Catholic faithful demand change after sex-abuse scandals

Catholic faithful demand change after sex-abuse scandals

MINNEAPOLIS

The day after a grand jury report revealed that Roman Catholic clergy in Pennsylvania molested more than 1,000 children over decades, Adrienne Alexander went to Mass at a Chicago church and waited for the priest to say something about the situation.

He didn’t. And that left Alexander fuming. So she went on Facebook to vent - then organized a prayer vigil in Chicago that became the catalyst for similar laity-led vigils in Boston, Philadelphia and other cities nationwide.

Alexander is among countless Catholics in the U.S. who are raising their voices in prayer and protest to demand change amid new revelations of sex abuse by priests and allegations of widespread cover-ups. They are doing letter-writing campaigns and holding prayer vigils and listening sessions in an effort to bring about change from the pews, realizing it’s up to them to confront the problem and save the church they love after years of empty promises from leadership.

“I think it’s important that the large body hears from us,” Alexander said. “We actually make up the church.”

Their grassroots efforts are gaining momentum. In the past week more than 39,000 people have signed their names to a letter demanding answers from Pope Francis himself.

Lawyer: Trump doesn’t think Stormy Daniels’ deal is valid

WASHINGTON

President Donald Trump does not believe porn actress Stormy Daniels’ hush-money deal, which his former personal lawyer said was done to influence the 2016 presidential election, is valid and will not carry out threats to sue her for breaking the agreement by discussing details of their alleged affair, Trump’s attorney said in a court filing Saturday.

Hours earlier an attorney for the company set up to handle the deal offered to rescind Daniels’ nondisclosure agreement. The company, Essential Consultants, also scrapped a threatened $20 million lawsuit against Daniels.

The offer would remove any legal risk to Daniels stemming from her public discussion of the alleged affair and the alleged efforts to hide it. But if a court were to find that the proposal resolved the underlying controversy in her litigation with ex-Trump lawyer Michael Cohen, the development could kill efforts by Daniels’ attorney, Michael Avenatti, to try to compel the president to give sworn testimony.

Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, has said she had sex once with Trump in 2006 and carried on a platonic relationship with him for about a year. She was paid $130,000 as part of the agreement signed days before the 2016 election and is suing to dissolve the contract. Daniels has argued the agreement should be invalidated because Cohen signed it, but Trump did not.

Cincinnati victims didn’t have any known links to gunman

CINCINNATI

The three people shot and killed in the lobby of a Cincinnati office building didn’t have any apparent connection to the gunman.

One was a longtime construction worker who was overseeing a project in the building. Another had moved to Cincinnati just a year ago to take a better job with Fifth Third Bancorp.

The youngest victim, 25 years old, was an engineer from India.

Police don’t know yet why 29-year-old Omar Enrique Santa Perez began shooting randomly inside the regional bank headquarters Thursday morning.

Investigators say the gunman had never worked in the building or had any known association.

Security video from the shootings show Santa Perez wore dress pants and a white button-down shirt, easily blending in with the business workers just before he opened fire.

Federal designation for Wright Brothers museum celebrated

DAYTON

Dayton History has unveiled the new John W. Berry Sr. Wright Brothers National Museum.

Dayton History President Brady Kress says the museum now has a federal designation. Republican U.S. Rep. Mike Turner and Dayton Foundation President Michael Parks were on hand for the unveiling last week at Carillon Park.

Also in attendance were Wright brothers’ great-grandnephew and great-grandniece Stephen Wright and Amanda Wright-Lane.

According to Turner and Kress, the federal designation of the museum comes after five years of legislative attempts.

Final approval came in 2017 when the National Defense Authorization Act was signed into law.

Cincinnati city manager who quit gets additional payout

CINCINNATI

Cincinnati will pay its former city manager an additional $370,000 after he quit earlier this year.

The city already had agreed to pay Harry Black a $174,000 severance and $100,000 in benefits.

Black quit in April as he was facing the likelihood of being fired by the City Council.

His resignation came after a feud with Mayor John Cranley. Some city leaders had been upset over Black’s handling of longstanding problems with the city’s 911 call center.

The city says the new payout announced Friday is part of an agreement that ends Black’s threats to sue the city.

Acting City Manager Patrick Duhaney says allowing the case to continue would have cost the city more in legal fees alone.

Associated Press