Westmoreland County Community College to launch 2-year engineering program shortly after opening makerspace
Matthew Reed, vice president for academic affairs at Westmoreland County Community College, didn’t plan for the launch of the school’s new engineering program to coincide with the opening of its makerspace. “It’s kind of a happy accident,” he said with a laugh. The college’s board of trustees approved the two-year...
Judge: Deal reached to protect identities of Epstein victims in documents release
NEW YORK — A deal was reached between lawyers for victims of Jeffrey Epstein and the Justice Department to protect the identities of nearly 100 women whose lives were allegedly harmed after the government began releasing millions of documents last week, a lawyer told a federal judge on Tuesday. Judge...
Top Republicans throw cold water on ‘nationalizing’ elections
WASHINGTON — As many Republicans in Congress push for action on a voter ID bill, its future remains uncertain — and key voices in the GOP say they are wary of increasing federal involvement in elections. “I’m supportive of only citizens voting and showing ID at polling places. I think...
Don Lemon says a dozen agents came to arrest him even though he offered to turn himself in
Independent journalist Don Lemon said about a dozen federal agents came to his Los Angeles hotel to arrest him last week, even though his attorney had told authorities he would turn himself in to face federal civil rights charges over his coverage of an anti-immigration enforcement protest that disrupted a...
Trump demands $1 billion from Harvard as prolonged standoff appears to deepen
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump is demanding a $1 billion payment from Harvard University to end his prolonged standoff with the Ivy League campus, doubling the amount he sought previously as both sides appear to move further from reaching a deal. The president raised the stakes on social media Monday...
Fetterman calls on Senate to pass rail safety bill 3 years after toxic derailment near Ohio-Pa. line
On the third anniversary of an Ohio toxic train derailment just over the Pennsylvania line, Sen. John Fetterman is demanding that Congress act on a bipartisan railroad safety bill languishing in committee. “As I’ve said before, this derailment was a tragedy, and it’s something we could have prevented,” said Fetterman...
Defense Department warns Scouts to roll back DEI or lose support
The Department of Defense warned Scouting America, formerly the Boy Scouts of America, that it risks losing U.S. military support if it does not implement changes that align with the Trump administration. In a statement posted to social media late Monday, Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell said the Irving, Texas-based organization...
Florida congresswoman accused of stealing covid-19 funds pleads not guilty 3 months after indictment
MIAMI — A Florida congresswoman charged with conspiring to steal $5 million in federal covid-19 disaster funds formally pleaded not guilty on Tuesday, nearly three months after her indictment. U.S. Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick was not present for the arraignment in Miami federal court, but her attorney, William Barzee, entered the...
Trial of ex-FirstEnergy executives charged in $60M Ohio bribery scheme begins
COLUMBUS — The $4.3 million payment that Ohio-based FirstEnergy made to veteran lawyer and lobbyist Sam Randazzo in 2019, shortly before he was appointed as the state’s top utility regulator, is at the center of the latest criminal trial to get underway in a sweeping $60 million bribery scandal. Prosecutors...
Immigration agents draw guns, arrest activists following them in Minneapolis
MINNEAPOLIS — Immigration officers with guns drawn arrested activists who were trailing their vehicles on Tuesday in Minneapolis, while education leaders described anxiety and fear in Minnesota schools from the ongoing federal sweeps. Both are signs that tension remains in the Minneapolis area after the departure of high-profile commander Greg...
Defense seeks to block videos of Charlie Kirk’s killing in murder case, claims bias
Graphic videos showing the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk while he spoke to a crowd on a Utah college campus quickly went viral, drawing millions of views. Now, attorneys for the man charged in Kirk’s killing want a state judge to block such videos from being shown during a...
Clintons finalize agreement to testify in House Epstein probe, bowing to threat of contempt vote
WASHINGTON — Former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton finalized an agreement with House Republicans Tuesday to testify in a House investigation into Jeffrey Epstein this month, bowing to the threat of a contempt of Congress vote against them. Hillary Clinton will testify before the House...
Signs of forced entry found at Arizona home of ‘Today’ show host Savannah Guthrie’s motherVideo
TUCSON, Ariz. — Investigators found signs of forced entry at the Arizona home of “Today” show host Savannah Guthrie’s mother, a person familiar with the investigation said Tuesday, as the host asked for prayers to help bring back the 84-year-old, who is believed to have been taken against her will....
U.S. shoots down Iranian drone that ‘aggressively’ approached an aircraft carrier, military says
WASHINGTON — U.S. Central Command says a U.S. Navy fighter jet shot down an Iranian drone that was approaching the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln in the Arabian Sea. In an emailed statement Tuesday, U.S. Central Command said the drone “aggressively approached” the aircraft carrier with “unclear intent” and it...
NASA delays astronauts’ lunar trip until March after hydrogen leaks mar fueling test
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — NASA’s long-awaited moonshot with astronauts is off until at least March because of hydrogen fuel leaks that marred the dress rehearsal of its giant new rocket. It’s the same problem that delayed the Space Launch System rocket’s debut three years ago. That first test flight was...
House lawmaker raises new concerns over FDA’s ultra-fast drug review program
WASHINGTON — A Democratic lawmaker is raising new concerns about a Food and Drug Administration program designed to drastically shorten the review of certain drugs, including whether senior officials involved in the effort are complying with federal ethics rules. In a letter sent Tuesday, Rep. Jake Auchincloss of Massachusetts took...
Shapiro proposes record $53.3B in spending for coming fiscal year
Gov. Josh Shapiro on Tuesday unveiled a proposed $53.3 billion budget for the coming fiscal year that would use nearly $4.6 billion, or more than half, of the state’s largest reserve fund to balance. Shapiro said in an address to a joint session of the state House and Senate that...
Alabama man faces execution despite not pulling the trigger in auto store customer’s death
MONTGOMERY, Ala. — Charles “Sonny” Burton didn’t kill anyone. The state of Alabama could execute him anyway. Burton, 75, is facing execution for his role as an accomplice in a 1991 robbery at an auto parts store where customer Doug Battle was killed. No one disputes that another man, Derrick...
Gallery: Near or far, the world in focus on Feb. 3, 2026
The world is always moving — and TribLive’s gallery is there to catch it. From the rolling hills of Western Pennsylvania to far-flung corners of the globe, photographers near and far capture moments of place, connection and the quiet beauty of everyday life. More than a snapshot of Western Pennsylvania,...
Russia bombards Ukraine with drones and missiles a day before planned peace talks
KYIV, Ukraine — Russia carried out a major attack on Ukraine overnight in what President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Tuesday was a breach of its commitment to hold off on attacks on energy infrastructure, a day before representatives of the two countries were due to attend U.S.-brokered talks on ending the...
UK politician Peter Mandelson will quit House of Lords in storm over Epstein ties
LONDON — British politician Peter Mandelson is quitting the House of Lords as he faces new questions over his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein. The Speaker of the House of Lords says Mandelson has announced he will retire from Parliament’s upper chamber effective Wednesday. Mandelson is also facing a potential police...
Trump signs bill to end partial government shutdown, setting stage for next fight
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump signed a roughly $1.2 trillion government funding bill Tuesday that ends the partial federal shutdown that began over the weekend and sets the stage for an intense debate in Congress over Homeland Security funding. The president moved quickly to sign the bill after the House...
Trump’s $45 billion expansion of immigrant detention sites faces pushback from communities
With tensions high over federal immigration enforcement, some state and local officials are pushing back against the Trump administration’s attempts to house thousands of detained immigrants in jails, converted warehouses and privately run facilities in their communities. Federal officials have been scouting cities and counties across the U.S. for places...
NASA delays astronauts’ lunar trip until March after hydrogen leaks mar fueling testVideo
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — NASA’s long-awaited moonshot with astronauts is off until at least March because of hydrogen fuel leaks that marred the dress rehearsal of its giant new rocket. It’s the same problem that delayed the Space Launch System rocket’s debut three years ago. That first test flight was...
PepsiCo plans price cuts as demand for its drinks and snacks slip
PURCHASE, N.Y. — PepsiCo is cutting prices on Lay’s, Doritos, Cheetos and Tostitos chips this year to win back customers exasperated by years of price hikes. PepsiCo has leaned on price increases as the cost of packaging, ingredients and transportation rose, but it’s cost the Purchase, N.Y., company in volume....
