Opening arguments began this morning in the federal trial of Karen Sypher. Sypher has been under indictment since last year, charged with trying to extort millions of dollars from Universityof Louisville basketball coach Rick Pitino. A jury of eight men and eight women, including four alternates, will hear the case. Sypher is accused of threatening to go public with damaging information about Pitino if he did not give her $10 million and meet other demands.Pitino reported the alleged threats to the FBI, telling authorities he had a one-time sexual encounter with Sypher at a Louisville restaurant in 2003. Police found no evidence to support Sypher's claim that shewas sexually assualted.Last August Pitino broke his public silence about the episode, delivering a statement in which he talked about how it had affected his family."I let them down with my indescretion six years ago, and I'm sorry for that, and I told them that every single day," he said.Sypher, who says she has rejected several plea deals from prosecutors, is also charged with lying to the FBI and retailiating against a witness.
Rick Howlett was midday host and the host of LPM's weekly talk show, "In Conversation." He was with LPM from 2001-2023 and held many different titles, including Morning Edition host, Assignment Editor and Interim News Director. He died in August 2023. Read a remembrance of Rick here.