OPIOID FAMILY GAVE MILLIONS TO COLLEGES Sanders still hospitalized but expected to be at next debate. Two pilots among seven people killed in B- 17 crash.

BOSTON » Prestigious universities around the world have accepted at least $ 60 million over the past five years from the family that owns the maker of OxyContin, even as the company became embroiled in lawsuits related to the opioid epidemic, financial records show.

Some of the donations arrived before recent lawsuits blaming Purdue Pharma for its role in the opioid crisis. But at least nine schools accepted gifts in 2018 or later, when states and counties across the country began efforts to hold members of the family accountable for Purdue’s actions.

The largest gifts in that span went to Imperial College London, the University of Sussex and Yale University.

Pope names anti- Mafia prosecutor to court as scandal swirls.

CITY » Pope Francis on Thursday named one of Italy’s leading anti- Mafia prosecutors as president of the Vatican’s criminal tribunal, just as a new scandal erupted over alleged financial wrongdoing in the heart of the Holy See.

The appointment of Giuseppe Pignatone came two days after Vatican police raided the Apostolic Palace and seized documents and computers from the secretariat of state. Also searched were the offices of the Vatican’s financial watchdog agency, which is tasked with flagging possible money laundering and other suspicious financial transactions. » Bernie Sanders remained hospitalized in Nevada on Thursday because of a blocked artery in his heart but will participate in the next Democratic presidential debate, according to his campaign.

The 78- year- old Vermont senator was hospitalized after he experienced chest discomfort during a campaign event Tuesday and sought medical evaluation. Two stents were “successfully inserted,” his campaign said.

Sanders’ wife, Jane O’Meara Sanders, said in a statement released by the campaign Thursday that her husband was expected to be discharged and fly back to Vermont before the end of the weekend.

“Bernie is up and about. Yesterday, he spent much of the day talking with staff about policies, cracking jokes with the nurses and doctors, and speaking with his family on the phone. His doctors are pleased with his progress, and there has been no need for any additional procedures,” she said.

U. S. vaping illnesses top 1,000; death count is up to 18.

NEW YORK The number of vaping- related illnesses has surpassed 1,000, and there’s no sign the outbreak is fading, U. S. health officials said Thursday.

Doctors say the illnesses, which first appeared in March, resemble an inhalation injury. Symptoms include severe, shortness of breath, fatigue and chest pain. Most who got sick said they vaped products containing THC, the marijuana ingredient that causes a high, but some said they vaped only nicotine.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said 1,080 confirmed and probable cases have been reported in 48 states and one U. S. territory as of Tuesday afternoon. The count includes 18 deaths in 15 states.

» A pilot with more than 7,000 hours of experience flying a B- 17 and his co- pilot were among seven people killed when the bomber crashed and burned at a Connecticut airport, officials said Thursday.

Pilot Ernest McCauley, 75, of Long Beach, Calif., had flown for more than 20 years with the educational group that owned the World War II- era plane and was its safety officer, according to the National Transportation Safety Board.

The plane carrying 13 people crashed and burned after experiencing mechanical trouble on takeoff Wednesday morning from Bradley International Airport. Five passengers were killed along with McCauley and the co- pilot, Michael Foster, 71, of Jacksonville, Fla., according to the Connecticut Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection.

Investigators have begun securing evidence, including the engine, in which the pilot had reported a problem, NTSB member Jennifer Homendy said at a news conference. They will look into witness reports that work was being done on one or two of the engines prior to takeoff. The plane went through a major inspection in January. — Denver Post wire services