Gaza aid flotilla with Greta Thunberg intercepted by Israeli navy
Israel faced international condemnation and protests on Thursday after its forces intercepted around 40 boats carrying aid and more than 400 foreign activists, including Swedish campaigner Greta Thunberg, to Gaza. Cameras broadcasting live feeds from the boats, verified by Reuters, showed armed Israeli soldiers sporting helmets and night vision goggles...
Government shutdowns raise uncertainty but rarely have lasting effect on economyVideo
The U.S. government shutdown has thrown the brakes on the flow of federal economic data at a moment of uncertainty and division among policymakers like those at the Federal Reserve about the health of the U.S. job market, the trajectory of inflation and the strength of consumer spending and business...
U.S. Supreme Court expands its ’emergency’ docket — and Trump’s power too
As she has done several times recently, liberal Justice Elena Kagan last week sounded the alarm after another bold emergency action by the U.S. Supreme Court’s conservative majority again let President Donald Trump carry out one of his policies without taking the usual time or deliberation to review its legality....
2 dead in attack at U.K. synagogue on Yom Kippur, suspect fatally shotVideo
MANCHESTER, England — Two men were killed on Thursday when a man drove a car into pedestrians and stabbed a security guard in an attack at a synagogue where worshippers were marking Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar, British police said. Greater Manchester Police said the man...
Trump order pledges that U.S. will defend Qatar in event of attack
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump has pledged to treat any armed attack on Qatar as a threat to the United States’ own security, according to a document published on Wednesday that says U.S. forces could step in to defend the Middle Eastern nation. Qatar on Wednesday welcomed Trump’s order, describing...
Pa. House gun bill vote debate leads to expletive-fueled shouting match among lawmakers in Capitol
HARRISBURG — A fiery state House debate on a gun bill turned into a ugly shouting match on the floor Wednesday, that included expletives and a comment taken as a threatening racial epithet, according to lawmakers who witnessed the events. The fight over gun legislation was the most raucous in...
Federal agencies’ websites: A spectrum of reactions to the shutdown
Federal agencies and departments are discussing the recent government shutdown differently. Just take a look at their websites. The government stalled much of its operations at midnight Wednesday as Congress and the White House remain in a deadlock regarding the 2026 budget. It’s the first time since December 2018 —...
Many Americans ‘in limbo’ as federal government shuts down
Marsha Chapple doesn’t know how — or if — the government shutdown will impact her and the physically and mentally disabled adults she serves. Chapple, 56, of McKees Rocks, is a caregiver for Trinity Home Care, a Coraopolis-based company that receives federal funding. “I called in this morning, and we’re...
Trump budget boss on shutdown: Mass federal firings will begin in ‘a day or two’
WASHINGTON — Russell Vought, director of the White House Office of Management and Budget, told House Republicans in a private call Wednesday that mass layoffs of federal workers will begin in “a day or two” if the government shutdown continues, according to a lawmaker on the call. Vought’s timeline for...
NTSB calls for urgent action to address Pennsylvania railcar fire risks
WASHINGTON — The National Transportation Safety Board on Wednesday urged the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority to immediately move to eliminate fire risks in its fleet of Silverliner IV railcars. The safety board said the outdated design of the railcars and the agency’s maintenance and operating practices represent “an immediate and...
White House freezes funds for Democratic states in shutdown slap
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump’s administration on Wednesday froze $26 billion for Democratic-leaning states, following through on a threat to use the government shutdown to target Democratic priorities. The targeted programs included $18 billion for transit projects in New York, home to Congress’s top two Democrats, and $8 billion for...
Wildlife advocate, primate expert Jane Goodall dies at 91Video
Scientist and global activist Jane Goodall, who turned her childhood love of primates into a lifelong quest for protecting the environment, died on Wednesday at the age of 91, the institute she founded said. Goodall died of natural causes, the Jane Goodall Institute said in a social media post. “Dr....
Fetterman breaks with Democrats to support stopgap spending bill
For the second time in less than 24 hours, the U.S. Senate blocked a stopgap spending bill that would fund the government through late November. The proposal needed support from 60 senators to end a filibuster and advance to a final vote, but it fell short Wednesday with just 55...
Gallery: Photos from Oct. 1, 2025
Take a trip through Western Pennsylvania — and beyond! Join TribLive’s Wednesday, Oct. 1, 2025, photo adventure, where every snapshot tells a story. From the rolling hills and rustic charm of Western Pa. to far-flung corners of the world, this collection captures the little sparks of humanity that connect us...
What happens to student loans when the government shuts down?
The Department of Education, alongside other agencies, is preparing for a possible government shutdown as Democrats and Republicans remain deadlocked over the 2026 federal budget. Democrats want to extend Affordable Care Act subsidies, while Republicans aim to block undocumented immigrants from receiving federal health benefits and require 80 hours of...
Will Social Security payments still go out, get delayed during the government shutdown?
With the government shutdown in effect, many federal agencies and services are shut down or are greatly restricted. Americans who rely on federal programs like Social Security could be impacted. National parks or the military are not funded the same way as Social Security. Trump’s administration warned of mass firings...
How the government shutdown could impact flights, trains and cruises
A partial government shutdown is underway after Congress failed to pass legislation extending funding for operations past Sept. 30. That means hundreds of thousands of federal workers will be furloughed and non-essential duties will be suspended until a deal is reached. Federal workers who are deemed essential must continue working...
UnitedHealth to exit Medicare Advantage plans in 16 U.S. counties
NEW YORK — UnitedHealth said it will stop offering Medicare Advantage plans in 16 U.S. counties in 2026, impacting 180,000 members, as the company balances higher costs with reimbursement pressure in the insurance program. “The combination of (Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services) funding cuts, rising healthcare costs and increased utilization...
Trump sets tough path for Palestinian Authority’s return to Gaza
RAMALLAH — Driven out of Gaza two decades ago by Hamas, strapped for cash and headquartered in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, the Palestinian Authority’s hopes of running a future Palestinian state have long seemed bleak. Its prospects, however, appeared to brighten briefly Monday when President Donald Trump announced a plan to...
White House withdraws E.J. Antoni’s nomination to lead BLS
WASHINGTON — The Trump administration has withdrawn its nomination of conservative economist E.J. Antoni as head of the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the White House said on Tuesday. President Donald Trump nominated Antoni last month to lead the bureau, which is part of the Department of Labor and produces statistics...
New York governor criticizes ICE officers who she says shoved and injured journalistsVideo
NEW YORK — New York Governor Kathy Hochul criticized federal immigration officers who she said shoved and injured journalists at a New York City courthouse on Tuesday, the latest in a series of violent confrontations as tensions rise over President Donald Trump’s crackdown on immigrants in the U.S. illegally. Hochul...
Government shutdown begins with no end in sight, Trump and Democrats at stalemate
WASHINGTON — The U.S. government shut down much of its operations on Wednesday as deep partisan divisions prevented Congress and the White House from reaching a funding deal, setting off what could be a long, grueling standoff that could lead to the loss of thousands of federal jobs. There was...
Ukraine warns of critical situation at Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said Tuesday the situation at the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power station had become critical, with Russian shelling preventing restoration of a power line needed to cool the reactors and prevent a meltdown. The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, the U.N. nuclear watchdog, said it...
Rescuers hunt for survivors after Philippines’ deadliest quake in over a decade kills at least 69Video
BOGO, Philippines — Rescue teams in the Philippines searched for survivors in mud and rubble on Wednesday and authorities urged help for hospitals inundated with the injured after the deadliest earthquake in more than a decade killed at least 69 people. Authorities said they feared the eventual toll would be...
NASA’s Webb telescope gets never-before-seen look at how moons form on exoplanets
Scientists have gotten a never-before-seen look at an area around a large exoplanet 625 light-years away where moons like the one orbiting Earth could potentially form. Using data from NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope, a team of researchers were able to study the chemistry surrounding a world called CT Cha...
