10 things you need to know today: June 23, 2012
Syria downs a Turkish jet, Jerry Sandusky is found guilty, and more in our roundup of the stories that are making news and driving opinion
1. JERRY SANDUSKY FOUND GUILTY
Former Penn State assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky was found guilty on Friday of sexually abusing nine boys over a 15-year period, after the jury deliberated for two days. He was convicted of 45 counts of the 48 that were brought against him. Sandusky, who had been Penn State football coach Joe Paterno's longtime defensive coordinator, founded a charity, the Second Mile, to work with troubled youths, "which prosecutors said he used as his private hunting ground, scouting for potential victims." The verdict came a day after Sandusky's own adopted son publicly claimed that he was abused by Sandusky as well — an allegation that the jury purportedly did not hear about while deliberating. Sandusky, 68, will likely spend the rest of his life behind bars. [New York Times]
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2. TURKEY VOWS ACTION AFTER SYRIA DOWNS JET
Turkey's president vowed action after Syria shot down a Turkish fighter jet on Friday. "It is not possible to cover over a thing like this," President Abdullah Gul said. "Whatever is necessary will no doubt be done." Syria has acknowledged shooting down the F-4 fighter jet, claiming it was flying low over Syria's territorial waters. Turkey is still hunting for the two pilots who were manning the aircraft. [Reuters]
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3. EGYPTIAN PROTESTERS THRONG TAHRIR SQUARE
Thousands of Egyptians flooded into Tahrir Square, the famous site of the revolution that toppled President Hosni Mubarak, on Friday to await the official results of their country's first presidential election, which are expected to be delivered this weekend. The election has caused tensions between the Muslim Brotherhood and the military, as both Mohamed Morsi, the Muslim Brotherhood's candidate, and Ahmed Shafiq, a former deputy to Mubarak, have claimed to be the winner. [Washington Post]
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4. VICTIMS' FAMILIES WALK OUT OF BREIVIK TRIAL
The trial of accused Norwegian mass murderer Anders Behring Breivik ended with Breivik asking to be acquitted and families of his alleged victims walking out in protest. Prosecutors are asking the court to rule Breivik insane, but the defendant rejected the idea, saying he is sane and shot 77 Norwegians at a youth camp to stop a Muslim invasion. As he started speaking, some 30 people got up and filed out of the courtroom. "He has a right to talk," said Christian Bjelland, a member of a support group for victims' families. "We have no duty to listen." The judges will hand down their verdict Aug. 24. [BBC]
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5. CATHOLIC OFFICIAL CONVICTED IN SEX ABUSE CASE
Monsignor William Lynn of Philadelphia was convicted of child endangerment in a groundbreaking clergy-abuse trial, making him the "first U.S. church official convicted of a crime for how he handled abuse claims." Lynn could face up to seven years in prison. According to prosecutors, the monsignor "helped the archdiocese keep predators in ministry, and the public in the dark, by telling parishes their priest was being removed for health reasons, and then sending the men to unsuspecting churches." During the trial, Lynn acknowledged that he never once contacted authorities about alleged incidents of child sex abuse by priests. [MSN]
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6. SHEEN AND GIBSON TO BE CO-STARS
Two actors infamous for their off-screen antics, Charlie Sheen and Mel Gibson, are set to co-star in Robert Rodriguez's Machete Kills, a sequel to the 2010 B-movie homage Machete. Rodriguez broke the news on Twitter: "I just cast Charlie Sheen in #machetekills as the President of the United States! Who better? More soon…" The two unpredictable actors will have some A-list company on set, with Sofia Vergara and Jessica Alba rounding out the cast. [New York Post]
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7. SCHILLING: I PUT ALL I HAD INTO VIDEO GAME COMPANY
Former Red Sox star Curt Schilling said in an interview with the Dennis & Callahan sports radio show on WEEI in Boston that he is "tapped out" after investing all his money into 38 Studios, the video game company that went bankrupt two weeks ago. Schilling, speaking for the first time since the bankruptcy filing, said he personally invested more than $50 million in the company, in addition to $5 million to $10 million from other wealthy investors and a $75 million loan guarantee from Rhode Island. The former MLB star could be on the hook for the money owed to investors. Citizens Bank has already sued him for $2.4 million in loans to 38 Studios that it says Schilling personally guaranteed. [Boston Globe]
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8. KIDS APOLOGIZE TO BUS MONITOR THEY BULLIED
In statements sent by police to CNN's Anderson 360, some of the children who were caught on video verbally abusing 68-year-old bus monitor Karen Klein have apologized. "I feel really bad about what I did," one of the boys said. Another boy said, "When I saw the video I was disgusted and could not believe I did that. I am sorry for being so mean and I will never treat anyone this way again." When the video went viral, an online campaign was started to collect money to send Klein on vacation. So far people have donated more than $500,000. [Huffington Post]
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9. U.S. GOV'T TO SEIZE PILFERED DINOSAUR FOSSIL
The federal government was set to seize a Tyrannosaurus skeleton in New York City on Friday on the grounds that it was "unjustly taken from Mongolia." A Florida man, Eric Prokopi, says he legitimately obtained the specimen, which is stored in Queens, and put it together "at great expense" before selling it at auction for $1 million. [Associated Press]
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10. DICK CHENEY'S GAY DAUGHTER MARRIES PARTNER
In a statement, former Vice President Dick Cheney and his wife Lynne announced that their daughter Mary wed her long-time partner Heather Poe on Friday. "Mary and Heather have been in a committed relationship for many years, and we are delighted that they were able to take advantage of the opportunity to have that relationship recognized," they said. [USA Today]
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