The iconic Pat Summitt is stepping aside, a moment fans of the Tennessee Lady Vols and women's basketball have been dreading since August.

 FILE - In this March 26, 2012, file photo, Tennessee coach Pat Summitt directs her players in the first half of an NCAA women's college basketball tournament regional final against Baylor in Des Moines,... (Associated Press)

 FILE - In this March 17, 2012, file photo, Tennessee head coach Pat Summitt, right, associate head coach Holly Warlick, center, watch their team during the second half of an NCAA tournament first-round... (Associated Press)

 FILE - In this March 4, 2012, file photo, Tennessee head coach Pat Summitt looks up at the confetti as she holds the championship trophy after Tennessee defeated LSU 70-58 in the championship game of... (Associated Press)

 FILE - In this April 8, 2008, file photo, Tennessee coach Pat Summitt waves to the fans as her son Tyler holds the trophy after the Lady Vols defeated Stanford 64-48 in the NCAA college basketball national... (Associated Press)

 FILE - In this March 21, 1998, file photo, Tennessee coach Pat Summitt signals to her players in the second half of an NCAA college basketball game against Rutgers at the NCAA Women's Mideast Regional... (Associated Press)

 FILE - In this March 4, 2012, file photo, Tennessee head coach Pat Summitt waves to the fans after Tennessee defeated LSU 70-58 in the championship game at the women's Southeastern Conference tournament... (Associated Press)

 FILE - In this March 25, 2011, file photo, Tennessee head coach Pat Summitt watches practice for an NCAA women's college basketball tournament regional semifinal, n Dayton, Ohio. Summitt, the sport's... (Associated Press)

 FILE - In this Feb. 5, 2009, file photo, Tennessee coach Pat Summitt has confetti dumped on her by players Alicia Manning (15) and Alex Fuller (2) after the Lady Vols defeated Georgia 73-43 an NCAA college... (Associated Press)

 FILE - In this March 19, 2012, file photo, Tennessee head coach Pat Summitt gives a thumbs-up as she leaves the court after Tennessee defeated DePaul 63-48 in an NCAA tournament second-round women's college... (Associated Press)

 Since the 59-year-old Summitt _ the sports all-time winningest coach _ revealed on Aug. 23 she had been diagnosed with early onset dementia, Alzheimer's type, the move has been anticipated. The Lady Vols played through an emotional season with Summitt's every move studied closely for glimpses of the disease that caused her problems with memory loss.

 Summitt said Wednesday the time had come.

 "I've loved being the head coach at Tennessee for 38 years, but I recognize that the time has come to move into the future and to step into a new role," said Summitt.

 Tennessee said that Summitt _ the sports all-time winningest coach _ will become "head coach emeritus" with long-time assistant Holly Warlick being promoted to replace her.

 Tennessee has scheduled a news conference Thursday afternoon in Knoxville with Summitt and Warlick.

 When the Lady Vols lost in a regional final to eventual national champion Baylor, Warlick's tears during the postgame news conference gave a glimpse of how draining the season had been and the possible reality that it was Summitt's last game.

 Athletic director Dave Hart said summing up Summitt's career is impossible.

 "She is an icon who does not view herself in that light, and her legacy is well-defined and everlasting," Hart said. "Just like there will never be another John Wooden, there will never be another Pat Summitt. I look forward to continuing to work with her in her new role. She is an inspiration to everyone."

 Summitt will report to Hart and help the women's program she guided to eight national titles.

 "I want to help ensure the stability of the program going forward," Summitt said. "I would like to emphasize that I fully intend to continue working as head coach emeritus, mentoring and teaching life skills to our players, and I will continue my active role as a spokesperson in the fight against Alzheimer's through the Pat Summitt Foundation Fund."

 Summitt supports Warlick as her replacement, the two have a long history together. Warlick was Summitt's assistant for 27 years and a three-time All-American playing for the Hall of Fame coach.

 Hart said he watched Warlick grow tremendously this season under what he called "unique circumstances" and that she is deserving of the head job. Warlick will be the first head coach the Lady Vols have had since Summitt took over in 1974.

 "Her mentor will be available for insight and advice, but this is Holly's team now," Hart said.

 Warlick said she is very thankful for all Summitt has done in preparing her for this opportunity as her coach, mentor and friend.

 "We will work as hard as we possibly can with the goal of hanging more banners in Thompson-Boling Arena," Warlick said.

 With the blessing of University of Tennessee, Knoxville Chancellor Jimmy Cheek, the Hall of Fame coach said she planned to continue coaching as long as possible and that she wanted to show the world that it was still possible to function, even in the face of dementia and Alzheimer's.

 Summitt had been going about business as usual since the loss to Baylor.

 But the season showed just how challenging being a Division I coach could be. Summitt needed to devote more attention to managing her health, so she had handed over more duties to her longtime assistants during the season. Warlick as associate head coach took the lead during games and handles postgame interviews, while the entire staff handled the bulk of the recruiting and management of practices.

 Even with Warlick and assistant coaches Mickie DeMoss and Dean Lockwood carrying a larger load, Summitt continued to leave her mark through guidance and motivation with her trademark icy stare, even if she did wear the look more infrequently.

 Then DeMoss left the program earlier this month for an assistant's job with the Indiana Fever in the WNBA, another signal that Summitt's tenure as head coach might be ending.

 Summitt's diagnosis came during one of the Lady Vols' most disappointing stretches _ by Summitt's lofty standards, anyway. Tennessee hasn't won a national championship since 2008 and hasn't even reached the Final Four, which ties for their longest such drought in program history.

 Tennessee's five seniors were a part of the team that lost in the first round of the 2009 NCAA tournament, the only time in school history the Lady Vols had bowed out on the first weekend.

 Those seniors promised they would win a ninth national championship this season not just to change their legacy and to honor Summitt, but as center Vicki Baugh put it, "We're playing for everyone who has Alzheimer's."

 They just couldn't get back to the Final Four, and the group of seniors wound up the first Lady Vols to miss the Final Four. They lost to Baylor and Brittney Griner, a player Summitt couldn't convince to come to Knoxville.

 It's unlikely anyone will ever come close to matching Summitt's accomplishments in women's basketball, which has seen more parity in the past decade.

 Summitt's career ends with a 1,098-208 record, 16 regular season Southeastern Conference championships and 16 SEC tournament titles. She also led the 1984 Olympic team to a gold medal.

 During her time, Tennessee never failed to reach the NCAA tournament, never received a seed lower than No. 5 and reached 18 Final Fours.

 Her impact reaches beyond wins and losses. Every Lady Vol player who has completed her eligibility at Tennessee has graduated, and 74 former players, assistants, graduate assistants, team managers and directors of basketball operations are currently among the coaching ranks at every level of basketball. ||||| Photo by Saul Young, Knoxville News Sentinel

 Pat Summitt is diagnosed with early onset dementia

 Poll What is your favorite memory from Pat Summitt's career? Cornfed Chicks winning Summitt her first national championship Three national championships in a row from 1996-1998 Breaking Dean Smith's record for the most victories The eighth national championship in 2008 Reaching 1000 victories See the results » View previous polls »

 After a storied 38-year career, Pat Summitt is stepping down as head coach of the Tennessee women’s basketball team to become a coach emeritus with the program.

 Lady Vols associate head coach Holly Warlick will be named the new head coach.

 Summitt said that she met with Tennessee athletic director Dave Hart and Warlick on Wednesday morning to finalize the transition. She said that the decision was hers and she’s comfortable with it.

 “I feel really good about my decision,” Summitt said. “I think this is going to be a win-win situation for everybody. Holly and I will work really well together.”

 Hart lauded Summitt’s legacy as “well-defined and everlasting.”

 “Just like there will never be another John Wooden, there will never be another Pat Summmitt,’’ he said. “I look forward to continuing to work with her in her new role. She is an inspiration to everyone.”

 Summitt announced last August that she had been diagnosed with early onset dementia, Alzheimer’s type, but continued to coach with the blessing of university officials. In the wake of her announcement, Warlick assumed a bigger role, taking on many of the responsibilities normally reserved for the head coach.

 “I feel like Holly’s been doing the bulk of it,’’ Summitt said. “She deserves to be the head coach. I’m going to support her. No doubt, I’ll be there for her.”

 Summitt conceded that she doesn’t yet know the full scope of her new position.

 “We had to give it a name; that’s pretty much what it is,’’ she said. “They kind of outlined everything. I don’t know exactly what it’s going to be. We have some things we have to talk about.”

 Summitt still can attend practice and mentor the players. She can send letters, emails or handwritten notes to recruits, which will be of paramount importance. The Lady Vols currently have just six returning players on campus and three high school seniors signed for next season.

 Warlick will be making her head coaching debut after spending the past 27 seasons as a UT assistant, a tenure that began with the 1985-86 season. While acknowledging the difficulties of her revised role during the season, Warlick, a former Lady Vols point guard, seemed more comfortable in her role late in the season. If so, Summitt was a big reason why.

 “She was very complimentary of me and so that to me means so much and to these kids because I’m doing something in front of the best coach in the world,’’ Warlick said before the NCAA tournament. “And I’m not trying to be Pat Summitt. I’m trying to take what she’s given me and carry on with this team.”

 Hart said that Warlick has earned her opportunity.

 “I watched Holly grow tremendously as a coach throughout this past season,’’ he said. “Under unique circumstances, the job she did away from the glare of the lights and crowds was an impressive as the job she did during game action.”

 Tennessee’s season ended with a 77-58 loss to eventual national champion Baylor in the final of the Des Moines (Iowa) Regional.

 During her career, which began with the 1974-75 season, Summitt coached Tennessee to eight national championships. She finished this season with 1,098 career victories and stands alone at that victory plateau among all NCAA coaches. Gene Bess of Three Rivers Community College in Poplar Bluff, Mo., entered the season with 1,131 victories at the junior college level.

 Summitt’s annual salary started at $8,900 in 1974. This season, her total compensation package was $1.5 million.

 Earlier this month, senior Glory Johnson became the 21st player coached by Summitt to be named a State Farm (formerly Kodak) All-American. These players accounted for 36 total All-America honors under Summitt’s tutelege.

 Summitt has two basketball courts named after her — one at Thompson-Boling Arena and the other at her alma mater, UT Martin. She also has a street named after her on both campuses.

Summary: – It's the end of an era: Pat Summitt is stepping down as head coach of the Tennessee Lady Vols after 38 seasons and eight national titles, sliding into a less demanding "coach emeritus" job, the Knoxville News Sentinel reports. Though it was not explicitly given as a reason for her decision, the move comes less than a year after Summitt revealed that she had early onset dementia. Associate head coach Holly Warlick will take over for Summitt. "I feel really good about my decision," says Summit, 59. "I feel like Holly's been doing the bulk of it. She deserves to be the head coach." Summitt, who AP notes is the sport's winningest coach of all time, won't be entirely out of the picture, however. She believes her newly created position will allow her to attend practices, talk with players, and, crucially, help recruit. "I don't know exactly what it's going to be," she admitted.


The American Freedom Party, a white nationalist PAC, has been calling people in Iowa in order to get the vote out for Donald Trump, whom they have deemed “The Great White Hope.”

 The automated call includes three messages–one from the founder of the American Freedom Party, who identifies himself as a “farmer and white nationalist,” one from the American Renaissance, a white nationalist organization, and, oddly, one from an evangelical Filipino pastor.

 Behold, the full text of the message, obtained by Talking Points Memo:

 “The American National Super PAC makes this call to support Donald Trump.

 ‘My name is Reverend Ronald Tan, host of the Christian radio talk show program For God and Country. First Corinthians states: God chose the foolish things of this world to shame the wise and God chose the weak things of this world to shame the strong. For the Iowa caucuses, please support Donald Trump. He is courageous and he speaks his mind. God Bless.’ ‘I’m Jared Taylor with American Renaissance. I urge you to vote for Donald Trump because he is the one candidate who points out that we should accept immigrants who are good for America. We don’t need Muslims. We need smart, well-educated white people who will assimilate to our culture. Vote Trump.’ ‘I am William Johnson, a farmer and a white nationalist. Support Donald Trump. I paid for this through the super PAC. [Telephone] (213) 718-3908. This call is not authorized by Donald Trump.'”

 I have to wonder–did Reverend Tan know what he was signing up for? Like, did they tell him ahead of time that he’d be doing this for a white nationalist PAC? Or did they just ask him for his endorsement of Trump? I can’t find any record of this man or his show outside of reports about this robocall, so I am actually beginning to wonder whether or not he really exists.

 Jared Taylor is also the spokesman for the Council of Conservative Citizens. This group was cited by Dylann Roof as one of his primary inspirations for killing nine black people in a Charleston Church last year.

 White supremacists have been some of the Donald’s most vocal supporters thus far–as his comments about Mexicans being rapists and murderers and anti-refugee stance has really resonated with them. He has so far secured the approval of David Duke, former Grand Dragon of the KKK, as well as the white nationalist site Stormfront. In fact, Stormfront claims that they have seen a huge spike in activity and membership since Trump started his campaign, and even had to upgrade their servers to deal with the surge in traffic.

 [Talking Points Memo] ||||| Donald Trump’s attacks on his fellow presidential candidates, vigorous from jump street, have grown only more vitriolic as the Iowa caucuses approach. He has said that Hillary’s Clinton’s husband is an “abuser.” He has questioned whether fellow Republican Sen. Ted Cruz (Tex.), born in Canada to a Cuban father and an American mother, is eligible to be president. He’s even criticized the boots of Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.)

 So it was a bit strange to see the Donald engage in a bit of self-criticism Monday night on “The Tonight Show” as part of a softball “mock job interview,” as host Jimmy Fallon put it.

 “What are your weaknesses?” the friendliest man on late-night TV asked the least friendly presidential candidate.

 “That I never forget,” Trump replied. “… I’m too nice too long, and when I become, like, somebody takes advantage of a situation, I become too bad for too long. So I think I maybe have to have a little bit of a shorter memory. It wouldn’t be so bad.”

 The comment rang true for — and was unexpected from — a man who has relentlessly slighted everyone from Rosie O’Donnell to New Hampshire Union-Leader publisher Joseph McQuaid. But Trump also took advantage of the many opportunities Fallon offered to sing his own praises.

 “How’d you hear about the position?” Fallon asked. You know: the one at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.

 “A lot of people in this big country were screaming, ‘What’s going on?’ and I said, ‘Let’s see if we can do something,'” Trump said.

 “Tell me a little bit about yourself,” Fallon said.

 “I am an extraordinarily handsome person,” Trump said. “I have a beautiful head of hair. I was always a good student, and I always worked hard.”

 [50 years later, disagreements over young Trump’s military academy record]

 All was not bunnies and butterflies during Trump’s visit with Fallon, however. The candidate also got in a few shots at the woman some think will be his opponent in the general election — should they both win their parties’ respective nominating contests.

 “I’ll set the record straight right now,” Trump said. “The newest poll just came out today where I’m beating [Clinton] easily and substantially.” He added: “I’m winning against Hillary one on one — And I haven’t even started on her yet.”

 Trump also expressed surprise that Clinton was not more handily beating Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont — targeting Sanders in the crossfire.

 “I mean, how can you lose like this?” Trump said. “He really isn’t even a Democrat. But he said he’s a socialist, and I think he may be a step beyond a socialist.” ||||| Published on Jan 11, 2016

 Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump answers a list of standard job interview questions while Jimmy evaluates his qualifications for POTUS.

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 The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon features hilarious highlights from the show including: comedy sketches, music parodies, celebrity interviews, ridiculous games, and, of course, Jimmy's Thank You Notes and hashtags! You'll also find behind the scenes videos and other great web exclusives.

 Mock Job Interview for President with Donald Trump

 http://www.youtube.com/fallontonight ||||| “But I'm pretty confident that the overwhelming majority of Americans are looking for the kind of politics that does feed our hopes and not our fears, that does work together and doesn't try to divide, that isn't looking for simplistic solutions and scapegoating but looks for us buckling down and figuring out, 'How do we make things work for the next generation.'"

 Obama also expressed disappointment that he enters the final year of his term in a deeply divided country, politically.

 RELATED: TODAY at the White House — see all the highlights!

 "It's a regret," he said, and one he plans to address in his final State of the Union. Yet, “I could not be prouder of what we've accomplished,” he insisted. “And sometimes we look at the past through rose-colored glasses. It's been pretty divided in the past. There've been times where, you know, people beat each other with canes."

 TODAY was live from the White House Tuesday, providing viewers with a tour inside rooms rarely ever seen by the public. In addition, Vice President Biden joined Savannah Guthrie for an exclusive interview.

 "Yes, I think it's possible,'' Biden told Savannah when asked whether he could imagine Trump taking the Oval Office.

 The interviews and visit come just hours before Obama makes his final appearance before a joint session of Congress.

 Obama's comments mark his first since addressing the nation last week, when he used his executive authority to skirt congressional lawmakers and tighten gun-purchasing rules.

 RELATED: Joe Biden: 'It's possible' Donald Trump could be the next president

 The president admitted he was surprised by how emotional he got during that news conference. He said he didn't expect that recalling the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, which he described as "one of the worst (days) of my presidency," would set off such an emotional response. ||||| There were plenty of yuks between Donald Trump and Jimmy Fallon Monday night when the GOP presidential frontrunner appeared on “The Tonight Show.�?

 The high-spirited pair were full of jokes and cheesy one-liners after a brief attempt at a thoughtful interview at the start of the segment.

 “Do you cry?�? Fallon asked Trump, after noting he’d been one of the few Republicans who refused to deride President Obama for tearing up during his recent speech on gun control.

 Donald Trump's public feuds

 “Yes, when I was 1, I cried,�? Trump said.

 As for his controversial immigration proposals — including halting the influx of all Muslims — Trump said “a lot of people agree�? with his ideas.

 January 11, 2016: Donald Trump outside 'The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon' in New York City. (infusny-146/Roger Wong/INFphoto.com)

 “I have so many friends, Muslim friends, who think I’m doing an incredible service,�? he said. “We need to stop and think, because there’s incredible hatred out there.�?

 After touting his poll numbers — in the 40’s, Trump said — the GOP frontrunner said he was sure he could beat Democrat Hillary Clinton if they each win their respective primaries.

 “If I win and she wins, it’s predicted to be the largest voter turnout in the history of the country and that would be a good thing,�? he said.

 He envisioned “beating her easily and substantially,�? noting that “I haven’t even started on her yet.�?

 A grinning Trump played along when Fallon, commenting on the entrepreneur’s search for new employment, asked him to sit for a mock “job interview.�?

 Waving a clipboard, Fallon asked Trump about his best qualities.

 With his characteristic modesty — or lack thereof — Trump said he was “extraordinarily handsome�? and “had beautiful head of hair.�?

 He also added that his greatest strength was “bringing people together�? and noted that he “always worked hard.�?

 Donald Trump and Jimmy Fallon were full of jokes and cheesy one-liners. (NBC/Douglas Gorenstein/NBC)

 The candidate said he was willing to relocate — “I love the White House,�? Trump trumpeted — and of course said his primary goal in seeking his new goal is “to make America great again.�?

 He was also upfront about performance flaws.

 As chief executive, Trump said, he would be “very, very uncomfortable�? with all the media attention.

 He also said he was “too nice for too long�? sometimes.

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Summary: – Jimmy Fallon put Donald Trump on the hot seat for a "mock job interview" for president on the Tonight Show on Monday, and the result was a slightly softer side of Trump. After admitting that he did cry "when I was 1," per the New York Daily News, the presidential candidate engaged in what the Washington Post calls "a bit of self-criticism." Asked about his weaknesses, Trump said he never forgets. "I'm too nice too long, and when … somebody takes advantage of a situation, I become too bad for too long. So I think I maybe have to have a little bit of a shorter memory. It wouldn't be so bad." Of course, Trump also took the opportunity to boast about his good looks. "I am an extraordinarily handsome person," he said with a smile. "I have a beautiful head of hair." In perhaps another surprise, Trump told Fallon that one of his greatest strengths is in unity. "A lot of people would say it's the exact opposite," Trump admitted. But "I'll get along with Democrats, with Republicans, with liberals, with conservatives, and that's what we need in this country. We have to bring it together, because it's very divided." That's an idea likely to make President Obama scoff. He tells Today that voters don't want "scapegoating" intended to divide the country. "I'm pretty confident that the overwhelming majority of Americans are looking for the kind of politics that does feed our hopes and not our fears," he said. If we're going to see Trump one day make a State of the Union address, it'll probably be in an SNL skit, he quipped. (White supremacists want you to vote Trump.)


Since the late ’80s, Actors’ Equity has recognized the Los Angeles 99-Seat Theater Agreement, which allows members to showcase their work for negligible stipends. Now, the union is proposing to eliminate the agreement in favor of two new internal membership rules and one new agreement.

 The new agreement, if enacted as it is currently proposed, would require actors be paid minimum wage ($9 an hour in L.A. County) for rehearsal and performances, with no contributions to pension or health insurance. To many in the L.A. theater community, the proposal represents a threat to the city’s vibrant intimate-theater scene.

 Equity members in L.A. County can vote today through April 17 on the proposal (i.e., an “advisory referendum”). The outcome of the vote will be taken into account when Equity’s National Council meets April 21 to deliberate over the proposal and determine the final form of the new arrangement.

 NOAH WYLE, IN HIS OWN WORDS:

 In 17 years serving as artistic producer of Hollywood’s Blank Theatre Company, I’ve learned two things about running a small theater.

 The first is that you will spend most of your time engaged in an exhausting, bare-knuckled fight for survival. The second is that it’s worth it.

 The Blank operates a 49-seat black box on that stretch of Santa Monica Boulevard recently designated “Hollywood Theatre Row” by the Los Angeles City Council. We’re a membership company, dedicated to providing a home for artists and to the development of new works for the American stage.

 So why don’t we pay actors minimum wage for rehearsal hours? New works. 49 seats. The perfect recipe for a non-profit enterprise. All of our economics begin at that chokepoint: 49 seats x 4 shows a week = ticket sales alone won’t get us there. Keeping our doors open requires constant fundraising, grant writing and, above all, volunteerism.

 Call it “love of the craft,” esprit de corps or old-fashioned apprenticeship, we’ve survived because of a consensus of understanding: We are here to make theater, not money; that’s what TV and movies are for. Intimate theaters show we value you, the actor, by inviting you to create something new with us. You’re compensated by having a place to nurture your talent, showcase your abilities, satisfy your creativity and play roles the commercial entertainment machine would never let you play.

 This proposed amendment is the reignition of an old debate, and it’s not “How do we monetize art?” or “How do we compensate artists?” From our perspective, the pertinent question looks to be: How can Actors’ Equity secure more contract weeks in a town where the 99-Seat Plan is so widely used?

 The apparent strategy, with this proposal, is to force the closure of small theaters in the hope that they’ll consolidate into mid-sized theaters, thus generating more full Equity contracts.

 As a proud member of Equity, I understand the issue and applaud the intention, however misguided. As a small theater producer, however, I am extremely frustrated.

 Intimate theater producers have repeatedly proposed sitting down to negotiate a compromise with Equity before and after this proposal was announced, but Equity has not allowed such dialogue to occur.

 We are not anti-union, nor are we anti-minimum wage, but Equity’s failure to converse with us and/or articulate the complexity of the issue to its members has forced us to engage in a media campaign to give full context to the debate.

 Small theater provides opportunities for actors and directors to stretch and hone their skills. We offer an intimate, affordable theatrical experience to local audiences, play a vital role in the development of new work and are important economic stimulators for the entire County of Los Angeles.

 The current 99-Seat Plan may be flawed, but you do not rid your home of termites by setting fire to it.

 I will be voting NO on the referendum to eliminate the Los Angeles 99-Seat Plan.

 — NOAH WYLE

 (The views expressed by Wyle are his own and do not represent those of Variety.)

 See More:Guest Column: Charlayne Woodard Urges ‘Yes’ Vote on 99-Seat Theater Plan

 Noah Wyle, pictured below in the Blank’s production of “Lobster Alice” ||||| LOS ANGELES — They rehearse for weeks, often in run down theaters that were once garages or retail stores; perform challenging premieres of new works and imaginative reinterpretations of old ones; and sometimes clean the bathrooms, sell the tickets, or sew the costumes, too.

 But hundreds of union actors working in this city’s distinctive and thriving small theater scene are barely paid for their work. And, in an unusual twist to America’s economic fairness debates, many of them say they are O.K. with that.

 “None of us is here to make money,” Lynn Odell said recently as she rehearsed a science-fiction comedy at Theater of Note, a 42-seat theater that operates in a former auto-glass repair shop in Hollywood. “We are here for the experience.”

 The willingness of Los Angeles actors to perform for a pittance, hoping to hone their craft and, maybe, to catch the eye of an agent or manager, is now at the heart of an extraordinary rift in the union representing theater actors, and has opened a new front in the nation’s battle over the minimum wage.

 Photo

 Actors’ Equity, the national union that represents Ms. Odell and about 6,500 other stage performers in Los Angeles, says its members are selling themselves short. The union, seizing a moment when organized labor is having some success pressuring low-wage employers to pay higher salaries, says many of this city’s small theaters — which currently pay actors nothing for rehearsals, and stipends as low as $7 per performance — should start paying California’s minimum wage of $9 an hour.

 “It’s so weird to be doing the work and not get paid, and it’s totally unsustainable,” said Christian Barillas, an actor who has worked in small theaters and supports the change.

 But the union’s effort to help boost actors’ pay has prompted a vociferous backlash from its members, many of whom fear that higher pay will cause many theaters to disappear. In a nonbinding referendum conducted over the last several weeks, 66 percent of Equity members in Los Angeles who cast ballots voted against a mandatory minimum wage for small theaters. (About 45 percent of the 6,990 ballots sent out were returned.)

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 The actors who seem to be campaigning against their own financial self-interest argue that the small theater scene is effectively not a place of employment, but a form of continuing education, and that it feeds their souls in a town where many earn their living with television and film jobs, and where many larger theaters cast roles using actors from New York.

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 “You want to be up onstage, you want to work out the acting muscles, not sitting on your couch waiting for an audition,” said Tim Robbins, the Academy Award winning actor who, despite a high-profile Hollywood career, continues to run a small theater here called The Actors’ Gang, and is a prominent advocate for small theaters less fortunate than his. “The only reason I was able to move into writing and directing movies and remain sane in this business has been my access to doing challenging work and testing myself in small theater.”

 Actors have picketed the union’s North Hollywood offices, swamped a town-hall meeting, held fierce debates online, and some have threatened to resign their membership. At a recent curtain call for “A Dog’s House,” a world premiere IAMA Theater production here, the four-member cast emerged wearing T-shirts signaling their opposition to the minimum wage proposal.

 Although compensation is a chronic concern in the theater world, the issue in Los Angeles is unique. For the last three decades, under a settlement of litigation brought by local actors against the union, theaters with fewer than 99 seats in Los Angeles County have been allowed to pay actors just a small stipend so long as ticket prices remain low and production runs remain short.

 The result — to the delight of actors and playwrights, and the dismay of the union — has been the flourishing of the county’s so-called 99-seat theaters. Many are actually smaller than that, but 99 is the agreed-upon cap on their size; the companies are also often called intimate theaters. There are about 200 such theaters, some doing provocative work that occasionally has transferred to larger theaters in New York and elsewhere — recently, “Small Engine Repair” premiered at Rogue Machine Theater here before its Off Broadway run at MCC Theater, and “Bakersfield Mist,” developed by the Fountain Theater, transferred to London’s West End, starring Kathleen Turner.

 Such plays are often produced in Los Angeles at a cost of between $5,000 and $20,000 — compare that to the $10 million to $15 million often spent to produce a Broadway musical — and the actors are generally paid enough to reimburse them for gasoline, but no more.

 “Everyone thinks actors should be paid more — it’s a matter of how,” said Padraic Duffy, the managing director of Sacred Fools, a theater company in East Hollywood with under 99 seats and an annual budget of $200,000. Mr. Duffy said that if his theater were required to pay minimum wage, it would have to stop working with Equity actors, other than those who are already members of the company (current members of small theater companies would be allowed to continue working for a stipend under the Equity proposal).

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 The actors defend the minimal payment for small theater work by saying that Los Angeles is not like the rest of the country: There is a huge population of performers looking for exposure, relatively low levels of philanthropic and governmental support for theater, and a consensus that the place to make money in acting here is in film and television. One indication of how distinctive the Los Angeles theater scene is: the highly regarded Antaeus Theater Company has for years formed two full casts for each of its productions, knowing that at any point an actor might have to skip a performance to tape a television episode or audition for a film.

 Equity’s national council is scheduled to decide on Tuesday whether to require the theaters to start paying union actors the minimum wage. As the debate has raged, Equity has suggested it might carve out exceptions for some theaters; some actors have come up with compromise proposals, suggesting that wage requirements should be tiered, depending on a theater’s budget.

 Gail Gabler, Equity’s Western regional director, said the union decided to act in response to complaints from members who were tired of working without compensation. She said the small theaters were “crowding out most other theater in L.A.” and had become a problem for actors who aspire to earn a full-time living from stage work in the region.

 The union points out that there are small theaters in other parts of the country that pay union actors more than a stipend. And, the union says, even in Los Angeles some of the small theaters pay musicians, publicists, box office workers — just not actors.

 Armina LaManna, an actor and director who spent years working in 99-seat theaters, said she was shocked when she relocated briefly to Philadelphia, where, she said, actors in small theaters were paid. “If Communism didn’t destroy theater, how is a minimum wage going to decimate theater?” asked Ms. LaManna, who was born in the Soviet Union.

 The actors who oppose the union’s efforts say that Equity misunderstands what is happening nationally and locally. They argue that in many other cities, small theaters are dying out, and that Los Angeles has a large and innovative scene unlike other cities; they also say that, although a handful of small theaters have large budgets, most struggle to stay afloat and find audiences.

 “This is the craft, and if I can’t practice my craft, I’m going to be less creative,” said Jimmi Simpson, an actor who earns his living in film and television, but spent the last several weeks portraying a chimpanzee in a $34,000 Circle X Theater Co. production of “Trevor.” The much-praised production, in which Mr. Simpson co-starred with Laurie Metcalf, an Emmy-winning TV actress, ran for seven weeks. Mr. Simpson and Ms. Metcalf were paid $800 each for the entire run, which they donated back.

 “I do television and film so I can take months off and contribute to culture,” Mr. Simpson said. “If this goes through, I will be doing plays in my friends’ living rooms.” ||||| L.A. 99-Seat Committee Asks Actors Union to Delay Salary Decision

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 20 Apr 2015

 Members of Actors' Equity Association in Los Angeles have voted 2,046 to 1,075 against their union's plan to require the city's 99-seat theatres to start paying actors a $9 hourly minimum wage. Most actors at those theatres currently work for far less, or nothing, but many oppose the pay plan because they fear the union demand will stifle the theatres and result in substantially less work.

 The vote is non-binding on the union's national council, which is scheduled to decide April 21 whether to accept, modify or reject the proposal.

 However, on the morning of April 20, the L.A.-based 99-Seat Theater Review Committee issued the following statement, asking that the decision be put off to an unspecified future date:

 “We are encouraged by the results of Friday's advisory referendum. We look forward to working together with Equity to strategize, study and craft a workable 99-Seat Plan that will take into account not only where we are presently, but also where we would like to be five and ten years from now. If these past months have shown us anything, it is that Los Angeles is a vital and fervent community of artists who are united in their resolve that 99-seat theater continue to thrive. "We have sent an email to executive director, Mary McColl, assistant executive director/Western regional director Gale E. Gabler and president Nick Wyman requesting that the national council, which is scheduled to meet on Tuesday, postpone any decision regarding 99-seat theater until an in-depth study and thorough conversations with actors, community leaders and theater producers can be successfully completed. "Change is needed, and we look forward to working closely with AEA’s senior staff, the Western regional board and New York’s national council to create that blueprint.”

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 AEA members in good standing who reside in Los Angeles County were eligible to vote in the Advisory Referendum, which ended April 16. A total of 44.6 percent of the eligible membership did so.

 The figures were confirmed by AEA spokesperson Maria Somma, who released the following statement April 17: "Equity's National Council will meet on Tuesday, April 21, 2015. The results of the Advisory Referendum vote provide important information to the Council as they consider the 99-Seat Proposal and intimate theater in Los Angeles. Council will take into account the percentage of members who voted, the number of votes cast and the results, as well as the information that members have shared with Council over the last several months."

 Matters have continued to escalate in the weeks leading up to the referendum. A group of actors picketed their own union headquarters in L.A. March 23.

 As previously reported, AEA has created a proposal for a new contract, which would guarantee actors and stage managers are paid a salary no less than minimum wage. (Under the current plan, members receive a performance stipend, which can be as little as $7 a performance, that allows them to perform as an Equity member). However, the West Coast theatre scene responded negatively. With more pay for the actors, experimental theatre in small houses may no longer be possible.

 The proposal was also dismissed by the Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle, and a group of actors planned to picket their own union today.

 Click here to read more about the issue, including AEA's reasoning behind the proposal and how L.A. actors (and the Drama Critics Circle) are responding.

Summary: – While many low-paid workers fight for increased wages, actors in Los Angeles have become activists for the opposite cause. Many who perform in small theaters are raising their voices against their own union as it pushes for them to receive California's $9 minimum wage, the New York Times reports. Often, such actors get no payment for rehearsals and perhaps just $7 per performance, the Times notes. But that doesn't seem to bother them: A referendum found that 66% of members of the Actors’ Equity union don't want small theaters to have to pay them minimum wage. The worry is that small theaters—those with 99 seats or fewer, which are currently allowed to pay actors just a stipend—could end up shutting their doors if forced to pay more. The low pay has helped the small-theater scene's big success in the area. "You want to be up onstage, you want to work out the acting muscles, not sitting on your couch waiting for an audition," says actor Tim Robbins, who is in charge of a small theater. Actors' Equity is due to make a decision tomorrow on whether to require actors be paid minimum wage, though an actors' committee has called on the union to postpone, Playbill reports. Actor Noah Wyle, who is a producer in a small theater, makes a case in Variety: "Keeping our doors open requires constant fundraising, grant writing and, above all, volunteerism," he notes. "Call it 'love of the craft,' esprit de corps or old-fashioned apprenticeship, we’ve survived because of a consensus of understanding: We are here to make theater, not money." But not everyone agrees. "It’s so weird to be doing the work and not get paid, and it’s totally unsustainable," says another actor.


AP Photo Boehner: I might sue Obama over Iran deal

 Speaker John Boehner said Thursday he might sue President Barack Obama again.

 The Ohio Republican said Obama has not turned over the entirety of the Iran agreement for congressional review as mandated by law. Boehner said legal action is “an option that’s very possible.”

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 “If you read the provisions in [the congressional review law], it’s pretty clear that the president has not complied,” Boehner said Thursday during his weekly news conference. “Because it makes clear that any side agreements and any other type of an agreement — including those that do not directly involve us — must be turned over as part of it. I do not believe that he’s complied.”

 The speaker said the agreement is "worse than anything I could’ve ever imagined."

 House Republicans have a pending lawsuit against Obamacare, which a judge ruled this week can proceed.

 Congress lacks the votes to stop the Iran agreement, but a lawsuit is one way for Boehner to prolong the fight over the nuclear accord. The House will vote Thursday and Friday on several pieces of legislation related to the pact, including an up-or-down vote on approving the deal, and another to rebuke Obama for not submitting so-called side deals between the International Atomic Energy Agency and Iran. The agreement will be in place by Sept. 17.

 Boehner also said the House might vote on disapproving the agreement, a move that would bring it in line with the Senate, which is set to vote Thursday on whether to proceed on a measure to disapprove of the pact. ||||| WASHINGTON -- House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) said Thursday that all options are on the table in the fight to stop the Iran nuclear deal from moving forward, including suing the president.

 Boehner said a lawsuit against President Barack Obama over the deal is "an option that is very possible.”

 Just hours after returning from summer recess, Boehner found himself in the middle of a revolt mounted by conservative members of his caucus who want to delay a vote on a resolution of disapproval on the Iran deal, insisting the administration broke the law.

 After an afternoon meeting on Wednesday, Republicans emerged with a new strategy on how to handle votes on the deal, deciding to hold three instead of one. The first vote, which is expected Thursday, will be on a resolution stating Obama did not submit all the documents related to the Iran deal and therefore the 60-day congressional review period has yet to start. A possible lawsuit would be based on that premise.

 House Republicans argue the administration did not send over all of the documents, specifically ones from the International Atomic Energy Agency, or IAEA, on the deal, which aims to curb Iran's nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief.

 The documents in question are two confidential agreements between Iran and the IAEA relating to the agency's investigation into whether Iran pursued nuclear weapons development activity in the past. These agreements were reached at the same time as the broader agreement between Iran, the U.S. and five world powers, but are separate from the main nuclear accord. Because of confidentiality protocols, the IAEA will not share the text of these two agreements with other states, including the U.S.

 "Clearly, our members do not believe the president has complied with the law," Boehner said.

 At this point, the legislative debate over the accord is essentially symbolic. Supporters of the deal and the administration have started their victory lap, knowing the fate of the pact is assured with 42 senators backing it the upper chamber. ||||| The House on Friday rejected a resolution to approve the Iran nuclear deal, with the vote underscoring how controversial the accord has been with President Obama’s own party.

 While most Democrats voted to approve the nuclear bargain, 25 voted against it, creating a wedge that Republicans hope to use to their advantage in the 2016 elections.

 Every Republican voted against the resolution, with the exception of libertarian Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.), who voted "present." The tally was 162-269.

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 While the failure of the resolution will not prevent the nuclear pact from taking effect, the vote serves as a rebuke of Obama, who has staked his foreign policy legacy on defusing the Iranian threat through diplomacy.

 Friday’s vote fell on the anniversary as the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, something Republicans were quick to highlight on the House floor as they accused Democrats of backing a “bad deal” that will jeopardize national security and Israel.

 "Do not sacrifice the safety, the security and the stability of 300 million Americans for the legacy of one man," implored Rep. Mike Kelly (R-Pa.) as he stood next to a poster of the Twin Towers burning on Sept. 11, 2001.

 After the resolution of approval failed, the House passed legislation 247-186 that would prevent Obama from lifting sanctions against Iran. That measure would expire on his successor’s first full day in office in January 2017.

 The day before the House votes, Senate Democrats blocked a resolution disapproving the Iran deal, leaving Republicans without a clear path forward for stopping the deal. Senate Republicans have vowed to hold more votes on Iran next week.

 The Democrats in the House who opposed the Iran deal were a mix of lawmakers with different backgrounds and political situations. Some of them represent Jewish constituencies, face tough reelection races next year or identify as centrists.

 The 25 Democrats who voted against approving the Iran deal were Reps. Brad Ashford (Neb.), Brendan Boyle (Pa.), Tony Cardenas (Calif.), Ted Deutch (Fla.), Eliot Engel (N.Y.), Lois Frankel Lois Jane FrankelOcasio-Cortez storms Washington, winning headlines but rankling some colleagues Pelosi allies rage over tactics of opponents Pelosi allies push back on proposed Speaker nominee rule change MORE (Fla.), Gwen Graham (Fla.), Gene Green Raymond (Gene) Eugene GreenTexas New Members 2019 Two Democrats become first Texas Latinas to serve in Congress Latina Leaders to Watch 2018 MORE (Texas), Alcee Hastings (Fla.), Steve Israel (N.Y.), Ted Lieu (Calif.), Dan Lipinski (Ill.), Nita Lowey (N.Y.), Carolyn Maloney (N.Y.), Grace Meng (N.Y.), Grace Napolitano (Calif.), Donald Norcross (N.J.), Collin Peterson (Minn.), Kathleen Rice (N.Y.), David Scott (Ga.), Brad Sherman (Calif.), Kyrsten Sinema (Ariz.), Albio Sires (N.J.), Juan Vargas (Calif.) and Filemon Vela (Texas).

 But despite the defections, enough Democrats voted to support the deal to deprive the GOP of a veto-proof majority.

 House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) worked closely with the White House to whip Democrats who were on the fence. Passage of a resolution against the nuclear deal would prevent Obama from lifting economic sanctions on Iran, which is a crucial part of the agreement.

 Pelosi's efforts ultimately won out over intense lobbying from groups opposed to the deal, including the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC).

 Republicans have been unanimously opposed to the Iran deal from the beginning.

 But House GOP leaders had to change course on their original plan of voting on a resolution of disapproval against the deal after an intraparty revolt.

 Conservatives rallied around a proposal from Rep. Peter Roskam (R-Ill.) stipulating that the House would not vote on the Iran deal until the Obama administration provides Congress with the text of side deals between Iran and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

 The Obama administration says it does not have any copy of deals between Iran and the IAEA. The agency routinely keeps agreements about nuclear inspections confidential, which the administration says is crucial for completing its mission.

 But with Democrats entrenched behind Obama’s accord, Republicans sought to highlight the existence of the side deals to hammer the administration.

 “The president ought to release to the American people the details of these secret side agreements right now or withdraw this entire proposal,” said House Majority Whip Steve Scalise (R-La.).

 The House passed a resolution Thursday arguing that Obama didn’t provide Congress with all documents pertaining to the Iran deal in violation of the congressional review law passed earlier this year.

 Under the congressional review law, Congress has 60 days to review and vote on the Iran deal before Obama can begin lifting sanctions against Iran. In return for the sanctions relief, Iran has agreed to scale back its nuclear program and let international inspectors in for the first time.

 House and Senate GOP leaders have stated since July — when the deal was first announced — that the 60-day review period would close on Sept. 17. But House GOP leaders are now siding with conservatives who argue the review period never really started since Congress didn’t receive all of the documents.

 Speaker John Boehner John Andrew BoehnerMomentum for earmarks grows with Dem majority Cannabis company says CBS refused to run its Super Bowl ad advocating for medical marijuana Breaking the impasse on shutdown, border security MORE (R-Ohio) indicated at a Thursday news conference that litigation against President Obama over the side deals is “very possible.”

 Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell Addison (Mitch) Mitchell McConnellOn The Money: Trump agrees to end shutdown without wall funding | Senate quickly clears short-term funding measure | House to vote tonight | Federal workers could get back pay within days | Dems take victory lap Shutdown ends without funding for Trump’s border wall Senate expected to pass bill to end shutdown on Friday MORE (R-Ky.) has scheduled another vote on the Iran deal disapproval resolution when the chamber returns next week. The outcome, however, is unlikely to change, with 42 Democrats preventing a resolution from passing.

 The White House, meanwhile, mocked the vote held on Friday by House Republicans.

 “Like many decisions that are made on Tuesday night at Tortilla Coast, they seem like a great idea after a couple of margaritas,” spokesman Josh Earnest said, referring to a Capitol Hill restaurant popular with conservatives. “But when faced with the scrutiny of the light of day, they don’t seem quite as realistic.”

 Earnest expressed confidence a lawsuit would not block the U.S. from implementing the agreement.

 “We obviously feel quite confident in our ability to move forward with the rest of the international community to implement this agreement.”

 - This story was last updated at 1:42 p.m.

Summary: – With Republicans running out of ways to stop the looming Iran nuclear deal from becoming a reality, John Boehner is entertaining the idea of suing President Obama. The House speaker, who described the deal as "worse than anything I could've ever imagined," said yesterday a lawsuit is "an option that’s very possible," Politico reports. At issue is Republicans' complaint that Obama didn't hand over every document relating to the deal for them to review, specifically leaving out agreements between the International Atomic Energy Agency and Iran, according to the Huffington Post. But, the Hill reports the administration claims it doesn't even have those documents because the agency keeps them confidential. Regardless, the House passed a resolution yesterday stating Obama didn't give it every necessary document related to the Iran deal, which would see the country scale back its nuclear program in exchange for the lifting of sanctions. The House passed another resolution rejecting the deal today and has more votes scheduled for next week. However, these votes are all "essentially symbolic," as the Iran deal has the support of 42 Democrats in the Senate, according to HuffPo. The Hill reports that leaves Republicans with no clear way to stop the Iran deal. But Boehner isn't giving in yet. "This debate is far from over," the House speaker said yesterday. "It is just beginning."


Cargo vessel ferrying supplies to the International Space Station is said to be falling to Earth after contact was lost

 A Russian spacecraft that is tumbling around the Earth after it malfunctioned en route to the International Space Station (ISS) could remain in orbit for more than a week before crashing down to Earth.

 Thomas Reiter, director of human spaceflight and operations at the European Space Agency, said that if Russian engineers could not regain control of the stricken vessel it could spiral down to Earth within the next 10 days.

 The 7-metre-long Progress 59 vessel malfunctioned soon after reaching orbit on Tuesday and went into an uncontrolled spin. Flight controllers have failed to establish two-way communications with the spacecraft as it passes over Russian ground stations.

 An official Russian space agency statement is expected later on Wednesday. An official familiar with the situation told Agence France-Presse: “It has started descending. It has nowhere else to go. It is clear that absolutely uncontrollable reactions have begun.”

 Igor Komarov, head of Roscosmos, the Russian space agency, was quoted by agency LifeNews as saying: “A safe docking with the ISS is not possible. We are working out different options for a water landing.”

 Facebook Twitter Pinterest A Progress cargo vessel docked at the International Space Station in January 2014. Photograph: NASA/REX Shutterstock

 The Progress capsule is used to carry food, water, fuel and other supplies to the space station. Once it has been unloaded, it is designed to be jettisoned in a controlled re-entry over the southern Pacific that ensures any fragments that do not burn up in the atmosphere land in the ocean.

 The concern is now that if the spacecraft falls back to Earth on an uncontrolled path some fragments may fall on land. The danger to people is slim: more than two-thirds of the Earth’s surface is covered by water and only 3% of the land is heavily populated.

 Intl. Space Station (@Space_Station) #Progress 59 docking called off. Russian flight controllers assessing options. More details as available Latest: http://t.co/th9dmHiv2P

 “Re-entry is normally done over the south Pacific to avoid any debris falling on firm terrain,” said Reiter, a former astronaut. “Not everything will burn up and if it’s an uncontrolled entry then there could be fragments that will hit the surface.

 “If my colleagues can’t get it under control, that could be within a week, maybe one and a half weeks at most.”

 The Russian flight controllers have a chance to make contact with the capsule every 90 minutes when it soars overhead.

 Reiter said he had instructed the space agency’s European space operations centre in Darmstadt to track the spacecraft so that teams can predict when and where the spacecraft will come down if it cannot be rescued.

 Such calculations are not easy, because it is impossible to predict exactly how a tumbling spacecraft will break up as it re-enters. “It depends on the motion of the vehicle, and the fuel tanks might or might not explode and lead to a further fragmentation,” Reiter said.

 The European Space Agency last year retired its own cargo vessel, the ATV, which at 20 tonnes is far heavier than the Russian Progress spacecraft. The space agency has never recorded any debris from the ATV surviving re-entry, but believes that its bulky docking mechanism could theoretically remain intact.

 The spacecraft launched from the Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan at 8.09am UK time on Tuesday and was intended to dock with the space station on Thursday. That rendezvous plan has now been postponed indefinitely. On board are 2.5 tonnes of food, water, fuel and other supplies for the ISS crew.

 Facebook Twitter Pinterest The launch of Russia’s Progress spacecraft from the Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on Tuesday

 The six crew on board the International Space Station have enough supplies to cope if the spacecraft cannot be saved.

 The problem became apparent when the spacecraft failed to confirm that its antennas had deployed properly and that a propulsion unit needed for docking had pressurised. Engineers hope to get the spacecraft into a stable orbit until the glitch can be fixed.

 The spacecraft is 160 miles high and travelling at more than 16,000 miles per hour. That altitude is sufficiently below the space station to pose the crew no problems, but some satellites might need to take evasive manoeuvres. Such moves were becoming ever more necessary in space, said Reiter.

 The Russians still hope to re-establish communications with the spacecraft and place it in a safe orbit while they work to solve any glitches. If that work goes to plan, they may be able to regain control and re-attempt docking with the space station. ||||| 10:46

 Our Moscow correspondent Shaun Walker says representatives of Roskosmos, the Russian space agency, are holding a press briefing in the Russian capital. We’re waiting for further details on who is speaking but we have these initial remarks from one of the representatives:

 It’s impossible to say who or what is responsible for this at this point. There will be a state commission which will meet to discuss all the issues around further launches. The next launch is due on 26 May.

 And Igor Komarov, head of Roskosmos, was quoted by agency LifeNews as saying:

Summary: – Russia's Mission Control has failed to stabilize a cargo ship spinning out of control in orbit, but it says it hasn't yet given up on saving the unmanned spacecraft. The Progress M-27M was launched yesterday and was scheduled to dock at the International Space Station six hours later to deliver 2.5 tons of supplies, including food and fuel. But flight controllers were unable to receive data from the spacecraft, which had entered the wrong orbit. Mission Control spokesman Sergei Talalasov told the Interfax news agency today that flight controllers were still trying to restore communication with the Progress. "It has started descending. It has nowhere else to go," another official tells AFP, speaking on condition of anonymity. "It is clear that absolutely uncontrollable reactions have begun." Russia's space agency and NASA both said the six crew members on board the orbiting space station have sufficient supplies and are in no danger. As for what will happen if the spacecraft does tumble back to Earth, the Guardian reports the capsules typically disintegrate upon re-entry, with any parts that aren't incinerated disappearing into the ocean or ending up on "one of Earth's great wastelands."


Oksana Spills About Mel Gibson on 'Larry King Live'

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 Oksana Grigorieva told

 Oksana recalled on '

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 Oksana Grigorieva told Larry King on Wednesday night that Mel Gibson hit her, choked her and waved a gun at her during a violent encounter in January.Oksana recalled on ' Larry King Live ' that on "Jan. 6 [of this year] the beating took place. Mel actually assaulted me while I was holding the baby in my arms ... I ran into my son's bedroom and told him, 'Mel's crazy.' "

 http://xml.channel.aol.com/xmlpublisher/fetch.v2.xml?option=expand_relative_urls&dataUrlNodes=uiConfig,feedConfig,entry&id=691977&pid=691976&uts=1273167996 http://www.popeater.com/mm_track/popeater/music/?s_channel=us.musicpop&s_account=aolpopeater,aolsvc&omni=1&ke=1 http://cdn.channel.aol.com/cs_feed_v1_6/csfeedwrapper.swf PopScene: Week's Hottest Pics Gabourey Sidibe attends The American Cancer Society's Choose You luncheon on May 5th in New York City. Amy Sussman, Getty Images Amy Sussman, Getty Images PopScene: Weeks Hottest Pics

 Oksana said that her 12-year-old son, Alexander, hid behind the bed as Oksana stood with her daughter Lucia, "like a mother protecting her cubs."Gibson came into the room and struck her twice, she said. When Larry asked if Mel was drunk, Oksana said he was not. "He hit me, and choked me in front of my son and brandished a gun at me."King asked her, "Why did you stay with him?" Grigorieva replied, "That was a mistake. I stayed a little bit too long."Oksana admitted to forgiving and getting back with Mel at one point: "I gave him the last chance. He asked me for the last chance. He begged. He cried. He cried on his knees. What am I supposed to do?"When asked by the talk show host why she taped the phone calls with Gibson, Oksana said, "I started taping it around 11 o'clock because I thought, 'I'm actually not going to live through the night. I'm actually not going to live through the night and I wanted my mother to be able to prove that if I'm dead that this is who did it."Mel Gibson, on the other hand, enjoyed a night out with his ex-wife Robyn on Tuesday, according to The Daily Mail . In a show of Gibson family unity he and his former wife of nearly 30 years were among the guests at their son Milo's 21st birthday at a restaurant in Hollywood. News came out this week that Mel admitted to slapping, not punching , Oksana in a fit of hysteria. ||||| Mel Gibson Says He Slapped, Not Punched, Oksana in a Fit of Hysteria

 Email This After months of Oksana Grigorieva claiming abuse by

 Though Oksana alleges punches to the face and lost teeth courtesy of an enraged Mel, Gibson's testimony reads: "I slapped Oksana one time with an open hand in an attempt to bring her back to reality. I did not slap her hard, I was just trying to shock her so that she would stop screaming, continuing shaking Lucia back and forth."

 Lucia is the couple's baby daughter. According to Mel, a "hysterical" Oksana grabbed the child from a bassinet in the middle of a dispute with Gibson; the actor became worried for the baby's safety. Mel says Oksana was "swinging Lucia erratically in her arms, jerking her body from side to side to keep Lucia out of my reach." After months of Oksana Grigorieva claiming abuse by Mel Gibson during their relationship, Mel's sworn declaration, obtained by TMZ , tells a different story.Though Oksana alleges punches to the face and lost teeth courtesy of an enraged Mel, Gibson's testimony reads: "I slapped Oksana one time with an open hand in an attempt to bring her back to reality. I did not slap her hard, I was just trying to shock her so that she would stop screaming, continuing shaking Lucia back and forth."Lucia is the couple's baby daughter. According to Mel, a "hysterical" Oksana grabbed the child from a bassinet in the middle of a dispute with Gibson; the actor became worried for the baby's safety. Mel says Oksana was "swinging Lucia erratically in her arms, jerking her body from side to side to keep Lucia out of my reach."

 http://xml.channel.aol.com/xmlpublisher/fetch.v2.xml?option=expand_relative_urls&dataUrlNodes=uiConfig,feedConfig,entry&id=762708&pid=762707&uts=1273853626 http://www.popeater.com/mm_track/popeater/movies/?s_channel=us.moviespop&s_account=aolpopeater,aolsvc&omni=1&ke=1 http://cdn.channel.aol.com/cs_feed_v1_6/csfeedwrapper.swf Celebrity Splitsville Halle Berry and Gabriel Aubry

 Split

 Halle Berry called it quits with her boyfriend, Gabriel Aubry, ending their five-year relationship. The couple has a 2-year-old daughter, Nahla Ariel Aubry. Evan Agostini, AP Evan Agostini, AP Celebrity Splits

 Despite his concern, Gibson maintains he never hit Oksana with a closed fist. "I did not ever punch her in the face or in the temple or anywhere else, not then or at any other time."The former couple is embroiled in a bitter custody battle . The night in question was Jan. 6, 2010. Mel's declaration is dated June 23, 2010. During their fight, Oksana picked up Lucia and told Mel, "Stop yelling or you will make her into a retarded, brain-damaged idiot!"Mel said, "While I do not believe I handled the situation as well as I should have, I was worried about the rough way Oksana was shaking and tossing Lucia around." TMZ reported a pediatrician examined Lucia the next day and found no evidence of injury.

Summary: – Oksana Grigorieva recounted to Larry King last night how Mel Gibson "hit me, and choked me in front of my son, and brandished a gun at me." Grigorieva and King listened to one of the infamous taped conversations between Gibson and his babymama, and Grigorieva told King that "Mel actually assaulted me while I was holding the baby in my arms." Earlier this week, Gibson admitted to slapping Grigorieva. Click here for more from the interview, including why Grigorieva stayed with Gibson after the first alleged beating, and why she taped the phone calls.


correction: An earlier version of this article misidentified the state of Sen. Dan Sullivan. He represents Alaska. This version has been corrected.

 President Trump is expected to announce next week that he will "decertify" the international nuclear deal with Iran, saying it is not in the national interest of the United States and kicking the issue to a reluctant Congress, people briefed on the White House strategy said Thursday.

 The move would mark the first step in a process that could eventually result in the resumption of U.S. sanctions against Iran, potentially derailing a deal limiting Iran's nuclear activities reached in 2015 with the United States and five other nations.

 But Trump would hold off on recommending that Congress reimpose sanctions, which would constitute a clearer break from the pact, according to four people familiar with aspects of the president's thinking.

 The decision would amount to a middle ground of sorts between Trump, who has long wanted to withdraw from the agreement completely, and many congressional leaders and senior diplomatic, military and national security advisers, who say the deal is worth preserving with changes if possible.

 This week, Defense Secretary Jim Mattis and Gen. Joseph F. Dunford Jr., the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, expressed qualified support for the deal during congressional testimony. And Mattis suggested he did not believe taking the step to decertify would scuttle the agreement.

 Trump is expected to deliver a speech, tentatively scheduled for Oct. 12, laying out a larger strategy for confronting the nation he blames for terrorism and instability throughout the Middle East.

 Officials cautioned that plans could still change, and the White House would not confirm plans for a speech or its contents. Trump faces an Oct. 15 deadline to report to Congress on whether Iran is complying with the agreement and whether he judges the deal to be in the U.S. national security interest.

 "The administration looks forward to sharing details of our Iran strategy at the appropriate time," said Michael Anton, spokesman for the White House National Security Council.

 The fate of the nuclear pact is only one consideration in that larger strategy, U.S. officials said, although given Trump's focus on the deal as an "embarrassment," it is the most high-profile element.

 The agreement signed under President Barack Obama was intended to close off the potential for Iran to quickly build a nuclear bomb by curbing nuclear activities the United States and other partners considered most troubling. It allowed some uranium enrichment to continue for what Iran claims is peaceful medical research and energy; the country says it has never sought nuclear weapons. In exchange, world powers lifted crippling U.S. and international economic sanctions.

 At issue now is the fate of U.S. sanctions lifted by Obama and, by extension, whether the United States will move to break the deal. That could open an international breach with European partners who have warned they will not follow suit.

 Outreach for a "transatlantic understanding" about reopening or supplementing the deal is likely to be part of Trump's announcement, according to one Iran analyst who has discussed the strategy with administration officials. Several other people familiar with a nine-month review of U.S. military, diplomatic, economic and intelligence policy toward Iran spoke on the condition of anonymity because aspects of the policy are not yet set, and Trump has not announced his decision.

 Trump said last month that he had decided what to do on Iran but that he would not divulge the decision at that time.

 Welcoming military leaders to a White House dinner Thursday night, Trump said Iran had not lived up to its end of the nuclear bargain.

 "The Iranian regime supports terrorism and exports violence, bloodshed and chaos across the Middle East," he said. "That is why we must put an end to Iran's continued aggression and nuclear ambitions. They have not lived up to the spirit of their agreement."

 The president's senior national security advisers agreed within the past several weeks to recommend that Trump "decertify" the agreement at the Oct. 15 deadline, two of those people said.

 The administration has begun discussing possible legislation to "strengthen" the agreement, congressional aides and others said — a "fix it or nix it" approach suggested by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Sen. Tom Cotton (Ark.), a leading Republican hawk on Iran.

 But the prospects of such an approach are highly uncertain, and many supporters of the deal consider it a dodge.

 Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said last month that he will not reopen the agreement for negotiation. Separately, representatives of Iran, China and Russia told Secretary of State Rex Tillerson the same thing during a meeting on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly session last month, two senior diplomats familiar with that meeting said.

 [U.S., Iran accuse one another of undermining nuclear deal]

 Cotton appeared to preview the main elements of the administration's plan this week, although he said he does not know exactly what Trump plans to do. The two met Thursday at the White House.

 In a speech Tuesday at the Council on Foreign Relations, Cotton said Trump should "decline to certify the deal and begin the work of strengthening it."

 He said decertification should be based on a finding that the deal is not in the U.S. "vital national security interest," citing "the long catalogue of the regime's crimes and perfidy against the United States, as well as the deal's inherent weakness."

 But Cotton said he would not push for the immediate reimposition of sanctions, as some conservative lawmakers and outside lobbying groups are doing.

 He laid out proposals for Congress to pass new stipulations for U.S. participation in the deal, including elimination of the "sunset clauses" under which restrictions on some Iranian nuclear activities expire after several years, tougher inspections requirements and new curbs on Iran's ballistic and cruise missile programs.

 Cotton claimed that a unified statement from Congress would help Trump forge a new agreement among European and other allies and strengthen his hand for renegotiation.

 "The world needs to know we're serious, we're willing to walk away, and we're willing to reimpose sanctions — and a lot more than that," Cotton said. "And they'll know that when the president declines to certify the deal, and not before."

 In the Senate, plans have been underway for months to respond to a presidential decertification.

 Sen. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.), chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, has been Capitol Hill's point person on discussions with the White House. Sen. Benjamin L. Cardin (D-Md.) and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) also have been made aware of plans being discussed with the White House and State Department.

 McConnell is not eager to take on the issue at a time when the Senate calendar is full and midterm elections are only a year off, according to congressional aides and a Western diplomat who has met with him.

 "He's not excited about getting the 'Old Maid,' " said the diplomat, referring to the card game where the player left holding a certain card is the loser.

 Still, Republican leaders say they are confident that they can craft a legislative response to the president's decision that can address deficiencies in the deal and avoid turning the issue into a political litmus test for the GOP.

 Some Republicans have also been urging the president to take a critical public stance against the deal — without blowing it up.

 "The president should come out and say, 'Hey, we're going to enforce this, and right now I think these different provisions are being violated,' " Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska) said last week, adding that Trump should tell Iran it has a limited window to fix problems. "If they don't, do what [then-Secretary of State] John Kerry and Barack Obama said they were going to do, which is snap back sanctions."

 Rep. Adam B. Schiff (D-Calif.) said a decertification would undermine global confidence in the deal and in U.S. commitments generally.

 "If the president fails to certify the deal while saying Iran is complying with it, it's a destructive political gesture," Schiff said.

 [Text of Iran nuclear deal]

 Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-

 Calif.) said that beginning a process that could result in the United States withdrawing from the Iran deal would go against "advice from his own national security team and our closest allies."

 "Unilaterally abandoning this agreement will make the world less safe," she said in a statement.

 A half-dozen Democrats who went to the White House on Wednesday evening to meet with national security adviser H.R. McMaster came away with the impression that he agreed with Mattis and Dunford.

 The group who visited with McMaster to discuss Iran included Cardin and Sens. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.), Christopher A. Coons (D-Del.), Joe Manchin III (D-W.Va.), Heidi Heitkamp (D-N.D.) and Angus King (I-Maine), according to a person familiar with the meeting.

 Sen. Cory Gardner (R-Colo.) called the nuclear deal "very, very flawed" but not completely ineffective — a common view among Republicans and a potential starting point for negotiations with Democrats.

 "What we have to figure out is how to actually accomplish what we were well on our way to do before Barack Obama gave them a patient pathway to a nuclear bomb," Gardner said, referring to what he and other Republicans see as the deal's failure to prevent Iran from developing weapons down the road.

 Those concerns are one of the main areas that Republicans are planning to address in their legislative response to the president's decision, according to a person familiar with plans being hammered out between the White House, State Department and Capitol Hill.

 Abby Phillip and Ed O'Keefe contributed to this report. ||||| Washington (CNN) President Donald Trump plans to "decertify" the Iran nuclear deal next week, declaring the Obama-era pact not in US interests and launching a congressional review period on the accord, according to two senior US officials.

 Trump is tentatively scheduled to unveil his plan during remarks a week from Thursday, though one official cautioned the timing could shift.

 Trump said Thursday that Iran has not "lived up" to the spirit of the deal.

 Speaking ahead of a dinner with military officers, Trump said it was imperative Iran not obtain nuclear weapons.

 Trump said Tehran was a supporter of terror and violence, and indicated the deal would be a topic of discussion among the military leaders.

 "You'll be hearing about Iran very shortly," he said.

 The decision, which was first reported by The Washington Free Beacon and The Washington Post , stops short of completely scrapping the Iran deal, which Trump railed against on the campaign trail.

 By decertifying the deal, Trump would kick the matter to Congress, which would then have 60 days to determine a path forward.

 White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said Thursday the President had made a decision on the agreement and would announce it "soon."

 "The President's team has presented a united strategy that the national security team all stands behind and supports," she said.

 Trump will spell out a broader strategy for confronting Iran, including its ballistic missile program and support for terror networks in the Middle East, as he unveils his decision on the Iran deal, according to one senior US official. The official didn't specify what precise steps he may take.

 Under the new Iran strategy the current deal will stay in place, with efforts being made within the framework of the existing agreement to try and strengthen inspections and plan for what happens when it expires, a senior US official told CNN on Thursday.

 But a senior Democratic aide told CNN on Thursday that lawmakers on the other side of the aisle "believe the President should make the certification, full stop."

 "We are not participating in preemptive negotiations, with no text, based on the assumption that the President is not going to make the certification," the aide said. "The maximum point of leverage to address Iran's nefarious activities is now, before his expected terrible decision -- not after, when he undermines America's credibility to uphold its commitments with our allies and partners."

 How will European nations react?

 European diplomats, anticipating Trump's move, have already been meeting with Democrats and Republicans in Congress to take lawmakers' temperature and lobby them on the merits of the agreement.

 They're seeing little appetite to reopen the deal, but say that some in Congress worry that hawkish Republicans may introduce legislation to force the issue.

 The message these diplomats have gotten from administration officials is that they were "looking for a middle way" and didn't want to "kill the deal," one envoy said. Amending the US law provided a way out, but the envoy said there is little appetite in Congress for the hot potato Trump had handed them.

 Once Trump decertifies the pact, Congress has 60 days to re-impose sanctions, but that is something only the majority and minority party leaders can initiate.

 Democrats back the deal and even the few who voted against it, including Sen. Chuck Schumer of New York, have now said they will support it, the envoy said.

 What's in the Iran nuclear deal? Stockpiles & centrifuges: The deal has curbed Iran's nuclear program, reducing its stockpiles of enriched uranium by 97 percent and cutting the number of its centrifuges by two-thirds. Uranium enrichment: It still allows Iran to continue enrichment -- enough for civil use to power parts of the country, but not enough to build a nuclear bomb. Inspections: Iran is required to provide inspectors from the UN's nuclear watchdog access to monitor its declared nuclear facilities. Compliance: Every 90 days, the US President must certify to Congress that Iran is keeping up its end of the deal. If the President does not certify the agreement, Congress has a statutory 60-day period to decide whether to reimpose sanctions. Sanctions: If Iran doesn't comply, US, European Union, and UN nuclear-related sanctions on the Iranian economy would be reinstated. A number of non-nuclear-related sanctions currently remain in place. Sources: White House, State Department, Congress, CNN

 And most Republicans aren't interested in re-opening the Iran debate either, the envoy said. "The majority of the GOP aren't excited about this," the envoy said, comparing GOP attitudes toward the pact to the unwanted card in the game Old Maid, which players try to get rid of as quickly as possible.

 Conveying what Republicans are saying, the envoy said, "they want to avoid a crisis and they don't want to kill the agreement" and be saddled with the blame for that.

 European diplomats are seeing no appetite in the GOP leadership for a fight to reopen the Iran deal, either. Referring to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, the envoy said they "aren't going to do anything dangerous."

 The wild card, the envoy said, is whether hawkish Republicans, such as Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas, or Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas, will introduce legislation on Iran to force the issue, "and whether McConnell will be in a position to derail" them.

 Last month, foreign ministers representing countries that are party to the deal -- Britain, France, Germany, Russia, China and Iran -- argued that the agreement was designed to address issues solely related to Iran's nuclear program, according to several diplomats who attended the meeting that took place on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.

 By all accounts -- even that of the United States -- Iran had lived up to its commitments under the agreement, and European leaders signaled they were not interested in expanding the scope of its implementation, they said.

 "Not certifying would pass the decision on the JCPOA over to Congress, with the risk that they decide to re-impose nuclear sanctions leading to US abrogation of the JCPOA," one European diplomat told CNN on Thursday.

 "If not certifying is part of a larger plan with Congress to stay within the deal, this would not be a direct breach. However, all the evidence to date is that Iran is in compliance with the terms of the JCPOA," the diplomat added.

 "The JCPOA is a hard-fought international agreement that is vital to our security and that of our allies; our priority is working with the deal and making it deliver for our shared security interests," the diplomat said.

 What will Congress do?

 On Tuesday, CNN reported that Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chair Bob Corker were spearheading efforts to amend US legislation regarding Iran to shift focus away from the nuclear issue -- a move that could allow the US to stay in the multilateral nuclear deal forged in 2015 and also push back against Iran's other destabilizing behavior, officials and diplomats said.

 "Tillerson has said the problem with the JCPOA is not the JCPOA," one senior administration official said, using the acronym for the 2015 nuclear deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action.

 "It's the legislation," the official said. "Every 90 days the President must certify and its creates a political crisis. If the administration could put the nuclear deal in a corner, everyone could happily get back to work on dealing with everything else that is a problem with Iran."

 Instead of certifying that Iran is meeting its technical commitments under the nuclear deal, the administration would report to Congress regularly about broader aggressive Iranian behavior -- such as support for terrorism and its ballistic missile program -- and what the administration is doing to counter it.

 This approach could allow the US to stay in the deal but help Trump avoid the political headache of having to re-certify it every 90 days.

 It might also keep the Europeans, who want to keep the deal, on board with administration efforts to fight Iran's other destabilizing activities.

 HR McMaster, Trump's national security adviser, invited a small group of Democratic senators to the White House Wednesday to discuss the President's plans on the Iran deal, and hinted that he did not think decertifying is the right way to go, according to two sources familiar with the meeting.

 The sources said the meeting was clearly intended for McMaster to get ideas from key Senate Democrats on how to avoid decertifying the Iran deal, which many in both parties think would destabilize relations with allies and make it harder to confront foes well beyond Iran.

 These sources said McMaster never explicitly said he disagrees with the President, nor that he wants the President to certify that the Iran deal is in America's national interest. But the sources say McMaster repeatedly responded to Democratic Senators entreaties not to decertify Iran and instead look for bipartisan alternatives by saying that he is not the one they have to convince, suggesting they were preaching to the choir.

 McMaster's apparent unease with decertifying the Iran deal puts him on the same side of other top members of the Trump national security team.

 During a hearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee on Tuesday, Defense Secretary James Mattis said that he believes it is in the US national security interest to remain in the agreement.

 Sen. Angus King asked Mattis: "Do you believe it is in our national security interest at the present time to remain in the (agreement)? That is a yes or no question."

 Mattis replied, "Yes, senator, I do."

 "The point I would make is if we can confirm that Iran is living by the agreement, if we can determine that this is in our best interests then clearly we should stay with it," Mattis added. "I believe at this point in time absent indications to the contrary, it is something the President should consider staying with."

 But Mattis went on to explain that he also supports a rigorous review of national security issues related to Iran that may fall outside the exact terms of the agreement.

 "The President has to consider more broadly things that rightly fall under his portfolio of looking out for the American people in areas that go beyond the specific letters of the JCPOA -- in that regard I support the rigorous review that he has got going on right now," he said.

Summary: – Word is President Trump will "decertify" the Iran nuclear deal next week, giving Congress 60 days to decide whether to stay in the agreement or void it by imposing new sanctions on Iran. Citing "people briefed" on the matter, the Washington Post reports Trump is expected to deliver a speech, possibly on Oct. 12, laying out his administration's new Iranian policy. CNN, whose sources include "two senior US officials," reports that policy would be to work within the framework of the nuclear deal, which limits Iran's nuclear activities, while attempting to strengthen it for the US. But Iran has said it's not interested in renegotiating the deal, and European leaders say they don't want to change the terms of the deal. Germany, France, Britain, Russia, China, Iran, and even the US all agree Iran has held up its side of the nuclear deal. And on Tuesday Defense Secretary James Mattis said he believes it's "in our national security interest" to remain in the deal. But Trump campaigned on the nuclear deal being unfair to the US. The president is said to be weary of a tenet of the deal wherein he must go to Congress every 90 days to report whether Iran is complying with it and if it remains in the national interest of the US.


BELLEFONTE, Pa. (AP) — One of Jerry Sandusky's sons was arrested Monday on multiple sexual offense charges involving children, more than five years after the former Penn State assistant coach was himself first arrested.

 Jeffrey S. Sandusky, 41, a stalwart supporter who attended many of his father's court proceedings, was charged with 14 counts, according to court records. He was jailed on $200,000 bail.

 His defense lawyer, Lance Marshall, declined to comment on the allegations.

 Marshall said the charges were statutory sexual assault, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, six counts of unlawful contact with a minor and two counts each of photographing or depicting sexual acts, sexual abuse of children and corruption of minors.

 The Centre County district attorney's office said it planned to issue a statement later Monday.

 The state Corrections Department said that because of the charges, Jeffrey Sandusky was suspended without pay Monday from employment as a corrections officer at Rockview State Prison, near State College. He had been hired in August 2015.

 Jerry Sandusky is serving a lengthy prison sentence for sexual abuse of 10 boys. Jeffery is one of Jerry Sandusky's six adopted children. ||||| Jerry Sandusky's Son Arrested for Sexual Assault on Child

 Jerry Sandusky's Son Arrested for Sexual Assault on Child (MUG SHOT + DOCUMENT)

 Breaking News

 Jerry Sandusky's 41-year-old son has been arrested in Pennsylvania for allegedly sexually assaulting a child ... officials say.

 Jeffrey Sandusky was arraigned on Monday. Charging documents show he's also been hit with multiple counts of child pornography, child sex abuse and corruption of minors.

 Officials say an investigation was launched into Sandusky back in November after the child's father called police to report that Jeffrey had been sending his kid text messages requesting naked pictures.

 Sandusky was reportedly dating the child's mother.

 Sandusky's bail was set at $200,000 and he was ordered to stay away from minors.

 Jerry Sandusky is currently serving 30 to 60 years in prison for raping several young boys while he was the assistant football coach at Penn State.

Summary: – The adopted son of former Penn State coach Jerry Sandusky has been arrested and accused of the same crime as his father: sexually assaulting a child, reports WTAJ. Jeffrey Sandusky, 41, was arraigned Monday and also faces charges of child pornography and the corruption of minors, reports TMZ. Police say they began investigating after a child told his father that he had gotten texts from Jeffrey Sandusky that included a request for naked photos. Sandusky was dating the boy's mother at the time, say police. The criminal complaint alleges that a second child was abused, going back to 2013. Sandusky has been jailed on $200,000 bail, reports AP. The exact charges were statutory sexual assault, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, six counts of unlawful contact with a minor, and two counts each of photographing or depicting sexual acts, sexual abuse of children, and corruption of minors. The state has suspended Sandusky without pay from his job as a corrections officer at Rockview State Prison. The elder Sandusky is serving 30 to 60 years for raping multiple boys.