Heavy rain in Texas, Louisiana adds to misery in flood zonesVideo
BATON ROUGE — The National Weather Service warned Wednesday that more rain is expected this week in Louisiana, Texas, Oklahoma and Arkansas, including areas where flooding has already caused misery this week. Forecasters said 2 to 4 inches of rain could fall in southeast Texas and southwest Louisiana on Thursday...
Gov. Greg Abbott signs near-complete ban on abortion in TexasVideo
AUSTIN — Gov. Greg Abbott signed legislation Wednesday that abortion opponents call a milestone measure to protect life while advocates decry it as one of the most extreme restrictions in the country and vow to continue fighting it in court. The bill from Mineola Republican state Sen. Bryan Hughes sets...
Republicans rebel against mask requirement in House chamberVideo
WASHINGTON — Republicans are rebelling against the requirement that they wear a mask on the House floor, stoking tensions with majority Democrats who are refusing to change the rules following updated guidance from federal health officials. Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., led an effort Wednesday to get the Office of...
Former New Jersey archbishop accused in $50 million lawsuit of sexually abusing 5-year-old girl
NEWARK, N.J. — An archbishop of Newark groomed a 5-year-old girl by delivering food to her struggling family and regularly babysitting her, then sexually abusing her on multiple occasions in the 1970s, a lawsuit alleges. The suit filed in March is believed to be the first to level sexual abuse...
Covid shot not just a day at the beach in New Jersey, but all summerVideo
ISLAND BEACH STATE PARK, N.J. — Some say getting the covid-19 vaccination is no day at the beach, but they’re wrong: Getting the shot in New Jersey will get residents an entire summer at one of the state’s most popular beaches, free of charge. New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy went...
7 fraternity members plead not guilty in Bowling Green hazing death
BOWLING GREEN, Ohio — Seven men pleaded not guilty on Wednesday to various charges connected to the death of a 20-year-year-old university student in Ohio who drank a bottle of alcohol as part of a hazing ritual in March. The seven entered their pleas in Wood County in northwest Ohio....
U.S. pushes back as ice caps melt in the Arctic and Russia moves inVideo
WASHINGTON — Of the many cold war disputes currently straining Biden administration relations with Russia, one is melting. Literally. Melting ice in the Arctic because of intense climate change has allowed Russia to push its military apparatus, complete with bomber aircraft, radar and missile batteries, deeper into the coveted geopolitical...
35 Republicans buck Trump, back commission of Jan. 6 Capitol riotVideo
WASHINGTON — Thirty-five House Republicans joined Democrats Wednesday in voting to create a bipartisan commission to investigate the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol, risking the wrath of former President Donald Trump and flouting GOP leaders who condemned the proposal as unfairly partisan and unneeded. The Republican mavericks were led...
Sen. Doug Mastriano: Trump ‘asked me’ to run for Pa. governor
HARRISBURG — A Republican state senator who has talked of possibly running for governor of Pennsylvania in 2022 said Wednesday that former President Donald Trump asked him to run and promised to campaign for him. Sen. Doug Mastriano, R-Franklin, said he met with Trump on Monday in New York and,...
Boyfriend denies role in Iowa college student’s 2018 slaying
IOWA CITY, Iowa — The boyfriend of a University of Iowa student testified Wednesday that he had nothing to do with her 2018 abduction and stabbing death, saying he had been out of town for work and heartbroken by her slaying. Dalton Jack, the longtime boyfriend of Mollie Tibbetts, was...
U.S. offers $5 million reward for American woman missing in Afghanistan
ISLAMABAD — The U.S. State Department said Wednesday it was offering a $5 million reward for information about an American woman kidnapped in Afghanistan in 2008. Cydney Mizell, a humanitarian aid worker and her driver, Mohammad Hadi, were kidnapped in southern Kandahar province, where Mizell was teaching English and embroidery...
Explainer: Why has the price of Bitcoin been falling?
NEW YORK — The price of Bitcoin fell as much as 29% Wednesday after the China Banking Association warned member banks of risks associated with digital currencies. Other digital currencies suffered sharp declines as well. Bitcoin’s volatility was on full display: The decline had narrowed to below 10% in early...
Diocese of Erie pays $16.6M to sexual abuse survivors
The Diocese of Erie has paid out $16.6 million to a total of 134 survivors of sexual abuse committed by clergy or laypersons of the diocese. The announcement came Tuesday as the diocese said administrators hired to oversee its independent survivors’ reparation program have completed their work and closed out...
Medicare for 60-year-olds not guaranteed to be a better deal
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden and progressive Democrats have proposed to lower Medicare’s eligibility age to 60, to help older adults get affordable coverage. But a new study finds that Medicare can be more expensive than other options, particularly for many people of modest means. There are two reasons: Traditional...
Pa. voters backed curtailing Gov. Tom Wolf’s emergency powers in a win for Republican lawmakers
Spotlight PA is an independent, non-partisan 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 — Pennsylvania voters have approved two ballot questions that would curtail the governor’s emergency powers, a victory for Republican lawmakers...
Israel’s Netanyahu ‘determined’ to continue Gaza offensive
GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed Wednesday to press ahead with a fierce military offensive in the Gaza Strip, pushing back against calls from the United States to wind down the operation that has left hundreds dead. Netanyahu’s tough comments marked the first public rift...
New York attorney general says Trump Organization probe is now criminal
NEW YORK — The New York attorney general’s office said Tuesday that it is conducting a criminal investigation into former President Donald Trump’s business empire, expanding what had previously been a civil probe. “We have informed the Trump Organization that our investigation into the company is no longer purely civil...
Voters back bid to ban race discrimination in Pennsylvania constitution
HARRISBURG — Pennsylvania voters are backing a proposal to amend the state constitution to outlaw discrimination based on race and ethnicity, a question added to Tuesday’s primary ballot amid worries over whether federal judges appointed by former President Donald Trump will roll back civil rights protections. The proposal had about...
U.S. encouraging Israel to wind down Gaza offensive
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden and administration officials have encouraged Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other top Israeli officials to wind down the bombardment of Gaza, a person with knowledge of the discussions said Tuesday, as the Israeli and Palestinian death tolls mounted and pressure grew on Biden to move...
FBI probes campaign donations to Maine Sen. Susan Collins
WASHINGTON — The FBI has been reviewing a possible scheme to funnel illegal donations to the 2020 reelection campaign of U.S. Sen. Susan Collins, a Maine Republican, recently unsealed court records in Washington, D.C., show. The FBI is investigating whether Martin Kao, the former chief executive officer for Hawaii-based contractor...
Mark McCloskey, St. Louis man who waved rifle at protesters, is running for U.S. Senate
Mark McCloskey, a St. Louis personal injury lawyer who gained national attention after he and his wife waved guns at racial injustice protesters who marched near their home last summer, said Tuesday he will run for the U.S. Senate in 2022. McCloskey made the announcement on Tucker Carlson’s show on...
Polling places run out of ballots in Pennsylvania primary
Pennsylvania election officials ran out of ballots in several counties on Tuesday amid higher-than-expected turnout for an off-year primary in which voters had a chance to weigh in on the governor’s emergency powers. York, Delaware and a few other counties ran short, but election officials said voters were able to...
Justice Department drops subpoena for information on Devin Nunes parody Twitter accountVideo
WASHINGTON — The Justice Department has withdrawn a subpoena filed in the final weeks of the Trump administration that sought information about a Twitter user who parodied Rep. Devin Nunes, according to people familiar with the matter. The California Republican has spent years seeking to unmask such anonymous users and...
Study: Climate change added $8 billion to Sandy’s damages
Climate change-triggered sea level rise added $8 billion in damage during 2012’s Superstorm Sandy, one of nation’s costliest weather disasters, a new study said. During Sandy — a late fall freak combination of a hurricane and other storms that struck New York and surrounding areas — the seas were almost...
Congress OKs bill to fight hate crimes vs. Asian AmericansVideo
WASHINGTON — Congress approved legislation Tuesday intended to curtail a striking rise in hate crimes against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, sending President Joe Biden a bipartisan denunciation of the spate of brutal attacks that have proliferated during coronavirus pandemic. The bill, which the House passed on a 364-62 vote,...
