Footprints suggest 2 species of early humans were neighbors in Kenya 1.5M years ago
WASHINGTON — Muddy footprints left on a Kenyan lakeside suggest two of our early human ancestors were nearby neighbors some 1.5 million years ago. The footprints were left in the mud by two different species “within a matter of hours, or at most days,” said paleontologist Louise Leakey, co-author of...
Trump promised federal recognition for the Lumbee Tribe. Will he follow through?
OKLAHOMA CITY — When Kamala Harris and Donald Trump campaigned in North Carolina, both candidates courted a state-recognized tribe there whose 55,000 members could have helped tip the swing state. Trump in September promised that he would sign legislation to grant federal recognition to the Lumbee Tribe, a distinction that...
Trump transition says Cabinet picks, appointees were targeted by bomb threats, swatting attacks
NEW YORK — A number of President-elect Donald Trump ‘s most prominent Cabinet picks and appointees have been targeted by bomb threats and “swatting attacks,” Trump’s transition team said Wednesday. The FBI said it was investigating. “Last night and this morning, several of President Trump’s Cabinet nominees and Administration appointees...
Trump’s tariffs in his first term did little to alter the economy, but this time could be different
WASHINGTON — Donald Trump loved to use tariffs on foreign goods during his first presidency. But their impact was barely noticeable in the overall economy, even if their aftershocks were clear in specific industries. The data show they never fully delivered on his promised factory jobs. Nor did they provoke...
Trump claims a win on immigration after a call with Mexico’s president. But she suggests no change
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — President-elect Donald Trump declared a win on stopping illegal immigration through Mexico on Wednesday after talking with that country’s leader. But Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum suggested Mexico was already doing its part and had no interest in closing its borders. The two spoke just days...
Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade: Big balloons, wet weather and 21 protesters arrested
NEW YORK — The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade was drenched in rain Thursday and briefly disrupted by Pro-Palestinian demonstrators. New York City police said they arrested 21 people after protesters sat down on the parade route with Palestinian flags and a “Don’t Celebrate Genocide” banner. People protesting Israel’s war in...
Saturday’s deer season opener still draws fire from traditionalists
There are few items on the Pennsylvania hunting calendar that draw more anticipation than the opening day of firearms deer season. There also are few events that have generated as much heated debate in recent years, particularly since the Pennsylvania Game Commission made the decision in 2019 to shift opening...
Botched FAFSA rollout, state upgrades mean college students are still waiting for critical grant money
Spotlight PA is an independent, nonpartisan, and nonprofit newsroom producing investigative and public-service journalism that holds power to account and drives positive change in Pennsylvania. HARRISBURG — The money for the fall semester normally arrives in September. By the last week of November, with the end of the semester in...
Florida golfer fatally beaten with his own clubs in a random attack, police sayVideo
PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. — A Florida golfer has died after he was beaten with his own clubs and choked in what police believe was a random attack by a man with a history of violence whose family had just kicked him out of their home. Brian Hiltebeitel, 65, was...
Trump picks Jay Bhattacharya, who backed covid herd immunity, to lead National Institutes of HealthVideo
President-elect Donald Trump has chosen health economist Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, a critic of pandemic lockdowns and vaccine mandates, to lead the National Institutes of Health, the nation’s leading medical research agency. Trump, in a statement Tuesday evening, said Bhattacharya, a 56-year-old physician and professor at Stanford University School of Medicine,...
Canada already examining tariffs on certain U.S. items following Trump’s tariff threat
TORONTO — Canada is already examining possible retaliatory tariffs on certain items from the United States should President-elect Donald Trump follow through on his threat to impose sweeping tariffs on Canadian products, a senior official said Wednesday. Trump has threatened to impose tariffs on products from Canada and Mexico if...
Democrat Derek Tran defeats GOP Rep. Michelle Steel in Southern California swing House district
LOS ANGELES — Democrat Derek Tran ousted Republican U.S. Rep. Michelle Steel in a Southern California House district Wednesday that was specifically drawn to give Asian Americans a stronger voice on Capitol Hill. Steel said in a statement that “like all journeys, this one is ending for a new one...
Capitol rioter’s defamation suit against Fox News dismissed
A Delaware court judge has dismissed a defamation lawsuit against Fox News filed by a Jan. 6 rioter who said the network falsely identified him as an FBI informant. U.S. District Court Judge Jennifer L. Hall granted Fox News’ motion to dismiss the suit filed last year by Ray Epps....
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine signs bill limiting bathroom use by transgender students
COLUMBUS — Transgender students from kindergarten through college at Ohio public and private schools will be banned from using multiperson bathrooms that fit their gender identities under a measure that Republican Gov. Mike DeWine said Wednesday that he has signed. DeWine signed the law out of public view Tuesday over...
Trump nominates longtime adviser Keith Kellogg as special envoy for Ukraine and Russia
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — President-elect Donald Trump said Wednesday that he will nominate Gen. Keith Kellogg to serve as assistant to the president and special envoy for Ukraine and Russia. Kellogg, a retired Army lieutenant general who has long been Trump’s top adviser on defense issues, served as National...
Northern lights may be faintly visible across parts of the U.S. this Thanksgiving
NEW YORK — This Thanksgiving, solar storms may produce faint auroras across the northern rim of the United States. Pale auroras may be seen across many northern states Thursday and Friday, but they may be brief and and seeing them will depend on how intense the solar storms get, NOAA...
White House pressing Ukraine to draft 18-year-olds so they have enough troops to battle Russia
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden’s administration is urging Ukraine to quickly increase the size of its military by drafting more troops and revamping its mobilization laws to allow for the conscription of troops as young as 18. A senior Biden administration official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to...
Massachusetts man wrongfully convicted of murder was awarded $13 million. He won’t get all of it
FRAMINGHAM, Mass. — For the nearly three decades that he was behind bars, Michael Sullivan’s mother and four siblings died, his girlfriend moved on with her life and he was badly beaten in several prison attacks. All for a murder he long insisted he never committed. Earlier this month, the...
New York City found in contempt over conditions in city jails
NEW YORK — A federal judge found New York City in contempt on Wednesday over conditions in its city jails, saying conditions have only worsened in the nine years since the city settled accusations of abuse and violence. Judge Laura Taylor Swain in Manhattan issued a written ruling finding the...
Gallery: Photos from Nov. 27, 2024
Embark on a visual journey around the Western Pennsylvania region — and the world — with TribLive’s latest collection of captivating images for Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2024. From the rustic landscapes of Western Pa. to diverse corners of the globe, experience the shared moments of humanity....
Number of Americans filing for jobless benefits falls again and hovers near 7-month lows
The number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits fell last week, remaining near seven-month lows. Jobless claim applications fell by 2,000 to 213,000 for the week of Nov. 23, the Labor Department reported Wednesday. The previous week’s level was revised up by 2,000 from 213,000, to 215,000. However, continuing claims,...
2 companies drop McGregor after civil jury ruled he must pay $250K to woman who says he raped her
LONDON — Two companies have cut ties with Conor McGregor after a civil court jury in Ireland ruled last week that he must pay nearly 250,000 Euros ($257,000) to a woman who accused the mixed martial arts fighter of raping her. Proximo Spirits, the owner of Irish whiskey brand Proper...
Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire appears to hold as Lebanese begin streaming south to their homes
TYRE, Lebanon — A ceasefire between Israel and the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah that began Wednesday appeared to be holding, as residents in cars heaped with belongings streamed back toward southern Lebanon despite warnings from the Israeli and Lebanese militaries that they stay away from certain areas. If it holds,...
Trump fills out economic team with 2 veterans of his 1st administration
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — President-elect Donald Trump is turning to two officials with experience navigating not only Washington but the key issues of income taxes and tariffs as he fills out his economic team. Trump on Tuesday announced he has chosen international trade attorney Jamieson Greer to be his...
Police say FBI agent sexually assaulted 2 women after promise of free tattoos, modelingVideo
GAITHERSBURG, Md. — An FBI agent charged in Maryland with sexually assaulting two women contacted his alleged victims through social media with a promise to give them free tattoos and modeling work, police said Tuesday as they encouraged other potential victims to come forward. Neither woman knew that their alleged...
