Cubs' Maddon helps break ground on playground in hometown

Good morning! 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. Kristen de Groot is on the desk. Editor Larry Rosenthal can be reached at 215-446-6631 or lrosenthal@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 A reminder this information is not for publication or broadcast, and these coverage plans are subject to change.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: NORTHEAST CORRIDOR REDESIGN Federal rail regulators are endorsing an ambitious and costly plan to rebuild the Northeast Corridor between Boston and Washington to increase service and safety while improving travel times. The plan would eliminate bottlenecks by replacing dated bridges and tunnels and add new stations, such as one at Philadelphia's airport. Now it's up to the states and individual railroads to figure out if they're on board. By Michael R. Sisak. UPCOMING: 400 words upcoming by 10:45 a.m. PENNSYLVANIA CONGRESSMAN INDICTED PHILADELPHIA — A federal judge is asked to unseal documents that could show why a holdout juror was thrown off the panel that convicted U.S. Rep. Chaka Fattah of racketeering. Pick up based on merits. UPCOMING: 400 words by 3 p.m. EST. ELSEWHERE: COLD SNAP CONCORD, N.H. — Low temperatures and high winds have put the Northeastern U.S. in a deep freeze. By Kathy McCormack. SENT: 724 words, AP Photos, AP Video. MURDER FOR HIRE WILMINGTON, Del. — A judge is meeting with attorneys in the case of two Pennsylvania men charged in the 2013 death of a man killed in what authorities say was a murder-for-hire scheme. SENT: 140 words. IN BRIEF: —BABY JESUS THEFT — A woman charged with stealing a baby Jesus statue from a Nativity scene in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania told police it was a joke when she left the $2,700 figurine at a hospital explaining it has been "neglected" by its parents, "Joseph and Mary Christ." —CUBS-MADDON-PLAYGROUND — Chicago Cubs manager Joe Maddon has helped workers break ground on a $250,000 playground for his Pennsylvania hometown. —UNEMPLOYMENT RATE-PENNSYLVANIA — Pennsylvania's unemployment rate dropped in November, but is now more than a full point above the national rate as hiring remained stagnant. —PHILADELPHIA-FATAL FIRE — A man has died in a house fire in southwest Philadelphia. —ELDERLY APARTMENTS-FATAL FIRE — One person has died and seven have received medical treatment after a fire at an apartment complex for elderly and disabled people near Pittsburgh. —SHOTS FIRED AT POLICE — Philadelphia police say three robbery suspects are in custody after one of them fired shots at officers. —ODD-STORE WANTS TO APOLOGIZE — A Pennsylvania soap shop has posted a surveillance photo of a customer on its Facebook page, but not because they think she's a shoplifter. —COST OF GARBAGE — A Pennsylvania man isn't sure how much it costs his city to collect garbage, but he's sure the city's charging more than necessary. —THREE KILLINGS-DEATH PENALTY — The Allegheny County District Attorney's Office will no longer seek the death penalty against a western Pennsylvania man convicted in one man's killing and accused of killing two others. —GUN IN SCHOOL — A 16-year-old Philadelphia boy has been arrested and charged as a juvenile after police say he was found carrying a gun in his backpack at school. —BANK ROBBERY-STABBING — Officials say the suspect in a Lancaster County bank robbery that occurred earlier this week was on parole for murdering his ex-wife in 1998. —INTERSTATE SPEED LIMITS-PENNSYLVANIA — The state Department of Transportation has lifted a 45 mph speed limit restriction on interstate highways in northwestern Pennsylvania. —BOYCE PARK SKIING — The Boyce Park skiing and snow tubing slopes near Pittsburgh have opened for the season. —MALL FORECLOSURE-SALE — Some properties of a foreclosed Pittsburgh-area mall are scheduled to be sold Jan. 18. SPORTS: FBN-STEELERS-BENGALS CINCINNATI — The previous time the Steelers came to town, they knocked the Bengals out of the playoffs with a stunning last-minute rally. By Joe Kay. SENT: 822 words, AP Photos. FBN-EAGLES-RAVENS BALTIMORE — The Baltimore Ravens and Philadelphia Eagles have veered in different directions after starting the season with three straight wins. By David Ginsburg. SENT: 849 words, AP Photos. HKN-KINGS-PENGUINS PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Penguins will try to extend a seven-game winning streak when the Los Angeles Kings visit Friday, but they'll have to do it without top defenseman Kris Letang, who's expected to miss a couple weeks with a lower body injury. UPCOMING: 700 words, AP Photos from 7 p.m. EST start. ___ 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.

AP-PA--Pennsylvania News Digest, PA