Hello Friend: Amid dozens of accusations by women who say he drugged and raped them, for the first time yesterday comedian Bill Cosby was charged with sexual assault based on a woman’s accusation that he drugged and assaulted her in his Pennsylvania home back in 2004. Cosby, 78, pleaded not guilty yesterday to aggravated indecent assault, a felony.

The accusation was dismissed at the time, but testimony in a civil suit unsealed in July provided new evidence.
Cosby’s accuser Andrea Constand, who worked for nearby Temple University, said she rebuffed two sexual advances before Cosby urged her to take some pills and drink wine until she was incapacitated. Cosby has previously testified that although he gave her some pills, they had consensual sexual contact.
Cosby later apologized for the incident and offered Constand money, but the criminal complaint says, ““Investigators recognize that individuals who are falsely accused of sexual assault generally do not unilaterally offer generous financial assistance, and apologies, to their accuser and their accuser’s family.”

Montgomery County’s district attorney-elect Kevin Steele decided to move against Cosby. “The evidence is strong and sufficient to proceed,” Steele said. “A person in that state cannot give consent.”
Nation: Tonya Couch, the mother of “affluenza” teenager Ethan Couch, has been returned to the US through Los Angeles, escorted by US Marshals. Her son is still in Mexico, fighting extradition. Couch killed four people in a drunk driving accident when he was 16. He and his mother were located in a Puerto Vallarta condominium after one of them used their cellphone to order pizza.
Weather Report: A major highway south of St. Louis was closed early this morning amid what is shaping up to be historic flooding. Interstate 55 was overrun by water from the Meramac River. Residents have been evacuated in Missouri and Illinois as boats have been used to ferry people from flooded homes.
China Syndrome: China is planning a new aircraft carrier as it works to build up its navy and project power at sea. The country now has just one small aircraft carrier it bought from Ukraine in 1998. The Pentagon believes China could build several aircraft carriers over the next 15 years.
Crime Blotter: New Knicks forward Cleanthony Early was robbed at gunpoint and shot in the early hours yesterday after he left an upscale Queens strip club in an Uber car. According to reports the car in which the 24-year-old Early was riding was suddenly surrounded by other cars and forced to the side. A man with a gun relieved Early of several gold chains and then shot him in the leg.
New York seems to have a problem with targeted robberies originating in the pickup world of nightclubs and strip joints. Some women have returned to the hotels and homes of rich party boys, drugging them, and stealing expensive watches and jewelry. The NY Post reports that at least 31 Rolexes have been stolen by women who met men in bars and clubs.
The victims included a Beverly Hills watch dealer who lost a $590,000 wristwatch, which was not as bad as having to explain it to his wife.
Goodbye 2015: We’d like to thank just a few of the people and stories that made it a great year in the news, and a good year for The Rooney Report:
Donald Trump, The Kardashians, Woodrow Wilson, Frankenfish, Caitlyn Jenner, Charlie Sheen, Brian Williams, Ben Carson, Jeb!, Volkswagen, Kim Davis, The Clock Boy, Jon Snow, Iggy Azalea, Ashley Madison, Josh Duggar, Marti Johnson, Vegemite, Bill Cosby, Fried Snickers, Sheila Culbert, The Milwaukee Lion, Luther the Anger Translator, Cecil the Lion, Alexis Tsipras, Sepp Blatter, Dennis Hastert, Tom Brady, George Zimmerman, Martin Shkreli. And did we mention Donald Trump?  Donald, you’ve made us forget we ever had Anthony Wiener.

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