Powerball jackpot climbs to $1.6 billion, among largest lottery prizes ever in U.S.
The Powerball jackpot now stands at an estimated $1.6 billion, making it one of the largest lottery prizes in U.S. history, Powerball officials said Sunday. No ticket matched all six winning numbers on Saturday — white balls 4, 5, 28, 52, 69 and red Powerball 20. That sets up the...
Thousands cheer as the sun rises on winter solstice at StonehengeVideo
LONDON — Thousands of people cheered and danced around Stonehenge as the sun rose over the prehistoric stone circle on Sunday, the winter solstice. The crowds, many dressed as druids and pagans, had gathered before dawn, waiting patiently in the dark and cold field in southwest England. Some sang and...
France will build a new aircraft carrier as it increases defense spending
PARIS — France will build a new aircraft carrier with a capacity for 30 fighter jets and 2,000 sailors, French President Emmanuel Macron announced Sunday in what he described as “the display of our nation’s power in the service of freedom on the seas and amid the turbulence of our...
Russia says talks on U.S. peace plan for Ukraine ‘are proceeding constructively’
A Kremlin envoy said peace talks on a U.S.-proposed plan to end the nearly four-year war in Ukraine were pressing on “constructively” in Florida, while the Ukrainian president said they were moving “quickly.” The talks are part of the Trump administration’s monthslong push for peace that also included meetings with...
Trump is leaning on son-in-law Jared Kushner for difficult diplomacy
WASHINGTON — As the dawn rose on President Donald Trump’s second term, one key figure from his first administration stood back, content to focus on his personal business interests and not retake a formal government role. Now, nearly a year into Trump 2.0, Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner has been drawn...
Turning Point showcases the discord that Republicans like Vance will need to navigate in the future
PHOENIX — The next presidential election is three years away, but Turning Point USA already knows it wants Vice President JD Vance as the Republican nominee. Erika Kirk, leader of the powerful conservative youth organization, endorsed him on opening night of its annual AmericaFest convention, drawing cheers from the crowd....
Prince William brings his son to the same homeless shelter he first visited with Princess Diana
LONDON — Prince William and his eldest son, Prince George, put on aprons to help make Christmas lunch at a homeless shelter, a charity that the Prince of Wales first visited as a child with his mother, the late Princess Diana. The royal father and son were seen decorating a...
Israel’s Cabinet approves 19 new Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank
TEL AVIV, Israel — Israel’s Cabinet has approved a proposal for 19 new Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank, the far-right finance minister said Sunday, as the government pushes ahead with a construction binge in the territory that further threatens the possibility of a Palestinian state. That brings the...
Multiple gunmen open fire at a South African pub, killing 9 and wounding 10
BEKKERSDAL, South Africa — Nine people have died and at least 10 others were wounded after a group of gunmen carried out a shooting at a South African pub during the early hours of Sunday, authorities said. The incident occurred just before 1 a.m. in the township of Bekkersdal which...
International priests fill vital roles in keeping Diocese of Greensburg operating
After more than a decade of educating aspiring Catholic priests in his native Philippines, the Rev. Jay Jacinto was ready for a change. Jacinto, 48, was ordained in 2005. He worked in the Philippines for 17 years before volunteering to serve abroad in 2022. A year later, the bishop of...
Diocese of Greensburg ‘on the cusp’ of revival going into 75th anniversary, bishop says
When the Rev. Alexander Pleban looks back on his nearly 60-year career as a priest, one feeling in particular stands out among the flood of emotions. “I feel very, very blessed that my priesthood was during the golden age of the diocese,” said Pleban, 95. He’s talking about the 1970s...
Epstein files offer scant new insight into his crimes or how he avoided serious prosecution
NEW YORK — The Justice Department’s much-anticipated release of records tied to Jeffrey Epstein arrived in a flood of documents that did little to quell the long-simmering intrigue, largely because some of the most consequential records were nowhere to be found. The initial disclosures, spanning tens of thousands of pages,...
U.S. forces stop a second merchant vessel off the coast of Venezuela, American officials say
WASHINGTON — U.S. forces on Saturday stopped a vessel off the coast of Venezuela for the second time in less than two weeks as President Donald Trump continues to ramp up pressure on Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. The move, which was confirmed by two U.S. officials familiar with matter, comes...
Paraplegic engineer becomes the first wheelchair user to blast into space
A paraplegic engineer from Germany blasted off on a dream-come-true rocket ride with five other passengers Saturday, leaving her wheelchair behind to float in space while beholding Earth from on high. Severely injured in a mountain bike accident seven years ago, Michaela Benthaus became the first wheelchair user in space,...
Everything you need to know about Christmas, and how it has evolved into a global holiday
Christmas is a Christian holiday that observes the birth of Jesus. But did you know that the earliest followers of Jesus did not annually commemorate his birth? Or that Santa Claus is inspired by the acts of kindness of a fourth-century Christian saint? And have you heard about the modern-day...
You finally got a doctor’s appointment. Here’s how to get the most out of it
WASHINGTON — It’s not unusual for a 20-something to text Mom in a panic from the doctor’s office, seeking help answering a question. And patients of any age can struggle to recall all their medicines — or forget to mention a concern. Getting the most out of a doctor’s visit...
Trump’s ‘A+++++’ economy collides with reality in Allentown, a city critical to the midterms
ALLENTOWN — When Idalia Bisbal moved to this Pennsylvania city synonymous with America’s working class, she hoped for a cheaper, easier life than the one she was leaving behind in her hometown of New York City. About three years later, she is deeply disappointed. “It’s worse than ever,” the 67-year-old...
Takeaways from the Justice Department’s initial release of Epstein files, mandated by Congress
NEW YORK — The U.S. Department of Justice on Friday published thousands of files related to Jeffrey Epstein, a release long anticipated for its potential to reveal new details about the late sex offender and his connections to powerful people. But it was clear soon after the release that it...
A brief encounter, two attacks and then a break in investigations into the Brown and MIT shootings
PROVIDENCE, R.I. — Just before Thanksgiving, Claudio Neves Valente checked into a Boston hotel and traveled to Brown University, where he had studied physics 25 years earlier. The drive to Providence was short, and in the days that followed, the 48-year-old Portuguese national returned to the campus again and again....
U.S. military launches strikes in Syria targeting Islamic State fighters after American deaths
WASHINGTON — The Trump administration launched military strikes Friday in Syria to “eliminate” Islamic State group fighters and weapons sites in retaliation for an ambush attack that killed two U.S. troops and an American civilian interpreter almost a week ago. A U.S. official described it as “a large-scale” strike that...
Photos of Bill Clinton included in newly released Epstein files
WASHINGTON — Former President Bill Clinton featured prominently in the first batch of files released Friday by the Justice Department stemming from its investigation into convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, as the White House sought to move the focus of the highly anticipated documents from President Donald Trump. There were...
A timeline of the Jeffrey Epstein investigation and the fight to make the government’s files public
Two decades after Jeffrey Epstein was first reported to police, the Justice Department has started to release its investigative files on the late millionaire, who was accused of repeatedly sexually abusing underage girls. Enacted last month, the Epstein Files Transparency Act requires disclosure of government records on Epstein and his...
Justice Department begins releasing long-awaited files tied to Epstein sex trafficking investigation
WASHINGTON — The Justice Department released thousands of files Friday from its investigation into convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein even as it acknowledged that its documents disclosure about the wealthy financier, known for his connections to President Donald Trump and other influential people, was incomplete. The records arrived with public...
Life ring, lifeboat piece from Edmund Fitzgerald shipwreck sell at auction for $150,000
DETROIT — A life ring and a piece of a lifeboat from the Edmund Fitzgerald were sold at auction Friday for $150,000, a month after the 50th anniversary of the famous ship’s sinking in Lake Superior with 29 men aboard. The relics were discovered by a carpenter in 1975 along...
U.S. awards no-bid contract to Denmark scientists studying hepatitis B vaccine in African babies
NEW YORK — The Trump administration has awarded a $1.6 million, no-bid contract to a Danish university to study hepatitis B vaccinations on newborns in Africa that is raising ethical concerns. The unusual contract was awarded to scientists who have been cited by anti-vaccine activists and whose work has been...
