Public health officials in Pa. won’t say how they’d handle a $500M cut sought by Trump admin
This story first appeared in How We Care, a weekly newsletter by Spotlight PA featuring original reporting and perspectives on how we care for one another at all stages of life. Pennsylvania health officials are facing down a potential $500 million loss of federal funding, but are tight-lipped about which...
Pete Hegseth orders Pentagon makeup studio for TV appearances, report says
Defense Secretary and former Fox News host Pete Hegseth reportedly ordered a makeup studio to be installed in the Pentagon so he can freshen up for TV appearances. The vanity project was initially planned to cost taxpayers $40,000 before being scaled back, according to CBS News. Hegseth’s powder area is...
Trump signs executive orders targeting colleges, plus schools’ equity efforts
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump has ordered sharper scrutiny of America’s colleges and the accreditors that oversee them, part of his escalating campaign to end what he calls “wokeness” and diversity efforts in education. In a series of executive actions signed Wednesday, Trump targeted universities that he views as liberal...
2 major law firms urge judges to permanently block Trump’s executive orders
WASHINGTON — Two major law firms asked separate judges Wednesday to permanently block President Donald Trump’s executive orders that were meant to punish them and harm their business operations. The firms — Perkins Coie and WilmerHale — say the orders imposed in March are unconstitutional assaults on the legal profession...
International students stripped of legal status in U.S. are piling up wins in court
ATLANTA — Anjan Roy was studying with friends at Missouri State University when he got an email that turned his world upside down. His legal status as an international student had been terminated, and he was suddenly at risk for deportation. “I was in literal shock, like, what the hell...
Wildfire in New Jersey Pine Barrens expected to grow before it’s contained, officials sayVideo
CHATSWORTH, N.J. — A fast-moving wildfire engulfing part of New Jersey’s Pine Barrens has not resulted in any injuries, officials said, though it’s expected to grow before forecast rain later this week. The fire in southern New Jersey’s Lacey and Ocean townships grew to roughly 19 square miles and could...
Jury decides Norfolk Southern should pay for $600 million settlement in 2023 Ohio derailment
The company that owned the railcar that caused the devastating East Palestine train derailment in 2023 won’t have to help pay for the $600 million settlement Norfolk Southern agreed to with residents. An Ohio jury decided Wednesday that GATX isn’t liable for the settlement even though the failure of a...
A dozen states sue Trump administration to stop tariff policy
NEW YORK — A dozen states sued the Trump administration Wednesday in the U.S. Court of International Trade in New York to stop its tariff policy, saying it is unlawful and has brought chaos to the American economy. The lawsuit said the policy put in place by President Donald Trump...
Federal judge temporarily halts order for details on any efforts to return Abrego Garcia to U.S.
A federal judge on Wednesday temporarily halted her order requiring the Trump administration to provide information on its efforts so far, if any, to retrieve a man who was mistakenly deported to El Salvador. Drew Ensign, a deputy assistant attorney general, filed a sealed motion requesting a seven-day stay of...
Podcast: The papal transition: What happens next
Many mourners are taking a closer look at one of the most sacred and secretive transitions in the world — the period following the death of a pope. Pope Francis, born Jorge Mario Bergoglio in Buenos Aires, Argentina, died on April 21, 2025, at age 88. Since his death, the...
Trump says Zelenskyy is prolonging war in Ukraine by resisting calls to cede Crimea to Russia
KYIV, Ukraine — President Donald Trump on Wednesday lashed out at Ukraine’s president, saying Volodymyr Zelenskyy is prolonging the “killing field” after pushing back on ceding Crimea to Russia as part of a potential peace plan. Zelenskyy on Tuesday ruled out ceding territory to Russia in any deal before talks...
Iran agrees to allow in a team to discuss restoring nuclear monitoring, a UN watchdog says
WASHINGTON — Iran has agreed to allow in an International Atomic Energy Agency technical team in the coming days to discuss restoring camera surveillance at nuclear sites, the head of the U.N. nuclear watchdog said Wednesday, calling it an encouraging signal of Iran’s attitude toward nuclear talks with the United...
Dick Durbin of Illinois, the Senate’s No. 2 Democrat, won’t seek reelection to a 6th term in 2026
WASHINGTON — Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois said Wednesday he will not seek reelection in 2026, ending his more than four-decade career representing Illinois and accelerating a generational shift in Senate Democratic leadership where he has long held the No. 2 position. Durbin, 80, is in his fifth Senate term...
Iowa town hall attendees turn on each other as Sen. Grassley faces heated questionsVideo
NORTHWOOD, Iowa — Iowans attending a forum Wednesday hosted by Sen. Chuck Grassley started to turn on each other as the lawmaker faced heated questions about President Donald Trump’s first months in office. The room of about 100 people in north-central Worth County, near the Minnesota border, was largely critical...
New York police ID woman and child whose remains were discovered near Gilgo Beach
MINEOLA, N.Y. — A woman and her child whose remains were discovered scattered along an oceanfront highway not far from Long Island’s Gilgo Beach were identified by police Wednesday, nearly three decades after their deaths. Police in Nassau County said the mother, previously nicknamed “Peaches” by investigators after a tattoo...
Gov. Shapiro denounces violence in recounting arson attack in New York Times guest essay
Gov. Josh Shapiro recounted the arson attack that burned through his Harrisburg home earlier this month, penning a guest essay published Wednesday in the New York Times. A state trooper alerted Shapiro and his wife, Lori, of the fire just after 2 a.m. April 13. They escaped without injury from...
Danish king will visit Greenland to meet with its new leader
COPENHAGEN, Denmark — Danish King Frederik X will visit Greenland, a semi-autonomous territory of Denmark, next week to meet with the new prime minister and his government, the royal house said Wednesday. The trip comes weeks after U.S. Vice President JD Vance visited a remote U.S. military base in Greenland...
Swimmer’s remains found after shark attack in waters off Israel’s Mediterranean coast
JERUSALEM — A man in Israel has died after he was attacked by a shark, police and the victim’s wife said Wednesday, after he went swimming in an area that draws dozens of the marine predator and also curious beachgoers. After a two-day search, police said remains that had been...
Photo gallery: Body of Pope Francis arrives at St. Peter’s Basilica following procession
VATICAN CITY — Thousands of people filed through the central aisle of St. Peter’s Basilica to pay their final respects to Pope Francis on Wednesday, the start of three days of public viewing ahead of the pontiff’s funeral. Throngs of ordinary faithful made their way slowly to the 16th-century basilica’s...
Who are the Jesuits, Pope Francis’ religious order?
Pope Francis was the first pontiff elected from the Society of Jesus — also known as the Jesuits. It’s one of the most prominent religious orders in the Catholic Church, with approximately 15,000 priests, brothers and novices from more than 110 countries. Their reach extends from prestigious universities in world...
Worries about flying seem to be taking off. Here’s how to cope with in-flight anxiety
NEW YORK — Adelynn Campbell’s last plane trip ended with a panic attack that she got through largely with the help of a kind flight attendant. That was last year — before 67 people died in January when an American Airlines jet collided with a helicopter over Washington, D.C., in...
Law firms fighting Trump to ask judges to permanently block executive orders
WASHINGTON — Two major law firms are expected to ask separate judges on Wednesday to permanently block President Donald Trump’s executive orders that were designed to punish them and hurt their business operations. The firms — Perkins Coie and WilmerHale — have said the orders imposed in March are unconstitutional...
IRS turmoil: Leadership churn, worker exodus and threats to groups’ tax-exempt status roil agency
WASHINGTON — The height of tax season was the height of turmoil at the IRS. The agency shuffled through three acting directors over the course of a week. It’s preparing to lose tens of thousands of workers to layoffs and voluntary retirements. And President Donald Trump is weighing in on...
Orders to leave the country — some for U.S. citizens — sow confusion among immigrants
McALLEN, Texas — Hubert Montoya burst out laughing when the U.S. Department of Homeland Security emailed to say he should leave the country immediately or risk consequences of being deported. He is a U.S. citizen. “I just thought it was absurd,” the Austin, Texas, immigration attorney said. It was an...
Evacuation orders lifted as fast-moving New Jersey wildfire burns
BARNEGAT TOWNSHIP, N.J. — A fast-moving wildfire was burning in New Jersey, but officials on Wednesday lifted earlier evacuation orders and a stretch of a major highway that was closed due to the blaze has reopened. More than 1,300 structures were threatened and about 3,000 residents had been evacuated, the...
