Summer Lee grills U.S. Education secretary on DEI policiesVideo
U.S. Rep. Summer Lee, D-Swissvale, grilled Education Secretary Linda McMahon over her department’s DEI policies and accused the Trump administration of trying to rewrite history on Wednesday during a congressional hearing. During a tense exchange, McMahon refused to give a “yes” or “no” answer when asked if teaching students that...
Judge says migrants sent to El Salvador prison must get a chance to challenge their removals
WASHINGTON — A federal judge ruled on Wednesday that the Trump administration must give more than 100 migrants sent to a notorious prison in El Salvador prison a chance to challenge their deportations. U.S. District Court Chief Judge James Boasberg said that people who were sent to the prison in...
U.S. judge issues order stopping the deportation of family of man charged in Boulder firebombing
BOULDER, Colo. — A federal judge issued an order Wednesday to prevent the deportation of the wife and five children of an Egyptian man charged in the firebombing attack in Boulder, Colorado. U.S. District Judge Gordon P. Gallagher granted a request from the family of Mohamed Sabry Soliman to halt...
What is Fusarium graminearum, the fungus U.S. authorities say was smuggled in from China?
NEW YORK — Federal prosecutors charged two Chinese researchers on Tuesday with smuggling a crop-killing fungus into the U.S. last summer — charges that come amid heightened political tensions between the two countries and as the Trump administration moves to revoke visas from visiting Chinese students. Yunqing Jian and Zunyong...
U.S.- and Israeli-backed group pauses food delivery in Gaza after deadly shootings
DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip — An Israeli- and U.S.-backed group paused food delivery at its three distribution sites in the Gaza Strip after health officials said dozens of Palestinians were killed in a series of shootings near the sites this week. Israeli strikes across the territory, meanwhile, killed 26 people...
A quiet Tiananmen Square anniversary shows China’s ability to suppress history
BEIJING — For most Chinese, the 36th anniversary of a bloody crackdown that ended pro-democracy protests in China passed like any other weekday. And that’s just how the ruling Communist Party wants it. Security was tight Wednesday around Beijing’s Tiananmen Square, where weeks of student-led protests shook the party in...
Trump says Putin told him that Russia will respond to Ukrainian attack on airfields
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump said Russian President Vladimir Putin told him “very strongly” in a phone call Wednesday that he will respond to Ukraine’s weekend drone attack on Russian airfields as the deadlock over the war drags on. Trump said in a social media post that his lengthy call...
Judge tosses Democratic committees’ lawsuit over the Federal Election Commission’s independence
WASHINGTON — A federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit that sought to block President Donald Trump’s administration from implementing an executive order that Democratic Party officials claim could undermine the independence of the Federal Election Commission. U.S. District Judge Amir H. Ali in Washington ruled late Tuesday that there’s insufficient...
Ground beef sold at Whole Foods may be tainted with E. coli, USDA says
U.S. agriculture officials are warning that ground beef sold at Whole Foods markets nationwide may be contaminated with potentially dangerous E. coli bacteria. Officials issued a public health alert for 1-pound, vacuum-packed packages of Organic Rancher beef, produced on May 22 and May 23, by NPC Processing Inc., of Shelburne,...
Man allegedly linked to California fertility clinic bombing arrested at JFK airport
NEW YORK — The FBI arrested a Washington state man accused of providing chemicals to make explosives for last month’s bombing of a fertility clinic in Palm Springs, California, federal authorities said Wednesday. Daniel Park, 32, was taken into custody Tuesday night at New York’s John F. Kennedy Airport upon...
Texas hospital that discharged woman with doomed pregnancy violated the law, a federal inquiry finds
WASHINGTON — A Texas hospital that repeatedly sent a woman who was bleeding and in pain home without ending her nonviable, life-threatening pregnancy violated the law, according to a newly released federal investigation. The government’s findings, which have not been previously reported, were a small victory for 36-year-old Kyleigh Thurman,...
Man accused of shooting stranger after bumping into her in Harrisburg remains on the loose
Police are looking for help in finding a 24-year-old man accused of shooting a stranger after bumping into her in downtown Harrisburg last month. Donnell Rhodes Jr., of Harrisburg was charged May 29 in connection with a shooting that injured a 22-year-old woman in the early hours of May 10...
Measles vaccination rates drop after covid-19 pandemic in counties across the U.S.
Childhood vaccination rates against measles fell in the years after the covid-19 pandemic in nearly 80% of the more than 2,000 U.S. counties with available data — including in states that are battling outbreaks this year. A Johns Hopkins University study, published in JAMA this week, illustrates where more vulnerable...
Trump tax bill will add $2.4 trillion to the deficit and leave 10.9 million more uninsured, CBO says
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump’s big bill making its way through Congress will cut taxes by $3.75 trillion but also increase deficits by $2.4 trillion over the next decade, according to an analysis released Wednesday by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office. The CBO also estimates an increase of 10.9 million...
2 Western Pa. recovery nonprofits seek donations to continue sober space at Stage AE
Janice Olson considers herself living proof that it’s possible to have fun at a concert while sober. But for people in substance-use-disorder recovery, the heavy presence of drugs and alcohol can take the focus away from enjoying performances by a favorite musician. Olson, director of operations at Hempfield-based recovery nonprofit...
Gallery: Photos from June 4, 2025
Embark on a visual journey around the Western Pennsylvania region with TribLive’s latest collection of captivating images for Wednesday, June 4, 2025. From the rustic landscapes of Western Pa. to diverse corners of the globe, experience the shared moments of humanity....
New Pennsylvania law bans handheld cellphone use while driving. What to know
A new Pennsylvania law aimed at cracking down on distracted driving is set to go in effect Thursday, one that could lead to citations for what have become common driving behaviors. Paul Miller’s Law makes it illegal to use a handheld cellphone while driving. Texting while driving has been illegal...
Trump urges senators to get his big tax bill done by July 4
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump wants his “big, beautiful” bill of tax breaks and spending cuts on his desk to be signed into law by the Fourth of July, and he’s pushing the slow-rolling Senate to make it happen sooner rather than later. Trump met with Senate Majority Leader John...
Educators debate Pa. House proposal to set flat cyber charter tuition rate
New Kensington-Arnold Superintendent Chris Sefcheck is encouraged to see the state House education committee move on legislation to set a flat tuition rate for cyber charter schools. The district spent $3.3 million this past school year on tuition for 167 students who live in the area to attend one of...
Man accused of trying to get witness against him deported by writing letters threatening Trump
MILWAUKEE — A Wisconsin man is facing charges accusing him of forging a letter threatening President Donald Trump’s life in an effort to get another man who could testify against him in a criminal case deported. Prosecutors said in a criminal complaint filed Monday that Demetric D. Scott was behind...
Westmoreland’s municipal primary tiebreakers set for Friday
Four ties that occurred in the May 20 municipal primary will be broken at noon Friday in the Westmoreland County Courthouse. There will be marbles drawn to break the ties, said Scott Ross, election bureau director. Deborah Vernon and Cynthia Adams tied for the Democratic nomination for Arnold council with...
Massachusetts high school volleyball team rallies around teammate detained by immigration agents
BOSTON — Crowds wearing white packed the stands of a Massachusetts high school gymnasium Tuesday to support an 18-year-old volleyball player detained by federal immigration authorities. “Our game on June 3rd will be played in honor of Marcelo. We will continue to pray and fight for our brother,” the Milford...
Authorities searching for Washington state father of 3 dead girls
A man in central Washington state is wanted for murder after his three young daughters were reported missing and then found dead. Authorities asked the public Tuesday for help finding Travis Decker, 32, who is wanted for three counts of murder and kidnapping, according to police in Wenatchee, about 100...
Biden-era guidance on emergency abortions revoked
WASHINGTON — The Trump administration announced Tuesday it will revoke guidance to the nation’s hospitals that directed them to provide emergency abortions for women when they are necessary to stabilize their medical condition. That guidance was issued to hospitals in 2022, weeks after the U.S. Supreme Court upended national abortion...
John Fetterman loses another top staffer in Senate office
Another top aide is leaving U.S. Sen. John Fetterman’s staff. The departure of chief of staff Krysta Sinclair Juris, first reported by Axios, is the latest in a string of departures from the Braddock Democrat’s office staff. “I’m grateful for Krysta’s work. She’s been an invaluable member of the team...
