The LuLac Edition #3280, August 17th, 2016

WOLF NAMES BEEMER: QUICK

Designated AG nominee Bruce Beemer and his old boss, Kathleen Kane (Photo: Philly.com)

Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf nominated Kathleen Kane's former top deputy to step in as attorney general for the remaining months of her term. Wolf announced today he has named Bruce Beemer for the AG job. Beemer must still get the approval of two-thirds of the Senate. Until then, former Montgomery County district attorney Bruce Castor will serve as acting DA..
Personally I’m relieved that Castor is out of the mix. Castor was the District Attorney that was involved in the Bill Cosby case. More than ten years ago, Kastor did not charge the entertainer with sex assault, and then said the decision was binding when called to the witness stand this year by Cosby's lawyers. Even though Castor has the resume, his staying on, even until the election would be a huge distraction in an office that has been full of them since 2013.
Beemer was formerly an Adjunct Professor at the University of Pittsburgh’s School of Law from 2005 to 2011 where he taught trial advocacy to third year law students. He also served as a Board Member for the Center for Victims of Violent Crime before he was appointed as Chief of Staff for the office of Attorney General under former Attorney General Linda Kelly in 2013.
Beemer is a University of Scranton alumnus. He also studied post-grad at University of Pittsburgh School of Law.

TRUMP DOESN’T TRUST THE SECURITY BRIEFING

Donald Trump offered a blunt explanation for why he wants retired Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn at his side as he gets his first classified briefing at FBI headquarters on Wednesday — he doesn't trust intelligence information coming from those currently in charge.
As a Presidential candidate Trump gets them. These briefings are what leaders in the government see. Ironically Trump is insulting the intelligence gatherers of the nation. They DON’T make policy.
And then former Mayor Rudy Giuliani says this, "He should take Gen. Flynn with him to be able to ask critical questions. This is the art of being a good executive," Giuliani explained.
Translation: my guys an idiot.

THEN THERE’S THIS GUY 'SEZ WHO???? 'SEZ ME!!!!

So then there’s this official of the Trump campaign Steve Cohen, who had no working knowledge of how the polls were going. Watch this:

THE REAL STORY BEHIND THE AETNA PULL OUT

Aetna CEO Mark Bertolini (Photo: NPR)

First off, I had Aetna Insurance in one of my jobs and it wasn’t great. But in the next few days you’ll be hearing about how the Affordable Care Act is going to collapse because the Insurance Company pulled out of the exchange. But here’s what really happened.
In July Aetna CEO Mark Bertolini wrote a letter to the Justice Department in response to a Department of Justice request for information about how a decision on the Humana deal would affect Aetna's participation in the health insurance exchanges created by the Affordable Care Act.
At this time the administration was just trying to make a decision. The letter said this, If the government moved to block the merger, then Aetna would begin to pull out of the health insurance exchanges. Some people said it was more of threat.
A little more than two weeks later, on July 21, the Justice Department said it would sue to block the Aetna-Humana deal and the other proposed megamerger between Anthem and Cigna.
On Tuesday, Aetna said it would dramatically scale back its participation on the insurance exchanges in 2017. The company move would take it out of 546 counties in 11 states, leaving it active in 242 counties in four states: Delaware, Iowa, Nebraska and Virginia.
Ironically Bertolini was praising the business potential of the exchanges as back in April, when he said during a call with analysts and investors that the exchanges were "a good investment," despite the losses incurred.
What changed? The company didn’t get it way and cut back because it was now all of a sudden bad business. The one failing of the Obama administration on the ACA is that they didn’t go for the public option when they had the chance.
This proves it.

CHRIS CHRISTIE AND TRUMP’S CASINO DEBT??

Donald Trump and Chris Christie on the trail. (Photo: CNN)

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie denied knowledge Wednesday of a reported settlement that reduced the amount of debt owed by Donald Trump’s casinos by roughly $25 million.
The New York Times reported earlier Wednesday on the settlement, the product of a long-running legal battle involving the state of New Jersey and Trump’s Atlantic City casinos.
According to the article, the state fought in court to collect overdue taxes, which had grown to nearly $30 million – but after Christie, a Republican and Trump ally, took office, the state in 2011 accepted a $5 million settlement.
Christie spokesman Brian Murray said in a statement Wednesday, though, that Christie was not involved in the settlement, which was handled by the state Department of Treasury and Office of the Attorney General.
The Trump people had no comment.

PA GOP STATEMENT ON ATTORNEY GENERAL KATHLEEN KANE’S RESIGNATION

Republican Party of Pennsylvania Chairman Rob Gleason released the following statement regarding Attorney General Kathleen Kane’s resignation.
“Tomorrow, Pennsylvania can finally begin to move forward from this shameful chapter in its history,” Gleason said. “If the saga of the past two years has taught us anything, it’s the need to elect an Attorney General who will make serving their constituents their top priority. Republicans are proud to have John Rafferty as our Attorney General candidate, and we look forward to helping him win this November.”
Meanwhile, just where the hell is Democrat Josh Shapiro hiding these days???

KELLY CONWAY AND DON LEMON GO AT IT

Don Lemon of CNN and the new campaign manager of the Trump campaign Kelly Conway sparred Tuesda night on CNN. This was worth seeing since Conway seemed to have received a pass on the weekend Michael Smerconish show. The host’s ear piece went out and he could not hear what she was saying as she pretty much filibustered the debate. On his radio show Smerconish took credit for her new job saying the Trump people must have seen her performance. Ah live TV. Here’s what went on:

CARTWRIGHT FUNDRAISER

GOP SUMMER PICNIC EVENT THIS SUNDAY

The Luzerne County GOP picnic is this Sunday, August 21 from 1-3 PM at Tony Attardo Memorial Park, 79 Bryden St. Pittston Twp. Chairman Ron Ferrance made the announcement. There will be news about the new GOP headquarters as well. This is a really nice time and a very good event to end the summer. Check it out.

MEDIA MATTERS

FLORENCE FOSTER JENKINS IN TOWN, ON FILM!!!

Kathleen Smith and Councilman Tony Brooks. (Photo: LuLac archives)

From Wilkes Barre Council member Tony Brooks’ Facebook page, Florence Foster Jenkins is now opening in Wilkes-Barre on August 26th. Special thanks to Kathleen Smith of the Shawnee Fort Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution for arranging this at Movies 14. FFJ was also a member of the DAR and there will be a special ceremony honoring her at Hollenback Cemetery on Saturday, September 10th at 11:00 am.
Meryl Streep has been invited to visit her mausoleum (keep your fingers crossed).
Smith has been relentless the last few days calling the movie chain’s headquarters and “educating” them on the local connection. The theatre person she spoke to was unaware, as well as the movie promotion people that there was a connection. Kudos to my buddy Kathleen.

ECTV

Luzerne County Community College is about to open a branch campus in the Marketplace at Steamtown (formally the Mall at Steamtown) and College President Tom Leary will outline the plans on ECTV Live during the week of August 22nd.

 ECTV Live is hosted by David DeCosmo with co-host Rusty Fender and is seen on Comcast channel 19 (61 in some areas). The Public Affairs >program is scheduled to run at Noon, 6pm, and Midnight every day throughout the week of the 22nd.

BOLD GOLD COMMUNITY FORUM

This week's guest is Dunmore School Superintendent John Marichak. You'll hear the program Sunday morning at 6 on 94.3 The Talker; 6:30 on NEPA Sports Radio-The Game 1400/1440 am and 106.7 fm; and at 7:30 on 105 The River.

SUNDAY MAGAZINE

This Week on Sunday Magazine

Magic 93's Frankie in the Morning speaks with Bob Chepalonis from Martz about the Wyoming Area Catholic Golf Tournament, coming up on Sunday September 11th.
Magic 93's Joe Rae speaks with Indy Car legend Mario Andretti ahead of Sunday's ABC Supply 500 Indy Car Race at Pocono Raceway.
And highlight's from Monday's Hillary Clinton & Vice President Joe Biden's joint campaign appearance at the Riverfront Sports Center in Scranton.

SUE HENRY’S SPECIAL EDITION

Tune in to Sue Henry's "Special Edition" this week as Sue recaps the week's news. . The show will run Saturday at 2 p.m. and Sunday at 1 p.m. on WILK, and on KRZ, Froggy and Max 102 early Sunday morning.

BUDDY RUMCHEK

Want to hear some great parodies on the news? Tune in to WILK Radio at 6:40 and 8:40 AM on Mondays. As Ralph Cramden used to say, “It’s a laugh riot!”

KAREL ON THE STREET

Tune in Wednesdays on WILK Radio for Karel on the Street. Hear some of the funniest and heartwarming comments on the issues of the day on Webster and Nancy with Karel Zubris.

BOBBY V’S DOO WOP SOCK HOP!!!!!

The Doo-Wop Sock Hop can be heard every Sunday night from 6P to 9P on “105 The River (104.9 FM) Host is the incomparable Bobby V. www.105theriver.net www.doowopsockhop.net.

1971

Our 1971 logo.

India signs a 20-year treaty of friendship and cooperation with the Soviet Union…….. Construction begins on the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans……British troops are stationed on the Ireland border to stop arms smuggling…..in Pennsylvania Pirates Manager Danny Murtaugh says his team is one of the most mixed of nationalities (they call that diversity today) in baseball history….in Scranton the team of Melody and Zipay embark on a door to door effort to shore up support for another term and 45 ears ago this week the number one song in America an LuLac land was the very first hit by the Chicago Transit Authority, later known as Chicago called “Beginnings”.