Gov. Wolf vetoes bill to prevent municipal firearms restrictions
HARRISBURG — A bill to help gun owners and gun-rights groups seek civil damages from governmental bodies that pass firearms restrictions was vetoed on Thursday by Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf. The legislation would have given a pathway to the courts for people adversely impacted by ordinances, rules or other actions...
Medicare opens up access to free at-home covid-19 tests
WASHINGTON — The Biden administration, seeking to fill a frustrating gap in coverage for covid-19 tests, Thursday announced that people with Medicare will be able to get free over-the-counter tests much more easily in the coming weeks. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services said Medicare will cover up to...
Last of GOP regional straw polls hand victories to Bartos, White for U.S. Senate, governor
The last of the regional straw polls of Pennsylvania Republican state committee members produced wins for U.S. Senate candidate Jeff Bartos and gubernatorial candidate Dave White on their home turf. The GOP committee members from the Southeast Caucus met on Wednesday night to hear from the candidates for these open...
Storm expected to glaze Pennsylvania, New England in iceVideo
A major winter storm that already cut electric power to about 350,000 homes and businesses from Texas to the Ohio Valley was set to leave Pennsylvania and New England glazed in ice and smothered in snow Friday, forecasters said. The storm disrupted flights at major hubs in the U.S. on...
Ex-Chicago officer who killed Laquan McDonald leaves prison earlyVideo
CHICAGO — Former Chicago police Officer Jason Van Dyke left prison on Thursday after serving less than half of his nearly seven-year sentence for killing Black teenager Laquan McDonald — an early release that was widely viewed as a setback in the city’s efforts to improve relations between its police...
Pennsylvania doctor accused of prescribing unproven covid-19 treatments fired by hospital
A Pennsylvania surgeon has been fired after being accused of prescribing unproven drugs to treat or prevent covid-19, possibly to people referred to her through social media. Dr. Edith Behr, a former surgeon with Phoenixville Hospital, is accused of issuing prescriptions for ivermectin and hydroxychloroquine, with the prescriptions possibly coordinated...
U.S. says new intel shows Russia plotting false flag attack
WASHINGTON — The U.S. has obtained intelligence indicating that the Russian government developed a plan to stage a false attack that would depict the Ukrainian military or its intelligence forces assaulting Russian territory to help establish a pretext for military action against Ukraine, a senior Biden administration official said Thursday....
Tesla recalls over 800K vehicles for seat belt chime problem
DETROIT — Tesla is recalling more than 817,000 vehicles in the U.S. because the seat belt reminder chimes may not sound when the vehicles are started and the driver hasn’t buckled up. The recall covers the 2021 and 2022 Model S sedan and Model X SUV, as well as the...
Oil vessel explodes off Nigeria’s coast; casualties feared
ABUJA, Nigeria — An oil production vessel has exploded off the coast of Nigeria, an official of the Shebah Exploration and Production Company Limited said Thursday, amid fears of the deaths of crew members. Ten crew were on board when the explosion occurred on Wednesday in Nigeria’s southwest Delta state,...
Ram trucks recalled to tighten loose windshield wiper nuts
DETROIT — Stellantis is recalling nearly 202,000 Ram heavy-duty pickups and chassis cabs to tighten a loose nut that can stop the windshield wipers from working properly. The recall covers certain Ram 2500 and 3500 pickups and some 3500, 4500 and 5500 chassis cabs, all from the 2019 and 2020...
Sarah Palin resumes court battle with Times after covid illness
NEW YORK — Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin was back in a New York City courtroom Thursday, more than a week after the start of a trial in her libel lawsuit against The New York Times was postponed because she tested positive for covid-19. The trial was to begin in...
Jobless claims fall for 2nd straight week
WASHINGTON — Fewer Americans applied for unemployment benefits for the second week in a row after three straight weeks of increases. Jobless claims fell by 23,000 to 238,000 last week, from 261,000 the previous week, the Labor Department reported Thursday. The four-week average for claims, which compensates for weekly volatility,...
1 dead, others wounded in Northern California bus attack
OROVILLE, Calif. — A shooting on a Greyhound bus in Northern California killed one person and injured several others before the attacker was arrested inside a nearby Walmart, police said Wednesday night. Police received 911 calls shortly after 7:30 p.m. that someone was shooting inside a bus outside a convenience...
ISIS leader blows up self, family as U.S. attacks Syria hideoutVideo
ATMEH, Syria — The leader of the Islamic State group blew himself up along with members of his family as American forces raided his Syria hideout Thursday, the U.S. said — the second time in three years the United States has taken out a leader of the violent group that...
Arizona GOP chair files suit to block Jan. 6 panel subpoena
PHOENIX — Arizona Republican Party Chair Kelli Ward and her husband have filed a lawsuit seeking to block a subpoena of their phone records by the House committee investigating the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. Kelli Ward and Michael Ward were presidential electors who would have voted for...
South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem’s abortion ban stifled by Republican lawmakers
PIERRE, S.D. — A Republican-controlled South Dakota House committee declined Wednesday to consider a proposal from Gov. Kristi Noem aimed at banning nearly all abortions, stifling a top item on the governor’s agenda. The Republican governor loudly trumpeted her proposal this year, which would have mimicked the private enforcement of...
Pennsylvania Supreme Court takes control of redrawing state’s congressional map
This article is part of a yearlong reporting project focused on redistricting and gerrymandering in Pennsylvania. It is made possible by the support of Spotlight PA members and Votebeat, a project focused on election integrity and voting access. HARRISBURG — The Pennsylvania Supreme Court took control of the high-stakes selection...
Police: HBCU bomb threat caller described elaborate plotVideo
WOODSTOCK, Ga. — A caller who threatened to blow up a historically Black university in Florida — one of numerous threats made against schools across the nation — described an elaborate plot involving seven bombs hidden in duffel bags and backpacks around the school’s perimeter, a Florida police chief said....
FBI confirms it bought spyware from Israel’s NSO Group
WASHINGTON — The FBI has confirmed purchasing NSO Group’s powerful spyware tool Pegasus, whose chronic abuse to surveil journalists, dissidents and human rights activists has long been established. It suggested its motivation was to “stay abreast of emerging technologies and tradecraft.” The agency added in a statement Wednesday that it...
Media barred from Justice Gorsuch talk to Federalist Society
WASHINGTON — Justice Neil Gorsuch is speaking this weekend to the conservative legal group that boosted his Supreme Court candidacy, in a session at a Florida resort that is closed to news coverage. Gorsuch is billed as the banquet speaker Friday at the Florida chapter of the Federalist Society’s annual...
Army to immediately start discharging vaccine refusers
WASHINGTON — The Army said Wednesday it will immediately begin discharging soldiers who have refused to get the mandatory covid-19 vaccine, putting more than 3,300 service members at risk of being thrown out soon. The Army’s announcement makes it the final military service to lay out its discharge policy for...
Wolf, Democrats outline proposal for $1.7B in pandemic funds
HARRISBURG — Pennsylvania’s governor and his Democratic allies in the Legislature on Wednesday laid out a proposal to spend federal pandemic relief money on workers, environmental and climate change programs as well as a one-time property tax subsidy for lower-income homeowners and renters. The plan was announced less than a...
Pennsylvania high court to decide congressional district map
HARRISBURG — Pennsylvania’s Democratic-majority Supreme Court wrested control Wednesday of choosing new district lines for the state’s shrinking congressional delegation, a process that deadlocked the governor and Legislature. The five Democratic justices issued an order directing a lower judge to give them a report by Monday that recommends a new...
Gov. Tom Wolf’s final budget address will seek to cement his legacy
Spotlight PA is an independent, nonpartisan newsroom powered by The Philadelphia Inquirer in partnership with PennLive/The Patriot-News, TribLIVE/Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, and WITF Public Media. Sign up for our free newsletters. HARRISBURG — This month, Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf will deliver his eighth and final budget address to a joint session of...
Winter storm packing snow, freezing rain moves across U.S.
CHICAGO — A major winter storm with millions of Americans in its path brought a mix of rain, freezing rain and snow to the middle section of the United States on Wednesday as airlines canceled hundreds of flights, governors urged residents to stay off roads and schools closed campuses. The...
