TribLive stories, Page 2360
Georgia man plotted attack on White House, authorities say
ATLANTA — Federal authorities Wednesday arrested a Georgia man they said was plotting to attack the White House but instead got entangled with the FBI. Hasher Jallal Taheb, 21, of Cumming was taken into custody in Gwinnett County while allegedly trying to exchange his vehicle for explosives. He later appeared...
Building inspectors find code violations at R. Kelly studio, including evidence of use as residence
CHICAGO — Building inspectors on Wednesday identified a number of code violations at R. Kelly’s Chicago recording studio, finding evidence that the industrial space was used as a residence even though it was not zoned for that purpose, the city Buildings Department announced. A team of inspectors spent about an...
‘Where’s Mitch?’ As shutdown grinds on, Dems accuse McConnell of ducking members of Congress
WASHINGTON — Furloughed federal workers have displayed their unpaid bills at Mitch McConnell’s Senate office in protest. House freshmen marched to his office Wednesday to urge a vote. And he’s drawn the ire of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the newest star of the Democratic Party. Yet through it all, the Senate majority...
Greek PM survives confidence vote after coalition collapse
ATHENS, Greece — Greece’s left-wing prime minister narrowly won a confidence vote in parliament late Wednesday days after the governing coalition he leads collapsed over an agreement to end a long-running dispute over neighboring Macedonia’s name. Lawmakers voted 151-148 on a motion called by Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras, giving his...
Cal Thomas: Cough up, America
When you receive your paycheck and look at the withholding for federal, state and sometimes city taxes, along with Social Security and Medicare, you probably don’t think you’re underpaying governments and want them to take more. New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio believes that if you have played by...
S.E. Cupp: Democrats getting down in the dirt with Trump
On the first day of the new year, Nancy Pelosi made a number of promises to the nation as she once again assumed the gavel of Speaker of the House. “We believe that we will not become them,” the Democrat from California said in a phone interview, referring to Republicans....
Pennsylvania sued over limits on state coverage of abortion
HARRISBURG — The operators of 15 abortion clinics sued Pennsylvania on Wednesday in a bid to persuade state courts to reverse a decades-old decision upholding limits on the use of state Medicaid dollars to cover abortions. The lawsuit, filed in Commonwealth Court, seeks an order requiring the state’s Medicaid program...
Mayor’s killing in Poland sparks anger against hate speech
WARSAW, Poland — Poles on Wednesday heatedly condemned the power of hate speech to trigger real-life violence after the slaying of a popular liberal mayor, with many calling for stronger actions against those who threaten others. Not only did the killer, an ex-convict, take the life of the 53-year-old Gdansk...
Jimmy Fallon and Lin-Manuel Miranda send Puerto Rico a ‘Hamilton’ love letter
Coinciding with Lin-Manuel Miranda’s “Hamilton” performances in Puerto Rico, Jimmy Fallon took “The Tonight Show” to the island for Tuesday night’s episode. Miranda and the musical’s cast opened the episode with a parody of the show’s “The Story of Tonight,” updated with lyrics for “The Tonight Show” and complete with...
Matthew McConaughey, Seth Rogen, Olivia Wilde films added to SXSW Film Festival lineup
The past few years have been especially strong for the South By Southwest Film Festival. Having established itself as a home for breakout comedies including “Bridesmaids” and “Knocked Up,” SXSW expanded its hit-making track record last year as the launching pad for “A Quiet Place” and “Ready Player One.” But...
Bob Costas leaving NBC after 40 years
Bob Costas is officially leaving NBC. The legendary sportscaster and 28-time Emmy Award-winning journalist is wrapping up a 40-year career at the network, according to the New York Post. “It’s all settled quietly and happily for all concerned,” Costas, 66, told the publication. An NBC representative confirmed with the Post...
Colbert, Maddow are coveted slots for presidential wanna-bes
NEW YORK — Kirsten Gillibrand is hitting the television daily double this week. The New York senator announced her presidential candidacy on Stephen Colbert’s “Late Show,” following it up with an MSNBC interview Wednesday with Rachel Maddow. Her itinerary reflects the importance of those two media figures to the expected...
Chris Christie: Trump surrounded by ‘amateurs, weaklings’ – but it’s not really his fault
The latest in a growing line of tell-all books from within President Trump’s political orbit is hitting the shelves soon. And judging by what we’ve seen so far about Chris Christie’s book — and what we know about him as a person — there will be plenty of score-settling. But...
Former Penguins star speaks about opioid crisis at Hampton Community Center
On Jan. 15, the Hampton Community Opioid Partnership joined with Familylinks to “Power Forward” with retired Pittsburgh Penguin Kevin Stevens in the fight against opioid addiction. The event was held at the Hampton Community Center and featured the former Penguins star forward who candidly shared how at the height of...
Mike Pence declares ‘ISIS is defeated’ hours after attack kills U.S. troops
WASHINGTON — Vice President Mike Pence told U.S. diplomats Wednesday that the Islamic State caliphate has collapsed in Syria, but he made no mention of the U.S. military personnel confirmed killed in the country shortly before he spoke. In remarks filled with praise for the leadership of President Trump, Pence...
Editorial: Shooting joke wasn’t funny
“My client didn’t make an actual credible threat.” Defense attorney David Shrager made that statement in court Wednesday, dismissing the actions of Jason Bowen, 18, of Middlesex as an inappropriate joke. Inappropriate? Yes. Joke? Not funny. The “joke” was a Snapchat video showing Bowen shooting a semiautomatic rifle with the...
The best prescription for teens addicted to vaping? No one knows
WASHINGTON — The nation’s top health authorities agree: Teen vaping is an epidemic that now affects some 3.6 million underage users of Juul and other e-cigarettes. But no one seems to know the best way to help teenagers who may be addicted to nicotine. E-cigarettes are now the top high-risk...
YouTube to ban ‘harmful or dangerous’ prank, challenge videos
YouTube is bringing down the hammer on “harmful or dangerous content” in the wake of viral challenges that place content creators in potentially serious danger. The company recently announced the content crack-down, and singled out videos that present an apparent risk of death, videos that cause children to experience emotional...
Some things to consider about alcohol on airplanes
On a recent Delta Air Lines flight from Newark to Minneapolis, a passenger seated near Stephanie Wolkin downed five mini-bottles of vodka in rapid succession. By the time the plane landed, the intoxicated passenger had become violently ill, and Wolkin, a retired union worker from St. Paul, Minn., had earned...
Hotel dishwasher awarded $21M after boss made her work Sundays
MIAMI — A jury has awarded a Miami hotel dishwasher $21.5 million, concluding that her employer failed to honor her religious beliefs by repeatedly scheduling her on Sundays and ultimately firing her. Marie Jean Pierre, a dishwasher at the Conrad Miami, sued Virginia-based Park Hotels & Resorts, formerly known as...
What to expect when Oscar nominations are announced
Now that our heads have stopped spinning from the recent Golden Globes, we can focus on this week’s upcoming Oscar nominations. There are really just two burning questions: One is whether “Bohemian Rhapsody,” a surprise winner at the Globes, will be nominated for best picture. Another is whether “Black Panther,”...
Trump’s vow to ‘devastate’ Turkey’s economy rattles negotiations over Syria
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia — As Secretary of State Mike Pompeo criss-crossed the Middle East this week to explain the U.S. military withdrawal from Syria, he repeated that he was “confident” and “optimistic” that he was nearing a deal with Turkey on a mutually agreeable exit plan. But a pugnacious tweet...
Letter to the editor: Fairness & civility in local politics
When retired executive John Ventre announced his decision to run for Westmoreland County Commissioner on Jan. 11, he was stunned to see that his extensive resume of work and board and charitable service, and his creative plan to help the county, was reduced to negativism regarding his former hobby and...
Letter to the editor: Protect our country
The Democrats had a gun control mantra: “If only one life is saved, it’s worth it.” I think this mantra is more applicable to building the border wall. We have already had illegals kill police and cause traffic fatalities. Democrats and RINOs have to get off their high horses and...
Letter to the editor: Immigrants, disease & our charity
Everyone talks about drugs and criminals illegally entering through Mexico, but I wonder about the disease coming in with these invaders. They probably have not been inoculated for many common diseases, and could be carrying other diseases common to their countries. Also, after their trek to an unwelcoming country, they...
