Prosecutors file sealed brief detailing allegations against Trump in election interference case
WASHINGTON — Special counsel Jack Smith on Thursday filed, under seal, a legal brief that prosecutors have said would contain sensitive and new evidence in the case charging former President Donald Trump with plotting to overturn the 2020 election he lost. The brief, submitted over the Trump team’s objections, is...
Philadelphia’s district attorney scores legal win against GOP impeachment effort
HARRISBURG — Pennsylvania state lawmakers who tried to impeach Philadelphia’s elected progressive prosecutor improperly tried to stretch that process across two different legislative sessions, the state’s highest court ruled Thursday. The decision was a victory for Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner, a Democrat, following his impeachment by the Republican-controlled House...
Pitt approves $50M center to research arthritis, osteoporosis
University of Pittsburgh trustees on Thursday approved a $50 million center for musculoskeletal research, an ambitious science and treatment effort aided by tens of millions of dollars donated by the Greensburg founder of Hillandale Farms. The board of trustees’ unanimous vote green-lights a renovation on the 16th floor of the...
Voting technology firm Smartmatic, Newsmax reach settlement in 2020 election defamation case
WILMINGTON, Del. — A settlement has been reached in a defamation lawsuit pitting an electronic voting machine manufacturer targeted by allies of former President Donald Trump against a conservative news outlet that aired accusations of vote manipulation in the 2020 election. Newsmax on Thursday confirmed a deal had been reached...
How much will Southwest Airlines change to boost profits? Some details are emerging
DALLAS — Southwest Airlines said Thursday that it plans to end the open-boarding system it has used for more than 50 years and start flights with passengers sitting in assigned seats during the first half of 2026 as the company tries to remodel the airline to change with consumer tastes...
U.S. health authorities need to play a larger role in cannabis policy, a new report says
With more Americans using ever-stronger marijuana, a federal advisory panel is calling for a public health approach that’s a big departure from “Just Say No.” Thursday’s report proposes a health-focused strategy with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention taking a larger role in cannabis policy than ever before. “We’d...
Feds charge NYC mayor with selling his influence to foreign nationals. Eric Adams says he won’t resignVideo
NEW YORK — Federal prosecutors announced charges on Thursday against New York City Mayor Eric Adams accusing the former police captain of taking illegal campaign contributions and bribes from foreign nationals, including lavish overseas trips, in exchange for favors that included helping Turkish officials bypass a fire safety inspection for...
Rudy Giuliani disbarred in D.C. after pushing Trump’s false 2020 election claims
WASHINGTON — Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani was disbarred in Washington on Thursday, months after he lost his law license in New York for pursuing false claims that then-President Donald Trump made about his 2020 presidential election loss. The brief ruling from Washington D.C.’s appeals court said Giuliani...
Gallery: Photos from Sept. 26, 2024
Embark on a visual journey around the world with our latest collection of captivating photos captured on September 26, 2024. From the rustic landscapes of Western Pa. to diverse corners of the globe, experience the shared moments of humanity....
U.S. and allies call for an immediate 21-day cease-fire between Israel and Hezbollah
NEW YORK — The U.S., France and other allies jointly called Wednesday for an immediate 21-day cease-fire to allow for negotiations in the escalating conflict between Israel and Hezbollah that has killed more than 600 people in Lebanon in recent days. The joint statement, negotiated on the sidelines of the...
U.S. economy grew at a solid 3% rate last quarter, government says in final estimate
WASHINGTON — The American economy expanded at a healthy 3% annual pace from April through June, boosted by strong consumer spending and business investment, the government said Thursday, leaving its previous estimate unchanged. The Commerce Department reported that the nation’s gross domestic product — the nation’s total output of goods...
Harrods apologizes to women who say they were abused by former owner Mohamed Al Fayed
LONDON — The managing director of Harrods said Thursday that the London department store is “deeply sorry” for failing employees who say they were sexually assaulted by late owner Mohamed Al Fayed. Michael Ward said it is clear Al Fayed “presided over a toxic culture of secrecy, intimidation, fear of...
Man who set off explosion at California courthouse had a criminal case there
SANTA MARIA, Calif. — A 20-year-old man tossed an explosive device into the California courthouse where he was about to be arraigned on a gun charge and the explosion left five people with minor injuries and shut down the court complex and other nearby city buildings, police said. The explosion...
Oklahoma executes a man for a 1992 killing despite board recommending his life be spared
McALESTER, Okla. — Oklahoma executed a man Thursday for his role in the 1992 shooting death of a convenience store owner after the governor rejected a recommendation from the state’s parole board to spare his life. Emmanuel Littlejohn, 52, received a lethal injection at the Oklahoma State Penitentiary and was...
Top aide for North Carolina Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson is resigning, adding to staff separations
RALEIGH — The top aide to North Carolina Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson within state government is quitting, a state official said Wednesday, marking another staff separation from the Republican nominee for governor following a CNN report stating he made explicit racial and sexual posts on a pornography website’s message board....
New York City mayor Eric Adams has been indicted, sources say
New York City Mayor Eric Adams has been indicted by a grand jury on federal criminal charges, according to two people familiar with the matter. The indictment detailing the charges against Adams, a Democrat, was still sealed late Wednesday, according to the people, who spoke with The Associated Press on...
10th death reported in Boar’s Head deli meat listeria outbreak
A 10th person has died in the listeria outbreak that shuttered a Boar’s Head deli meat plant, federal health officials said Wednesday. At least 59 people in 19 states have been sickened by the bacteria first detected in liverwurst made at the Jarratt, Virginia, plant. Illnesses were reported between late...
Judge approves $600 million settlement for residents near fiery Ohio derailment
A federal judge on Wednesday approved a $600 million class-action settlement that Norfolk Southern railroad offered to everyone who lived within 20 miles of last year’s disastrous derailment in East Palestine, Ohio. Judge Benita Pearson gave the deal final approval after a hearing where the lawyers who negotiated it with...
Secret Service investigating report that agent groped Harris staff member
A U.S. Secret Service agent has been accused of groping and sexually harassing a member of Vice President Kamala Harris’ official staff during a trip last week, according to three people familiar with the matter. The Secret Service office of professional responsibility is investigating a misconduct allegation involving an employee,...
Speaker Johnson demands Zelenskyy remove Ukraine’s ambassador to U.S. after Pennsylvania visit
WASHINGTON — House Speaker Mike Johnson is calling on Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to fire his country’s ambassador to the U.S. as Republicans criticize the war-torn leader’s visit to a swing-state Pennsylvania site producing munitions for the Russia-Ukraine war as a political stunt. The Republican Johnson’s demand Wednesday came as...
Congress passes temporary bill to avoid shutdown as lawmakers punt spending decisions to December
WASHINGTON — Congress on Wednesday passed a temporary measure that keeps government agencies funded into December, avoiding a shutdown for now while punting final spending decisions until after the Nov. 5 election. The Senate approved the measure by a vote of 78-18 shortly after the House easily approved it. The...
Pennsylvania bakery known for its election cookie poll is swamped with orders
HATBORO — A suburban Philadelphia bakery’s cookie “poll” that started during the 2008 presidential campaign as a joke between the owners and their customers has grown into much more. Lochel’s Bakery in Hatboro is swamped with orders. People are driving from a couple hours away to buy the cookies in...
Judge: Fluoride in drinking water poses enough risk to merit new EPA action
NEW YORK — A federal judge has ordered the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to further regulate fluoride in drinking water because high levels could pose a risk to the intellectual development of children. U.S. District Judge Edward Chen cautioned that it’s not certain that the amount of fluoride typically added...
Former Houston officer convicted of murder in deaths of couple during drug raid
HOUSTON — A former Houston police officer was convicted Wednesday of murder in the deaths of a couple during a 2019 drug raid that revealed systemic corruption problems within the police department’s narcotics unit. A jury found Gerald Goines guilty of two counts of murder in the January 2019 deaths...
Pope expels bishop, others from a Peru movement after Vatican uncovers abuses
VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis took the unusual decision Thursday to expel 10 people — a bishop, priests and laypeople — from a troubled Catholic movement in Peru after a Vatican investigation uncovered “sadistic” abuses of power, authority and spirituality. The move against the leadership of the Sodalitium Christianae Vitae,...
