Donald Trump defies judge, gives courtroom speech on tense final day of New York civil fraud trial
NEW YORK — Barred from giving a formal closing argument, Donald Trump wrested an opportunity to speak in court at the conclusion of his New York civil fraud trial Thursday, unleashing a barrage of attacks in a six-minute diatribe before being cut off by the judge. In an extraordinary move...
U.S. Rep. Chris Deluzio 1st Democrat calling for resignation of Defense Secretary Austin
U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has come under fire recently for failing to disclose a recent hospitalization, and U.S. Rep. Chris Deluzio, D-Aspinwall, is joining the chorus in calling for Austin’s resignation. Deluzio, a Navy veteran and member of the House Armed Services Committee, is likely the first Democrat in...
Chris Christie will announce at New Hampshire town hall he’s ending presidential bid
Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie is planning to announce he’s dropping his Republican presidential bid on Wednesday night at his New Hampshire town hall. That’s according to a person with direct knowledge of the former New Jersey governor’s plans who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity...
McCormick, Casey announce big campaign hauls in U.S. Senate race
Rivals in Pennsylvania’s U.S. Senate race raised roughly $10 million combined in the past three months, setting the stage this year for yet another huge influx of cash into a legislative race in the Keystone State. In 2022, the clash for an open Senate seat drew more than $400 million...
1 dead, 1 injured following avalanche at California ski resort, official says
OLYMPIC VALLEY, Calif. — A person was killed and another was injured Wednesday when an avalanche roared through a section of expert trails at a California ski resort near Lake Tahoe, authorities said. The avalanche prompted Palisades Tahoe to close 30 minutes after it opened and search crews combed the...
As House GOP launches effort to impeach Mayorkas, senators want to strike a border deal with him
WASHINGTON — Marching ahead with multiple impeachment plans, House Republicans set their sights Wednesday on Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, who they intend to prove is “derelict in his duty” over handling the surge of migrants at the U.S.-Mexico border. The chairman of the Homeland Security Committee, Rep. Mark Green,...
Snow in the West and flooding in the East. Here’s how the U.S. is coping with the massive storm
CONCORD, N.H. — A major storm drenched the Northeast and slammed it with fierce winds, knocking out power to hundreds of thousands following a bout of violent weather that struck most of the U.S. The storm, which started Tuesday night and was moving out Wednesday, washed out roads and took...
Judge: Lawsuit against Parkland school deputy over 2018 massacre can go to trial
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — A lawsuit filed by families of the 17 people killed and other victims of the Parkland, Florida, school massacre against a former sheriff’s deputy who failed to intervene can go forward, a judge ruled, rejecting his motion to dismiss the case before trial. Circuit Judge Carol-Lisa...
Do I really need supplemental insurance (Medigap) with Medicare?
About 41% of Original Medicare beneficiaries had Medicare Supplement Insurance, or Medigap, in 2021, according to a February 2023 report summarizing enrollment data from AHIP, a national health insurance trade association. For the other 59%, Medicare has some “gaps” that could be costly. “There are many gaps in Medicare that...
Republicans push ahead with Hunter Biden contempt charge after his surprise visit to Capitol Hill
WASHINGTON — Republicans on Wednesday took the first step toward holding Hunter Biden in contempt of Congress for defying a congressional subpoena. They advanced the charge to a full House vote just hours after the president’s son sparked a momentary political frenzy by appearing in the front row for part...
Police investigation finds Colorado U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert didn’t punch ex-husband as he claimed
DENVER — U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert has been cleared of domestic violence allegations made by her ex-husband during an altercation at a Colorado restaurant, police said Wednesday. Jayson Boebert had accused the congresswoman of punching him in the face but he later recanted, Silt police said in a statement. The...
Judge rescinds permission for Trump to give his own closing argument at his civil fraud trial
NEW YORK — Donald Trump won’t make his own closing argument after all in his New York civil business fraud trial after his lawyers objected to the judge’s insistence that the former president stick to “relevant” matters. Judge Arthur Engoron rescinded his conditional permission for the unusual plan on Wednesday,...
Video appears to show the Israeli army shot 3 Palestinians, killing 1, without provocation
BEIT RIMA, West Bank — Security camera video from a West Bank village shows a young man standing in a central square when he is suddenly shot and drops to the ground. Two others rushing to his aid are also hit, leaving a 17-year-old dead, moments before Israeli military jeeps...
USDA estimates 21 million kids will get summer food benefits through new program in 2024
Nearly 21 million children in the U.S. and its territories are expected to receive food benefits this summer through a newly permanent federal program, the United States Department of Agriculture announced Wednesday. Thirty-five states, all five U.S. territories and four tribes opted into the Summer Electronic Benefits Transfer program, or...
Ukraine’s Zelenskyy says Russia can be stopped but Kyiv badly needs more air defense systems
VILNIUS, Lithuania — Ukraine has shown the world that Russia’s military can be stopped, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Wednesday as he began a visit to the Baltic nations in search of more help for his country against the Kremlin’s larger and better-supplied forces in the 22-month-old invasion. Speaking in the...
Got turkeys in the yard? The Pa. Game Commission wants to know
Got turkeys in your yard during the early morning hours? The Pennsylvania Game Commission wants to know. The commission is seeking the public’s help in its annual turkey brood survey, taking stock of the game bird’s overall health in Pennsylvania. “It is the largest turkey project we’ve ever conducted, with...
See a flock of turkeys? The Pa. Game Commission wants to know about it
The Pennsylvania Game Commission is launching its annual turkey survey on Jan. 15. Residents are asked to report flocks of turkeys they see so the commission can trap and band the birds for population monitoring. The Game Commission is asking for the public’s help finding turkey flocks to trap for...
California lawmakers to consider ban on tackle football for kids under 12
SACRAMENTO — California lawmakers will debate on Wednesday whether to ban tackle football for children under 12, a move pushed by advocates seeking to protect kids from brain damage but opposed by coaches who warn it would cut off youths from an important source of physical activity. The bill, authored...
U.S. Rep. Greg Pence of Indiana, former VP Mike Pence’s older brother, won’t seek reelection
WASHINGTON — Republican U.S. Rep. Greg Pence of Indiana said Tuesday he will not seek reelection this year to a fourth term, becoming the latest House member to announce that they won’t run for reelection. Pence, the older brother of former Vice President Mike Pence, announced his decision Tuesday morning...
New Mexico man pleads guilty in drive-by shootings on homes of Democratic lawmakers
SANTA FE, N.M. — One of three defendants has pleaded guilty to federal charges in connection with a series of drive-by shootings at the homes of state and local lawmakers in Albuquerque after the 2022 election, according to federal court filings made public Tuesday. Jose Louise Trujillo pleaded guilty at...
Ray Epps, a target of Jan. 6 conspiracy theories, gets a year of probation for his Capitol riot role
WASHINGTON — A man targeted by right-wing conspiracy theories about the U.S. Capitol riot was sentenced on Tuesday to a year of probation for joining the Jan. 6, 2021, attack by a mob of fellow Donald Trump supporters. Ray Epps, a former Arizona resident who was driven into hiding by...
Defense Secretary Austin treated for prostate cancer, urinary tract infection, doctors sayVideo
WASHINGTON — Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has prostate cancer, and his recent secretive hospitalization was for surgery and later to treat a urinary tract infection related to that operation, his doctors said Tuesday. The cancer revelation answers the main question about Austin’s hospitalization, which has now lasted eight days. But...
Sprawling storm wallops U.S. with tornado reports, damage and heavy snow, closing roads and schoolsVideo
DES MOINES, Iowa — A sprawling storm hit the South with tornado warnings and strong wind that blew roofs off homes, flipped over campers and tossed about furniture in Florida on Tuesday. Another storm brought cities across the Midwest to a standstill with more than half a foot of snow,...
White House orders Cabinet secretaries to notify when they can’t perform duties after Austin illness
WASHINGTON — The White House chief of staff on Tuesday ordered Cabinet members or secretaries to notify his office if they ever can’t perform their duties, as the Biden administration, reeling from learning of Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin’s surprise illness last week, mounts a policy review. Jeff Zients, in a...
Return of bullfighting to Mexico’s capital excites fans, upsets animal rights groups
MEXICO CITY — In the center of a desolate and cold Plaza Mexico stadium, a young matador raises a red cape and leaps to the right as he gets charged — not by a bull, but by a bull’s head on a cart. A bellowing colleague is pushing the wheeled...
