EXCHANGE: EXCHANGE-FEMALE WRESTLING CHAMP KENNETT SQUARE — Wrestling may be a male-dominated sport, but don't tell that to Mary Nichols. By Fran Maye, (West Chester) Daily Local News. SENT: 540 words. IN BRIEF: —GAY COUPLE-BEATING — Two gay men beaten by a group in Philadelphia are suing three of their attackers. —PENNSYLVANIA BUDGET-HIGHER EDUCATION — Pennsylvania has seen one of the nation's largest reductions in state funding for public colleges and universities since the start of the recession. —RENEWABLE ENERGY-SURPLUS — One Pennsylvania state agency is rejecting a move by another to limit how much surplus electricity can be sold back to utilities from customer-owned solar panels or wind turbines. —CLIMATE CHANGE-PENNSYLVANIA — Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf's administration isn't planning to meet the first deadline for states to submit compliance reports under President Barack Obama's plan to curtail greenhouse gas emissions from power plants. —SISTERS SLAIN — A juror has been kicked out of the trial of a Pittsburgh man accused of killing his neighbors, two sisters of an Iowa state lawmaker. —UBER-SELF DRIVING CAR: Uber is testing a self-driving car on public streets in Pittsburgh to test self-driving capability and collect mapping data. —DEM 2016-ACTIVIST PERMITS — Groups representing thousands of activists and protesters have requested permits to march outside the Democratic National Convention in July. —PHILADELPHIA VULTURES — If this keeps up, Philadelphians might want to consider renaming their football team. —KRAFT HEINZ-DOWNSIZING-PENNSYLVANIA — Kraft Heinz says it will reimburse Pennsylvania for $200,000 the state chipped in two years ago to help expand a Lehigh Valley plant that's set to close. —YOUTH TREATMENT HOME-RIOT — State police are investigating after several youths rioted and injured staff at a secure treatment center in western Pennsylvania. —BASKETBALL TEAM-ASSAULT PROBE — A western Pennsylvania school district isn't renewing the contract of the boys' basketball coach in the wake of hazing allegations. —MILLENIAL VOTERS — A new analysis of census data shows millennials are now tied with baby boomers for the largest percentage share of eligible voters. AP Photos. —BOXER VERSUS WOMAN — Former International Boxing Federation lightweight champ Paul Spadafora faces a preliminary hearing on charges he put a woman in a semi-headlock at a Pittsburgh-area bar, drank some of her beer and then threw her to the ground when she went outside to call police. —TANKER HITS BEAR-FATALITY — Authorities say they'll have to use DNA to confirm the identity of a tanker truck driver killed after his rig hit a bear in central Pennsylvania. —HEROIN OVERDOSE CHARGES —A man charged with selling heroin that led to a deadly overdose in March faces a detention hearing before a federal judge in Pittsburgh. —MICHAEL NUTTER THEATER — Officials with the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia say they plan to name a new theater after former Mayor Michael Nutter, whose term ended last year. —EX-NFL PLAYER-SCHOOL CHIEF — Officials say a former professional football player has been tapped to be the next superintendent of Pittsburgh Public Schools. —SCHOOL BOILER EXPLOSION — Mayor Jim Kenney is offering condolences to the family of a maintenance worker who died months after he was severely burned in a January boiler explosion at a Philadelphia elementary. SPORTS: BBN--BRAVES-PIRATES PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates and Atlanta Braves finish up a four-game series on Thursday. The Braves earned their first win for interim manager Brian Snitker on Wednesday night. Game begins at 7:05 p.m. By Will Graves. UPCOMING: 700 words, photos. ___ If you have stories of regional or statewide interest, please email them to phillyap@ap.org. If you have photos of regional or statewide interest, please send them to the AP state photo center in New York, 888-273-6867. For access to AP Exchange and other technical issues, contact AP Customer Support at apcustomersupport@ap.org or 877-836-9477. MARKETPLACE: Calling your attention to the Marketplace in AP Exchange, where you can find member-contributed content from Pennsylvania and other states. The Marketplace is accessible on the left navigational pane of the AP Exchange home page, near the bottom. For both national and state, you can click "All" or search for content by topics such as education, politics and business.

BC-PA--Pennsylvania News Digest, PA