Biden nominates 9 candidates for federal prosecutor posts
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden is nominating nine lawyers to run U.S. attorney’s offices across the country, a diverse group of candidates in the latest round of picks for the top law enforcement positions. The nominations, announced by the White House on Tuesday, are expected to run the federal prosecutors’...
How many parents would get young children vaccinated against covid? What a poll found
A new poll found a slim majority of parents would get their young children vaccinated against covid-19. The Gallup poll released Tuesday found 55% of parents with children under 12 plan to get them a coronavirus vaccine when one is authorized for use in younger kids while 45% said they...
Employer vaccine mandates convert some workers, but not all
NEW YORK — Businesses that have announced vaccine mandates say some workers who had been on the fence have since gotten inoculated against covid-19. But many holdouts remain — a likely sign of what is to come once a federal mandate goes into effect. Even before President Joe Biden’s Sept....
Maryland newspaper gunman gets more than 5 life prison terms
ANNAPOLIS, Md. — A man who killed five people at a newspaper in Maryland was sentenced on Tuesday to more than five life sentences without the possibility of parole. Anne Arundel County Judge Michael Wachs ordered the sentence for Jarrod Ramos, whom a jury previously found criminally responsible for killing...
Pfizer submits vaccine data from kids 5-11 to FDA
NEW YORK — Pfizer has submitted research to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on the effectiveness of its covid-19 vaccine in children as it moves closer to seeking approval for expanded use of the shots. The drugmaker and its partner, Germany’s BioNTech, say they expect to request emergency use...
Atlanta spa-shooting suspect pleads not guilty in 4 killings
ATLANTA — A man already sentenced to life in prison after pleading guilty to fatally shooting four people at a massage business outside Atlanta pleaded not guilty to shooting four others on the same day at two spas inside the city. Robert Aaron Long, 22, appeared briefly Tuesday in Fulton...
Gen. Milley defends calls to Chinese at end of Trump presidency
WASHINGTON — The top U.S. military officer told Congress on Tuesday that he knew former President Donald Trump wasn’t planning to attack China and that it was his job to reassure the Chinese of that fact in the phone calls that have triggered outrage from some lawmakers. Army Gen. Mark...
Powerball jackpot climbs to $570 million, which would be 8th largest ever
No one won Monday night’s Powerball drawing, with the jackpot growing to what would be the eighth largest ever for the lottery game. The jackpot climbed from $545 million to $570 million — with a cash payout of $410.1 million — for the next drawing on Wednesday night. Monday’s numbers...
In R. Kelly verdict, Black women see long-overdue justice
NEW YORK — For years, decades even, allegations swirled that R&B superstar R. Kelly was abusing young women and girls, with seeming impunity. They were mostly young Black women. And Black girls. And that, say accusers and others who have called for him to face accountability, is part of what...
FBI: 2020 homicides up nearly 30%, largest 1-year jump ever
WASHINGTON — Homicides in the U.S. in 2020 increased nearly 30% over the previous year, the largest one-year jump since the FBI began keeping records, according to figures released Monday by the agency. Homicides and non-negligent manslaughters climbed an estimated 29.4% to 21,570, an increase of 4,901 over 2019, FBI...
GOP blocks bill to keep government going; new try aheadVideo
WASHINGTON — Republican senators blocked a bill Monday night to keep the government operating and allow federal borrowing, but Democrats aiming to avert a shutdown pledged to try again — at the same time pressing ahead on President Joe Biden’s big plans to reshape government. The efforts are not necessarily...
Federal judges: New York City can impose vaccine mandate on teachers
NEW YORK — The nation’s largest school district can immediately impose a vaccine mandate on its teachers and other workers, after all, a federal appeals panel decided Monday, leading lawyers for teachers to say they’ll ask the U.S. Supreme Court to intervene. The city’s Department of Education said the mandate...
As daughter sought state license, South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem summoned agency head
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. — Just days after a South Dakota agency moved to deny her daughter’s application to become a certified real estate appraiser, Gov. Kristi Noem summoned to her office the state employee who ran the agency, the woman’s direct supervisor and the state labor secretary. Noem’s daughter attended...
Pennsylvania Republicans aim to make big election changes in constitution
HARRISBURG — Republican lawmakers in Pennsylvania on Monday unveiled sweeping changes to the conduct of elections through a proposed constitutional amendment, the latest turn in a partisan power struggle over elections in the wake of former President Donald Trump’s baseless claims that last year’s presidential contest was rigged against him....
U.S. aims to relax testing of contaminants at New Mexico nuke weapon lab
SANTA FE, N.M. — The Energy Department wants to switch to less stringent testing for detecting cancer-causing chemicals at and around one of its premier nuclear weapons laboratories despite concerns from environmentalists and New Mexico regulators. The federal agency is using New Mexico’s three-year review of surface water rules to...
Hospitals fear staffing shortages as vaccine deadlines loom
Hospitals and nursing homes around the country are bracing for worsening staff shortages as state deadlines arrive for health care workers to get vaccinated against covid-19. With ultimatums taking effect this week in states such as New York, California, Rhode Island and Connecticut, the fear is that some employees will...
Former Idaho lawmaker charged with rape is arrested in Georgia
BOISE, Idaho — A former Idaho state lawmaker charged with rape earlier this month has been arrested in Georgia. Aaron von Ehlinger is being held without bond in the Clayton County, Ga., jail on a “fugitive from justice” charge, according to court records. He was arrested Saturday in connection with...
To avoid Wolf’s veto, Pa. GOP proposes giving voters final say on stricter ID rules, other election changes
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 — Republicans in the state House are advancing a proposal that would give Pennsylvania voters the opportunity to significantly change...
New York City to hire forecaster, beef up warnings after Ida flooding
NEW YORK — New York City is planning to hire a private weather forecaster, design more systems to catch and drain water and issue earlier and more aggressive warnings to residents under a new plan to respond to heavy rainfall like the deadly deluge Hurricane Ida dropped on the city...
R&B superstar R. Kelly convicted in sex trafficking trial
R. Kelly, the R&B superstar known for his anthem “I Believe I Can Fly,” was convicted Monday in a sex trafficking trial after decades of avoiding criminal responsibility for numerous allegations of misconduct with young women and children. A jury of seven men and five women found Kelly guilty of...
Biden gets covid-19 booster shot after authorization
President Joe Biden received his covid-19 booster shot on Monday, days after federal regulators recommended a third dose of the Pfizer vaccine for Americans age 65 or older and approved them for others with preexisting medical conditions and high-risk work environments. “The most important thing we need to do is...
Illinois man wins marathon after 2 leaders take wrong route
MOLINE, Ill. — An Illinois man unexpectedly won the Quad Cities Marathon this weekend when the two Kenyan runners who had far outpaced him were disqualified after being diverted off the course by a race volunteer bicyclist. Tyler Pence crossed the finish line in 2 hours, 15 minutes, 6 seconds...
Biden administration unveils new plan for young immigrants
The Biden administration on Monday renewed efforts to shield hundreds of thousands of immigrants who came to the United States as young children from deportation, the latest maneuver in a long-running drama over the policy’s legality. The proposed regulation attempts to satisfy concerns of a federal judge in Houston who...
Vaccination deadline arrives for NY healthcare workersVideo
ALBANY, N.Y. — As the deadline closed in for hospital and nursing home workers in New York state to be vaccinated against covid-19, Gov. Kathy Hochul made an 11th-hour plea to holdout health care workers to get inoculated. “To those who have not yet made that decision, please do the...
Measure on masking in youth sports clears Pa. House committee
HARRISBURG — Legislation that cleared a House committee on Monday would give Pennsylvania school districts the authority to decide whether student athletes must wear masks while playing. The Republican-controlled House State Government Committee approved the measure 15-10 along party lines. It would give “exclusive authority” to schools, recreational clubs, community...
