White House in talks over confronting Iran
WASHINGTON — The Trump administration is considering a range of options for using military force against Iran, officials said Tuesday, as lawmakers from both parties complained that the White House has not fully briefed them on the escalating tensions. Top advisers to President Trump met at the White House late...
College student who says he mistook mom for intruder and beat her to death with a bat charged with murder
GENEVA, Ill. — A suburban Chicago man charged in the beating death of his mother mistook the woman for an intruder when he repeatedly hit her with a baseball bat, an attorney said. Thomas J. Summerwill of Campton Hills is charged with two counts of second-degree murder in the March...
3 Florida radio stations vow to broadcast Trump speeches daily until end of 2020 election
ORLANDO — Days after President Trump rallied his base in Florida’s Panhandle, vowing hundreds of millions of dollars in aid for the hurricane-devastated region, three local radio stations said they would air Trump speeches daily until the 2020 election. The stations will broadcast two-minute snippets of Trump speeches every hour...
Arctic temperatures soar as carbon dioxide hits highest level in human history
Over the weekend, the climate system sounded simultaneous alarms. Near the entrance to the Arctic Ocean in northwest Russia, the temperature surged to 84 degrees Fahrenheit. Meanwhile, the concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere eclipsed 415 parts per million for the first time in human history. By themselves, these...
U.K.’s Theresa May to make new push on Brexit deal next month
LONDON — British Prime Minister Theresa May will try again next month to secure Parliament’s backing for a Brexit deal so that the U.K. can leave the European Union this summer, May’s office said Tuesday. Downing Street said May intends to ask lawmakers to vote on a withdrawal agreement bill...
Westmoreland commissioner candidate pushes hard-right platform
Republican John Ventre, during an election forum Tuesday night in Greensburg, said “liberals who kill unborn babies” are not welcome in Westmoreland County. Ventre was one of six Republicans and one Democrat running for Westmoreland County commissioner who participated Tuesday night in the forum at the Greensburg Garden & Civic...
Alabama ban on nearly all abortions in GOP governor’s hands
MONTGOMERY — Alabama legislators have given final approval to a ban on nearly all abortions, and if the Republican governor signs the measure, the state will have the strictest abortion law in the country. The legislation would make performing an abortion a felony at any stage of pregnancy with almost...
Oregon vaccine bill dead as U.S. measles count soars
SALEM, Ore. — Critics blasted a decision by Oregon lawmakers that killed a bill aimed at getting more children vaccinated for measles and other preventable diseases in order to pass a tax on large businesses, saying it jeopardized public health. Despite passing the House and having the necessary votes in...
Man dubbed ‘Broadway Bandit’ arrested after prison release
NEW YORK — A dying New Yorker dubbed the “Broadway Bandit” was arrested Tuesday on charges stemming from a bank robbery that occurred only nine days after he walked away from a sentencing hearing for robbing five banks. Jamie Frierson, 49, of Manhattan is back in federal custody, charged with...
House Democrats probe Trump lawyers’ role in Michael Cohen testimony
WASHINGTON — The House Intelligence Committee is investigating whether four lawyers tied to President Trump, his family and businesses helped to devise false testimony given by Trump’s long-time lawyer Michael Cohen to Congress in 2017. The committee is demanding they turn over documents and agree to interviews, Chairman Adam Schiff...
Brewery offered free beer as reward for finding stolen van. It was back in 42 minutes
CHARLOTTE — A brewery in Charlotte may have set a record this week for the recovery of a stolen vehicle, after offering a keg party to whoever found it — including the thieves. It took just 42 minutes for the missing truck to turn up, The Unknown Brewing Co. says....
Pennsylvania House tries anew to ban Down syndrome abortions
HARRISBURG — The Pennsylvania House of Representatives is launching another effort to outlaw abortions because of a prenatal diagnosis of Down syndrome, passing legislation Tuesday that faces a veto by Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf, if it even reaches his desk. The vote comes amid a wave of abortion restrictions advancing...
Donald Trump Jr. agrees to testify before the Senate Intelligence Committee againVideo
WASHINGTON — Donald Trump Jr. has reached a deal with the Senate Intelligence Committee to appear for a second closed-door interview in June, according to people familiar with the matter, ending a tense standoff between the president’s son and the panel’s Republican chairman. Under the terms of the deal, Trump...
Hofstra University suspends fraternity after video of dog forced to drink beer goes viralVideo
Hofstra University has suspended a fraternity after video shared on social media appears to show some of its members forcing a dog to drink beer at an off-campus party over the weekend. The clip, which had more than 100,000 views on Twitter on Tuesday morning, shows partygoers lift up the...
Swiping beach rocks will cost you $250 in this Massachusetts town
A Massachusetts town wants to stop people from stealing its beach. Westport added a new bylaw last week that imposes a $250 fine for taking rocks or vegetation from town beaches, reports South Coast Today. Beach Committee member Sean Leach is fed up with people swiping attractive stones and plants...
Pa. Attorney General Josh Shapiro sues OxyContin maker over opioids
PHILADELPHIA — Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro has filed a lawsuit accusing the company that makes OxyContin of fueling the opioid epidemic. Shapiro announced the lawsuit Tuesday against Connecticut-based Purdue Pharma. Pennsylvania is one of the states hardest hit by opioid addiction. It is at least the 39th state to...
Trump officials, DHS discussed mass family arrests
WASHINGTON — Homeland Security officials considered arresting thousands of migrant families who had final deportation orders and removing them from the United States in a flashy show of force, but the idea was tabled as the Trump administration grappled with straining resources and a growing number of Central Americans crossing...
Gag order in Penn State hazing case applies to Piazza family, judge rules
The Piazza family’s nationwide anti-hazing tour may continue, but it might feature a slightly different script after a Centre County judge ruled Tuesday that a 2018 gag order applies to them. Defense attorneys Frank Fina and Steve Trialonas — who represent former Beta Theta Pi fraternity members Brendan Young and...
State, American flags ordered at half-staff Wednesday for national police memorial
American and Pennsylvania flags at state facilities will fly at half-staff Wednesday in honor of National Peace Officers Memorial Day, according to Gov. Tom Wolf. The day is meant to honor law enforcement members who died in the line of duty. A memorial service will be held in Washington, D.C....
QR code on graduation cap sends people to list of high school shooting victims
A high school student in Ohio is using her cryptic graduation cap to make a statement. Gina Warren, 18, of Ashville, Ohio, is seeking to raise awareness of violence at schools by referring people to a website with a list of students killed in U.S. high schools. She is using...
Woman demands Disney apologize for CBD oil arrest
ORLANDO, Fla. — A 69-year-old woman is demanding an apology for her arrest at a Walt Disney World security checkpoint last month after a guard says CBD oil was found during a search of her purse. Hester Burkhalter has hired high-profile attorney Benjamin Crump, who represented Trayvon Martin’s family. Crump...
Businessman pleads guilty to stealing up to $1.5M in wine
BALTIMORE — A Maryland man has pleaded guilty to embezzling up to $1.5 million in upscale wine from customers who paid him to store the bottles, which he sold without their knowledge. A plea agreement calls for 54-year-old William Lamont Holder of Hanover, Md., to be sentenced to 18 months...
Pompeo tells Russia: no more election interference
SOCHI, Russia — On his first trip to Russia as U.S. Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo said Tuesday that he warned his Russian counterpart against any “unacceptable” Russian meddling in U.S. elections. At a news conference following three hours of meetings, Pompeo said he told Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov...
Walmart matches Amazon with one-day shipping on many items
Walmart wants to one-up Amazon.com in the fight for online shoppers. The world’s largest retailer is rolling out a next-day delivery service to counter Amazon’s recent move to speed shipment times for top customers to just one day from two. Starting Tuesday, Walmart customers in Phoenix and Las Vegas who...
4 candidates seek party nominations for Westmoreland Register of Wills
Westmoreland County voters have to decide between two candidates on each the Republican and Democratic tickets for the Register of Wills office. Republican incumbent Sherry Magretti Hamilton, 42, of Hempfield is being challenged by former employee Kimberly Horrell, 54, of Greensburg. The Democratic ticket features Register of Wills deputy clerk...
