Trump’s decades of testimony provide some clues about how he’ll fight for his real estate empire
NEW YORK — Donald Trump has testified in court as a football owner, casino builder and airline buyer. He bragged in a deposition that he saved “millions of lives” by deterring nuclear war as president. Another time, he fretted about the dangers of flung fruit. Conditioned by decades of trials...
Inside the Joe Biden-Mike Johnson relationship: Greetings, briefings and clashes over foreign aid
WASHINGTON — Inside the White House Situation Room, new House Speaker Mike Johnson made clear to Biden administration officials his demands when it came to foreign assistance: Aid to Israel for its war against Hamas would have to be separated out from support for Ukraine, defending itself from a Russian...
Californians bet farming agave for spirits holds key to weathering drought and groundwater limits
MURRIETA, Calif. — Leo Ortega started growing spiky blue agave plants on the arid hillsides around his Southern California home because his wife liked the way they looked. A decade later, his property is now dotted with thousands of what he and others hope is a promising new crop for...
Hostage situation at Hamburg Airport ends with man in custody and 4-year-old daughter safe
BERLIN — The hostage situation at Hamburg Airport ended Sunday afternoon, around 18 hours after a man drove his vehicle through the gates of the airport with his 4-year-old daughter inside, authorities said. The man was arrested and the girl appears to be unharmed. Hamburg police tweeted that “the hostage...
Gaza has lost telecom contact again, while Israel’s military announces it has surrounded Gaza City
DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip — Gaza came under the third total communications outage since the start of the war, while Israel’s military announced late Sunday that it had encircled Gaza City and divided the besieged coastal strip into two. “Today there is north Gaza and south Gaza,” Rear Adm. Daniel...
‘His impact is almost immeasurable’: Longtime YMCA leader bids job farewell in pursuit of foundation position
After 27 years of working for the YMCA, Larry Stormer will pursue his goal of foundation work with a local nonprofit benefiting children and families in need. Stormer, 54, of Ligonier, has worked at YMCA branches in Greensburg, Erie, Plum and Ligonier Valley. He has served as fitness director, executive...
Norway spruce from West Virginia headed to U.S. Capitol to be this year’s Christmas tree
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — A 63-foot Norway spruce from the Allegheny Mountains of West Virginia is on its way to the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol to be the Christmas tree for 2023. Snow fell on the crew members Wednesday in Monongahela National Forest as they harvested the tree selected...
Protest marches from U.S. to Berlin call for halt to Israeli bombing of Gaza
WASHINGTON — From Washington to Milan to Paris, tens of thousands of pro-Palestinian demonstrators marched Saturday, calling for a halt to Israel’s bombardment of Gaza. The marches reflected growing disquiet about the mounting civilian casualty toll and suffering from the Israel-Hamas war. Protesters, particularly in countries with large Muslim populations,...
Republican defense hawks have had it with party populists
WASHINGTON — Senate Republicans who favor a strong U.S. military have begun to directly challenge party populists over national security, raising the odds for more Ukraine aid and an end to a monthslong blockade on Pentagon promotions. The so-called defense hawks, once the power center of a party that has...
U.S. Rep. Summer Lee among Democrats who could face challenges over stance on Israel
ST. LOUIS — Most members of Congress have stood firmly behind Israel since the Hamas attack last month, but not Cori Bush. The Missouri Democrat called Israel’s response a “war crime” and an “ethnic cleansing campaign” and was among the few House members who opposed a resolution supporting Israel. Her...
Trump calls DeSantis ‘wounded, falling baby bird’ at Florida GOP summit
KISSIMMEE, Fla. — Gov. Ron DeSantis made his case for the presidential nomination at the Florida Republican Party’s annual summit Saturday, only for Donald Trump to compare him to a “wounded, falling baby bird” in casually dismissing the governor’s chances. “He asked me for the endorsement,” Trump said of DeSantis...
Arab envoys reject Blinken’s call for limited war pause in Gaza
Secretary of State Antony Blinken took U.S. calls for “humanitarian pauses” in the Israel-Hamas war to key Arab allies, who publicly insisted on an immediate cease-fire instead. The rift played out on Blinken’s tour of the Middle East against the backdrop of a growing backlash against the death toll in...
Her daughter was killed in the Robb Elementary shooting. Now she’s running for mayor of Uvalde
UVALDE, Texas — On a sticky Texas morning, Kimberly Mata-Rubio is lacing up her running shoes ahead of two races she is running in Uvalde in tribute to her daughter Lexi, who was killed in the 2022 Robb Elementary School shooting. First up is a charity run honoring Lexi’s life....
Man fatally shot after domestic dispute in Pittsburgh
A man died Saturday morning after being shot by a woman in what Pittsburgh police say started as a domestic dispute. Officers were dispatched to the Maple Ridge Apartment complex on the 2100 block of Park Hill Drive in East Hills around 11:30 a.m. Saturday to investigate reports of a...
Right turn on red? With pedestrian deaths rising, U.S. cities are considering bans
CHICAGO — Sophee Langerman was on her way to a bicycle safety rally in Chicago’s Lakeview neighborhood in June when a car turning right rolled through a red light and slammed into her bike, which she was walking off the curb and into the crosswalk. The car was moving slowly...
Israeli strikes kill multiple civilians at shelters in Gaza combat zone, as Blinken seeks more aid
RAFAH, Gaza Strip — Israeli military strikes killed multiple civilians Saturday at a U.N. shelter and hospital in the main combat zone in the Gaza Strip as the assault intensified on the besieged enclave’s Hamas rulers, amid growing international uproar over the soaring death toll and deepening humanitarian crisis. Israel’s...
Nepal rushes aid and rescue operations after strong quake shakes its northwest, killing at least 157
KATHMANDU, Nepal — Survivors of a strong earthquake that shook Nepal’s northwest in the middle of the night described sudden shaking followed by houses collapsing and burying entire families, as the death toll rose to 157 on Saturday. Most of those killed were crushed by debris when their houses —...
Penn Township man set to run New York City Marathon to support his son, raise funds for genetic disorder foundation
Will Hoffman’s main motivation for running the New York City Marathon on Sunday has little to do with a finishing time or position. Rather, Will and about 25 other runners are chasing down a fundraising goal of $150,000 for the Children’s Tumor Foundation — an organization that supports research for...
Florida teacher fired for using gender-neutral title Mx. in class materials
ORLANDO, Fla. — A Florida Virtual School physics teacher who identifies as non-binary was fired last month for using a gender-neutral courtesy title in class materials, which the school said violated a new Florida law that prohibits teachers from sharing “personal titles and pronouns” that do not correspond to their...
Milk carton shortage could hit school lunchrooms in Pa., other states
The tiny, half-pint cartons of milk served with millions of school lunches nationwide might soon be scarce in some cafeterias, with districts across the country scrambling to find alternatives. The problem is not a shortage of milk but the cardboard cartons used to package and serve it, according to dairy...
Killer on the loose: Maine mass shooter was alive for most of massive search, autopsy suggests
PORTLAND, Maine — The Army reservist who fatally shot 18 people at two locations in Lewiston before disappearing into the night was alive and possibly on the run during a good portion of the huge search that led to community-wide shelter-in-place orders, according to the Maine medical examiner’s office. Robert...
Virginia teacher shot by 6-year-old can proceed with $40 million lawsuit, judge rules
NEWPORT NEWS — A teacher who was shot by her 6-year-old student in Virginia can press forward with her $40 million lawsuit against a school system over claims of negligence by school administrators, a judge ruled Friday. The surprise decision by Newport News Circuit Court Judge Matthew Hoffman means Abby...
2nd worker trapped under collapsed Kentucky coal prep plant has died, governor says
The second of two workers trapped under a coal mine preparation plant that collapsed this week in eastern Kentucky has died, Gov. Andy Beshear said Friday. “This is a heartbreaking situation,” the Democratic governor wrote on social media, calling for prayers for the men’s loved ones. The two men —...
Pennsylvania’s election to be headlined by races for statewide courts, including high court seat
HARRISBURG — Pennsylvania voters will settle four statewide judicial contests in Tuesday’s election, filling an open seat on the state Supreme Court — which has played a hugely consequential role in election-related cases in the presidential battleground state — and three seats on two lower appellate courts. The state Supreme...
Defendant in the Georgia election interference case: Trump won 2020 election
One of the defendants in the Fulton elections interference case is pursuing a unique legal strategy: trying to prove that former President Donald Trump won the 2020 election in Georgia. While other Trump allies, notably those who have reached plea deals with prosecutors, have backed away from election fraud claims,...
