Kennedy Center renaming divides musicians leaving and staying
Grammy-nominated trumpeter Wayne Tucker is the latest artist to cancel his performance at the Kennedy Center in Washington, following the board’s decision to add President Donald Trump’s name to the nation’s premier cultural center. “We have already been in touch with the Kennedy Center about cancellation,” the musician said in...
Top political stories of 2025
An unprecedented political comeback. A mayor on his way out after one historic term. Government inaction in Washington and Harrisburg. A political rebuilding effort. Here’s a look at some of the year’s biggest political stories from Western Pennsylvania to Washington: Trump returns In a political comeback like none other in...
Amid conflicting vaccine recommendations, Americans are less likely to trust Trump’s CDC, a Penn study finds
After a year of major shifts in the federal government’s policy toward vaccines, Americans are now more likely to trust the American Medical Association than the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention when the two conflict on vaccine guidance, a new survey shows. The survey, conducted by the University of...
Trump says he’s dropping push for National Guard in Chicago, LA and Portland, Oregon, for now
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump said he’s dropping — for now — his push to deploy National Guard troops in Chicago, Los Angeles and Portland, Oregon, a move that comes after legal roadblocks hung up the effort. Trump said in a social media post Wednesday that he’s removing the Guard...
What to know about the mystery of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 as the search resumes
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia — More than a decade ago, Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 vanished without a trace, sparking one of aviation’s most baffling mysteries. Despite years of multinational searches, investigators still do not know exactly what happened to the plane or its 239 passengers and crew. On Wednesday, the Malaysian...
These bipartisan bills were noncontroversial — until Trump vetoed them
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump issued the first vetoes of his second term on Tuesday, rejecting two low-profile bipartisan bills, a move that had the effect of punishing backers who had opposed the president’s positions on other issues. Trump vetoed drinking water pipeline legislation from Republican Rep. Lauren Boebert of...
Average U.S. long-term mortgage rate falls to lowest level of the year at 6.15%
WASHINGTON — The average rate on a 30-year U.S. mortgage fell to its lowest level of 2025 this week, an encouraging sign for prospective home buyers. The average long-term mortgage rate dipped to 6.15% from 6.18% last week, mortgage buyer Freddie Mac said Wednesday. That’s the lowest average long-term rate...
Gallery: Photos of New Year’s celebrations across the globe
People across the world celebrate the start of 2026, with New York’s iconic Times Square ball descending 18 hours after the South Pacific greeted the new year....
Gospel singer Richard Smallwood dies at 77, leaving a legacy that inspired many in music
Richard Smallwood, a gospel singer and recording artist nominated eight times for Grammy Awards, has died. He was 77. Smallwood died Tuesday of complications of kidney failure at a rehabilitation and nursing center in Sandy Spring, Maryland, his representative Bill Carpenter announced. Smallwood had health issues for many years, and...
Trump isn’t the 1st president to want more room to entertain, longtime White House usher says
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump is not the first president to want more room at the White House for entertaining, says the longest-serving top aide in the executive residence, offering some backup for the reason Trump has cited for his ballroom construction project. Gary Walters spent more than two decades...
New Year’s Day: What’s open? Retailers. What’s closed? Government and banks.
While schools, government and banks are closed on New Year’s Day, most major retailers across the U.S. will be open, with many offering discounts on older inventory to clear the way for newer products. But before you run out the door on New Year’s Day to peruse deals, it’s wise...
U.S. applications for jobless benefits fell below 200,000 last week with layoffs historically low
WASHINGTON — Fewer Americans applied for unemployment benefits last week with layoffs remaining low despite a weakening labor market. U.S. applications for jobless claims for the week ending Dec. 27 fell by 16,000 to 199,000 from the previous week’s 215,000, the Labor Department reported Wednesday. Analysts surveyed by the data...
A rough year for journalists in 2025, with a little hope for things to turn around
NEW YORK — By nearly any measure, 2025 has been a rough year for anyone concerned about freedom of the press. It’s likely to be the deadliest year on record for journalists and media workers. The number of assaults on reporters in the U.S. nearly equals the last three years...
Gallery: Photos from Dec. 31, 2025
From the rolling hills of Western Pennsylvania to distant corners of the globe, TribLive’s Photo Adventure captures the world in motion — one frame at a time. Through the lenses of photographers near and far, these images tell stories of place, connection, and the beauty found in everyday life. It’s...
Zohran Mamdani is set to be sworn in as mayor as NYC rings in the New Year
Zohran Mamdani will become mayor of New York City as the clock ticks over into 2026 — but the celebrations are set to last through New Year’s Day. The Democrat’s team is planning two separate swearing-in ceremonies Thursday — a small, private one with his family in an old subway...
National Guard arrives in New Orleans for 1st New Year’s since Bourbon Street attack
NEW ORLEANS — National Guard members arrived in New Orleans Tuesday to help with safety measures ahead of New Year’s celebrations as city officials are still seeking permanent security solutions nearly a year after a truck attack on Bourbon Street left 14 dead. The rampage, in which a man drove...
Firefighters battle blaze in East Huntingdon homeVideo
An East Huntingdon home was destroyed by fire Wednesday morning, and firefighters contended with snow and cold temperatures while extinguishing the blaze. Three people escaped the Mt. Pleasant Road home about 7 a.m. as flames spread through it. East Huntingdon fire Chief Rich DeForrest said it was fully engulfed when...
Pacifist Japan has slowly transformed from exclusively self-defense to a military buildup
TOKYO — Japan is barreling forward with efforts to significantly boost its military capabilities to stand up to China’s growing threats by doubling annual arms spending. The goal comes as Tokyo’s main ally, the United States, pushes for more military assistance in Asia and a military hawk and ultra-conservative takes...
Russian drones blast Ukraine’s Odesa and injure 6, including children
KYIV, Ukraine — Russian drones blasted apartment buildings and the power grid in the southern Ukraine city of Odesa in an overnight attack that injured six people, including a toddler and two other children, officials said Wednesday. Four apartment buildings were damaged in the bombardment, according to regional military administration...
Idaho company recalls nearly 3,000 pounds of ground beef for E. coli risk
An Idaho-based company is recalling nearly 3,000 pounds of raw ground beef that may have been contaminated with E. coli bacteria. The recall involves 16-ounce vacuum-sealed packages labeled “Forward Farms Grass-Fed Ground Beef.” Affected packages were produced Dec. 16 and have a label telling customers to use or freeze the...
Trump administration says it’s freezing child care funds to Minnesota after series of fraud schemes
President Donald Trump’s administration announced on Tuesday that it is freezing child care funds to Minnesota and demanding an audit of fraud schemes involving government programs. Deputy Secretary of Health and Human Services Jim O’Neill said on the social platform X that the move is in response to “blatant fraud...
Roses in the rain? New Year’s Day parade in Pasadena gets wet forecast. Bundle up for NYC ball drop
For the first time in 20 years, rain is expected to intrude on the Rose Parade in Southern California, a venerable New Year’s Day event that attracts thousands of spectators and is watched by millions more on TV. Storms caused Christmas week flooding, mudslides and other miseries across the region....
Tatiana Schlossberg, a granddaughter of the late President John F. Kennedy, has died at 35
Environmental journalist Tatiana Schlossberg, one of three grandchildren of the late President John F. Kennedy, has died. She was 35. Schlossberg, daughter of Kennedy’s daughter, Caroline Kennedy, and Edwin Schlossberg, revealed she had terminal cancer in a November 2025 essay in The New Yorker. A family statement disclosing her death...
Judge blocks White House’s attempt to defund the CFPB, ensuring employees get paid
NEW YORK — The White House cannot lapse in its funding of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, a federal district court judge ruled on Tuesday, only days before funds at the bureau would have likely run out and the consumer finance agency would have no money to pay its employees....
The year’s 1st meteor shower and supermoon clash in January skies
NEW YORK — The year’s first supermoon and meteor shower will sync up in January skies, but the light from one may dim the other. The Quadrantid meteor shower peaks Friday night into Saturday morning, according to the American Meteor Society. In dark skies during the peak, skygazers typically see...
