In short

Former PSU students set for trial in August

The trial of two former Portland State football players and three other people accused of bank fraud is slated to begin August 19, according to Amy Potter, the prosecuting assistant U.S. Attorney on the case.

The former athletes, Dominic Dixon and Brandon Jones, along with another PSU student named Joe Softli, and two non-students, are accused of scamming banks and students for more than six months. The group allegedly recruited about 20 students to participate in their bait-and-switch scam of depositing false checks, withdrawing the funds and then reporting the ATM cards used for the withdrawals as missing. The group is accused of stealing more than $100,000 with this method between August 2006 and January 2007.

The charges carry up to a $1 million fine and 30 years in prison.

Potter said the former students are all first-time offenders. She said she is not yet sure what her recommendation for sentences or fines will be. She said the accused may still submit a plea bargain before the trial, and that no agreements have yet been negotiated.

–Robert Seitzinger

PSU debaters take honors in California

Two Portland State debaters took top honors among 35 other teams at a Southern California tournament this weekend.

Josh Gross and Dan Alder beat out teams from six other schools to take first place in the doubles portion of the debate. On his own, Gross, a senior, secured first place out of any individual debater, while Alder, a post-baccalaureate student, was close behind in third place.

“It’s a pretty big honor to do what they did and win the tournament,” said the PSU debate team’s coach Chris Richter.

The teams at the tournament, which took place at University of California, San Bernardino, debated topics as varied as the Church of Scientology’s status as a tax-exempt organization to whether declining to declare one’s gender is a fundamental right.

Schools from as far away as St. John’s University in New York traveled to compete in the tournament. Anyone interested in joining the debate team can stop by one of their bi-weekly meetings, which last from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. in room S-28 of Smith Memorial Student Union.

Portland State will host the National Debate Championships from April 11 to 13.

–David Holley

Clinton, Obama battle on campaign trail

WASHINGTON (AP)-Barack Obama and Hillary Rodham Clinton reached for the finish line of contentious Ohio and Texas primary campaigns on Monday as senior Democrats expressed concern the party could suffer this fall if their struggle goes much longer.

“I’m just getting warmed up,” said Clinton, looking beyond this week’s contests and shrugging off 11 straight primary and caucus defeats.

Clinton campaigned from Ohio and then to Texas, where her new television commercial questioned Obama’s readiness to serve as President.

Obama spent his day in Texas where he pledged to begin the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq next year and envisioned a “seamless transition from active duty to civilian life” for men and women who leave the armed forces.

In addition to Texas and Ohio, Rhode Island and Vermont hold primaries on Tuesday. The four races have a total of 370 national convention delegates at stake.

Obama has won 11 straight contests, and leads in the Associated Press delegate count, 1,386-1,276. His margin is greater among delegates chosen in the primaries and caucuses, 1,187-1,035, while Clinton leads among party officials, known as superdelegates, 241-199.