Elon Musk’s budget crusade could cause a constitutional clash in Trump’s 2nd term
WASHINGTON — When Elon Musk first suggested a new effort to cut the size of government, Donald Trump didn’t seem to take it seriously. His eventual name for the idea sounded like a joke too. It would be called the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, a reference to an...
Rep. Greene to helm new ‘DOGE’ subcommittee in House
WASHINGTON — Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene announced Thursday she will chair a new House Oversight subcommittee to work with President-elect Donald Trump’s new Department of Government Efficiency to cut spending and streamline government. The new subcommittee, created by House Oversight and Accountability Chairman James R. Comer, R-Ky., would hunt for...
New Hampshire court hears cases on transgender girls playing girls sports and the right to protest
CONCORD, N.H. — Two lawsuits about transgender girl athletes — one challenging a state ban at schools and the other on the right to protest transgender athletes’ participation on girls teams — were the subject of hearings in federal court in New Hampshire on Thursday. The first case is about...
Putin says Russia has tested a new intermediate range missile in a strike on Ukraine
KYIV, Ukraine — Russian President Vladimir Putin announced Thursday that Moscow has tested a new intermediate-range missile in a strike on Ukraine, and he warned that it could use the weapon against countries that have allowed Kyiv to use their missiles to strike Russia. The Russian strike on Ukraine on...
Georgia AG Chris Carr launches Republican bid in 2026 governor’s race
ATLANTA — Georgia’s Republican attorney general, Chris Carr, said Thursday that he’s running for governor in 2026, becoming the first major candidate from either party to announce a bid. Prominent Republicans and Democrats are eyeing the seat, which will be open in two years after term-limited Republican Gov. Brian Kemp...
Gaetz withdraws as Trump’s pick for attorney general
WASHINGTON — Matt Gaetz withdrew Thursday as President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for attorney general following continued scrutiny over a federal sex trafficking investigation that cast doubt on his ability to be confirmed as the nation’s chief federal law enforcement officer. The abrupt withdrawal is a setback to Trump’s push to...
Jussie Smollett’s conviction in 2019 attack on himself is overturned
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — The Illinois Supreme Court on Thursday overturned actor Jussie Smollett’s conviction on charges that he staged a racist and homophobic attack against himself in downtown Chicago in 2019 and lied to police. Smollett’s appeal argued that a special prosecutor should not have been allowed to intervene after...
Mali’s ruling military appoints new prime minister, a day after his predecessor was fired
BAMAKO, Mali — Mali’s ruling junta on Thursday appointed a new prime minister from the ranks of the military generals, a day after firing his predecessor for criticizing the military regime. The move effectively consolidates all power in the African country in the hands of military generals. Mali has been...
U.S. home sales rose in October, notching their 1st annual gain in over 3 years
LOS ANGELES — Sales of previously occupied U.S. homes rose in October, the first annual gain in more than three years, with home shoppers encouraged by easing rates and a pickup in properties on the market. Existing home sales rose 3.4% last month, from September, to a seasonally adjusted annual...
Gallery: Photos from Nov. 21, 2024
Embark on a visual journey around the Western Pennsylvania region — and the world — with TribLive’s latest collection of captivating images for Thursday, Nov. 21, 2024. From the rustic landscapes of Western Pa. to diverse corners of the globe, experience the shared moments of humanity....
International Criminal Court issues arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Hamas officials
THE HAGUE — The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants on Thursday for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, his former defense minister and Hamas officials, accusing them of war crimes and crimes against humanity over their 13-month war in Gaza and the October 2023 attack on Israel respectively. Netanyahu condemned...
Ukraine says Russia launched an intercontinental missile in an attack for the 1st time in the war
KYIV, Ukraine — Ukraine claimed Thursday that Russia launched an intercontinental ballistic missile overnight at a city. If confirmed, it would be the first time Moscow has used such a weapon in the war. Ukraine did not provide any evidence that an ICBM was used in the attack on the...
Trump’s against climate action, but some right-wing governments are all for it
BAKU, Azerbaijan — They’re political soulmates except when it comes to climate. President-Elect Donald Trump praised Hungary’s right-wing populist leader Viktor Orbán as respected, smart and a “strong man” in his winning 2024 campaign. During Hungary’s rotation at the top of a council of European Union leaders, Orbán promised to...
Nearly $100 million awarded to the family of Texas man fatally shot in his apartment by an officer
DALLAS — The family of a man shot and killed by a Dallas police officer who said she mistook his apartment for her own was awarded nearly $100 million Wednesday in a federal civil trial. The jury found after a three-day trial that ex-officer Amber Guyger used excessive force in...
FBI arrests man who’s been charged with planning attack on New York Stock Exchange
A Florida man was arrested Wednesday and charged with a plot to “reboot” the U.S. government by planting a bomb at the New York Stock Exchange this week and detonating it with a remote-controlled device, according to the FBI. Harun Abdul-Malik Yener, 30, of Coral Springs, Florida, was charged with...
Ohio Democrat Marcy Kaptur extends tenure as longest-serving woman in U.S. House with election win
COLUMBUS — Democratic U.S. Rep. Marcy Kaptur won another term Wednesday in the U.S. House, after defeating a Republican state lawmaker endorsed by President-elect Donald Trump. Her victory in northwest Ohio over fourth-term state Rep. Derek Merrin allows Kaptur to continue her streak as the longest-serving woman in House history....
Philadelphia loses lawsuit that sought greater power for the city to regulate firearms
HARRISBURG — Philadelphia may not impose stricter firearms regulations than are authorized under state law, the Democratic majority Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruled Wednesday, a blow to city leaders and others trying to address gun violence. The justices ruled 6-0 to uphold dismissal of a lawsuit filed by the city, family...
Republicans on the House Ethics Committee reject releasing report on Matt Gaetz
WASHINGTON — Republicans on the House Ethics Committee voted Wednesday against releasing a report on the panel’s long-running investigation into President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee for attorney general, former Rep. Matt Gaetz, the top Democrat on the panel said. Rep. Susan Wild of Pennsylvania said the ethics panel, which is evenly...
Texas offers Trump land on U.S.-Mexico border for potential mass deportations
McALLEN, Texas — Texas is offering a parcel of rural ranchland along the U.S.-Mexico border to use as a staging area for potential mass deportations under President-elect Donald Trump. The property, which Texas originally purchased last month, is located in rural Starr County in the Rio Grande Valley. Republican Dawn...
Susan Smith is denied parole 30 years after drowning 2 sons by rolling car into South Carolina lake
COLUMBIA, S.C. — A parole board decided unanimously Wednesday that Susan Smith should remain in prison 30 years after she killed her sons by rolling her car into a South Carolina lake while they were strapped in their car seats. It was the first parole hearing for Smith, 53, who...
Man convicted of killing Laken Riley sentenced to life in prison without parole
ATHENS, Ga. — The Venezuelan man convicted of killing Georgia nursing student Laken Riley has been sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole in a case that became a flashpoint in the national debate over immigration. Jose Ibarra was charged with murder and other crimes in Riley’s...
Trump chooses former acting Attorney General Matt Whitaker as NATO ambassador
WASHINGTON — Donald Trump says he has chosen former acting Attorney General Matt Whitaker to serve as U.S. ambassador to NATO, the bedrock Western alliance that the president-elect has expressed skepticism about for years. Trump, in a statement, said Whitaker was “a strong warrior and loyal Patriot” who “will ensure...
Gallery: Photos from Nov. 20, 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. 20, 2024. From the rustic landscapes of Western Pa. to diverse corners of the globe, experience the shared moments of humanity....
Battle over mail ballots in Pennsylvania is latest example of messy disputes over election rules
HARRISBURG — The recount underway in Pennsylvania’s U.S. Senate race marks the end of a chaotic post-election period that has become the latest example of how disputed election rules can expose weak points in a core function of American democracy. The ballot-counting process in the race between incumbent Democratic Sen....
Dark energy pushing our universe apart may not be what it seems, scientists say
NEW YORK — Distant, ancient galaxies are giving scientists more hints that a mysterious force called dark energy may not be what they thought. Astronomers know that the universe is being pushed apart at an accelerating rate and they have puzzled for decades over what could possibly be speeding everything...
