Judge rejects a challenge to Michigan’s decades-long ban on publicly funded abortions
DETROIT — A judge has rejected a challenge to Michigan’s longtime ban on taxpayer-funded abortions for low-income residents, saying a group that brought the lawsuit had no standing to file it. Michigan voters in 2022 approved a sweeping constitutional amendment ensuring a right to abortion. But a ban on most...
Woman convicted of stowing away on flight to Paris faces extradition to Connecticut
NEW YORK — A woman convicted of stowing away on a flight from New York to Paris without a boarding pass or a passport won’t be released from custody as she faces new charges of breaching security at a Connecticut airport. Svetlana Dali was sentenced Thursday to time already served...
Liberians confused and angry after Trump’s ‘condescending’ praise for their leader’s English
MONROVIA, Liberia — There was confusion and anger in Liberia on Thursday after U.S. President Donald Trump praised the English skills of President Joseph Boakai. “Such good English,” Trump said to Boakai at the White House, with visible surprise. “Such beautiful English.” English has been the west African nation’s official...
New Hampshire judge pauses Trump’s birthright citizenship order nationwide via class action lawsuit
CONCORD, N.H. — A federal judge in New Hampshire issued a ruling Thursday prohibiting President Donald Trump’s executive order ending birthright citizenship from taking effect anywhere in the U.S. Judge Joseph LaPlante issued a preliminary injunction blocking Trump’s order and certified a class action lawsuit including all children who will...
At least 34 Palestinians and 1 soldier killed in Gaza as hopes for imminent truce fade
DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip — Israeli strikes pounded the Gaza Strip overnight, killing at least 34 Palestinians, including 10 people waiting for care outside a medical clinic, local hospitals and aid workers said Thursday. The Israeli military said one soldier was killed in Gaza. The fighting in Gaza has shown...
Russia blasts Kyiv with another missile and drone barrage, killing at least 2
KYIV, Ukraine — Russia pounded Ukraine’s capital with another major missile and drone attack overnight into Thursday, killing at least two people and causing fires across Kyiv a day after the heaviest drone attack so far in the more than three-year war, Ukrainian officials said. In another tense and sleepless...
Pa. man who blamed ‘wokeness’ for troubles says he beheaded dad to spur a revolution
DOYLESTOWN — A 33-year-old Pennsylvania man told a county judge Wednesday he tried to arrest his father for committing treason, fatally shot him in self-defense, and later beheaded him for “practicality” reasons to rally a revolution against the federal government. Testifying in his own defense, Justin Mohn, of Levittown, went...
Most U.S. adults say child care costs are a ‘major problem,’ a new poll finds
Americans overwhelmingly view the cost of child care as a significant issue, and most support initiatives to offer free or low-cost day care and to require employers to provide paid family leave for parents of babies, according to a new poll. But they’re divided over how to solve the problem...
Gallery: Photos from July 10, 2025
Embark on a visual journey around the Western Pennsylvania region with TribLive’s latest collection of captivating images for Thursday, July 10, 2025. From the rustic landscapes of Western Pa. to diverse corners of the globe, experience the shared moments of humanity....
Texas officials are trying to figure out who’s really missing from the floods
This week in Texas, estimates put the number of people still missing from the Hill Country floods at more than 170, a daunting figure atop at least 120 deaths confirmed by authorities. But that missing person tally might not be as precise as it seems. Confusion and uncertainty can take...
Rubio says U.S. and Russia have exchanged new ideas for Ukraine peace talks
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia — U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Thursday that the U.S. and Russia have exchanged new ideas for Ukraine peace talks after he met with his Russian counterpart in Malaysia Thursday. “I think it’s a new and a different approach,” Rubio told reporters after talks with...
31 construction workers reach safety after partial collapse of L.A. industrial tunnel
LOS ANGELES — All 31 construction workers who were far inside a huge industrial tunnel in Los Angeles made it to safety after a portion of it collapsed Wednesday evening, an outcome officials called a blessing after they initially feared much worse. The cave-in apparently happened between the tunnel boring...
Trump praises leader of English-speaking African nation for his ‘good English’Video
President Donald Trump praised Liberian President Joseph Boakai for speaking English articulately, seemingly unaware of the fact that English is Liberia’s national language. “Such good English, that’s beautiful,” Trump said during a Wednesday meeting at the White House with five African leaders. “Where did you learn to speak so beautifully?”...
Flash flooding that killed 3 leaves New Mexico village heartbroken, anxious as cleanup beginsVideo
RUIDOSO, N.M. — Broken tree limbs, twisted metal, crumpled cars and muddy debris remained Wednesday as crews worked to clear roads and culverts in the wake of a flash flood that descended upon the New Mexico mountain community of Ruidoso, killing three people and damaging dozens of homes. An intense...
What Trump’s big tax law could mean for the youngest Americans
WASHINGTON — The impact of the massive spending bill President Donald Trump signed into law on Independence Day is expected to filter down to infants and toddlers — a segment of the population that’s particularly vulnerable to cuts to the federal social safety net. Many middle-class and wealthy families will...
Former West Virginia officers sentenced to decades in prison for their role in deadly inmate assault
CHARLESTON — Two former West Virginia correctional officers were sentenced to decades in prison on Wednesday for their roles in an assault that resulted in the death of an inmate. Mark Holdren, 41, was sentenced to 20 years in prison and Johnathan Walters, 33, was sentenced to 21 years in...
Trump administration resumes sending some weapons to Ukraine after Pentagon pause
WASHINGTON — The Trump administration has resumed sending some weapons to Ukraine, a week after the Pentagon had directed that some deliveries be paused, U.S. officials said Wednesday. The weapons heading into Ukraine include 155 mm munitions and precision-guided rockets known as GMLRS, two officials told The Associated Press on...
Prices on certain goods, services could rise as Pa. lawmakers consider axing some sales tax exemptions
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. HARRISBURG — Sales tax exemptions for everything from newspapers to legal services to candy cost the commonwealth billions every year, and at least one top...
13-year-old suspected of setting off fireworks that sparked Southern California wildfire
LAGUNA BEACH, Calif. — A 13-year-old boy was arrested on suspicion of setting off fireworks that sparked a wildfire this week in coastal Southern California, forcing the evacuations of about a hundred canyon homes, authorities said. Crews with air support protected residences from the Rancho Fire as flames raced through...
Trump tariffs goods from Brazil at 50%, citing ‘witch hunt’ trial against Bolsonaro
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump singled out Brazil for import taxes of 50% on Wednesday for its treatment of its former president, Jair Bolsonaro, showing that personal grudges rather than simple economics are a driving force in the U.S. leader’s use of tariffs. Trump avoided his standard form letter with...
A surprise IRS move on political endorsements leaves faith leaders and legal experts divided
WASHINGTON — A surprise move by the IRS that would allow pastors to back political candidates from the pulpit without losing their organization’s tax-exempt status is drawing praise from conservatives and even some progressive religious groups but concern from other leaders of faith, along with tax and legal experts. A...
Supreme Court keeps hold on Florida immigration law aimed at people in the U.S. illegally
WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court on Wednesday refused to allow Florida to enforce an immigration law making it a crime for people who are living in the U.S. illegally to enter the state. The high court’s action will keep the law on hold while a legal challenge continues. The court...
The U.S. is having its worst year for measles in more than 3 decades
The United States is having its worst year for measles spread in more than three decades, with a total of 1,288 cases nationally and another six months to go in 2025. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Wednesday that the national case count surpassed 2019, when there...
GOP congressman opts not to run for Pa. governor, despite backing of Trump
In late May, Republican congressman Dan Meuser’s possible candidacy for governor appeared to get a boost from President Donald Trump. In an appearance at U.S. Steel’s Irvin Works in West Mifflin, Trump promised to support the fourth-term congressman from Luzerne County if he decided to seek the Republican nomination to...
GOP congressman won’t run for Pa. governor, despite Trump’s promise to support him
HARRISBURG — U.S. Rep. Dan Meuser will not seek the Republican nomination for governor of Pennsylvania, despite having President Donald Trump’s recent promise of support if he were to run. Meuser’s decision to run again for his northeastern Pennsylvania seat rather than governor leaves the Republican Party with a shorter...
