Pennsylvania House Democrats take step toward expelling state Rep. Kevin Boyle
HARRISBURG — A top House Democratic leader took a first step toward expelling State Rep. Kevin Boyle from the state House, as the lawmaker faces criminal charges and his family says he’s experiencing a serious mental health condition. House Majority Leader Matt Bradford, D-Montgomery, in response to Boyle’s situation, on...
Sweeping gun legislation approved by Maine lawmakers after deadliest shooting in state history
AUGUSTA, Maine — The Maine Legislature approved sweeping gun safety legislation including background checks on private gun sales, waiting periods for gun purchases and criminalizing gun sales to prohibited people before adjourning Thursday morning, nearly six months after the deadliest shooting in state history. Democratic Gov. Janet Mills and the...
Sheetz hit with discrimination lawsuit
The Sheetz convenience store chain has been hit with a lawsuit by federal officials who allege the company discriminated against minority job applicants. Sheetz Inc., which operates more than 700 stores in six states, discriminated against Black, Native American and multiracial job seekers by automatically weeding out applicants whom the...
Kennedy family makes ‘crystal clear’ its Biden endorsement in attempt to deflate RFK Jr.’s candidacy
PHILADELPHIA — President Joe Biden scooped up endorsements from at least 15 members of the Kennedy political family during a campaign stop Thursday as he aims to undermine Donald Trump and marginalize the candidacy of independent Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Kerry Kennedy, a daughter of former Attorney General Robert F....
12 jurors picked for Donald Trump’s hush money trial. Selection of alternates ongoing
NEW YORK — A jury of 12 people was seated Thursday in former President Donald Trump’s hush money trial in New York, and the court quickly turned to selecting alternate jurors. The rapid progress Thursday afternoon propelled the case closer to opening statements and weeks of testimony in a case...
Israelis grapple with how to celebrate Passover, a holiday about freedom, while many remain captive
JERUSALEM — Every year, Alon Gat’s mother led the family’s Passover celebration of the liberation of the ancient Israelites from Egypt thousands of years ago. But this year, Gat is struggling with how to reconcile a holiday commemorating freedom after his mother was slain and other family members abducted when...
United Arab Emirates struggles to recover after heaviest recorded rainfall ever hits desert nation
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — The United Arab Emirates struggled Thursday to recover from the heaviest recorded rainfall ever to hit the desert nation, as its main airport worked to restore normal operations even as floodwater still covered portions of major highways and roads. Dubai International Airport, the world’s busiest...
Justice Department ramps up efforts to reduce violent crime with gun intel center, carjacking forces
WASHINGTON — The Justice Department is ramping up its efforts to reduce violent crime in the U.S., launching a specialized gun intelligence center in Chicago and expanding task forces to curb carjackings. In an interview with The Associated Press, Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco said there is “absolutely much more...
Roundup: Lawrenceville Shop n’ Save to close in May
Here are some of the latest news items from this morning, Thursday, April 18. Lawrenceville Shop n’ Save set to close next month The Shop n’ Save grocery store located in Pittsburgh’s Lawrenceville neighborhood will close mid-May, according to TribLive news partner WTAE. The store reached an agreement with its...
Biden is off on details of his uncle’s WWII death as he calls Trump unfit to lead the military
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden on Wednesday misstated key details about his uncle’s death in World War II as he honored the man’s wartime service and said Donald Trump was unworthy of serving as commander in chief. While in Pittsburgh, Biden spoke about his uncle, 2nd Lt. Ambrose J. Finnegan...
Trump presses Republicans for kickbacks when using his likeness
WASHINGTON — Donald Trump’s presidential campaign wants other Republicans to pay up, if they use the former president’s name, image or likeness in any fundraising solicitations, according to a new campaign memo obtained by Bloomberg News. Signed by co-campaign managers, Susie Wiles and Chris LaCivita, the memo asks that all...
O.J. Simpson has been cremated, estate attorney in Las Vegas says. No public memorial is planned
LAS VEGAS — Former football star and celebrity criminal defendant O.J. Simpson was cremated Wednesday, the lawyer handling his estate said following his death last week at home in Las Vegas at age 76. Attorney Malcolm LaVergne told The Associated Press he was present, along with unspecified other people, for...
Lawyers for Nassar assault survivors have reached $100M deal with Justice Department, AP source says
The U.S. Justice Department has agreed to pay approximately $100 million to settle claims with about 100 people who say they were sexually assaulted by sports doctor Larry Nassar, a source with direct knowledge of the negotiations told The Associated Press on Wednesday. The deal has not been finalized and...
Democrats clear path to bring proposed repeal of Arizona’s near-total abortion ban to a vote
PHOENIX — Democrats in the Arizona Senate cleared a path to bring a proposed repeal of the state’s near-total ban on abortions to a vote after the state’s highest court concluded the law can be enforced and the state House blocked efforts to undo the long-dormant statute. Although no vote...
Cumberland Valley parents try to salvage appearance by ‘30 Rock’ actor that school board canceled
Some Cumberland Valley School District residents are launching an all-out effort to salvage a school assembly in May that the school board canceled Monday night out of stated concerns over injecting “political activism” into the schools. The board, on an 8-0 vote, voted to cancel the scheduled appearance by Maulik...
Columbia University’s president rebuts claims she has allowed school to become a hotbed of hatred
WASHINGTON — The president of Columbia University took a firm stand against antisemitism Wednesday as she parried accusations from Republicans who see the New York campus as a hotbed of bias, but she hedged on whether certain phrases invoked by some supporters of Palestinians rise to harassment. Nemat Shafik had...
Judges orders Pennsylvania agency to produce inspection records related to chocolate plant blast
Pennsylvania utility regulators must turn over inspection records to the National Transportation Safety Board as part of the federal agency’s probe into a fatal explosion at a chocolate factory last year, a federal judge ruled this week. U.S. District Judge Christopher C. Conner sided this week with the federal safety...
Chicago woman pleads guilty, gets 50 years for cutting child from victim’s womb
CHICAGO — A Chicago woman accused of luring a pregnant teenager to her home and cutting her baby from her womb with a butcher knife nearly five years ago pleaded guilty to murder and was sentenced to 50 years in prison. Clarisa Figueroa, 51, seated in a wheelchair and wearing...
FAFSA delays slow college choices and could foreshadow bigger problems
If this were a normal year, millions of prospective college students would have reviewed competing financial aid offers weeks ago and settled on their campus choice for the fall. For them and their families, that decision represents peace of mind that their future path is clear. For campuses, it means...
House’s Ukraine, Israel aid package gains Biden’s support as Speaker Mike Johnson fights to keep his jobVideo
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden said Wednesday that he strongly supports a proposal from Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson to provide aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, sending crucial bipartisan support to the effort this week to approve $95 billion in funding for the U.S. allies. Ahead of potential weekend...
Boeing put under Senate scrutiny during back-to-back hearings on aircraft maker’s safety culture
An engineer at Boeing said Wednesday that the aircraft company, in rushing to produce as many planes as possible, is taking manufacturing shortcuts that could lead to jetliners breaking apart. “They are putting out defective airplanes,” the engineer, Sam Salehpour, told members of a Senate subcommittee. Salehpour was testifying about...
9 are facing charges in what police in Canada say is the biggest gold theft in the country’s history
TORONTO — Police said nine people are facing charges in what authorities are calling the biggest gold theft in Canadian history from Toronto’s Pearson International airport a year ago. Peel Regional Police said Wednesday that 6,600 gold bars worth more than 20 million Canadian dollars ($14.5 million), and CA$2.5 million...
Trump complains jury selection moving too fast in Manhattan hush money trial
NEW YORK — Former President Donald Trump complained Wednesday about jury selection in his Manhattan hush money case as the trial moves faster than expected toward opening statements. After prosecutors and defense lawyers agreed on a surprisingly robust total of seven jurors in one day, Trump sought to tap the...
Alabama lawmakers advance bills to ensure Joe Biden is on the state’s ballot
MONTGOMERY, Ala. — Alabama lawmakers advanced legislation Wednesday to ensure President Joe Biden will appear on the state’s November ballot, mirroring accommodations made four years ago for then-President Donald Trump. Legislative committees in the Alabama House of Representatives and Senate approved identical bills that would push back the state’s certification...
Senate dismisses both articles of impeachment against Homeland Security secretary, ending trialVideo
WASHINGTON — The Senate has dismissed all impeachment charges against Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, ending the House Republican push to remove the Cabinet secretary from office over his handling of the U.S.-Mexico border. The two votes effectively end the trial before arguments ever began. Senators voted separately to dismiss...
