Gospel singer Richard Smallwood dies at 77, leaving a legacy that inspired many in music
Richard Smallwood, a gospel singer and recording artist nominated eight times for Grammy Awards, has died. He was 77. Smallwood died Tuesday of complications of kidney failure at a rehabilitation and nursing center in Sandy Spring, Maryland, his representative Bill Carpenter announced. Smallwood had health issues for many years, and...
Trump isn’t the 1st president to want more room to entertain, longtime White House usher says
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump is not the first president to want more room at the White House for entertaining, says the longest-serving top aide in the executive residence, offering some backup for the reason Trump has cited for his ballroom construction project. Gary Walters spent more than two decades...
New Year’s Day: What’s open? Retailers. What’s closed? Government and banks.
While schools, government and banks are closed on New Year’s Day, most major retailers across the U.S. will be open, with many offering discounts on older inventory to clear the way for newer products. But before you run out the door on New Year’s Day to peruse deals, it’s wise...
U.S. applications for jobless benefits fell below 200,000 last week with layoffs historically low
WASHINGTON — Fewer Americans applied for unemployment benefits last week with layoffs remaining low despite a weakening labor market. U.S. applications for jobless claims for the week ending Dec. 27 fell by 16,000 to 199,000 from the previous week’s 215,000, the Labor Department reported Wednesday. Analysts surveyed by the data...
A rough year for journalists in 2025, with a little hope for things to turn around
NEW YORK — By nearly any measure, 2025 has been a rough year for anyone concerned about freedom of the press. It’s likely to be the deadliest year on record for journalists and media workers. The number of assaults on reporters in the U.S. nearly equals the last three years...
Gallery: Photos from Dec. 31, 2025
From the rolling hills of Western Pennsylvania to distant corners of the globe, TribLive’s Photo Adventure captures the world in motion — one frame at a time. Through the lenses of photographers near and far, these images tell stories of place, connection, and the beauty found in everyday life. It’s...
Zohran Mamdani is set to be sworn in as mayor as NYC rings in the New Year
Zohran Mamdani will become mayor of New York City as the clock ticks over into 2026 — but the celebrations are set to last through New Year’s Day. The Democrat’s team is planning two separate swearing-in ceremonies Thursday — a small, private one with his family in an old subway...
National Guard arrives in New Orleans for 1st New Year’s since Bourbon Street attack
NEW ORLEANS — National Guard members arrived in New Orleans Tuesday to help with safety measures ahead of New Year’s celebrations as city officials are still seeking permanent security solutions nearly a year after a truck attack on Bourbon Street left 14 dead. The rampage, in which a man drove...
Firefighters battle blaze in East Huntingdon homeVideo
An East Huntingdon home was destroyed by fire Wednesday morning, and firefighters contended with snow and cold temperatures while extinguishing the blaze. Three people escaped the Mt. Pleasant Road home about 7 a.m. as flames spread through it. East Huntingdon fire Chief Rich DeForrest said it was fully engulfed when...
Pacifist Japan has slowly transformed from exclusively self-defense to a military buildup
TOKYO — Japan is barreling forward with efforts to significantly boost its military capabilities to stand up to China’s growing threats by doubling annual arms spending. The goal comes as Tokyo’s main ally, the United States, pushes for more military assistance in Asia and a military hawk and ultra-conservative takes...
Russian drones blast Ukraine’s Odesa and injure 6, including children
KYIV, Ukraine — Russian drones blasted apartment buildings and the power grid in the southern Ukraine city of Odesa in an overnight attack that injured six people, including a toddler and two other children, officials said Wednesday. Four apartment buildings were damaged in the bombardment, according to regional military administration...
Idaho company recalls nearly 3,000 pounds of ground beef for E. coli risk
An Idaho-based company is recalling nearly 3,000 pounds of raw ground beef that may have been contaminated with E. coli bacteria. The recall involves 16-ounce vacuum-sealed packages labeled “Forward Farms Grass-Fed Ground Beef.” Affected packages were produced Dec. 16 and have a label telling customers to use or freeze the...
Trump administration says it’s freezing child care funds to Minnesota after series of fraud schemes
President Donald Trump’s administration announced on Tuesday that it is freezing child care funds to Minnesota and demanding an audit of fraud schemes involving government programs. Deputy Secretary of Health and Human Services Jim O’Neill said on the social platform X that the move is in response to “blatant fraud...
Roses in the rain? New Year’s Day parade in Pasadena gets wet forecast. Bundle up for NYC ball drop
For the first time in 20 years, rain is expected to intrude on the Rose Parade in Southern California, a venerable New Year’s Day event that attracts thousands of spectators and is watched by millions more on TV. Storms caused Christmas week flooding, mudslides and other miseries across the region....
Tatiana Schlossberg, a granddaughter of the late President John F. Kennedy, has died at 35
Environmental journalist Tatiana Schlossberg, one of three grandchildren of the late President John F. Kennedy, has died. She was 35. Schlossberg, daughter of Kennedy’s daughter, Caroline Kennedy, and Edwin Schlossberg, revealed she had terminal cancer in a November 2025 essay in The New Yorker. A family statement disclosing her death...
Judge blocks White House’s attempt to defund the CFPB, ensuring employees get paid
NEW YORK — The White House cannot lapse in its funding of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, a federal district court judge ruled on Tuesday, only days before funds at the bureau would have likely run out and the consumer finance agency would have no money to pay its employees....
The year’s 1st meteor shower and supermoon clash in January skies
NEW YORK — The year’s first supermoon and meteor shower will sync up in January skies, but the light from one may dim the other. The Quadrantid meteor shower peaks Friday night into Saturday morning, according to the American Meteor Society. In dark skies during the peak, skygazers typically see...
SNAP bans on soda, candy and other foods take effect in 5 states Jan. 1
Starting Thursday, Americans in five states who get government help paying for groceries will see new restrictions on soda, candy and other foods they can buy with those benefits. Indiana, Iowa, Nebraska, Utah and West Virginia are the first of at least 18 states to enact waivers prohibiting the purchase...
Channel Tunnel disruption affects Eurostar and vehicle shuttle between France and England
PARIS — Power problems and a stuck train interrupted rail services through the undersea Channel Tunnel connecting the United Kingdom and continental Europe on Tuesday, operators said, stranding passengers during the busy end-of-year holidays. At Paris’ Gare du Nord station, Jamie and Issy Gill scrambled to find a flight back...
After quiet off-year elections, Democrats renew worries about Trump interfering in the midterms
If history is a guide, Republicans stand a good chance of losing control of the House of Representatives in 2026. They have just a slim majority in the chamber, and the incumbent party usually gives up seats in midterm elections. President Donald Trump, whose loss of the House halfway through...
Gallery: Photos from Dec. 30, 2025
From the rolling hills of Western Pennsylvania to distant corners of the globe, TribLive’s Photo Adventure captures the world in motion — one frame at a time. Through the lenses of photographers near and far, these images tell stories of place, connection, and the beauty found in everyday life. It’s...
European and Canadian leaders discuss U.S.-led peace efforts in Russia-Ukraine war
KYIV, Ukraine — Leaders from Europe and Canada held talks Tuesday on U.S.-led peace efforts to end the nearly four-year war between Russia and Ukraine, as Moscow and Kyiv sparred over Russian claims, denied by Ukraine, of a mass drone attack on a lakeside residence used by President Vladimir Putin....
More musicians cancel Kennedy Center concerts following addition of Trump’s name to building
More artists have canceled scheduled performances at the Kennedy Center following the addition of President Donald Trump’s name to the facility, with jazz supergroup The Cookers pulling out of a planned New Year’s Eve concert, and the institution’s president saying the cancellations belie the artists’ unwillingness to see their music...
Extreme Midwest cold follows storm that barreled across Great Lakes and Northeast
Now comes even more frigid weather in the U.S. Midwest. Extreme cold with near-zero degree wind chills descended upon parts of Iowa, Nebraska, Minnesota and Wisconsin, forecasters said Tuesday, even as utilities worked to restore power to thousands of customers after heavy snow and strong winds pummeled parts of the...
Israel says it will halt operations of several humanitarian organizations in Gaza starting in 2026
JERUSALEM — Israel on Tuesday said it will suspend over two dozen humanitarian organizations, including Doctors Without Borders, for failing to meet its new rules to vet international organizations working in Gaza. The Ministry of Diaspora Affairs said the organizations that will be banned on Jan. 1 did not meet...
