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Good morning! Here’s a look at AP’s general news coverage today in Pennsylvania. For questions about the state report, contact the Philadelphia bureau at 215-561-1133. Joe Mandak is on the desk. Editor Larry Rosenthal can be reached at 215-446-6631 or [email protected].

A reminder this information is not for publication or broadcast, and these coverage plans are subject to change. Expected stories may not develop, or late-breaking and more newsworthy events may take precedence. Advisories, digests and digest advisories will keep you up to date.

Some TV and radio stations will receive shorter APNewsNow versions of the stories below, along with updates.

TOP STORIES:

BILL COSBY

PHILADELPHIA — Lawyers for Cosby accuser Andrea Constand ask federal judge to dismiss Cosby’s breach-of-contract suit, which seeks repayment of the 2006 settlement because she cooperated with police who reopened the case last year. By Maryclaire Dale. SENT: 130 words. UPCOMING: 350 words following 2 p.m. hearing.

BALLOT ACCESS LAWSUIT

HARRISBURG — A federal court order will make it much easier for minor political party candidates to get onto the fall election ballot in Pennsylvania. The ruling released late Thursday by U.S. District Judge Lawrence Stengel ordered substantially lower signature requirements for the candidates. By Marc Levy. SENT: 448 words.

DEM 2016-CONVENTION PROTESTS-LAWSUIT

PHILADELPHIA — Philadelphia has lifted a blanket ban on rush-hour protests in its central business district during the Democratic National Convention and has agreed to give a demonstration permit to an anti-poverty group. By Megan Trimble. SENT: 130 words. UPCOMING: 300 words by 2 p.m.

AT THE STATE CAPITAL:

PENNSYLVANIA BUDGET

HARRISBURG — Pennsylvania lawmakers are returning to work on the state’s spending plan for the coming year, facing decisions about tax increases a day after they sent Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf the main budget bill. SENT: 130 words. UPCOMING: Developments as warranted.

CANCER TREATMENT

HARRISBURG — Gov. Tom Wolf’s office says he’ll sign legislation that would require cancer patients in Pennsylvania to get the same insurance coverage for certain oral drugs as for intravenous medications. SENT: 147 words.

ELSEWHERE:

SELF-DRIVING CAR DEATH

WASHINGTON — The U.S. announced Thursday the first fatality in a wreck involving a car in self-driving mode, the 40-year-old owner of a technology company who nicknamed his vehicle “Tessy” and had praised its sophisticated “Autopilot” system just one month earlier for preventing a collision on an interstate. The government said it is investigating the design and performance of the system aboard the Tesla Model S sedan. By Joan Lowy and Tom Krisher. SENT: 1412 words. AP Photos, AP Video.

With: SELF-DRIVING CAR DEATH ABRIDGED, 829 words.

ROUGH LANDING-FLORIDA AIRPORT

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — An American Airlines flight from North Carolina had a rough landing at a Florida airport. SENT: 139 words.

TEEN DRIVER-100MPH

RIVERDALE, N.J. — Authorities say a 15-year-old serving as his uncle’s designated driver was pulled over for driving 103 mph on a New Jersey highway. SENT: 127 words.

IN BRIEF:

—FATHER’S DEATH-NEGLECT CHARGE — A suburban Philadelphia jury has convicted a man of withholding medical care, resulting in the 2013 death of his 92-year-old father.

—EAR BITER-SENTENCE — A Pennsylvania man who bit off part of his wife’s lover’s ear during a scuffle will serve house arrest and probation.

—CHURCH FAIR STABBINGS — Authorities say three people were stabbed during a melee involving groups of teenagers at a fair in a suburban Philadelphia church parking lot.

—SWAT SITUATION-PITTSBURGH — Pittsburgh police arrested a man after a SWAT situation involving a woman and two young children police say were held against their will.

—DRUG OVERDOSE DEATHS-CHARGES — Two people are charged with selling fentanyl-laced pills to two Philadelphia-area men who overdosed and died.

—GIRL SHOT-PHILADELPHIA — The boyfriend of a Philadelphia woman whose 4-year-old daughter apparently shot herself in the eye has surrendered.

—CLERGY ABUSE-DIOCESAN OFFICES — A Roman Catholic diocese in central Pennsylvania is moving its offices to save money as it responds to lawsuits alleging child-sex abuse by its clergy.

—ROBBING FOR A LIVING — A northeastern Pennsylvania man is heading to prison after acknowledging he robs people for a living.

—PROBATION OFFICER-COERCION — A western Pennsylvania county probation officer has been fired and charged with coercing women he supervised into sex acts, sending him explicit pictures and cash bribes.

—FURRIES CONVENTION — The folks who call themselves the Furries are again descending on Pittsburgh.

—LAWMAKER-CONFEDERATE FLAG REENACTMENTS — A Pennsylvania lawmaker who got a Confederate battle flag removed from the state Capitol would like to see them removed from Civil War battle reenactments.

—BEAR CUB EUTHANIZED — The Pennsylvania Game Commission has euthanized a bear cub after it scratched a girl who was apparently trying to coax the animal back into the woods.

—RAMEN REFUSAL — Police say a central Pennsylvania man beat his friend for refusing to eat some ramen noodles

—BAD BREATH TESTS — Philadelphia police say their breath test machines have been recalibrated and returned to service after discovering they were improperly calibrated.

—STRIP CLUB SLAYING — A Philadelphia strip club manager accused of wrongly beating an intoxicated patron to death has been convicted of third-degree murder.

—CAPTIVITY-BEATING CHARGES — Police have arrested a woman after another woman ran naked into a central Pennsylvania store saying she’d been held captive for days and beaten with a baseball bat and fire extinguisher, among other things.

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If you have stories of regional or statewide interest, please email them to [email protected]. If you have photos of regional or statewide interest, please send them to the AP state photo center in New York, 888-273-6867. For access to AP Exchange and other technical issues, contact AP Customer Support at [email protected] or 877-836-9477.

MARKETPLACE: Calling your attention to the Marketplace in AP Exchange, where you can find member-contributed content from Pennsylvania and other states. The Marketplace is accessible on the left navigational pane of the AP Exchange home page, near the bottom. For both national and state, you can click “All” or search for content by topics such as education, politics and business.