K2 Radio News: Flash Briefing For December 27th, 2017 – Morning

JERUSALEM (AP) - ISRAEL'S TRANSPORTATION MINISTER IS PUSHING AHEAD WITH A PLAN TO DIG A RAILWAY TUNNEL UNDER JERUSALEM'S OLD CITY, PASSING NEAR HOLY SITES BELONGING TO JEWS, CHRISTIANS AND MUSLIMS _ AND ENDING AT THE WESTERN WALL WITH A STATION NAMED AFTER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP. YISRAEL KATZ'S PLAN, CURRENTLY IN THE INITIAL STAGES, INVOLVES CONSTRUCTING TWO UNDERGROUND STATIONS AND EXCAVATING OVER 2 MILES (3 KILOMETERS) OF TUNNEL BENEATH DOWNTOWN JERUSALEM AND UNDER THE POLITICALLY SENSITIVE OLD CITY.

LONDON (AP) - FORMER PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA CALLS IT "ONE OF THE DANGERS OF THE INTERNET" -- THAT PEOPLE CAN HAVE "ENTIRELY DIFFERENT REALITIES" AND SEEK OUT INFORMATION THAT "REINFORCES THEIR CURRENT BIASES." IN AN INTERVIEW WITH BRITAIN'S PRINCE HARRY, OBAMA ALSO URGED PEOPLE IN LEADERSHIP ROLES TO BE CAREFUL IN THEIR USE OF SOCIAL MEDIA. HE DIDN'T DIRECTLY MENTION HIS SUCCESSOR, DONALD TRUMP, A FREQUENT TWITTER USER.

ERIE, PA. (AP) - AS SNOW CONTINUES TO PILE UP IN ERIE, PENNSYLVANIA FORECASTERS WARN OF FRIGID, SUB-ZERO ARCTIC AIR AND DANGEROUSLY COLD WIND CHILLS IN MUCH OF THE U.S. A STORM IN ERIE BROUGHT MORE THAN 62.9 INCHES SINCE DEC. 23, WITH AN ADDITIONAL 2 TO 4 INCHES PREDICTED WEDNESDAY. WIND CHILL ADVISORIES OR WARNINGS ARE IN EFFECT FOR ALL OF NORTH DAKOTA AND WISCONSIN AND PARTS OF SOUTH DAKOTA, MINNESOTA, IOWA, MICHIGAN, INDIANA, MAINE, VERMONT, NEW HAMPSHIRE AND NEW YORK.

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THE NATRONA COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE AND CASPER BUSINESSMAN TONY CERCY, WHO IS ACCUSED OF THREE COUNTS OF SEXUAL ASSAULT, HAVE ASKED DISTRICT COURT TO SUBMIT QUESTIONNAIRES TO POTENTIAL JURORS FOR HIS TRIAL SCHEDULED IN FEBRUARY.

LIKEWISE, THE PROSECUTION AND DEFENSE HAVE ASKED NATRONA COUNTY DISTRICT COURT TO SEAL EVIDENCE SUBMITTED ABOUT OTHER CRIMES NOT SPECIFICALLY RELATED TO THE SEXUAL ASSAULT CASE.

WHILE THE REQUESTS ARE THE SAME, THE REASONS DIFFER.

DISTRICT ATTORNEY MIKE BLONIGEN SAID JURY SELECTION IS A COMPLEX PROCEDURE, AND HAVING THE EXTRA INFORMATION WILL HELP.

IT ALSO WILL ALLOW THE COURT AND THE ATTORNEYS TO IDENTIFY JURORS WHO MAY HAVE ISSUES IN THE CASE.

CERCY'S ATTORNEYS SAID QUESTIONNAIRES ARE NEEDED BECAUSE OF EXTENSIVE MEDIA COVERAGE THAT MAY HAVE INFLUENCED THE JURY POOL, AS WELL AS IF ANY JURORS HAVE THEMSELVES OR KNOW SOMEONE WHO HAS BEEN SEXUALLY ASSAULTED.

IN OTHER PRETRIAL MOTIONS, THE STATE AND CERCY ALSO ASKED THE COURT TO SEAL EVIDENCE OF OTHER CRIMES NOT SPECIFICALLY RELATED TO THE SEXUAL ASSAULT CASE.

BUT BLONIGEN RIDICULED CERCY'S ARGUMENT THAT THE EVIDENCE SHOULD BE SEALED BECAUSE OF ADVERSE PUBLICITY, AND THAT DOESN'T MAKE SENSE IN PART BECAUSE CERCY HAS SOUGHT MEDIA ATTENTION FOR HIMSELF WITH OTHER MATTERS.

CERCY WAS ARRESTED IN JULY AND PLEADED NOT GUILTY IN SEPTEMBER.

COURT RECORDS SAY THE ALLEGED VICTIM PASSED OUT ON A COUCH AT CERCY'S PLACE IN ALCOVA, WOKE UP TO FIND NEARLY ALL HER CLOTHING HAD BEEN REMOVED, SAW CERCY WAS NAKED AND WAS SEXUALLY ASSAULTING HER.

IF CONVICTED ON ALL COUNTS, HE FACES BETWEEN SEVEN AND 85 YEARS OF IMPRISONMENT.
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CASPER, WYO. (AP) - WYOMING'S REVENUE FROM LEASING LAND TO OIL AND GAS COMPANIES GREW BY MORE THAN 800 PERCENT THIS YEAR.

THE STATE NETTED ABOUT $146 MILLION THIS YEAR FROM LEASING MORE THAN A HALF MILLION ACRES OF FEDERAL AND STATE LAND.

STATE LANDS ALONE BROUGHT IN $60 MILLION THIS YEAR - MUCH HIGHER THAN THE TYPICAL REVENUE THAT STAYED BETWEEN $5 MILLION AND $7 MILLION IN PAST YEARS.

THE REVENUE FROM LEASE SALES FROM THE BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT AND THE AUCTIONS FROM THE OFFICE OF STATE LANDS ADDED UP TO ABOUT $16 MILLION LAST YEAR WHEN OIL AND GAS ACTIVITY WAS STILL IN A DOWNTURN.

STATE OFFICIALS SAY THE WYOMING'S DECISION TO SWITCH TO AN ONLINE AUCTIONING SYSTEM MAY HAVE PLAYED A ROLE IN INCREASING REVENUE.