Fraud trial: Trump acknowledged penthouse size at 11,000 square feet, not 30,000 he later claimed
NEW YORK — Donald Trump signed a document 30 years ago that gave the true size of his New York penthouse which was later listed as far larger on financial statements, according to evidence Tuesday at the former president’s civil business fraud trial. The evidence appeared in an email attachment...
Israeli survivors recount terror at music festival, where Hamas militants killed at least 260
JERUSALEM — The night was a getaway. Thousands of young men and women gathered at a vast field in southern Israel near the Gaza border to dance without a care. Old and new friends jumped up and down, reveling in the swirl of the bass-heavy beats. Maya Alper was standing...
Wall Street Journal reporter loses appeal in Russia and will stay in jail until the end of November
MOSCOW — A Wall Street Journal reporter who was detained in Russia on espionage charges lost his appeal against his arrest Tuesday, meaning he will stay in jail until at least the end of November. Evan Gershkovich, wearing a blue shirt, T-shirt and jeans, appeared in a glass defendant’s cage...
Future of electric vehicles looms over negotiations in the U.S. autoworkers strike
WAYNE, Mich. — On the picket lines at a Ford factory west of Detroit, many striking workers don’t think the electric vehicle revolution is coming for their jobs — at least not in the near future. But just in case, they’re backing United Auto Workers President Shawn Fain’s quest to...
Car rams into Chinese consulate in San Francisco and police fatally shoot driver, officers say
SAN FRANCISCO — A car rammed into the Chinese consulate in San Francisco on Monday, coming to a stop in the lobby and creating a chaotic scene that ended with police shooting the driver, who later died at the hospital, officials said. San Francisco police said they didn’t know why...
Powerball jackpot soars to $1.73 billion as lottery losing streak continues
DES MOINES, Iowa — The Powerball jackpot climbed to an estimated $1.73 billion after no one matched the game’s six numbers Monday and won the giant prize. The winning numbers announced were: 16, 34, 46, 55, 67 and the Powerball 14. There has been no winner for 35 consecutive drawings,...
Biden interviewed as part of special counsel investigation into handling of classified documents
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden has been interviewed as part of an independent investigation into his handling of classified documents, the White House said late Monday. It’s a possible sign that the investigation is nearing its end. Special counsel Robert Hur is examining the improper retention of classified documents by...
Former Texas Rep. Will Hurd suspends long-shot GOP 2024 presidential bid, endorses Nikki Haley
WASHINGTON — Former Texas congressman Will Hurd suspended his Republican presidential bid Monday, abandoning a brief campaign built on criticizing Donald Trump at a time when his party seems even more determined to embrace the former president. Hurd said on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, that he was...
As Republicans split over who will be House speaker, Kevin McCarthy positions himself as a de facto leaderVideo
WASHINGTON — Republicans have no clear idea who to elect U.S. House speaker, leaving an unprecedented power vacuum in Congress and severely limiting America’s ability to quickly respond to the crisis in Israel — or any number of other problems at home or abroad. On Monday, the ousted former speaker,...
RFK Jr.’s independent run for president draws GOP criticism and silence from national Democrats
PHILADELPHIA — Republicans attacked Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on Monday as the longtime environmental lawyer and anti-vaccine activist launched an independent bid for the White House, reflecting growing concerns on the right that the former Democrat now threatens to take votes from former President Donald Trump in 2024. The Republican...
Native Americans celebrate their histories and cultures on Indigenous Peoples Day
Native people celebrated their history on Monday with events across the U.S. marking Indigenous Peoples Day, from a sunrise gathering in Minneapolis to a rally in Maine. The ceremonies, dances and speeches came two years after President Joe Biden officially commemorated Indigenous Peoples Day. At the time, he said the...
U.S. raises the death toll to 9 Americans killed in the weekend Hamas attacks on Israel
WASHINGTON — The State Department said Monday that at least nine American citizens have been killed in the weekend Hamas attacks on Israel, raising the toll from four. It said an undetermined number of American citizens remain missing and unaccounted for. On Sunday, an official said that number was fluid...
As PennWest struggles, 1st-year enrollment up again at other Pa. state-owned universities
In revealing fall 2023 enrollment data Monday, leaders of Pennsylvania’s state-owned universities asserted that they potentially had turned a corner in reversing 13 years of student declines. But there’s a problem with that scenario – PennWest University. Data shows a continuing steep drop at PennWest, established last year by merging...
Just shy 4 years ago, another graduate worker union drive has begun at the University of Pittsburgh
Last time, they came close — as in 39 votes shy in an election to secure union representation. Now, four years later, more than 2,000 graduate student workers at the University of Pittsburgh, including teaching and research assistants, are vying anew to join the United Steelworkers. A card-signing campaign initiated...
What to know as Israel declares war, bombards Gaza Strip after unprecedented Hamas attack
JERUSALEM — The Israeli government promised Monday to hunt down Hamas fighters and to punish the Gaza Strip following a surprise weekend attack killed more than 700 people in Israel, including at least 260 at a crowded music festival that became the scene of one of the country’s worst civilian...
How 3rd-party and independent candidates could threaten Democrats and Republicans in 2024
NEW YORK — Robert F. Kennedy Jr., an anti-vaccine conspiracy theorist and scion of the storied Democratic dynasty, is expected to launch an independent or third-party presidential bid on Monday. Cornel West, a philosopher and Black social leader, made the same choice last week. And No Labels, a new political...
U.S. Senate Majority Leader Schumer criticizes China for not supporting Israel after Hamas attack
BEIJING — U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer told Chinese President Xi Jinping in a rare meeting Monday that he was “very disappointed” by China’s failure to strongly condemn the recent Hamas attack on Israel and show sympathy for the country and its people. Schumer is leading a delegation of...
Major airlines suspend flights to Israel after massive attack by Hamas ignites heavy fighting
NEW YORK — Major airlines have suspended flights to Israel after the nation declared war following a massive attack by Hamas. American Airlines, United Airlines and Delta Air Lines suspended service as the U.S. State Department issued travel advisories for the region citing potential for terrorism and civil unrest. American...
Workers at Mack Trucks go on strike after rejecting tentative contract deal
DETROIT — Union workers at Mack Trucks went on strike Monday after voting down a tentative five-year contract agreement that negotiators had reached with the company. The United Auto Workers said 4,000 unionized workers walked out at 7 a.m., adding to labor turmoil in the industry that has ensnared all...
Israel strikes and seals off Gaza after incursion by Hamas, which vows to execute hostagesVideo
JERUSALEM — Israel increased airstrikes on the Gaza Strip and sealed it off from food, fuel, and other supplies in retaliation for a bloody incursion by Hamas militants, as the war’s death toll rose to nearly 1,600 on both sides. Hamas also escalated on Monday, pledging to kill captured Israelis...
Schools’ pandemic spending boosted tech companies. Did it help U.S. students?
WASHINGTON — As soon as the federal pandemic relief started arriving at America’s schools, so did the relentless calls. Tech companies by the dozens wanted a chance to prove their software was what schools needed. Best of all, they often added, it wouldn’t take a dime from district budgets: Schools...
Nobel economics prize goes to professor for advancing the understanding of the workplace gender gap
STOCKHOLM — The Nobel economics prize was awarded Monday to Harvard University professor Claudia Goldin for research that has advanced the understanding of the gender gap in the labor market. The announcement went a tiny step to closing the Nobel committee’s own gender gap: Goldin is just the third woman...
Knights of Columbus groups serve local communities despite controversial namesake
The legacy of 15th-century Italian explorer and navigator Christopher Columbus has sparked controversy in recent years, but there remain about 100 Knights of Columbus councils in Western Pennsylvania. “When you join the Knights of Columbus, you swear to do charitable works,” said Albert Borgony, grand knight for a Westmoreland council....
U.S. will send a carrier strike group to Eastern Mediterranean in support of Israel
WASHINGTON — Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said Sunday he has ordered the Ford carrier strike group to sail to the Eastern Mediterranean to be ready to assist Israel after the attack by Hamas that has left more than 1,000 dead on both sides. Americans were reported to be among those...
Clergy burnout is a growing concern in polarized churches. A summit offers coping strategies
STILLWATER, Minn. — Every morning, the Rev. Karna Moskalik goes through a “grounding” routine that involves prayer, Bible reading, positive affirmations, and meditations about the best outcomes for the day’s tasks, as well as lighting a perfumed candle and walking through each space of her Lutheran church. “I always feel...
