Hundreds protest Alabama’s abortion ban at state capitolVideo
MONTGOMERY, Ala. — Hundreds of demonstrators marched to the Alabama Capitol on Sunday to protest the state’s newly approved abortion ban, chanting “my body, my choice!” and “vote them out!” The demonstration came days after Gov. Kay Ivey signed the most stringent abortion law in the nation— making performing an...
Ohio bill would bar death penalty if ‘serious mental illness’
COLUMBUS — A bill now in Ohio’s Legislature would prevent people convicted of aggravated murder from being sentenced to the death penalty, if they are found to have had a “serious mental illness” at the time of the offense. Republican Rep. Brett Hudson Hillyer, a primary sponsor of House Bill...
House explosion kills 1, injures 2 in southern Indiana cityVideo
JEFFERSONVILLE, Ind. — An explosion leveled a home in southern Indiana early Sunday, killing one person, injuring two others and leaving several nearby homes uninhabitable, authorities said. Hours after the explosion shattered windows across a Jeffersonville neighborhood and sent debris flying onto roofs, lawns and cars, officials had not said...
On-duty state trooper dies on turnpike in Bucks County
A 58-year-old Pennsylvania state trooper died while on duty Saturday morning on the Pennsylvania Turnpike. Trooper Donald C. Brackett was found unresponsive next to his patrol vehicle from an apparent medical episode, Acting Pennsylvania State Police Commissioner Lt. Col. Robert Evanchick announced Saturday night. The Bensalem resident was a nearly...
Child puts car in reverse, accidentally runs over mother
CHELMSFORD, Mass. — Police in Massachusetts say a mother has been struck by her own car and seriously injured after her child accidentally put the car into reverse while she was loading the vehicle. Chelmsford Police Chief James Spinney says the 37-year-old woman, who authorities haven’t identified, is expected to...
Lower Burrell’s former solicitor challenging 2 city councilmen for seat
Lower Burrell’s former solicitor is going up against two incumbent councilmen for one of their seats on the Democratic ticket in Tuesday’s primary. There was a show of support on Facebook for Lower Burrell resident and longtime city solicitor Stephen Yakopec Jr. when his contract with the city was in...
Trump denies plans to fly migrants from border to Florida
MIAMI — President Trump on Sunday denied reports that hundreds of migrants would be flown from the Mexican border to Florida and other areas in the U.S. interior to lessen the workload at crowded Border Patrol facilities. Acting Homeland Security Secretary Kevin McAleenan, also on Sunday, acknowledged that federal officials...
South Carolina father shoots daughter he mistook as intruder
GREENVILLE, S.C. — A 23-year-old woman has been killed trying to enter her own home after she was mistaken for an intruder and shot by her father. The Greenville County Coroner’s Office says Nadeja Pressley was shot as she tried to enter her residence in Greenville, just after 1 a.m....
As Trump escalates China trade dispute, economic ties lose stabilizing force in matters of national security
The United States for years relied on economic interdependence with China as a stabilizing force in relations with Beijing, with business between the two nations forming what former treasury secretary Hank Paulson used to call the “ballast” in U.S.-China affairs. But as President Trump escalates his trade dispute with Chinese...
Saudis say they don’t want war, but will defend themselves
Saudi Arabia does not want war but will not hesitate to defend itself against Iran, a top Saudi diplomat said Sunday, after the kingdom’s energy sector was targeted this past week amid heightened tensions in the Persian Gulf. On Sunday night, a rocket was fired into the Iraqi capital’s heavily...
U.S. to roll out economic part of Mideast peace plan
WASHINGTON — The Trump administration will unveil the first phase of its long-awaited blueprint for Mideast peace next month at a conference in the region designed to highlight economic benefits that could be reaped if the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is resolved, the White House said Sunday. The plan, which has been...
Tax the wealthy and big companies for road repairs? Democrats divided
WASHINGTON — Should big corporations or the wealthy pay more taxes to repair the nation’s roads, bridges and other infrastructure? Or should consumers pay for the roads they use with a higher gasoline tax? Democrats, who control the House of Representatives and have the power to block most legislation in...
In this wildly popular game, you kill a journalist
The mission is called “Breaking News.” It’s the seventh mission in the game, and it comes after you’ve upgraded your sniper rifle to shoot at a distance of nearly 1,000 feet with accuracy. By now, you’ve already taken out, among others, a gunman who allegedly killed several people at a...
Trump’s ‘great patriot’ farmers follow him into a trade war
MADRID, Iowa — Iowa farmer Tim Bardole survived years of low crop prices and rising costs by cutting back on fertilizer and herbicides and fixing broken-down equipment rather than buying new. When President Donald Trump’s trade war with China made a miserable situation worse, Bardole used up any equity his...
Graduation speaker pledges to pay class of 2019 student debt
ATLANTA — A billionaire technology investor and philanthropist says he will provide grants to wipe out the student debt of the entire graduating class at Morehouse College - an estimated $40 million. Robert F. Smith, this year’s commencement speaker, made the announcement Sunday morning while addressing nearly 400 graduating seniors...
Trump tells anti-abortion activists to stay united for 2020
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump distanced himself from Alabama’s restrictive new abortion law by laying out differing personal views even as he urged anti-abortion activists to stay united heading into the 2020 election. In a series of tweets about abortion, Trump did not state whether he was for or against...
As states pass restrictive abortion laws, questions surface
ATLANTA — As multiple states pass laws banning many abortions, questions have surfaced about what exactly that means for women who might seek an abortion. The short answer: nothing yet. Governors in Kentucky , Mississippi , Ohio and Georgia have recently approved bans on abortion once a fetal heartbeat is...
Blame it on Bieber: Iceland canyon too popular with visitorsVideo
FJADRÁRGLJÚFUR, Iceland— A large sign warns motorists that Iceland’s Fjadrárgljúfur canyon is closed to visitors but drivers keep on coming down the narrow gravel road. A ranger at a roadblock has to explain why no one can pass: The vulnerable landscape cannot sustain more visitors. Blame Justin Bieber, the Canadian...
Defunct Bethlehem Steel’s 21-story headquarters implodedVideo
BETHLEHEM, Pa. — Sixteen thousand tons of Bethlehem Steel collapsed in a matter of seconds Sunday as a demolition crew imploded Martin Tower, the defunct steelmaker’s former world headquarters. Crowds gathered to watch the demolition of the area’s tallest building, a 21-story monolith that opened at the height of Bethlehem...
Michigan GOP congressman Justin Amash says Trump conduct is ‘impeachable’
WASHINGTON — A Republican congressman from Michigan on Saturday became the first member of President Donald Trump’s party on Capitol Hill to accuse him of engaging in “impeachable conduct” stemming from special counsel Robert Mueller’s lengthy investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election. But Rep. Justin Amash stopped...
Election guide: Here’s what you need to know for the primary
Primary Election Day is Tuesday. Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Some of the notable races include Allegheny County district attorney, Allegheny County council, Pittsburgh city council, Westmoreland County sheriff and Westmoreland County commissioner. To get more information on polling places, go to the official election pages...
Texas church opens new sanctuary after massacre
SUTHERLAND SPRINGS, Texas — A South Texas church begins a new chapter of worship Sunday as it unveils a new sanctuary a year and half after a gunman opened fire and killed more than two dozen congregants in the deadliest mass shooting in state history. Worshippers, elected leaders and relatives...
AP sources: Former CIA chief Brennan to brief Dems on Iran
WASHINGTON — House Democrats will hear from former CIA Director John Brennan about the situation in Iran, inviting him to speak next week amid heightened concerns over the Trump administration’s sudden moves in the region. Brennan, an outspoken critic of President Trump, is scheduled to talk to House Democrats at...
Coal still fuels economic fire in Pennsylvania, industry study reports
Don’t rule the coal industry out as an economic force in Pennsylvania just yet. A new study — conducted by the Allegheny Conference on Community Development and commissioned by the Pennsylvania Coal Alliance — found that coal mining accounts for nearly $7 billion in economic activity in the state, including...
China’s ban on scrap imports a boon to U.S. recycling plants
ALBANY, N.Y. — The halt on China’s imports of wastepaper and plastic that has disrupted U.S. recycling programs has also spurred investment in American plants that process recyclables. U.S. paper mills are expanding capacity to take advantage of a glut of cheap scrap. Some facilities that previously exported plastic or...
