Liberals pressure Senate Democrats to confirm more Biden judges while they can
WASHINGTON — Demand Justice, a progressive organization focused on the judiciary, is set to bombard Capitol Hill with a message for the closing weeks of the 118th Congress: Do “whatever it takes” to confirm President Joe Biden’s nominees as a second Donald Trump presidency looms. The Republican president-elect’s victory and...
Gaetz pick shows value Trump places on loyalty — and retribution — as he returns to Washington
WASHINGTON — Donald Trump has had few defenders in Congress as reliable as Matt Gaetz, who has thundered at one prosecutor after another for perceived bias against the president-elect and emphatically amplified the Republican’s rallying cry that the criminal investigations into him are “witch hunts.” That kinship was rewarded Wednesday...
Republicans win 218 U.S. House seats, giving Donald Trump and the party control of government
WASHINGTON — Republicans have won enough seats to control the U.S. House, completing the party’s sweep into power and securing their hold on U.S. government alongside President-elect Donald Trump. A House Republican victory in Arizona, alongside a win in slow-counting California earlier Wednesday, gave the GOP the 218 House victories...
FBI: Investigation into Chinese hacking reveals ‘broad and significant’ spying effort
WASHINGTON — A federal investigation into Chinese government efforts to hack into U.S. telecommunications networks has revealed a “broad and significant” cyberespionage campaign aimed at stealing information from Americans who work in government and politics, the FBI said Wednesday. Hackers affiliated with Beijing have compromised the networks of “multiple” telecommunications...
Prosecutor failed to show that Elon Musk’s $1M-a-day sweepstakes was an illegal lottery, judge says
PHILADELPHIA — The $1 million voter sweepstakes linked to billionaire Elon Musk was allowed to continue through Election Day because Philadelphia’s top prosecutor failed to show that it was an illegal lottery, a judge said in a new opinion. District Attorney Larry Krasner had filed suit last month to try...
Gov. Shapiro gives ‘wait and see’ response to Trump pledge to begin mass deportations
Gov, Josh Shapiro said Wednesday he will hold off until hearing President-elect Donald Trump’s plan on mass deportations before determining how he will respond. “Let’s wait and see,” Shapiro said after remarks at an economic development event at a machine construction company in Dillsburg. Shapiro’s comments come as post-Trump election...
Special counsel Jack Smith asks court to pause appeal seeking to revive Trump’s classified documents case
WASHINGTON — Special counsel Jack Smith asked a court Wednesday to pause prosecutors’ appeal seeking to revive the classified documents case against President-elect Donald Trump in light of the Republican’s presidential victory. Smith’s team has been evaluating how to wind down the classified documents and the federal 2020 election interference...
Casey-McCormick race heads to automatic recount
Pennsylvania’s hard-fought U.S. Senate race is being extended potentially another two weeks. With the contest between Democratic incumbent Bob Casey and Republican businessman Dave McCormick within 0.5 percentage point, the race is legally required to go to automatic recount under Pennsylvania law, Secretary of the Commonwealth Al Schmidt announced Wednesday....
Philadelphia mass transit users face fare hikes of more than 20% and possible service cuts
PHILADELPHIA — Philadelphia’s mass transit system has proposed an across-the-board 21.5% fare increase that would start New Year’s Day as well as severe service cuts that would take effect next summer. The Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority announced its plans on Tuesday and scheduled a Dec. 13 public hearing on them....
Trump says he will nominate Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida to be attorney general
WASHINGTON — President-elect Donald Trump has nominated Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida to serve as U.S. attorney general, a surprising and highly controversial pick that could set up a confirmation battle in the Senate as the congressman continues to battle accusations of illicit drug use and sex trafficking. At a...
Trump picks ex-Rep. Tulsi Gabbard as director of national intelligence, Rubio for Secretary of State
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — President-elect Donald Trump has chosen Tulsi Gabbard, a former Democratic member of Congress and presidential candidate, to serve as director of national intelligence, continuing to stock his Cabinet with loyal personalities complimentary to his own, rather than long-term professionals in their requisite fields. “As a...
Birth control and abortion pill requests have surged since Trump won the election
Hours after Donald Trump was elected president for the second time, Dr. Clayton Alfonso had two messages from patients seeking to replace their IUDs. Over the next few days, three women inquired about getting their tubes tied. All of them said the election was the reason they were making these...
U.S. overdose deaths are down, giving experts hope for an enduring decline
NEW YORK — The decline in U.S. drug overdose deaths appears to have continued this year, giving experts hope the nation is seeing sustained improvement in the persistent epidemic. There were about 97,000 overdose deaths in the 12-month period that ended June 30, according to provisional Centers for Disease Control...
Republican John Thune of South Dakota is elected the next Senate majority leader
WASHINGTON — Republicans have elected South Dakota Sen. John Thune as the next Senate majority leader, completing a momentous shift in their leadership that elevates a top deputy of Mitch McConnell into a key position as President-elect Donald Trump returns to the White House. Thune, 63, is in his fourth...
What to know about Pete Hegseth, Trump’s pick to serve as defense secretary
In picking Fox News Channel host Pete Hegseth to lead the Department of Defense, President-elect Donald Trump has selected a military veteran and popular conservative media personality with a large following of his own. Hegseth, 44, has developed a close rapport with Trump, who also reportedly considered him for a...
Can DeSantis appoint himself to U.S. Senate if Rubio joins the Trump administration?
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has an opportunity. With president-elect Donald Trump expected to name Marco Rubio as his secretary of state, DeSantis will soon have the power to temporarily appoint someone to fill Rubio’s seat in the U.S. Senate. That’s because Florida is one of 34 states in the country...
Florida Sen. Marco Rubio seen as Trump’s pick for secretary of State
WASHINGTON — Marco Rubio, the combative and hawkish Republican senator from Florida, is expected to be President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for secretary of State, multiple media outlets reported Tuesday. Rubio, the son of Cuban immigrants, was once a challenger to and critic of Trump, but has become a staunch defender...
Human relations commission seeks additional feedback on harassment, bullying guidelines
The Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission is seeking feedback as it develops guidelines to address bullying and harassment in schools. The commission released an initial draft of proposed guidelines on Aug. 8. “In August we received more than 70 public comments on our harassment in education guidance,” said commission Executive Director...
Speaker Johnson begins fight for the House gavel, winning nod from Trump
WASHINGTON — Speaker Mike Johnson is beginning the hard fight for his gavel, a weeks-long campaign that starts Wednesday during internal House Republican leadership elections and will establish the new power centers in Congress for a Washington dominated by President-elect Donald Trump. While Johnson has no serious challenger, he faces...
Rostraver Airport will have Dunkin’ Donuts, barbecue and catering business
The Rostraver Airport will add a Dunkin’ just two months after leasing its former on-site restaurant to a barbecue and catering business. The coffee and doughnut chain expressed interest in acquiring a piece of the airport’s 197-acre property this summer. The Westmoreland County Airport Authority, which operates the airport, rejected...
What happens to Donald Trump’s criminal conviction? Here are a few ways it could go
NEW YORK — Donald Trump’s election victory created a conundrum for the judge overseeing his criminal case in New York. Can he go ahead and sentence the president-elect, or would doing so potentially get in the way of Trump’s constitutional responsibility to lead the nation? Court documents made public Tuesday...
Trump makes a victor’s return to Washington and pledges a smooth transition of powerVideo
WASHINGTON — Donald Trump made a victor’s return to Washington on Wednesday, visiting the White House for a nearly two-hour meeting with President Joe Biden and committing to a straightforward transition of power as the president-elect moves quickly to build out his new administration. Sitting in front of a crackling...
Silence descends around China’s deadliest mass killing in years as flowers cleared away
ZHUHAI, China — Online discussion about China’s deadliest mass killing in years was being censored Wednesday as authorities in a southern city cleared candles and flowers from the memorial to the 35 people dead. Police have offered little information about the 62-year-old driver who rammed his vehicle into a sports...
U.S. inflation rose slightly last month after 2 years of steady cooling but remained low
WASHINGTON — Inflation in the United States ticked up in October, driven by costlier rents, used cars and air fares, a sign that price increases might be leveling off after having slowed in September to their lowest pace since 2021. Consumer prices rose 2.6% from a year earlier, the Labor...
What makes walking so great for your health and what else you need to do
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Janet Rapp strode briskly down a paved path through the city zoo, waving at friends and stopping briefly to greet emus she knows by name. The 71-year-old retiree starts each morning this way with a walking club. “I’m obsessed,” she said. Not only does it ease her...
