Much of U.S. still gripped by Arctic weather as Memphis deals with numerous broken water pipes
NASHVILLE — Subfreezing conditions and treacherous roadways have contributed to dozens of deaths this month across the U.S., where states as far south as Texas and Florida remain gripped by deadly arctic weather Sunday. But the numbing cold is expected to ease up in the coming days. Nationally, winter storms...
Texas man pleads guilty to kidnapping teen whose ‘Help Me!’ sign led to Southern California rescue
LOS ANGELES — A Texas man has pleaded guilty to kidnapping a 13-year-old girl who was rescued in Southern California when a passerby saw her hold up a “Help Me!” sign in a parked car. A statement Friday from the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Central District of California said...
Reformed mobster went after ‘one last score’ when he stole Judy Garland’s ruby slippers from ‘Oz’
The aging reformed mobster who has admitted stealing a pair of ruby slippers that Judy Garland wore in “The Wizard of Oz” gave into the temptation of “one last score” after an old mob associate led him to believe the famous shoes must be adorned with real jewels to justify...
Small-town Colorado newspapers stolen after running story about rape charges at police chief’s house
Nearly all the copies of a small-town Colorado newspaper were stolen from newspaper racks on the same day the Ouray County Plaindealer published a story about charges being filed over rapes alleged to have occurred at an underage drinking party at the police chief’s house while the chief was asleep,...
Father of American teen killed in West Bank by Israeli fire rails against U.S. support for Israel
AL-MAZRA’A ASH-SHARQIYA, West Bank — The father of an American teen killed by Israeli fire in the occupied West Bank railed against Washington’s military support for Israel, as hundreds of mourners buried the 17-year-old in the family’s ancestral Palestinian village Saturday. The death of Tawfiq Ajaq on Friday drew an...
Palestinian death toll in Gaza surpasses 25,000 while the prolonged war divides Israelis
RAFAH, Gaza Strip — The Palestinian death toll from the war between Israel and Hamas has soared past 25,000, the Health Ministry in the Gaza Strip said Sunday, while the Israeli government appeared far from achieving its goals of crushing the militant group and freeing more than 100 hostages. The...
Hempfield moves Weatherwood Community Park, municipal complex projects forward
The first phase of its Weatherwood Community Park construction project is set to get underway in Hempfield. Officials will vote Monday to advertise the construction bid for the first phase of the park project, which will be completed in tandem with a new municipal complex. “We’re always trying to look...
Nikki Haley questions Trump’s mental fitness after he appears to confuse her for Nancy Pelosi
COLUMBIA, S.C. — Nikki Haley on Saturday questioned whether Donald Trump is mentally capable of serving as president again after he repeatedly seemed to confuse her with former U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi in a campaign speech. As she campaigned in Keene, N.H., Haley referenced Trump’s speech the night before,...
Teen fatally shot in broad daylight in the middle of Philadelphia street
A teenager was shot in the head and killed Friday afternoon following an argument in the middle of a Philadelphia street, authorities announced. Police said the incident happened in the Northeast Philadelphia neighborhood of Frankford. The teen was arguing with another person just after 2 p.m. along the 4200 block...
Mourners fill church to remember the Iowa principal who risked life to save kids in school shooting
The longtime Iowa principal who risked his life to save students during a shooting this month was remembered Saturday not just for his heroic actions that day but for the unconditional love and compassion he showed his family and students during his years at Perry High School. Mourners filled the...
Judge orders release of ‘Newburgh Four’ defendant, blasts FBI’s role in terror sting
A man convicted in a post-9/11 terrorism sting was ordered freed from prison by a judge who criticized the FBI for relying on an “unsavory” confidential informant for an agency-invented conspiracy to blow up New York synagogues and shoot down National Guard planes. U.S. District Judge Colleen McMahon on Friday...
Iran launches satellite that is part of a Western-criticized program as regional tensions spike
JERUSALEM — Iran said Saturday it had conducted a successful satellite launch into its highest orbit yet, the latest for a program the West fears improves Tehran’s ballistic missiles. The announcement comes as heightened tensions grip the wider Middle East over Israel’s continued war on Hamas in the Gaza Strip...
6-legged dog undergoes surgery to remove extra limbs
LONDON — A spaniel born with six legs that was found abandoned in a supermarket parking lot is now like other dogs after having her extra limbs surgically removed. Ariel, who was named for “The Little Mermaid” character because the additional appendage with two paws on the end looked a...
Can DeSantis come back against Trump? Here’s what history says
TAMPA, Fla. — Before the frost could thaw on Gov. Ron DeSantis’ middling Iowa caucuses performance, he’d already moved on. First came a quick trip and makeshift rally in South Carolina, which holds its primary in February. Then came another flight back up to New Hampshire for a CNN town...
Winter blast in much of U.S. poses serious risks like black ice, frostbite, hypothermia
ATLANTA — Freezing temperatures and wind speeds are creating dangerously cold conditions in a large part of the U.S. stretching from Montana to northern Florida. The region is not expected to begin thawing until Monday. Here are some of the dangers the winter blast poses and how to protect against...
Ohio is poised to become the 2nd state to restrict gender-affirming care for adults
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine announced proposals this month that transgender advocates say could block access to gender-affirming care provided by independent clinics and general practitioners, leaving thousands of adults scrambling for treatment and facing health risks. Ashton Colby, 31, fears the clinic where he gets the testosterone he has taken...
Israeli airstrike on the Syrian capital killed at least 4 Iranian advisers, officials say
DAMASCUS, Syria — An Israeli strike on the Syrian capital on Saturday destroyed a building used by the Iranian paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, killing at least four Iranians, Syrian and Iranian state media reported. The Syrian army said the building in the tightly guarded western Damascus neighborhood of Mazzeh was entirely...
Zelenskyy calls Trump’s rhetoric about Ukraine’s war with Russia ‘very dangerous’
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he was worried by the prospect of Donald Trump returning to the White House, branding Trump’s claim that he could stop Ukraine’s war with Russia in 24 hours as “very dangerous.” In an interview with the U.K.’s Channel 4 News that aired Friday, Zelenskyy invited...
Small-town Colorado newspapers stolen after running story about rape charges at police chief’s house
Nearly all the copies of a small-town Colorado newspaper were stolen from newspaper racks on the same day the Ouray County Plaindealer published a story about charges being filed over rapes alleged to have occurred at an underage drinking party at the police chief’s house while the chief was asleep,...
Texas prosecutor convenes grand jury to investigate Uvalde shooting
UVALDE, Texas — A Texas prosecutor has convened a grand jury to investigate the Uvalde school shooting that killed 21 people, multiple media outlets reported Friday. Uvalde County District Attorney Christina Mitchell told the San Antonio Express-News a grand jury will review evidence related to the Robb Elementary School shooting...
Andrew Cuomo sues attorney general for records in sexual harassment probe that led to his downfall
NEW YORK — Former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo is suing state Attorney General Letitia James in an effort to force her to turn over interviews from the damaging sexual misconduct investigation that led to his resignation. Cuomo filed the case against James in New York state court Thursday, arguing...
Carnegie Mellon University hit by cyberattack, informs 7,300 people possibly affected
Carnegie Mellon University informed about 7,300 people that their personal information may have been compromised in an August cyberattack that was quietly investigated by law enforcement and the university. The breach impacting one of the nation’s top schools for computing was acknowledged by the university as higher education in general...
NYC mayor vetoes bills banning solitary confinement in jails and expanding reporting of police stops
NEW YORK — New York City’s mayor vetoed bills Friday aimed at banning solitary confinement in city jails and requiring more transparency in police encounters with civilians, setting up a faceoff with the City Council, which says it has enough votes to override him. Democratic Mayor Eric Adams said the...
IUP gets $500K donation for medical college project
Indiana University of Pennsylvania’s bid to open the state’s first college of osteopathic medicine on a public campus is getting a financial lift from IUP’s alumni association. The organization’s board of directors has authorized a $500,000 donation toward the endeavor that was first announced in December 2022, university officials said...
Rifts emerge among top Israeli officials over how to handle the war against Hamas in Gaza
JERUSALEM — Rifts are emerging among top Israeli officials over the handling of the war against Hamas in Gaza. A member of the country’s War Cabinet cast doubt over the strategy for releasing hostages, while the prime minister rejected the United States’ calls to scale back its offensive. Only a...
