Jay Paterno: Father always sought truth, never covered up allegations
A damning report on Penn State's handling of allegations that Jerry Sandusky was a sexual predator was released today, disclosing that high-ranking officials at the university worked to cover up the scandal to protect the school's academic and athletic reputations.
The 267 page report, compiled by former FBI director Louis Freeh, alleges that in order to avoid "bad publicity," former President Graham Spanier, former Athletic Director Tim Curley, former Vice President Gary Schultz, and former Head Football Coach Joe Paterno "repeatedly concealed critical facts."
Joe Paterno consistently defended his actions, and right before his death in January he told the Washington Post that he did his part by informing his superiors and did not feel he was "adequate" to handle the situation.
His family continues to defend his legacy and insists he was always after the truth. Jay Paterno, son of the late coach, is OutFront tonight.
Washington D.C. mayor just might be one of the nation's worst
Could the worst mayor in America live right in the heart of the nation's capital?
That's what some people are charging in Washington D.C., where Mayor Vincent Gray's administration is under fire for a variety of self-inflicted scandals. Mayor Gray was elected in 2010 over a young rising star in the Democratic Party with promises of "character, integrity, and leadership."
Here's what those words have brought the city:
- Just this week, Gray's friend pleaded guilty to helping conceal $650,000 in campaign funds for a shadow campaign to support Gray's election.
- Half of the D.C. City Council has been under investigation at some point by either city or federal officials
- Two council members have already been pressured into resigning, and two more have served prison time.
Other council members are calling on Gray to resign. Should Washington have seen this coming? John Avlon has more.
U.S. military expands presence in Persian Gulf as Iran faces more sanctions
The U.S. military buildup in the Persian Gulf continues, as the U.S. deploys submersible sea drones to help clear mines laid by the Iranian navy. These are in addition to the two U.S. aircraft carriers, multitude of mine-sweeping ships, and the USS Ponce, which can be a forward staging base for operations, that already patrol the Gulf.
The U.S. hopes an increased presence will deter the Iranians from closing the Straight of Hormuz – through which about 20% of the world's oil exports travel – in response to tightening international sanctions. But could the combination actually work to provoke the Iranian government into lashing out?
CNN Contributor and former Homeland Security Adviser to George W. Bush Fran Townsend has more on these developments.
Romney facing criticism for discrepancies in Bain Capital record
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said today that Mitt Romney is so secretive about his finances that he would never make it through a Senate confirmation hearing.
The Obama campaign is driving that message home with full force, promoting a Boston Globe article that questions the timing of Romney's exit from his private equity firm Bain Capital. This is important because Romney said he is not responsible for any outsourcing or business failures after 1999, a claim that Democrats are eager to scrutinize.
Romney's camp has responded by saying the article is "not accurate." But should Americans be concerned about Mitt Romney's mysterious finances? John Avlon, Reihan Salam, and Jamal Simmons join the discussion.
What will it take to slow down the exploding deficit?
Today the treasury reported the government added another $60 billion to the deficit in June. The grand total on money we've borrowed so far this year? 904 billion dollars. But the real headline, the one that worries us the most, is that that number confirms we are on track to hit a $1 trillion deficit for the fourth year in a row.
Meanwhile, Congress seems more content to symbolically vote down the health care law for the 33rd time instead of working together to find a way to avoid America's fiscal cliff at the end of this year.
What's it going to take for everyone to wake up? Dan Gross, Yahoo! Finance editor and former Senior Editor at Newsweek, and economist Peter Morici come OutFront to try and figure it out.
