Self-defense or murder? Pennsylvania woman charged in fatal stabbing headed to trial
BELLEFONTE — Centre County prosecutors have enough evidence to go to trial against a woman accused of killing a man inside her Penns Valley home, a county district judge ruled this week. Brittany Guisewhite, 28, saw felony charges of third-degree murder, voluntary manslaughter and aggravated assault move forward after a...
Two 16-year-olds charged as adults in death of Spanish teacher in Iowa
FAIRFIELD, Iowa — Two teenagers are being charged as adults in the death of a Fairfield High School teacher, the Jefferson County Sheriff’s office said. Investigators said Nohema Graber, a Spanish teacher, was reported missing on Tuesday and her remains were found later that day at the Chautauqua Park in...
Capitol rioter who bragged she wouldn’t go to jail gets prison termVideo
A real estate agent from suburban Dallas who flaunted her participation in the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol on social media and later bragged she wasn’t going to jail because she is white, has blond hair and a good job was sentenced on Thursday to two months behind...
Analyst who aided Trump-Russia dossier charged with lying
WASHINGTON — A Russian analyst who contributed to a dossier of Democratic-funded research into ties between Russia and Donald Trump was arrested Thursday on charges of lying to the FBI about his sources of information, among them an associate of Hillary Clinton. The case against Igor Danchenko is part of...
Mostly white jury puts race out front in Arbery death trial
BRUNSWICK, Ga. — The selection of a nearly all-white jury to decide the fate of three men charged with murder for chasing and killing Ahmaud Arbery has forced concerns about racial fairness to the forefront of the case before the trial even begins. The trial over the 25-year-old Black man’s...
WHO: Europe is the epicenter of pandemic despite vaccines
GENEVA — Top officials at the World Health Organization said Thursday that Europe has seen a more than 50% jump in coronavirus cases in the last month, making it the epicenter of the pandemic despite an ample supply of vaccines. “There may be plenty of vaccine available, but uptake of...
U.K. authorizes Merck’s covid pill, 1st shown to treat covid
LONDON — Britain has granted a conditional authorization to Merck’s coronavirus antiviral, the first pill shown to successfully treat covid-19. It is the first country to OK the treatment, although it was not immediately clear how quickly the pill would be available. The pill was licensed for adults 18 and...
Analysis: After tough election, Biden dismisses danger signs
WASHINGTON — The hazard lights are blinking for President Joe Biden after Democratic setbacks in this week’s elections, but the president professes to see no reason for panic. Just one year after he rode to the White House with a record 81 million votes, Biden saw Democratic stalwart Terry McAuliffe...
Are covid-19 boosters the same as the original vaccines?
NEW YORK — Are covid-19 boosters the same as the original vaccines? Yes, covid-19 boosters use the same recipe as the original shots, despite the emergence of the more contagious delta variant. The vaccines weren’t tweaked to better match delta because they’re still working well. The vaccines work by training...
Wisconsin sheriff wants charges filed over nursing home vote
RACINE, Wis. — A sheriff on Wednesday recommended that five members of the Wisconsin Elections Commission be criminally charged for telling local elections officials to send absentee ballots to eight nursing home residents in 2020 instead of sending poll workers to oversee voting there during the coronavirus pandemic. Racine County...
Trump says calling his accuser Summer Zervos a liar was just ‘fiery rhetoric’
NEW YORK — Former President Donald Trump said he was just engaging in “fiery rhetoric” when he said a former “Apprentice” contestant was lying about being sexually assaulted by him more than a decade ago. Trump said the defamation lawsuit filed against him by Summer Zervos was doomed to fail...
Supreme Court signals it’s likely to bolster the right to carry a concealed gun in publicVideo
WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court’s justices, citing the right to bear arms in the Second Amendment, sounded ready Wednesday to strike down laws in New York and California that deny most gun owners permits to carry concealed guns in public. Most of the justices said people who live in “high-crime...
Retired public relations director was an institution at Saint Vincent College
Don Orlando was an institution within an institution at Saint Vincent College. Orlando, who graduated from the college in 1972, was back within several years working at the college where he went on to serve as director of public relations for 40 years. Former Saint Vincent President Brother Norman Hipps...
Democrat Phil Murphy narrowly reelected governor in New Jersey
TRENTON, N.J. — New Jersey Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy narrowly won reelection Wednesday, eking out a victory that spared Democrats the loss of a second gubernatorial seat. He’s the state’s first Democratic governor to get a second straight term in 44 years, defeating Republican former Assembly member Jack Ciattarelli. Ciattarelli...
Prosecutors seek 44 months in 1st sentence for Capitol riot violence
Federal prosecutors on Wednesday recommended a prison sentence of nearly four years for a New Jersey gym owner who is on track to be the first person sentenced for assaulting a law enforcement officer during the riot at the U.S. Capitol. Scott Fairlamb’s sentencing, scheduled for next Wednesday, could guide...
Senate Democrats push new voting bill, again hit GOP wallVideo
WASHINGTON — If at first you don’t succeed, make Republicans vote again. That’s the strategy Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer appears to be pursuing as the New York Democrat forced another test vote Wednesday on legislation to overhaul the nation’s election laws. For the fourth time since June, Republicans blocked...
Chicago woman who killed mom in Bali indicted on U.S. murder charge
CHICAGO — A Chicago woman who served more than seven years in an Indonesian prison for killing her mother at a luxury resort on the island of Bali has been indicted on murder conspiracy charges in the United States and taken into federal custody. FBI agents took Heather Mack, 26,...
Christian radio host gets 3 life prison terms for bilking listeners out of millions
FORT WORTH, Texas — A Texas radio host was sentenced to three life prison sentences this week for a Ponzi scheme in which he bilked elderly listeners out of millions of dollars. William Neil “Doc” Gallagher also got a 30-year prison sentence from state District Judge Elizabeth Beach for his...
Watchdog finds no misconduct in mistaken Afghan airstrike
WASHINGTON — An independent Pentagon review has concluded that the U.S. drone strike that killed innocent Kabul civilians and children in the final days of the Afghanistan war was not caused by misconduct or negligence, and it doesn’t recommend any disciplinary action, The Associated Press has learned. The review, done...
Philadelphia bans traffic stops for minor infractions
PHILADELPHIA — The mayor ordered police Wednesday to stop pulling over drivers for low-level offenses that critics say lead to disproportionate stops of minority drivers, making Philadelphia the largest city government in the U.S. to ban what are sometimes called pretextual stops. The executive order from Mayor Jim Kenney puts...
Pentagon: Chinese nuke force growing faster than predicted
WASHINGTON — China is expanding its nuclear force much faster than U.S. officials predicted just a year ago, highlighting a broad and accelerating buildup of military muscle designed to enable Beijing to match or surpass U.S. global power by mid-century, according to a Pentagon report released Wednesday. The number of...
Covid vaccinations for kids begin in U.S.
Hugs with friends. Birthday parties indoors. Pillow fights. School children who got their first covid-19 shots Wednesday said these are the pleasures they look forward to as the U.S. enters a game-changing phase in fighting the pandemic. Health officials hailed shots for kids aged 5 to 11 as a major...
Alabama seeks to purge racist language from Constitution
MONTGOMERY, Ala. — The Alabama Constitution, written in 1901, still has language stating that schools should be segregated by race and people are to pay poll taxes to vote. The Committee on the Recompilation of the Constitution on Wednesday approved a plan to strip racist language from the state’s governing...
Republican Kevin Brobson wins seat on Pennsylvania Supreme Court as GOP appears poised to sweep appellate races
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 — Republican Kevin Brobson edged out Democrat Maria McLaughlin to win a spot on Pennsylvania’s highest court, ending a contentious...
Ukraine now says 90,000 Russian troops not far from border
KYIV, Ukraine — Ukraine complained Wednesday that Russia has kept tens of thousands of troops not far from the countries’ border after war games, as part of its attempts to exert pressure on its ex-Soviet neighbor. The Ukrainian Defense Ministry’s statement marked an about-turn from its denial of any Russian...
