The sentencers have become the sentencees in a Pennsylvania courtroom, where two judges pleaded guilty yesterday to accepting over $2.6 million from private detention centers in exchange for handing down long sentences to hundreds of juveniles. Between 2003 and 2006, teens who came before the judges received time in detention centers for minor crimes. In exchange, the judges got paid. One teen Read more

The night is still early, but NBC is saying Barack Obama has started off with a lead in the Electoral College Read more

Update: The whole video of the presentation can be found below. Tonight at 8 p.m. most networks in America will become Obama TV. The campaign has purchased a half-hour block of airtime on NBC, CBS, FOX, and Univision, to air Barack Obama: American Stories, during which he will make a closing argument for his candidacy. It will include a live segment from Florida, where Barack will lay out his Read more

Self-declared "anti-decorator" RJ Thornburg, one of our Designer Spotlights, brought his design talent and a lot of flea market finds to his Pennsylvania 1860s farmhouse weekend retreat, which was in need of major renovation. Before then, though, the bathroom was decorated in typical Pennsylvania country style — lots of florals, dark tones, knick-knacks, and (gasp!) a toilet seat cover. Read more

Blah, blah, sports, blah. Not a popular sentiment, I realize — I mean they're fun to watch and all (I hear) but I'd rather know the names of the leaders of Zimbabwe than whether the World Series has happened yet. I just get concerned over the culture of idolizing athletes — because when has a touchdown ever cured cancer? That's why I'm particularly excited over Penn State's new line of Read more

If you're on your couch right now recovering from last night and wondering whether you should hit church or give your thanks over a Sunday brunch Bloody Mary instead, your prayers have been answered. The Phyrst Church in State College, PA, part of Penn State’s Christian Student Fellowship, is taking their message to the Phyrst Bar to preach the word. That's right. Church in a bar. “We’re Read more

Years of neglect, a house fire, and a tree fallen through the chimney left this elegant 1902 Pennsylvania Victorian, which was featured on This Old House, in dire shape. Many would knock it down instead of facing the difficult task of restoration, but the owners decided to hire a local contractor who knew the house's history, as well as landscapers and a mason, to get it back in shape. To see it Read more