Occupy Wall Street Protesters Regroup for Next Move

New York City's Zuccotti Park after it was cleared early Tuesday morning. ABC News(NEW YORK) -- The Occupy Wall Street protests seem to have entered a new phase as officials in several cities moved to curtail the "occupy" part of the movement with bans on overnight camping in the wake of reports of rapes, drug use, and even murders at protests sites in cities across the country.

In New York City, the Occupy Wall Street headquarters at Zuccotti Park thinned considerably Tuesday night after a judge ruled that the ejected protesters could return but without their camping equipment and tarps. Police even stopped people from bringing blankets into the lower Manhattan park.

Oakland and Berkeley, Calif., officials have enforced similar bans on overnight stays in Occupy-favored spots.

The movement's leaders have defiantly said they are strategizing their next move.

"This is going to make us stronger.  We're going to regroup," said Pete Dutro, a member of the Occupy Wall Street (OWS) finance committee.

Dutro and other active members have said they are not deterred by the eviction early Tuesday morning.

"We're not going anywhere.  They just made this worse," he threatened.  "This is just a symbolic center, as is Oakland.  Each time they do these things, it localizes the movement more.  If they had half a brain they would have let us stay here."

Dutro said he and others in the movement were "negotiating for other spaces."

For those not taking part in the protests, however, the evictions are being met with relief. "99% Clean," boasted today's New York Post headline accompanying a picture of a finally cleaned Zuccotti Park. Some New Yorkers were high fiving cops who cleared out the protesters yesterday, and earlier this week, local business owners staged a counter protest, claiming the filth and crowds brought about by the protest was hurting the business' bottom lines.

Copyright 2011 ABC News Radio

Victim’s Mom Responds to Sandusky's Claims of Just 'Horsing Around'

ABC News(NEW YORK) -- In an exclusive interview with ABC News, the mother of the victim that set off the investigation into Jerry Sandusky’s alleged child sexual assault has said that she is disgusted and outraged by the former Penn State coach’s claims that he was merely “horsing around” with the boys.

The boy’s mother, who explained how she learned about her son’s alleged assaults at the hands of Sandusky in an interview last week with ABC's Good Morning America, said that the former coach coming forward to brush off the alleged child rapes will not help his case.

“It sickened me, that he would be on TV, trying to downplay his charges.  And I think it made him look more guilty,” the victim’s mother said.

Sandusky surprised many Monday night when he phoned in to an exclusive interview with NBC’s Bob Costas.  In the interview, he denied all of the 40 charges of child sexual assault that have been leveled against him, and said that he is not sexually attracted to young boys.

“I could say that I have done some of those things,” Sandusky said.  “I have horsed around with kids.  I have showered after workouts.  I have hugged them and I have touched their legs without intent of sexual contact."

“Am I sexually attracted to underage boys?  Sexually attracted, no -- I enjoy young people, I love to be around them … but no, I am not sexually attracted to young boys,” Sandusky replied to Costas.

The mother of the boy, who is referred to as Victim 1 in the grand jury presentment of the case against Sandusky, said that there is no way what went on between her son and Sandusky was just horseplay.

"No.  No, it's not games.  It's a planned out strategy to groom children to molest," she said.  "He definitely shouldn't have showered with those kids.  It was sickening, I mean I don't know anybody -- anybody -- who when somebody's like 50, would get in a shower naked with a 10-year-old."

Copyright 2011 ABC News Radio

Casey Anthony Case to Become Movie

Red Huber-Pool/Getty Images(ORLANDO, Fla.) -- The book by one of the attorneys who prosecuted Casey Anthony is now in the works to be adapted into a TV movie.

The movie will be based on the new book Imperfect Justice, Prosecuting Casey Anthony by retired Florida prosecutor Jeff Ashton, according to Fox Television Studios spokeswoman Leslie Oren, who said that the studio has optioned the book.

Oren said that the film is being developed for the Lifetime cable network, but is in its early stages.  Lifetime has yet to give the green light to the project.

Ashton spent three years preparing for the prosecution of 25-year-old Anthony, who was accused of killing her two-year-old daughter Caylee in 2008.  The prosecution asked for the death penalty in the case, but Anthony was eventually acquitted of the murder charge.

In the book, Ashton gives insider information into the investigation, the criminal trial and eventual not guilty verdict that captured the attention of the nation.  The prosecutor feels that Anthony got away with murder, according to People magazine, and in the book takes jabs at Anthony’s defense attorneys and jurors.

“I have seen my share of liars, but never one quite like this,” Ashton writes in the book, according to the Orlando Sentinel.

Copyright 2011 ABC News Radio

Gabrielle Giffords: ‘I Want to Get Back to Work’

ABC/Ida Mae Astute(TUCSON, Ariz.) -- In new audio message posted to her Facebook page, Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, who was shot in the head on Jan. 8 at a Tucson shopping center, told her constituents on Tuesday, “I want to get back to work.”

“Hello this is Gabby Giffords,” the audio recording begins.  “I miss you, I miss Tucson, the mountains, blue skies, even the heat.”

Giffords, D-Ariz., who was featured in an exclusive report detailing her recovery on ABC News’ 20/20, says, “I’m getting stronger.  I’m getting better.”

In the message, the three-term Congresswoman refers to the other victims in the shooting and pledges to improve her language skills to better express her feelings about the event.

“It has been a hard year -- for all of us.  Thinking of that day makes me sad.  Six people died.  Six innocent people.  So many people hurt,” Giffords says.  “There is lot to say.  I will speak better.”

Since the shooting, Giffords has returned to Congress just once to vote in favor of the deal to increase the debt limit on Aug. 2.

Near the end of her message, Giffords reveals that she wants to return to Congress and says that her staff has kept her informed on her constituents’ behalf.

“I want to get back to work.  Representing Arizona is my honor,” she says.  “I miss you, I miss home.  I will see you real soon.”

Copyright 2011 ABC News Radio

Poll: One in Four US Women Reports Workplace Harassment

Fuse/Thinkstock(NEW YORK) -- One in four American women has experienced workplace sexual harassment, according to a new ABC News/Washington Post poll.

One in 10 men say they’ve experienced it as well, and a quarter of men say they worry about being falsely accused of sexual harassment.

With harassment allegations against Republican presidential candidate Herman Cain dominating the headlines, this survey, produced for ABC by Langer Research Associates, shows the extent to which the subject resonates in the personal experiences and concerns of many Americans.

Overall, 64 percent see sexual harassment as a problem in this country, soaring to 88 percent of women who’ve been harassed.  Still, the overall number is far below its peak -- 85 percent -- in late 1992.  That was a year after the confirmation hearings of Supreme Court nominee Clarence Thomas, who was accused of harassment by former co-worker Anita Hill, and during the sexual misconduct scandal that forced then Sen. Bob Packwood, R-Ore., from office.

Experience of harassment is also down from its peak, from 32 percent of women in surveys in late 1992 and mid-1994 to 24 percent now.  Additionally, among women who’ve been sexually harassed, somewhat more now say they reported it to their employer -- 41 percent, compared with 33 percent in 1994.

Further, the number of men who worry about being falsely accused has eased a bit from 31 percent in 1994 to 25 percent now.  And fewer men think they’ve said or done things that might be construed as workplace sexual harassment -- 10 percent now vs. 25 percent in 1994.

Copyright 2011 ABC News Radio

Traveling This Holiday Season? TSA Offers Tips for an Easier, Safer Trip

Digital Vision/Thinkstock(WASHINGTON) -- With the holiday season about to kick into full gear, millions of people will soon be flocking to airports, which can lead to a rather hectic experience for travelers.

John Pistole, the administrator of the Travel Security Administration (TSA) is offering passengers tips that will hopefully make their travels a lot easier and safer for the holidays.

“Obviously we’re expecting a large number of people traveling over the holiday season, [with] Thanksgiving coming up, we’re expecting perhaps as many as 3 percent more people traveling than last year,” he said.

People traveling this year can anticipate a few changes while going through security lines, especially while traveling with children.

“Children 12 and under will be allowed to keep their shoes on generally, we’ll still do random and unpredictable [checks] in case there’s something suspicious, but that addresses a lot of the hassle factor if you will, the inconvenience especially with small children if they have tie shoes and things like that,” Pistole said.

The other change is the “privacy filters,” which are simply the generic outline of a person going through the imaging machine.  Currently, the TSA has the privacy software upgrades on the Millimeterwave technology, which is used in more than half of the estimated 500 Advanced Imaging Technology (AIT) machines in place at airports.  TSA officials say they will begin testing the privacy software on AIT Backscatter systems later this year.

Privacy however, still remains a concern for many passengers dealing with security at airports.  TSA is working on better technology so passengers can keep their shoes and jackets on, and that showing “too much” in these body imaging machines will one day no longer be an issue.

Already, the TSA Pre-Check “Trusted Traveler” Program is currently being implemented in four airports.  Passengers who have voluntarily given out their information in Detroit, Dallas-Ft. Worth, Miami, and Atlanta airports no longer have to take off their shoes, jackets and belts.

“The more we know about people who are traveling, the better judgments and decisions we can make,” Pistole said.

And if you're traveling with gifts, leave the expensive gift wrap at home.

“There’s not too many ways of resolving [it] other than opening up the package, so for example last weekend, we found two Christmas packages, wrapped packages, one had probably 50 pounds of marijuana in it,” Pistole said.

Copyright 2011 ABC News Radio

DC Shooting Suspect Could Be Threat to Obama, Police Say

Glowimages/Getty Images(WASHINGTON) – Authorities are increasingly concerned that a man sought in connection with a shooting incident near the White House last week could pose a threat to President Obama, ABC News has learned.

The Secret Service now suspects that bullets fired in this incident may have hit the White House after one round was found Tuesday in a window and another in the building's exterior. The rounds have not yet been conclusively linked to the incident.

Police believe that the suspect, Oscar Ramiro Ortega, of Idaho, is mentally ill. Ortega has an extensive record, ranging from domestic violence to drug charges. Sources say a police investigation has uncovered evidence suggesting that Ortega has a fixation on the White House.

At 9:30 p.m. Friday, police received reports of shots fired in the bustling area of 16th Street and Constitution Avenue.

Authorities would later find a car in the area. The suspect had fled, but what police discovered inside the vehicle left them deeply concerned: an assault-style rifle and empty shell casings.

Police linked the car to Ortega and have been hunting him ever since.

It’s unclear whether Ortega is capable of launching a sophisticated attack, but police are still fearful of what he might do next.

Authorities suspect Ortega has been in the area for weeks, coming back and forth to the Washington Mall.  Before the shooting, he was detained by local police at an abandoned house. U.S. Park Police say Ortega may have spent time blending in with Occupy D.C. protesters.

President Obama, who is currently on a visit to Australia, was not present at the White House at the time of the incident, and has been out of town for the past week. Secret Service officials are not taking any chances with the security of the president and the White House, though, and want Ortega off the street.

Copyright 2011 ABC News Radio

Did Penn State Ignore Other Sexual Abuse Claims?

Paul McLaughlin, who is now in his mid-40s, told ABC News that now-retired Penn State professor John "Jack" Neisworth sexually abused him in the late 1970s to early '80s when he was between the ages of 11 and 15. (ABC News)(NEW YORK) -- A new alleged victim is claiming that a member of the Penn State faculty sexually abused him years ago, and he said when he brought his abuse complaints to university officials, he was turned away.

Paul McLaughlin, who is now in his mid-40s, told ABC News that now-retired Penn State professor John "Jack" Neisworth, who is a nationally acclaimed voice on child development, sexually abused him in the late 1970s to early '80s when he was between the ages of 11 and 15.

McLaughlin said that after repressing the memories of his alleged abuse, he decided to confront Neisworth over the phone in 2001 as part of his therapy. He tape-recorded the conversation, in which he claims that the professor admitted to performing oral sex on him.

"I was in the process of trying to get him to open up about some of the sexual acts and what not, and he actually interrupted me and says, 'Do you remember driving up on the hill?'" McLaughlin said. "I said, 'Wasn't that the first time you went down on me?' He said, 'I don't know if it was the first time but it was certainly fierce,' was his words."

Over the course of a few months from the end of 2001 into early 2002, McLaughlin said he sent his taped conversation with Neisworth to university officials, but each time he was "rejected."

"They didn't want copies of the tape-recorded conversation. They didn't want to hear it, period," he said. "It was extremely emotional for me to have to make these calls to begin with, but then to be rejected the way I was and basically treated as if I had done something wrong in making those calls."

McLaughlin said he spoke with one Penn State official on the phone at the time who refused to even investigate his claim.

"They said, don't bother sending it, we're not interested in fabrications, stories, any attempts at extortion or blackmail. I mean, they made it seem like I was looking for something for myself," McLaughlin said. "I didn't ask them for money. I didn't ask them for anything other than make sure they look into this. Listen to the tape and get this guy away from children."

McLaughlin said he also spoke with former Penn State president Graham Spanier on the phone within two weeks of allegations being made about former defensive football coach Jerry Sandusky sexually abusing young boys. Spanier and head football coach Joe Paterno were fired last week in the wake of the accusations, which were first reported on Nov. 5. McLaughlin said he was met with the same "hostility" that he had received from other university officials.

"[Spanier] told me that as far as he was concerned it was hearsay, '[Neisworth] has an impeccable record. He has never been accused of anything,'" McLaughlin said. "They were more interested in protecting the school. They didn't seem to have any interest in protecting children at all."

Neisworth was later charged with multiple counts of child sexual abuse in Cecil County, Md., in 2005. However, McLaughlin claimed that at the time, Penn State officials said an indictment wasn't enough to investigate one of their faculty members.

"They again continued to support him and say was basically an outstanding professor and that there was not, unless there was a conviction, there was no need to do an investigation of him," McLaughlin said.

The charges against Neisworth were later dismissed because there wasn't enough evidence to convict him. Repeated calls to him and Spanier for comment were not immediately returned. Penn State University officials declined to comment on McLaughlin's claims.

Neisworth has been nationally recognized for his work with autistic children, and even penned the acclaimed book The Autism Encyclopedia.

McLaughlin later sued the professor but settled with him out of court for an undisclosed sum in March 2006. Neisworth denied all wrongdoing.

McLaughlin added that he did not pursue any further legal action with the professor or the university because the statute of limitations on the alleged crime had expired.

McLaughlin has now become an advocate for child abuse victims, and spoke on behalf of the National Center for Victims of Crime at a rally in front of the Pennsylvania state legislature Tuesday to demand action on bills that will strengthen the state's child sex abuse laws.

"They need to make it mandatory for any adult that knows that abuse is being committed against a child to report to law enforcement, not to an administration that is more interested in covering their financial assets than they are protecting children," he said.

Copyright 2011 ABC News Radio

Cops Shoot Gunman at UC Berkeley

University of California, Berkeley students hold an "open university" strike in solidarity with the Occupy Wall Street movement. (Max Whittaker/Getty Images)(BERKELEY, Calif.) -- Police shot and wounded a man holding a gun Tuesday on the University of California, Berkeley campus, where students and faculty were holding events in support of Occupy Cal, a school spokesman told ABC station KGO-TV in San Francisco.

The incident occurred inside Berkeley’s Haas School of Business, university spokesman Dan Mogulof said. Students and faculty were evacuated, but campus police later said it was an isolated incident and that students were not in danger.

Dozens of faculty and students took part in teach-ins at an outdoor plaza at the campus Tuesday, and a march was planned for the afternoon before a general assembly was to be held in the evening.

The events came after 40 Occupy Cal demonstrators were arrested last week when police broke up a tent city that had been established on the campus. A university spokesman would not say how the university would react if tents were set back up.

Copyright 2011 ABC News Radio

Judge Rules Against NYC 'Occupy' Protesters: Can't Bring Back Tents

Mario Tama/Getty Images(NEW YORK) -- Occupy Wall Street protesters have no First Amendment right to camp out in a lower Manhattan park, a judge ruled, barring them from returning to the encampment they had called home for two months.

Judge Michael Stallman of New York State's Supreme Court released a statement after hearing oral arguments earlier in the day.

Lawyers for the protesters had obtained a temporary restraining order from another judge earlier, allowing the group back into Zuccotti Park. However, police barricaded the park and stood guard over the property.

Judge Lucy Billings had granted a temporary restraining order after protesters were removed, prohibiting police from evicting protesters from the park, except for "lawful arrests of criminal offense." Billings instructed that another judge would make a ruling on the temporary restraining order later in the day.

The demonstrators were demanding reentry into the park just hours after being forcibly removed by police in riot gear. More than 200 people were arrested during the early morning raid, according to New York's Deputy Police Commissioner for Public Information Paul Browne.

New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg said the city raided the park Tuesday morning because the protesters and their equipment had become a health and safety hazard and they were preventing others from using the privately-owned park.

>> READ THE RULING HERE <<

Copyright 2011 ABC News Radio