Biden says Vietnam deal is about global stability, not containing China
HANOI — President Joe Biden insisted Sunday that he is not trying to start a “cold war” with China as he made his first visit to Vietnam, saying his goal is to provide stability around the world by building U.S. ties with Vietnam and other Asian countries. “We have an...
Terrorism suspect who escaped from London prison is captured while riding a bike
LONDON — A former British soldier facing terrorism charges who snuck out of a London prison on a food delivery truck was captured Saturday, police said. Daniel Abed Khalife was nabbed while riding a bicycle along a canal path west of London after a four-day manhunt. Khalife escaped from the...
Hurricane Lee is charting a new course in weather and could signal more monster storms
ATLANTA — Hurricane Lee is rewriting old rules of meteorology, leaving experts astonished at how rapidly it grew into a goliath Category 5 hurricane. Lee — which just as quickly dropped to a still-dangerous Category 3 and held that strength Saturday — could still be a harbinger as ocean temperatures...
Police announce 2 more confirmed sightings of escaped murderer on the run in Pennsylvania
WEST CHESTER, Pa. — Police on Saturday reported two more confirmed sightings of an escaped murderer on the run for more than a week in southeast Pennsylvania amid a search by hundreds of law enforcement officers. Danelo Souza Cavalcante, 34, escaped from the Chester County Prison while awaiting transfer to...
Powerful quake in Morocco kills more than 1,300 people and damages historic buildings in Marrakech
MARRAKECH, Morocco — A rare, powerful earthquake struck Morocco, sending people racing from their beds into the streets and toppling buildings in mountainous villages and ancient cities not built to withstand such force. More than 1,300 people were killed, and the toll was expected to rise as rescuers struggled Saturday...
Morocco struggles after rare, powerful earthquake kills and injures scores of people
ALGIERS, Algeria — Algeria has offered humanitarian aid to neighboring Morocco after a powerful earthquake in the kingdom on Friday night left more than 1,000 people dead. In an exceptional move, Algeria offered to open its airspace to allow eventual humanitarian aid or medical evacuation flights to travel to and...
Teen’s death leads to outpouring of concern over spicy chip challenge as sales are halted
WORCESTER, Mass. — The death of a Massachusetts teenager after his family said he ate an extremely spicy tortilla chip has led to an outpouring of concern about the social media challenge and prompted retailers to pull the product from their shelves at the manufacturer’s request. The family of Harris...
The number of people missing following devastating Maui wildfires has dropped to 66, governor says
HONOLULU — The number of people still missing following wildfires that destroyed the historic community of Lahaina a month ago has dropped to 66, Hawaii Gov. Josh Green said Friday, while the number of confirmed deaths remained at 115. The tally of the missing is now significantly lower than a...
Bedford County turnpike plaza to close gas pumps for eight-week maintenance project Monday
The gas pumps at the Pennsylvania Turnpike’s westbound North Midway Service Plaza in Bedford County will close on Monday. The pumps will be unavailable for about eight weeks while the fuel provider, 7-Eleven, replaces the underground fuel tanks, lines and dispensers, spokesperson Crispin Havener said in a statement. While there...
Latest sighting of fugitive killer in Pennsylvania spurs closure of popular botanical garden
WEST CHESTER, Pa. — One of the country’s top botanical gardens has been closed indefinitely after reports that an escaped murderer on the run in southeast Pennsylvania may have once again been spotted on the property. When Longwood Gardens closed Thursday night, people who remained on the property were told...
Pelosi says she’ll run for reelection in 2024 as Democrats try to win back House majority
WASHINGTON — Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Friday she will run for reelection to another term in Congress as Democrats work to win back the majority in 2024. Pelosi, 83, made the announcement before labor allies in the San Francisco area district she has represented for more than 35...
Special grand jury recommended charges against Sen. Graham, 2 ex-senators, Michael Flynn
ATLANTA — A special grand jury that aided a Georgia election subversion probe that ultimately ended up indicting Donald Trump and 18 others had recommended charging many more people, including South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham, two former senators from Georgia and Michael Flynn, according to a report released Friday. Parts...
Hurricane Lee barrels through open Atlantic waters as the season’s first Category 5 storm
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — Hurricane Lee on Friday charged through warm Atlantic waters as the season’s first Category 5 storm, threatening to unleash heavy swells across the northeast Caribbean. The hurricane is not expected to make landfall, but meteorologists warned it would generate dangerous waves of up to 15...
Penn State to consider asking state for millions more next year while awaiting this year’s funding
Penn State has yet to receive any state funding to support the university’s operating budget this year but its trustees are poised to ask for millions of dollars more for next year. A university trustees’ committee on Thursday voted to recommend the full board consider requesting $368.1 million from the...
Community Bands of Westmoreland County brings ‘familiar’ music for all ages to community college
The Community Bands of Westmoreland County has performed in Washington, D.C., Gettysburg, Lancaster County and at the Flight 93 Memorial, but their at-home shows have been limited. This weekend, the group will bring its set of classic rock, marches, show tunes and patriotic selections back home for a performance at...
Congressional watchdog describes border wall harm, says agencies should work together to ease damage
PHOENIX — The construction of a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border under former President Donald Trump toppled untold numbers of saguaro cactuses in Arizona, put endangered ocelots at risk in Texas and disturbed Native American burial grounds, the official congressional watchdog said Thursday. A report released by the Government Accountability...
Trump White House official Peter Navarro convicted of contempt after defying House Jan. 6 subpoenaVideo
WASHINGTON — Trump White House official Peter Navarro was convicted Thursday of contempt of Congress charges filed after he was accused of refusing to cooperate with a congressional investigation into the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. The verdict came after a short trial for Navarro, who served...
Spicy ‘One Chip Challenge’ chips removed from store shelves after 14-year-old’s deathVideo
The maker of an extremely spicy tortilla chip sold as the One Chip Challenge and popularized as a dare on social media is pulling the product after the family of a Massachusetts teenager blamed the stunt for his death. The cause of Harris Wolobah’s death last Friday hasn’t been determined...
Pa. election 2023: A complete guide to the candidates for state Supreme Court
Spotlight PA is an independent, nonpartisan, and nonprofit newsroom producing investigative and public-service journalism that holds the powerful to account and drives positive change in Pennsylvania. HARRISBURG — During Pennsylvania’s general election on Nov. 7, voters will select the newest state Supreme Court justice. The winner of the election —...
‘That ’70s Show’ actor Danny Masterson gets 30 years to life in prison for rapes of 2 women
LOS ANGELES — A judge sentenced “That ’70s Show” star Danny Masterson to 30 years to life in prison Thursday for the rapes of two women two decades ago. Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Charlaine F. Olmedo handed down the sentence to the 47-year-old Masterson after hearing statements from the...
New federal rule may help boost competition for railroad shipments at companies with few options
OMAHA, Neb. — Companies that have plants and facilities only served by one railroad may soon be able to get a bid from another railroad if their current service is bad enough under a new rule that was proposed Thursday to help boost competition. The U.S. Surface Transportation Board announced...
Ta’Kiya Young, killed by police in an Ohio parking lot, had big plans for her growing family
Ta’Kiya Young treated her two little boys like kings, dressing them sharply, letting them have too many sweets, cooking them big gourmet meals of T-bone steak with broccoli, cheese and rice. The royal life also awaited her unborn daughter. When Young found out she was pregnant with her third child...
The average long-term U.S. mortgage rate fell to 7.12%, second weekly drop since marking 22-year high
LOS ANGELES — The average long-term U.S. mortgage rate fell again this week, but remains near the 22-year high it hit three weeks ago, little relief for house hunters facing persistently high prices and a near-historic low number of homes for sale. Mortgage buyer Freddie Mac said Thursday that the...
Prince Harry to attend charity event in London – but meeting up with the family isn’t on the agenda
LONDON — Prince Harry is attending a charity event Thursday night in London, though he isn’t expected to meet with King Charles III or Prince William as Britain prepares to mark the first anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II’s death. Harry’s relationship with his family has been strained since he and...
Presidential centers from Hoover to Bush and Obama unite to warn of fragile state of U.S. democracy
WASHINGTON — Concern for U.S. democracy amid deep national polarization has prompted the entities supporting 13 presidential libraries dating back to Herbert Hoover to call for a recommitment to the country’s bedrock principles, including the rule of law and respecting a diversity of beliefs. The statement released Thursday, the first...
