A jury found Sandusky guilty of sexually abusing ten boys. From the bench, Judge John Cleland criticized Sandusky for releasing an audio statement before sentencing that claims the conviction was the result of a conspiracy started by one of the victims that then spread. Attorney Ben Andreozzi represents victim number four.

 

And I think that my client probably felt better hearing the judge confront Sandusky, than he would have, the judge gave him 1,000 years in prison.

 

The 30-year sentence handed down as effectively a life term for the 68-year-old Sandusky.Jeff Brady, NPR News, Bellefonte Pennsylvania.

 

The Obama campaign has released a new ad spoofing Republican challenger Mitt Romney for saying he would end the federal subsidy for public broadcasting. NPR's Brian Naylor reports the spot stars Big Bird. 

 

The ad begins with pictures of some of Wall Street's most notorious criminals including Bernie Madoff and Kenneth Lay who meant labels Gluttons of greed. The chosen image of Big Bird in an office building calling him the evil genius who controlled them. It then shows a clip of  Mitt Romney from last week's presidential debate.

 

Mitt Romney knows it's not Wall Street you have to worry about, it's Sesame Street. I am going to stop the subsidy to PBS. Mitt Romney taking on our enemies no matter where they nest.

 

Republicans have countered with a graphic featuring another Sesame Street character, the Count which says recent Obama campaign events have included eight mentions of Big Bird, five mentions of Elmo, zero mentions of Libya and zero plans to fix the economy. Brian Naylor, NPR News, Washington.

 

Earlier, in Iowa Romney talked agriculture, he said the incumbent had done little to grow agriculture related jobs in the last four years. 

 

Even as China and European nations have put together some 44 different agreements. He's done none. What I am going to do is make sure that I devote my time to getting trade promotion authority, that I used that authority to negotiate new deals. We open up new markets for American farms and for American goods of all kinds because we can compete on a level playing field with anyone in the world. 

 

Romney scheduled to attend the night rally near Akron, Ohio. Meanwhile, Ohio secretary of state plans to appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court last week's Federal Appeals Court ruling to reinstate the final three early voting days in the swing state. Jon Husted said Republican argues the ruling could enable Ohio's 88 county boards of elections to set different rules. 

 

At last check on Wall Street, Dow Jones Industrial down 110 points at 13,473.

 

From Washington, this is NPR News.

 

The number of cases from a  meningitis outbreak is up to 119 including 11 deaths. The outbreak stems from now recalled steroid shots used for back pain. The medication was produced by a Massachusetts-based company.

 

Medicare begins its annual open season when seniors can join or change prescription drug plans next week. And as NPR's Julie Rovner tells us a new study finds that the vast majority of seniors are not in least expensive plan that would meet their needs.

 

The study from researchers at the University of Pittsburgh looked at prescription-drug claims from Medicare beneficiaries in 2009. It found that only about 5% of people actually chose the cheapest plan that covered their medication needs. On average, beneficiaries spent about $368 a year more than they needed to, primarily by choosing plan that offered generous benefits than they actually used. A fifth beneficiaries spent at least $500 more than they needed to, the researchers found. The study appears in the October Issue of Policy journal, Health Affairs. Medicare Open Enrollment this year runs from October 15th through December 7th. Julie Rovner, NPR News.

 

While pessimism appears to be growing among small business owners in the U.S., the National Federation of Independent Business surveyed its small businesses and found fewer owners were expecting to hire people and make capital investments over the possibility of tax increases and government spending cuts next year. 

 

Before the close, the Dow was down 111 points at 13,473; NASDAQ off 47 points it's at 3,065;  S&P 500 down 15 at 1,441.