Penn-Trafford 8thgraders collect donations for school food program
When tasked with completing a community service project leading up to their Catholic confirmation ceremony, eighth grade Penn-Trafford students Jillian Rettger, Ashley Hetrick and Gabby Geary knew they wanted to support the district’s supplemental nutrition program, Backpacks-to-Go. The program, which supports the district’s families in need, gathers meals and snacks...
Trump wins Missouri, Idaho caucuses, sweeps Michigan GOP convention as he moves closer to nomination
COLUMBIA, Mo. — Former President Donald Trump continued his march toward the GOP nomination Saturday, winning caucuses in Idaho and Missouri and sweeping the delegate haul at a party convention in Michigan. Idaho Republicans planned to caucus later. Nikki Haley, the former U.N. ambassador who is his last major rival,...
Oil spill, fertilizer leak from sinking of cargo ship highlight risks to Red Sea from Houthi attacks
MIAMI — A vibrant fishing industry, some of the world’s largest coral reefs, desalination plants supplying millions with drinking water. They’re all at risk from large amounts of fertilizer and oil spilled into the Red Sea by the sinking of a cargo ship attacked by Yemen’s Houthi rebels. Officials on...
Firefighters face difficult weather conditions as they battle the largest wildfire in Texas history
STINNETT, Texas — Firefighters battling the largest wildfire in Texas history face increasingly difficult weather conditions on Saturday. The Smokehouse Creek Fire that began Monday has killed at least two people, left a charred landscape of scorched prairie, dead cattle and destroyed as many as 500 structures, including burned-out homes,...
Train derailment leaves cars on riverbank or in water; no injuries, hazardous materials reported
BETHLEHEM, Pa. — Authorities say a train derailment in eastern Pennsylvania has left some railroad cars along a riverbank Saturday morning and at least one partially in the river itself. Dispatchers in Northampton County said the derailment was reported at 7:14 a.m. in Lower Saucon Township. Authorities said it was...
Many of those killed or wounded in Gaza stampede for aid were shot by Israel’s army, EU arm says
RAFAH, Gaza Strip — Many of the Palestinians killed or wounded in the chaos as they tried to get bags of flour from an aid convoy were hit by Israeli army fire, the European Union’s diplomatic service said Saturday, urging an international investigation. Outrage is rising over the desperation of...
Ballot order is critical for candidates. In Pa., it’s determined by luck.
This article is made possible through Spotlight PA’s collaboration with Votebeat, a nonpartisan news organization covering local election administration and voting. As Sajda Blackwell approached the front of the room, she did a little dance of excitement — a shimmy as she pumped both fists in the air. “All right,...
‘We’re not leaving the community’: Manor Bar & Grille to close doors, reopen in Irwin
Derek and Megan Gutkowski’s three children grew up at Manor Bar & Grille. Howie, 14, cleaned dishes, and Julia, 17, and Madison, 19, helped serve customers. The family’s lives were dedicated to the Manor restaurant, Derek said. “At Manor Grille, if you go in there in our dining room, we...
Haley says she raised $12M in February but can’t point to plan to beat Trump
WASHINGTON — Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley said Friday she raised $12 million in February, a haul that likely will allow her to remain in the Republican primary against former President Donald Trump past next week’s Super Tuesday — even though she can’t point to an upcoming state where she...
Biden will push higher taxes for the rich in State of the Union
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden will advocate plans to increase taxes on the wealthy and corporations, as well as to lower prescription drug prices, in his State of the Union address next week, in what aides describe as an effort to lay out second-term proposals for protecting and implementing his...
Arizona voting laws that require proof of citizenship not discriminatory, U.S. judge rules
PHOENIX — A federal judge is upholding provisions of new Arizona laws that would require counties to verify the status of registered voters who haven’t provided proof of U.S. citizenship and cross-check voter registration information with various government databases. In a ruling Thursday, U.S. District Judge Susan Bolton concluded Arizona...
Paramedic gets 5 years in prison for Elijah McClain’s death
DENVER — A Colorado paramedic was sentenced Friday to five years in prison for the death of Elijah McClain in a rare prosecution of medical responders that has left officials rethinking how they treat people in police custody. The convictions of Peter Cichuniec and a fellow paramedic sent shockwaves through...
Lobster catch dips to lowest level since 2009 as fishers grapple with climate change, whale rules
PORTLAND, Maine — America’s lobster fishing business dipped in catch while grappling with challenges including a changing ocean environment and new rules designed to protect rare whales. The lobster industry, based mostly in Maine, has had an unprecedented decade in terms of the volume and value of the lobsters brought...
The CDC has relaxed covid guidelines. Will schools and day cares follow suit?
Four years after the covid-19 pandemic closed schools and upended child care, the CDC says parents can start treating the virus like other respiratory illnesses. Gone are mandated isolation periods and masking. But will schools and child care centers agree? In case you’ve lost track: Before Friday, all Americans, including...
Trump’s Florida trial on secret documents will likely be postponed
A federal judge in Florida indicated Donald Trump’s trial on charges that he mishandled classified documents likely will be postponed from the current May 20 start date, putting his legal schedule in limbo as he campaigns again for the White House. Judge Aileen Cannon indicated during a hearing with prosecutors...
CVS and Walgreens plan to start dispensing abortion pill mifepristone soon
The drugstore chains CVS Health and Walgreens plan to start dispensing an abortion pill in a few states within weeks. CVS Health will start filling prescriptions for mifepristone in Rhode Island and neighboring Massachusetts “in the weeks ahead,” spokeswoman Amy Thibault said Friday. Walgreens will begin dispensing the medication within...
Parts of the Sierra Nevada likely to get 10 feet of snow from powerful storm by weekend
RENO, Nev. — At least nine Lake Tahoe ski resorts closed and visitors to Yosemite National Park were told to urgently leave Friday as California’s most powerful storm of the season bore down on the Sierra Nevada, where residents were urged to take shelter as they prepared for up to...
U.S. health officials drop 5-day isolation time for covid-19
NEW YORK — Americans who test positive for covid-19 no longer need to stay in isolation for five days, U.S. health officials announced Friday. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention changed its longstanding guidance, saying that people can return to work or regular activities if their symptoms are mild...
China pledges to increase opportunities for foreign companies as it seeks to boost its economy
BEIJING — Chinese Vice President Han Zheng pledged Friday to provide more opportunities for foreign companies in China as the government tries to restore confidence in the world’s second largest economy. Han told an audience of American business people in Beijing that the government would continue to open up more...
Woman convicted of murder conspiracy, coverup, in 2019 disappearance of Connecticut mother
A woman was convicted Friday of conspiring to murder missing mother-of-five Jennifer Dulos, who vanished from a wealthy Connecticut enclave in 2019 and was never found. Prosecutors said Michelle Troconis, 49, helped her then-boyfriend, Fotis Dulos, in his plot to kill his estranged wife and cover it up. In addition...
With trash bins now required in NYC, only the rats are sorry to see the garbage piles go
NEW YORK — New York City’s tradition of piling garbage bags on the sidewalk for pickup is going the way of the dinosaur. As of Friday, all 200,000 businesses in the Big Apple are required to put out their bags of trash in garbage bins, as communities across the county...
N.Y. man sentenced to 25 years to life for killing woman who wound up in his driveway after wrong turn
FORT EDWARD, N.Y. — A man who fatally shot a 20-year-old woman after the SUV she was riding in mistakenly drove into his rural driveway in upstate New York was sentenced Friday to 25 years to life in prison. Kevin Monahan, 66, was convicted of second-degree murder in the death...
Takeaways from Hunter Biden’s combative deposition with Republican lawmakers
WASHINGTON — The transcript of the congressional deposition of Hunter Biden was released late Thursday, providing a full view of the contentious testimony that took place behind closed doors Wednesday as Republicans aggressively questioned the central figure in their impeachment inquiry. The nearly 230 pages of questioning laid bare the...
With salacious testimony finished, legal arguments to begin over Fani Willis’ future in Trump case
ATLANTA — After several days of extraordinary testimony, the judge in the Georgia election interference case against former President Donald Trump is set to hear arguments Friday over whether Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis should be removed from the prosecution over a romantic relationship. Lawyers for Trump and other...
Gaza doctor says gunfire accounted for 80% of the wounds at his hospital from aid convoy bloodshed
RAFAH, Gaza Strip — The head of a Gaza City hospital that treated some of those wounded in the bloodshed surrounding an aid convoy said Friday that more than 80% had been struck by gunfire, suggesting there had been heavy shooting by Israeli troops. At least 112 Palestinians were killed...
