Democrats seek to capitalize on climbing energy bills
WASHINGTON — As electricity prices outpace inflation, members of Congress and the administration have constituents’ bills on their mind, with Democrats hoping they will help them make the case against Trump administration policies. Last week, the House passed the fiscal 2026 Energy-Water appropriations bill in a 214-213 vote. The bill...
Rupert Murdoch’s family reaches deal on who will control media empire after his death
Rupert Murdoch’s family has reached a deal on control of the 94-year-old mogul’s media empire after his death, ensuring no change in direction at Fox News, the most popular network for President Donald Trump and conservatives. The deal creates a trust establishing control of the Fox Corp. for Lachlan Murdoch,...
Chief justice lets Trump remove member of Federal Trade Commission for now
WASHINGTON — Chief Justice John Roberts on Monday let President Donald Trump remove a member of the Federal Trade Commission, the latest in a string of high-profile firings allowed for now by Supreme Court. Trump first moved to fire Rebecca Slaughter in the spring, but she sued and lower courts...
New Chicago immigration campaign prompts confusion as city braces for federal intervention
CHICAGO — The Department of Homeland Security trumpeted the start of a new immigration operation Monday in Chicago, stirring up fresh confusion and anxiety as the city remained on alert for a federal intervention President Donald Trump has touted for days. Blasting so-called sanctuary laws in Chicago and Illinois, the...
Trump note to Epstein that he denies signing is released by Congress
WASHINGTON — Democrats on the House Oversight Committee released on Monday a sexually suggestive letter to Jeffrey Epstein purportedly signed by President Donald Trump, which he has denied. The letter was included as part of a 50th birthday album compiled in 2003 for Epstein, a wealthy and well-connected financier who...
Supreme Court lifts restrictions on L.A. immigration stops set after agents swept up U.S. citizens
WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court on Monday cleared the way for federal agents to conduct sweeping immigration operations for now in Los Angeles, the latest victory for President Donald Trump’s administration at the high court. The conservative majority lifted a restraining order from a judge who found that roving patrols...
Waterspout watchers report over 2 dozen sightings on Great Lakes
Waterspouts appeared over the Great Lakes over the weekend, including Lake Erie, according to reports. The International Centre for Waterspout Research, a nonprofit that monitors the phenomenon, reported 23 waterspouts over Western Lake Erie and four over Eastern Lake Ontario on Sunday. A waterspout is a spinning column of air...
Shapiro approves $394M funding shift to prevent SEPTA cuts
Gov. Josh Shapiro’s administration has approved a request from the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority to use up to $394 million earmarked for capital improvements to help the deficit-plagued transit agency cover operating costs. Shapiro’s office said in a news release Monday that the move would prevent service cuts at the...
Trump celebrates West Point alumni group canceling award ceremony to honor Tom Hanks
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump celebrated news on Monday that an alumni group from West Point canceled an award ceremony set to honor Tom Hanks, with the president calling the famous actor “destructive” and “WOKE.” Hanks was scheduled to receive the 2025 Sylvanus Thayer Award on Sept. 25, but the...
Appeals court upholds E. Jean Carroll’s $83.3M defamation judgment against Trump
NEW YORK — A federal appeals court on Monday upheld a civil jury’s finding that President Donald Trump must pay $83.3 million to E. Jean Carroll for his repeated social media attacks and public statements against the longtime advice columnist after she accused him of sexual assault. The 2nd U.S....
Trump asks Supreme Court for emergency order to keep billions of dollars in foreign aid frozen
WASHINGTON — The Trump administration on Monday asked the Supreme Court for an emergency order to keep billions of dollars in foreign aid frozen. The crux of the legal fight is over nearly $5 billion in congressionally approved aid that President Donald Trump last month said he would not spend,...
Gallery: Photos from Sept. 8, 2025
Embark on a visual journey around the Western Pennsylvania region with TribLive’s latest collection of captivating images for Monday, Sept. 8, 2025. From the rustic landscapes of Western Pa. to diverse corners of the globe, experience the shared moments of humanity....
SEPTA could get a major cash infusion to reverse cuts without legislative approval
Spotlight PA is an independent, nonpartisan, and nonprofit newsroom producing investigative and public-service journalism that holds power to account and drives positive change in Pennsylvania. Sign up for our free newsletters. HARRISBURG — SEPTA has asked the Shapiro administration to tap hundreds of millions of dollars set aside for critical...
Shortage of homebuyers forces many sellers to lower prices or walk away as sales slump drags on
LOS ANGELES — Skyrocketing housing values and a shortage of homes on the market gave homeowners the upper hand for years when it came time to sell. That’s no longer a given. Across the country, it’s getting tougher for sellers to drive a hard bargain. A dearth of home shoppers...
Powerball lottery players in Missouri and Texas to split nearly $1.8 billion jackpot
DES MOINES, Iowa — Powerball players in Missouri and Texas won the nearly $1.8 billion jackpot on Saturday, overcoming astronomical odds to end the lottery game’s three-month drought without a big winner. The winning numbers were 11, 23, 44, 61, and 62, with the Powerball number being 17. The winning...
Bolsonaro backers take to Brazil’s streets before verdict. Lula calls for sovereignty against Trump
RIO DE JANEIRO — Tens of thousands of supporters of Brazil’s former president Jair Bolsonaro took to the streets on Sunday, the country’s Independence Day, to rally against the Supreme Court ahead of its verdict this week in their leader’s alleged coup trial. On Saturday evening, President Luiz Inácio Lula...
Deadly light rail stabbing in Charlotte grows political under national spotlight
The fatal stabbing of a Ukrainian refugee at a South End light rail station in Charlotte is becoming politicized and has drawn national attention — including from Republicans — after the release of a graphic video. Multiple national news outlets, as well as local TV station WBTV, shared the video...
Australian judge sentences Erin Patterson to life in prison for poisoning relatives with mushrooms
MELBOURNE, Australia — An Australian judge on Monday sentenced triple-murderer Erin Patterson to life in prison with a non-parole period of 33 years for poisoning four of her estranged husband’s relatives with death cap mushrooms. Justice Christopher Beale told the Victoria state Supreme Court that Patterson’s crimes involved an enormous...
Chicago churches urge calm resistance ahead of expected federal interventionVideo
CHICAGO — The Rev. Marshall Hatch urged congregants of a prominent Black church on Chicago’s West Side to carry identification, stay connected to family and protest as the city readied for an expected federal intervention. “You need to start telling people about your whereabouts, so you don’t disappear,” Hatch said...
Pa. Dems select former Auditor General Eugene DePasquale as party chair
Pennsylvania Democrats have elected a new leader after a staggering set of losses in the 2024 elections. Eugene DePasquale, the state’s former auditor general, ran in a special election to replace state Sen. Sharif Street, who represents part of Philadelphia County. Street held the position for five years but resigned...
Florida’s plan to drop school vaccine rule won’t start for 90 days, won’t cover all diseases
Florida’s plan to drop school vaccine mandates likely won’t take effect for 90 days and would include only chickenpox and a few other illnesses unless lawmakers decide to extend it to other diseases, such as polio and measles, the health department said Sunday. The department responded to a request for...
Ukraine government building damaged in Kyiv in the largest Russian attack since the war began
KYIV, Ukraine — Russia hit Ukraine’s capital with drone and missiles Sunday in the largest aerial attack since the war began, killing four people across the country and damaging a key government building. Russia attacked with 810 drones and decoys, Ukraine’s air force said, adding it shot down 747 drones...
A decades-long peace vigil outside the White House is dismantled after Trump’s order
WASHINGTON — Law enforcement officials on Sunday removed a peace vigil that had stood outside the White House for more than four decades after President Donald Trump ordered it to be taken down as part of the clearing of homeless encampments in the nation’s capital. Philipos Melaku-Bello, a volunteer who...
In one DC neighborhood after federal intervention, the notion of more authority is a mixed bag
WASHINGTON — In a swath of the nation’s capital that sits across the tracks, and the river, residents can see the Washington Monument, the Waldorf Astoria — formerly the Trump Hotel — and the U.S. Capitol dome. What the people of Anacostia cannot see are the National Guard units patrolling...
Trump’s U.S. Open visit sparks boos and long security lines
NEW YORK — President Donald Trump was loudly booed at the men’s final of the U.S. Open on Sunday, where extra security caused by his visit led to lines long enough that many people missed the start of play, even after organizers delayed it. Wearing a suit and long, red...
