J. Kevin Kelley, a former employee of the Cuyahoga County Engineer's Office, pleaded guilty to eleven corruption charges on Wednesday, including bribery, mail fraud, theft, conspiracy and tax fraud. On Thursday, two more people under federal investigation for corruption in Cuyahoga County also pleaded guilty. His former co-worker at the engineer's office, Kevin Payne, also pleaded guilty on Wednesday. On Thursday, Daniel Gallagher, also a former employee of the engineer's office, entered guilty pleas to various conspiracy, theft, bribery and tax evasion charges under a plea agreement. Businessman Brian Schuman of Bedford also pleaded guilty to conspiracy on Thursday.

No sentencing dates have yet been set for Schuman or Gallagher.

Former John Edwards campaign staffer and loyalist Andrew Young is said to have secretly me the Federal Grand Jury currently investigating the alleged hush money conspiracy. According to the National Enquirer, Young will make a major damaging claim against Edwards, who in a book proposal said that Edwards told him he "woud be taken care of for life" if he falsely claimed he was the father of Rielle Hunter's baby.

In the proposal, Young also quotes Edwards as saying "You know how much I love you. You know I'd walk off a cliff for you and I know you'd walk off a cliff for me. I will never forget this. And I will always be there for you."

Earlier this year, the Enquirer was the first to report that both the FBI and IRS were investigating Edwards for possible wrongdoing. Before appearing in front of the grand jury, Young says that he was questioned by the FBI.

Young appeared before the grand jury on Wednesday at the Terry Sanford Federal Building in Raleigh, North Carolina. He entered the building accompanied by his lawyer David Geneson at 8:30AM, and spend the day with the feds investigating how Edwards spend campaign funds which were earmarked for his second Presidential campaign.

On Wednesday, J. Kevin Kelley, a former employee of the Cuyahoga County Engineer's Office, admitted his role in the corruption in Cuyahoga County government. He became the first to admit guilt, pleading guilty to eleven corruption charges including bribery, mail fraud, theft, conspiracy and tax fraud.

Other local officials who have been under the watchful eye of Uncle Sam include County Commissioner Jimmy Dimora and County Auditor Frank Russo. Fellow engineer's office employee Kevin Payne also pleaded guilty on Wednesday.

Kelley and Payne will now work with the feds to build their case against other key players in the scandal in hopes of cutting down the amount of time they'll spend in prison. Kelley could be facing up to ten years in jail, but if he gives federal authorities the help they are looking for it could be reduced down to six.

Jim Trakas, a member of the Republican Party's central committee said:

A U.S. Department of Food and Drug Administration advisory panel of outside experts voted 20-17 on Tuesday to urge the agency to eliminate products that combine acetaminophen with powerful opioids. Amongst the drugs recommended to be eliminated are the popular prescription painkillers Percocet and Vicodin. This is just one recommendation from the panel, which is currently weighing steps that the FDA can take to prevent the liver damage and even death that is seen in patients who take too much acetaminophen.

Panelists have also recommended reducing the strength of over-the-counter pain medications and other drugs that contain acetaminophen, and switching the higher doses over a prescription product.

They stopped just short of recommending a ban on OTC cough, cold and other medications that combine acetaminophen with other ingredients, voting 24-13 to keep them on store shelves.

Overdoses of acetaminophen, which is commonly known by its brand name Tylenol, has been linked to liver failure and even death. The FDA, however, is concerned that consumers are not heeding warnings and are trying to come up with ways to reduce the overall number of overdoses.

Before the FDA makes any final decisions, they will seriously weigh the recommendations of this outside panel.

Bernard Madoff was able to successfully swindle investors out of $50 billion over the course of several decades in an epic Ponzi scheme, before he was arrested late last year after admitting to his sons that his secret investment advisory business was a "big lie". On Monday, US District Judge Denny Chin in New York handed down a 150 year prison sentence for his multi-billion fraud scheme.

Madoff, 71, was arrested in 2008 and in March 2009 pleaded guilty to securities fraud and other charges. The former Nasdaq chairman has been jailed ever since.

Ford Motors Inc., the only Detroit automaker who did not receive a federal bailout loan last year, is now amongst the first three companies to get a loan from the government aimed at accelerating the development of more fuel efficient cars. Nissan and Tesla Motors are the other two companies who will be receiving loans for this purpose. Ford will be using their loan to retool some of its Midwest factories.

The $5.9 billion loan Ford was granted was only about half of what they initially requested, and will go to retool 11 Midwest factories. The money will help to make 13 of its models more efficient. Ford is planning to sell four models of electric vehicles by 2012.

Japanese car manufacturer Nissan will also receive $1.6 billion to overhaul its Smyrna, Tenn. factory, where it plans to build electric vehicles. Tesla Motors, a California based company, will receive $465 million to make electric vehicles and drive trains.

If you thought that the Recording Industry Association of American had cooled down on their rampage against consumers illegally downloading copyrighted music, you'd be wrong - very, very wrong. In fact it seems as though their treatment of offenders has only gotten worse. On Thursday a federal jury found a 32-year-old Minnesota woman guilty of illegally downloading music from the internet, and fined her $80,000 each for 24 songs. That's a grand total of $1.9 million.

Jammie Thomas-Rasset's case was the first copyright infringement case to go to trial in the United States, said her attorney Joe Sibley, who added that his client was shocked at the fine. She noted that the price for the songs was normally just 99 cents, and plans to appeal the decision.

A spokesperson for the RIAA said that they were "pleased that the jury agreed with the evidence and found the defendant liable." She added, "We appreciate the jury's service and that they take this as seriously as we do."

Amongst the songs Thomas-Rasset downloaded were those by artists including Sheryl Crow, Gloria Estefan, No Doubt, and Linkin Park.

According to a press release issued late this evening by U.S. Conference of Mayors, big city leaders feel that they have been shortchanged when it comes to stimulus infrastructure spending. For example, the report gives this tidbit about the Buckeye State:

-- In Ohio, Cleveland and Cincinnati, combined, account for 40% of the State of Ohio's economy, yet receive less than 5% of what was allocated to their state. Similarly, Indianapolis generates 39% of Indiana's economic activity, and receives only 4% of available ARRA funds to the state.

The specific funds that the Mayors are talking about are transportation infrastructure distributed by governors and state highway departments.

Miami Mayor Manny Diaz, President of the U.S. Conference of Mayors said, "This report indicates that the national economy will only recover when our metro areas recover. Yet in allocating stimulus transportation funds, states continue to underfund the very metros that drive the nation's economy."

To read more on the report issued today, head over to www.usmayors.org.

NewsNet5 is reporting that an FBI raid is underway this afternoon at Allstate Home Mortgage and Community Reinvestment in the Cleveland area. FBI agents were spotted taking several boxes away from the business in connection with a mortgage fraud investigation.

Employees from surrounding businesses said that the company's president, Michael McCandless, is a Christian, is involved in many community projects, and sponsors a local softball team.

No further information about the case is known at this time.

It's alright to be an out and proud gay or lesbian, but not in the U.S. military. On Monday, the Supreme Court agreed with the Obama administration and upheld Pentagon policy which bars gays and lesbians from serving openly in the military.

The court said that it will not hear an appeal from former Army Capt. James Pietrangelo II, who had been dismissed by the "don't ask, don't tell" policy. Earlier, a federal appeals court in Boston threw out a lawsuit that Pietrangelo and 11 other veterans had filed.

Pietrangelo served six years in the army, seven years in the Vermont National Guard, and fought in Iraq in 1991. After the decision was revealed, he said:

"I think this decision is an absolute travesty of justice and I think every judge on this court should be ashamed of themselves. It's nothing short of rubber stamping legalized discrimination, the same way Nazi Germany legalized discrimination against Jews. The Supreme Court is not infallible, they get things wrong, and they got it wrong this time."