Danny Puff

LONDON (AP) Friends of popular British astronomer and broadcaster Patrick Moore say he has died at the age of 89.

A statement released Sunday said he died at his home in the coastal town of Selsey in southern England . No specific cause of death was given, but he had suffered from heart problems.

Moore was well known for his long-running BBC television show "The Sky at Night" which was credited for popularizing astronomy with generations of Britons. He had presented the show for more than half a century.

The statement says he was briefly hospitalized last week when it was determined no more treatment would help him and his wish to spend his final days at home were honored.

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WASHINGTON (AP) Gay marriage supporters see 41 reasons to fret over the Supreme Court 's decision to take up the case of California 's ban on same-sex unions.

While nine states allow same-sex partners to marry, or will soon, 41 states do not. Of those, 30 have written gay marriage bans into their state constitutions .

That fact is worrisome to those who firmly believe there is a constitutional right to marry, regardless of sexual orientation, but who also know that the Supreme Court does not often get too far ahead of the country on hot-button social issues.

"Mindful of history, I can't help but be concerned," said Mary Bonauto , director of the Civil Rights Project at Gay and Lesbian Advocates and Defenders and a leader in the state-by-state push for marriage equality.

Bonauto was speaking before the court decided on Friday to take up cases on California's constitutional ban on gay marriage and a federal law that denies to gay Americans who are legally married the favorable tax treatment and a range of health and pension benefits otherwise available to married couples.

In 2008, California voters approved the ban, Proposition 8, after the state Supreme Court ruled that gay Californians could marry. Since then, a federal appeals court struck down the constitutional provision, but did not authorize the resumption of same-sex marriages pending appeal.

Bonauto identified three earlier seminal rulings that once and for all outlawed state-backed discrimination, and observed that in each case the number of states that still had the discrimination on the books was far smaller.

Thirteen states still had laws against sodomy when the court said in 2003 that states have no right to intrude on the private, personal conduct of people, regardless of sexual orientation.

Interracial marriage still was illegal in 16 states in 1967 before the high court outlawed race-based state marriage bans.

In 1954, when the court issued its landmark decision in Brown v. Board of Education, 17 states had formally segregated school systems.

Cornell University law professor Michael Dorf said those cases illustrate a widespread misperception about the justices.

"There is a commonly held but inaccurate view that the Supreme Court does is to impose its views on the country. It very rarely does that. Much more frequently, it will take a view that is either a majority in some place or a majority of elite opinion, and speed up acceptance," said Dorf, who was a Supreme Court law clerk to Justice Anthony Kennedy.

The forces that mounted the legal challenge to Proposition 8 have said all along that the right to marry is so fundamental that it should not depend on success at the ballot box or the votes of state legislatures. Washington lawyer Theodore Olson, representing gay Californians who wish to marry, said he will argue that there is a "fundamental constitutional right to marry for all citizens."

But are there five justices, a majority of the court, willing to endorse that argument?

The fear among gay marriage proponents is that the court will refuse to declare that states can no longer define marriage as the union of a man and a woman, because to do so might provoke a backlash in public opinion and undermine acceptance of its authority.

A high court loss for gay marriage advocates would prevent same-sex marriages in the nation's largest state. It would not affect the District of Columbia and the nine states Connecticut, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Vermont and Washington where gay couples can or soon will be able to marry.

But it could push back the day that many in the gay rights movement, looking at strong support for gay marriage among younger Americans, see as inevitable: the Supreme Court's endorsement of full marriage equality nationwide.

Commenting after the court's action, Bonauto said she believes the court can uphold an appeals court ruling that struck down Proposition 8 in a way that applies to California only and "leave to a later day questions about broader bans on committed same-sex couples marrying."

Opponents of gay marriage look to another court case, Roe v. Wade, that they say should serve as a cautionary tale. In 1973, the court voted 7-2 to declare that the Constitution protects a woman's right to an abortion.

"Should the Supreme Court decide to overturn the marriage laws of 41 states, the ruling would become even more divisive than the court's infamous Roe v. Wade decision," said Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council. "Marriage, unlike abortion laws in the 1970s, has been incorporated into the state constitutions of 30 states. Voters in these states will not accept an activist court redefining our most fundamental social institution."

To a degree, Perkins and Bonauto get some support from one of the nine people with a say in the matter, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg .

In February, Ginsburg questioned the timing of the abortion decision and suggested it may have contributed to the ongoing bitter debate about abortion.

"It's not that the judgment was wrong, but it moved too far too fast," Ginsburg said at Columbia University.

At the time of Roe v. Wade, abortion was legal on request in four states, allowed under limited circumstances in about 16 others, and outlawed under nearly all circumstances in the other states, including Texas, where the Roe case originated.

The court could have put off dealing with abortion while the state-by-state process evolved, she said. Or her predecessors could have struck down just the Texas law, which allowed abortions only to save a mother's life, without declaring a right to privacy that legalized the procedure nationwide, Ginsburg said.

"The court made a decision that made every abortion law in the country invalid, even the most liberal," Ginsburg said. "We'll never know whether I'm right or wrong ... things might have turned out differently if the court had been more restrained."

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Follow Sherman on Twitter at www.twitter.com/shermancourt

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LONDON (AP) British police have contacted Australian authorities about a possible investigation into a radio station 's hoax call to a U.K. hospital, they said Sunday, as the company that owns the station promised it is reviewing its broadcast practices.

The prank took a dark twist Friday with the death of nurse Jacintha Saldanha , a 46-year-old mother of two, three days after she unwittingly accepted the call about the health of Prince William 's pregnant wife, Kate. The death has sparked an angry backlash from those who argue the DJs who carried out the hoax should be held responsible.

The board of Southern Cross Austereo met Sunday to discuss a harsh letter from the hospital that fell for the call. King Edward VII's Hospital, where the former Kate Middleton was being treated for acute morning sickness this week, condemned the "truly appalling" hoax and said the "longer term consequence has been reported around the world and is, frankly, tragic beyond words."

Max Moore-Wilton, the chairman of 2DayFM owner Southern Cross Austereo, said in a letter to the hospital's chairman Sunday that the company will cooperate with any investigation.

"I can assure you we are taking immediate action and reviewing the broadcast and processes involved," he said. "As we have said in our own statements on the matter, the outcome was unforeseeable and very regrettable."

The radio station callers impersonated Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Charles and received confidential details about the former Kate Middleton's medical information. The call was recorded and broadcast.

Police have not yet determined Saldanha's cause of death, but people from London to Sydney have been making the assumption she died because of stress from the call.

Both DJs involved apologized for the prank before Saldanha's death. Their show has been suspended indefinitely.

Australian police Sunday confirmed they had been contacted by London police and said they would cooperate.

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LONDON (Reuters) - Britain 's Prince William and his wife Catherine are expecting a baby, destined to be the country's future monarch, although the mother-to-be is in hospital with a type of very acute morning sickness that sometimes indicates twins.

"Their Royal Highnesses The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are very pleased to announce that The Duchess of Cambridge is expecting a baby," the prince's office said in a statement on Monday, adding that Queen Elizabeth and the royal family were delighted.

The couple, officially known as the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge , married in April last year, amid a global media frenzy and there has been much speculation, particularly in U.S. gossip magazines, about a possible pregnancy.

"It's only been a matter of time. Everyone has been waiting for Kate to announce that she was pregnant," Claudia Joseph, who has written a biography of the duchess, told Reuters.

A spokeswoman for the couple said 30-year-old Catherine, widely known as Kate, was in the King Edward VII Hospital in central London suffering from Hyperemesis Gravidarum, an acute morning sickness which causes severe nausea and vomiting and requires supplementary hydration and nutrients.

Professor Tim Draycott, a consultant obstetrician at the University of Bristol, said the condition was common in the early weeks of pregnancy but did not put the baby at any increased risk, although in extreme cases it can lead to the baby being born with a slightly low birth weight.

Draycott told Reuters it may also indicate more than one royal baby may be in the offing.

"Hyperemesis is slightly more common with twins," said Draycott, explaining that the condition affected around one in 100 to 200 pregnant women.

William, a Royal Air Force helicopter pilot, was at her side and she is likely to remain in hospital for several days. There was no detail about when the baby was due, although the prince's spokesman said she was less than 12 weeks pregnant.

"I'm delighted by the news that the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are expecting a baby," Prime Minister David Cameron said on his Twitter website. "They will make wonderful parents."

BABY WILL BE KING, OR QUEEN

William, Queen Elizabeth's 30-year-old grandson, is second in line to the British throne, and their first child will become the third in succession when he or she is born.

Last year Britain and other Commonwealth countries which have the queen as their monarch agreed to change the rules of royal succession so that males would no longer have precedence as heir, regardless of age.

The agreement also means an end to a ban on a future monarch marrying a Catholic, a stipulation dating back some 300 years.

Britain's royal family are currently riding the crest of popularity on the back of William and Kate 's wedding and the queen's diamond jubilee this year which has witnessed nationwide celebrations.

"It's something everyone can look forward to, just like their wedding brought the whole nation together," said Johanna Castle, 25, a sales assistant in an east London homewear and fashion store.

The young royal couple have become global stars after some two billion people tuned in to watch their glittering marriage ceremony and the sumptuous display of pageantry that accompanied it, and barely a day goes by without a picture of Catherine appearing in the pages of Britain 's royalty-obsessed newspapers.

The duchess, the first "commoner" to marry a prince in close proximity to the throne in more than 350 years, is now a fashion icon, with her attire scrutinized every time she steps out in public and followed by legions of women around the world.

U.S. President Barack Obama and his wife Michelle were one of the first to send congratulations, an indication of the young royals' popularity across the Atlantic.

"I know they both feel that having a child is one of the most wonderful parts of their lives. So I'm sure that will be the same for the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge ," said White House spokesman Jay Carney.

With their fame has come unwanted attention, and there was anger in Britain when topless photos of Kate relaxing on holiday were published in a French magazine in September.

The pictures rekindled memories of the media pursuit of William's mother, Princess Diana, who was killed in a car crash in Paris in 1997 while being chased by paparazzi.

"I will be very surprised if this isn't handled with the utmost tact and sensitivity," said media commentator Steve Hewlett. "Newspapers realize there's a huge amount of goodwill towards Will and Kate, and they take their cue from their readers."

"DADDY'S LITTLE CO-PILOT"

Kate made her last public appearance on Friday when she returned to her old school - a minor event that nonetheless generated live television coverage on news channels - when she looked healthy and joined in a game of hockey with pupils.

Earlier in the week William had hinted at a pregnancy during a visit to Cambridge in central England when they were given a home-made baby suit emblazoned with the words "Daddy's little co-pilot", a reference to William's job.

"When I gave it to him he said 'I'll keep that', and handed it to his aide," said Samantha Hill.

Joseph, author of "Kate: The Making of a Princess", said she believed the couple, who currently live in north Wales where the prince is based as a search and rescue pilot, had been waiting for the right moment to have a baby.

"My feeling has always been that they were not going to take the spotlight away from the queen in her Jubilee. But now 2013 is going to be William and Kate's year," she said, adding the couple would make wonderful parents.

"We have seen her with children and she is lovely with them, she's got the natural touch, and her parents run a party business and she has spent a lot of time with children," Joseph said. "(William) he has always talked about wanting children, so I am sure he is delighted."

(Additional reporting by Tim Castle, Peter Schwartzstein and Natalie Huet in London and Steve Holland in Washington; editing by Paul Casciato)

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NEW YORK (AP) It sure didn't feel like a farewell.

The Rolling Stones average age 68, if you're counting were in rollicking form as they rocked the Barclays Center in Brooklyn for 2 hours Saturday night, their first U.S. show on a mini-tour marking a mind-boggling 50 years as a rock band.

And though every time the Stones tour, the inevitable questions arise as to whether it's "The Last Time," to quote one of their songs, there was no sign that anything is ending.

"People say, why do you keep doing this?" mused Mick Jagger , the band's impossibly energetic frontman, before launching into "Brown Sugar." ''Why do you keep touring, coming back? The answer is, you're the reason we're doing this. Thank you for buying our records and coming to our shows for the last 50 years."

Jagger was in top form, with all of his usual swagger strutting, jogging, skipping and pumping his arms like a man half his age. And though he briefly donned a flamboyant feathered black cape for "Sympathy for the Devil" and later, some red-sequined tails, he was mostly content to prowl the stage in a tight black T-shirt and trousers.

The four grizzled rock icons Jagger, Keith Richards , Ronnie Wood and of course drummer Charlie Watts , were joined Saturday by singer Mary J. Blige, who sang a searing "Gimme Shelter" with Jagger, and the Texas blues guitarist Gary Parker Jr.

The band played a generous 23 songs, including two new ones, but mostly old favorites. The rousing encore included "Jumping Jack Flash," of course, but the final song was "Satisfaction." And though the song speaks of not getting any, the consensus of the packed 18,000-seat arena was that it was a hugely satisfying evening indeed.

"If you like the Stones , this was as good a show as you could have had," said one fan, Robert Nehring, 58, of Westfield, N.J.

The Brooklyn show followed two rapturously received shows in London late last month. The band also will play two shows in Newark, N.J., on Dec. 13 and 15. Before that, they will join a veritable who's who of British rock royalty and U.S. superstars at the blockbuster 12-12-12 Sandy benefit concert at Madison Square Garden. Also scheduled to perform: Paul McCartney, the Who, Eric Clapton , Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band , Alicia Keys, Kanye West, Eddie Vedder, Billy Joel, Roger Waters and Chris Martin.

In a flurry of anniversary activity, the band also released a hits compilation last month with two new songs, "Doom and Gloom" and "One More Shot," and HBO premiered a new documentary on their formative years, "Crossfire Hurricane."

The Stones formed in London in 1962 to play Chicago blues, led at the time by the late Brian Jones and pianist Ian Stewart, along with Jagger and Richards, who'd met on a train platform a year earlier. Bassist Bill Wyman and Watts were quick additions.

Wyman, who left the band in 1992, was a guest at the London shows last month, as was Mick Taylor, the celebrated former Stones guitarist who left in 1974 to be replaced by Wood, the newest Stone and the youngster at 65.

The inevitable questions have been swirling about the next step for the Stones: another huge global tour, on the scale of their last one, "A Bigger Bang," which earned more than $550 million between 2005 and 2007? Something a bit smaller? Or is this mini-tour, in the words of their new song, really "One Last Shot"?

The Stones won't say. But in an interview last month, they made clear they felt the 50th anniversary was something to be marked.

"I thought it would be kind of churlish not to do something," Jagger told The Associated Press. "Otherwise, the BBC would have done a rather dull film about the Rolling Stones ."

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Associated Press writer David Bauder contributed to this report.

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CAIRO (AP) A national dialogue committee said a referendum on a disputed draft constitution will be held on schedule, but President Mohammed Morsi has agreed to rescind the near-absolute power he had granted himself.

The statement came after a meeting that was boycotted by the main opposition leaders who are calling for the Dec. 15 vote to be canceled.

Morsi had called for the dialogue to try to defuse a spiraling crisis, but the decision appeared unlikely to appease the opposition since it recommends the referendum go ahead as scheduled. Morsi 's initial declaration was to be rendered ineffective anyway after the referendum.

Gamal Eid, a human rights lawyer, said the recommendations to rescind some powers were a "play on words" since Morsi had already achieved the desired aim of finalizing the draft constitution and protecting it from a judicial challenge.

The charter, which would enshrine Islamic law and was drafted despite a boycott by secular and Christian members of the assembly, is at the heart of a political crisis that began Nov. 22 when Morsi granted himself authority without judicial oversight .

Opposition activists are camping outside the presidential palace and are calling for more protests on Sunday.

Several rallies on both sides have drawn tens of thousands of people into the streets and sparked fierce bouts of street battles that have left at least six people dead. Several offices of the president's Muslim Brotherhood also have been torched in the unrest.

Selim al-Awa, an Islamist at the meeting, said the committee found it would be a violation of earlier decisions to change the date of the referendum.

However, the committee recommended removing articles that granted Morsi powers to declare emergency laws and shield him from judicial oversight.

Members of the committee said Morsi had agreed to the recommendations, but there was no confirmation from the Islamist leader.

Bassem Sabry, a writer and activist, called the changes a "stunt" that would embarrass the opposition by making it look like Morsi was willing to compromise but not solve the problem.

"In the end, Morsi got everything he wanted," he said, pointing out the referendum would be held without the consensus Morsi had promised to seek and without giving people sufficient time to study the document.

The majority of the 54 members of the committee were Islamists, as well as members of the constitutional panel that drafted the disputed charter. But the main opponents were not present at the meeting, which lasted over 10 hours.

The panel also said that if the constitution is rejected by voters, Morsi will call for the election of a new drafting committee within three months, a prospect that would prolong the transition.

Opponents say the draft constitution disregards the rights of women and Christians.

The president has insisted his decrees were meant to protect the country's transition to democracy from former regime figures trying to derail it.

The deepening political rift in Egypt had triggered an earlier warning Saturday from the military of "disastrous consequences" if the constitutional crisis isn't resolved through dialogue.

It was the first political statement by the military since the newly elected Morsi sidelined it from political life.

Weeks after he was sworn in, Morsi ordered its two top generals to retire, and gave himself legislative powers that the military had assumed in the absence of parliament, which had been dissolved by the courts.

The military said serious dialogue is the "best and only" way to overcome the conflict, which has left the country deeply divided between Islamist supporters of the president and his mostly secular opponents.

"Anything other than (dialogue) will force us into a dark tunnel with disastrous consequences, something which we won't allow," the military said in a statement broadcast on state TV and attributed to an unnamed military official.

Heightening the tension, Hazem Abu Ismail, the leader of group of radical Islamists staging a sit-in outside a media complex on the outskirts of Cairo, gave a thinly veiled threat of more violence, saying the protest outside the presidential palace was an "affront" to the president and will not be tolerated.

Earlier this week, the area around the palace was the scene of the worst civilian clashes since Morsi came to power.

In an attempt to calm the situation, Morsi called for Saturday's dialogue. But the main opposition leaders refused to attend, saying it didn't address their main demands and was being held under the threat of violence against protesters.

"No reasonable person would agree to be part of a dialogue held at the point of a sword," the National Salvation Front said in a statement.

The crisis began Nov. 22 when Morsi granted himself authority free of judicial oversight, mainly because he feared a looming court decision that was expected to declare the Islamist-led constitutional drafting assembly illegal and order it disbanded. The assembly then quickly adopted a draft constitution despite a walkout by Christian and secular members.

The moves touched off a new wave of opposition and unprecedented clashes between the president's Islamist supporters, led by the Muslim Brotherhood , and protesters accusing him of becoming a new strongman.

With the specter of more fighting among Egyptians looming, the military sealed off the presidential palace plaza with tanks and barbed wire.

State media also reported that the government was working on a new law to allow the military to arrest civilians, but there was no official word on that either.

The state-owned Al-Ahram newspaper quoted an unnamed military official as saying the move would be "preventive" if the situation worsened.

The report could not be independently confirmed and the law would have to be signed by Morsi before it takes effect.

At the presidential palace sit-in on Saturday, TV footage showed the military setting up a new wall of cement blocks around the palace.

Muslim Brotherhood spokesman Mahmoud Ghozlan accused the opposition of seeking the military's return to politics by "pushing matters to the brink."

He said the military statement showed it agrees on the legitimacy of the elected president, the referendum plans and state institutions, and will protect them from any "attack."

The group's top leader Mohammed Badie and his powerful deputy Khairat el-Shater, meanwhile, held news conferences alleging a conspiracy to topple Morsi, although they presented little proof.

Badie said the opposition, which has accused his group of violence, is responsible for attacks on Muslim Brotherhood offices. He also claimed that most of those killed in last week's violence at the palace and other governorates were Brotherhood members.

"These are crimes, not opposition or disagreement in opinion," he said.

Meanwhile, the opposition accused gangs organized by the Brotherhood and other Islamists of attacking its protesters, calling on Morsi to disband them and open an investigation into the bloodshed.

Meanwhile, with dialogue boycotted by the main opposition players, members of a so-called Alliance of Islamists forces warned it will take all measures to protect "legitimacy" and the president comments that signal further violence may lie ahead.

Mostafa el-Naggar, a former lawmaker and protest leader during the uprising that led to Mubarak's ouster in February 2011, said the Brotherhood and military statements suggested the crisis was far from over.

"As it stands, Egypt is captive to internal decisions of the Brotherhood," he said.

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Cowboys nose tackle Josh Brent was arrested on Saturday morning (Getty Images)

According to the Dallas Morning News, Dallas Cowboys nose tackle Joshua Brent has been arrested and charged with intoxicated vehicular manslaughter by the Irving Police Department following an accident on East State Highway 114 early Saturday morning that claimed the life of Cowboys practice squad linebacker Jerry Brown .

Brent and Brown were teammates at the University of Illinois.

According to the report, Brent was traveling at a high rate of speed when his vehicle "hit the outside curb", causing it to flip over and come to rest in the middle of the road. Brent was given a field sobriety test, which he failed, and had blood drawn at a local hospital before booked on the second-degree felony by the Irving PD. Tim MacMahon of ESPN.com reported that Brent was trying to drag Brown from the burning car when the police arrived on scene.

Brown was transported to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Sadly, this isn't the first time Brent has run afoul of the law in this kind of circumstance. The Associated Press reports that Brent was arrested in February of 2009 near the Illinois campus for driving under the influence, driving on a suspended license and speeding. Nobody was hurt in that case. Brent was also sentenced to two years probation, 200 hours of community service, and a fine of about $2,000. Per his plea deal, prosecutors dropped the aggravated DUI/no valid driver's license charge.

According to the AP, court records show that Brent completed his probation in July, 2011.

The Cowboys have issued the following statement ( via ESPN Dallas ):

"We are deeply saddened by the news of this accident and the passing of Jerry Brown," Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said. "At this time, our hearts and prayers and deepest sympathies are with the members of Jerry's family and all of those who knew him and loved him."

Brown, 25, went undrafted in 2011 and began his professional career in the arena league before playing for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the Canadian Football League. Brown went to training camp in 2012 with the Indianapolis Colts and posted 10 tackles before he was waived and re-signed to the practice squad. Brown appeared in one game for the Colts, logging 11 special teams plays in a 35-9 loss to the New York Jets.

The Colts would waive Brown the following week and re-sign him to their practice squad. One week later, Brown's practice squad was terminated and he was signed by the Cowboys.

Colts general manager Ryan Grigson also issued a statement:

"On behalf of the entire Colts family, our sincerest condolences go out to Jerry's family and friends. He was a good teammate that was well liked by all. Today's tragic news is just another reminder of how fragile life is and how every day given is a gift."

Brent entered the NFL in 2010 when the Cowboys selected him in the seventh round of the 2010 Supplemental Draft. Brent served time in jail for misdemeanor DUI while a student-athlete at Illinois.

The 6-foot-2, 320-pound nose tackle totaled 16 tackles while playing in just under 25 percent of the Cowboys' defensive snaps in 2010, but was limited to 11 games and 13 percent of the defensive snaps in 2011. With starting nose tackle Jay Ratliff battling injuries throughout the season, Brent has started five of 12 games and played in over 41 percent of the Cowboys' defensive snaps, setting career-highs with 22 tackles and 1.5 sacks.

In an unrelated transaction, the Cowboys added defensive tackle Rob Callaway to the 53-man roster, placing cornerback Orlando Scandrick on injured reserve.

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PHILADELPHIA (Reuters) - Imprisoned serial child sex offender Jerry Sandusky lives under tight restrictions for his own safety, a corrections official said on Saturday, after the former Penn State football coach asked for more prison privileges.

"He is being housed in the appropriate facility in order to assure his safety," said Susan McNaughton, press secretary for the Pennsylvania state Department of Corrections.

She responded to questions from Reuters after one of Sandusky's lawyers complained that his client was confined to his cell 23 hours a day.

"He's being treated like the worst of the worst in the state prison system in terms of his daily routine," attorney Karl Rominger said on Saturday.

He said Sandusky is treated like extremely violent offenders, or those on death row.

Sandusky, 68, Penn State's former defensive coordinator, was convicted in June of 45 counts of sexually abusing 10 boys over 15 years, some in the football team's showers. He was sentenced to 30 to 60 years in prison.

The scandal sparked a national debate over child sex abuse, embarrassed the university and implicated a number of its top officials including legendary football head coach, the late Joe Paterno.

There has been speculation that Sandusky would be threatened by other inmates in prison if he was given more privileges.

Rominger said he visited Sandusky Friday and found that he has bounced back emotionally from the trial and sentencing.

"This is the strongest, sharpest I've seen him since the trial," Rominger said.

"He has books and material to read to study for the case, to do some legal research, and can do some writing. I think it's really helped his spirits."

Sandusky, who has maintained his innocence, is in a 1,800-inmate maximum security prison that serves as death row for the state.

"If he was any other sex offender besides Jerry Sandusky he would have a job, he would be out of his cell six hours a day plus, he would have access to a pay phone at all times, he would be able to interact freely with other people during recreation time, he would be able to go to bed check and showers," Rominger said.

"He's not being treated like every other sex offender in Pennsylvania, and the security issues have nothing to do with his crimes, and everything to do with the publicity around him and his crimes," he said.

Rominger said he will ask prison officials to increase Sandusky's telephone privileges from two calls per month to two personal calls, and 10 calls to his legal team to prepare for future legal proceedings.

Rominger said he would like to see Sandusky transferred to a less restrictive prison that houses inmates who are less violent.

McNaughton said Sandusky has a television in his cell, which is unusual for new inmates. Prison officials regularly review the situation of inmates, she said.

"He needs to be patient and let the process work," McNaughton said.

(Editing by Greg McCune and Bill Trott)

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NEW YORK (AP) The Lenox Lounge, a cabaret in New York City's Harlem neighborhood with a supercool, Art Deco style that made it a favorite of jazz greats like Billie Holiday, Miles Davis and John Coltrane, is closing its doors on New Year's Eve.

Longtime owner Alvin Reed says that with rents rising, he can no longer afford the lease on the jazz landmark. It opened in 1942.

He says the landlord wanted $20,000 per month.

The space is set to be taken over in the new year by Richard Notar, a managing partner at Nobu Restaurants.

Notar tells The New York Times (http://nyti.ms/UMwETJ ) he hopes to keep the bar as "an old watering hole" with live music, but he hasn't worked out a deal with Reed yet to use the Lenox Lounge name.

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LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Playboy founder Hugh Hefner is headed to the altar again - with the blonde Playmate who ditched him five days before their planned wedding in 2011.

Hefner, 86, and his former "runaway bride" Crystal Harris, 26, obtained a marriage license in Beverly Hills on Tuesday, Los Angeles County Recorder spokeswoman Elizabeth Knox said.

Celebrity website TMZ.com said the couple, who reunited earlier this year, are planning a New Year's Eve wedding.

Harris was Playboy magazine's Miss December 2009 and appeared on the July 2011 cover of the adult magazine with a "runaway bride" sticker covering her bottom half.

In what was described at the time only as a "change of heart," Harris dumped the magazine mogul and left his Playboy Mansion five days before a lavish June 2011 wedding before 300 guests.

This time around, the couple are playing it low-key, staying mum on their busy Twitter accounts with Hefner's spokeswoman declining to confirm or deny their plans.

Hefner, founder of the Playboy adult entertainment empire, has been married twice before. He and his second wife Kimberley Conrad, also a former Playmate, divorced in 2010 after a lengthy separation. His first marriage to Mildred Williams ended in divorce in 1959. He has two children from each marriage.

(Reporting By Jill Serjeant)

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