Police questioned over legality of Kansas newspaper raid in which computers, phones seized
MARION, Kan. — A small central Kansas police department is facing a firestorm of criticism after it raided the offices of a local newspaper and the home of its publisher and owner — a move deemed by several press freedom watchdogs as a blatant violation of the U.S. Constitution’s protection...
Yes, inflation is down. No, the Inflation Reduction Act doesn’t deserve the credit
WASHINGTON — Even President Joe Biden has some regrets about the name of the Inflation Reduction Act: As the giant law turns 1 on Wednesday, it’s increasingly clear that immediately curbing prices wasn’t the point. While price increases have cooled over the past year — the inflation rate has dropped...
Trump’s Iowa state fair spectacle clouds DeSantis as former president is joined by Florida officials
DES MOINES, Iowa — Gone was the helicopter, but Donald Trump on Saturday renewed his reputation for defying norms and creating a mega-celebrity’s spectacle at the Iowa State Fair. Trump, in fewer than two hours on the steaming fairgrounds in Des Moines, attracted thousands of sweating, chanting supporters to his...
Alabama riverfront brawl videos spark a cultural moment about race, solidarity and justice
MONTGOMERY, Ala. — As bystanders trained their smartphone cameras on the riverfront dock while several white boaters pummeled a Black riverboat co-captain, they couldn’t have known the footage would elicit a national conversation about racial solidarity. Yet, a week after multiple videos showing the now-infamous brawl and valiant defense of...
Popular weight-loss drugs like Wegovy may raise risk of complications under anesthesia
Patients who take blockbuster drugs like Wegovy or Ozempic for weight loss may face life-threatening complications if they need surgery or other procedures that require empty stomachs for anesthesia. This summer’s guidance to halt the medication for up to a week may not go far enough, either. Some anesthesiologists in...
As death toll from Maui wildfire reaches 93, effort to find and identify the dead is just beginning
LAHAINA, Hawaii — As the death toll from a wildfire that razed a historic Maui town climbed to 93, authorities warned that the effort to find and identify the dead was still in its early stages. The blaze is already the deadliest U.S. wildfire in more than a century. Crews...
Fulton grand jury to hear Trump case early next week
ATLANTA — Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis will begin presenting her 2020 elections interference case against former President Donald Trump and his allies to a grand jury early next week. The timeline came into sharper focus on Saturday, when former Georgia Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan and independent journalist George...
Starting next year, child influencers can sue if earnings aren’t set aside, says new Illinois law
CHICAGO — Illinois is the first state in the U.S. to ensure child social media influencers are compensated for their work, according to Sen. David Koehler, of Peoria, who sponsored a bill that was signed into law and will go into effect on July 1, 2024. “The rise of social...
70-year-old woman who used knife stored in cane to kill man turns herself in, says police
A 70-year-old Philadelphia woman charged with the murder of a man her son previously punched turned herself in to police this week, according to officials. Renee DiPietro is facing charges of third-degree murder, involuntary manslaughter and possession of an instrument of crime for stabbing 31-year-old Michael Sides to death earlier...
A historic banyan tree burned in Maui’s wildfires still stands, but can it survive?
In 1873, an exotic banyan tree was planted in the port town of Lahaina, a major hub for the then-Kingdom of Hawaii. At the time it was only 8 feet tall. Today, its branches extend over 60 feet high and stretch even wider, providing shade to nearly two-thirds of an...
6 dead, over 50 rescued from capsized migrant boat in the English Channel
LONDON — An overloaded boat carrying migrants capsized before dawn Saturday in the English Channel, killing at least six people and leaving more than 50 others to be rescued, according to French authorities. About 65 people were estimated to have boarded the boat and two people may still be lost...
Death toll rises to 80 in Maui wildfires as survivors begin returning to communities in ruins
LAHAINA, Hawaii — The death toll has risen to 80 as a result of the wildfires that decimated parts of the island of Maui this past week, officials in Hawaii said Friday. The number of confirmed fatalities in the 9 p.m. announcement by the County of Maui increased from the...
Russia downs 20 drones over Crimea following a spate of attacks on Moscow
KYIV, Ukraine — Russia thwarted an attack by 20 Ukrainian drones targeting Moscow-annexed Crimea overnight, the Russian Defense Ministry said Saturday. Fourteen drones were shot down by Russian air defenses and a further six were jammed electronically, the ministry said in a Telegram post. No casualties or damage were reported....
WVU facing possible academic program cuts, 7% faculty reduction
West Virginia University has unveiled preliminary recommendations to discontinue 32 of its 338 majors and reduce faculty ranks in Morgantown by 7% to confront enrollment losses and adapt to shifting student demand. Twelve of the majors are undergraduate level and 20 are at the graduate level, officials with the state’s...
Apple to pay up to $500 million to iPhone users after judge nixes final appeal
SAN JOSE, Calif. — Owners of some older iPhone models are expected to receive about $65 each after a judge cleared the way for payments in a class-action lawsuit accusing Apple of secretly throttling phone performance. The Cupertino cellphone giant agreed in 2020 to pay up to $500 million to...
Men attacked Alabama boat co-captain for ‘just doing my job,’ he says
MONTGOMERY, Ala. — An Alabama boat co-captain was hanging on “for dear life” as men punched and tackled him on the capital city’s riverfront, he told police after video of the brawl circulated widely online. Dameion Pickett, a crew member of the Harriott II in Montgomery, described the brawl in...
Court dismisses challenge to Biden’s restoration of Utah monuments shrunk by Trump
A judge Friday dismissed a lawsuit from the state of Utah challenging President Joe Biden’s restoration of two sprawling national monuments in the state that were downsized by President Donald Trump. U.S. District Judge David Nuffer said Biden acted within his authority when he issued proclamations restoring Bears Ears and...
Trailing in polls, DeSantis turns to attention-grabbing moves
TAMPA, Fla. — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has long been known for his fiery responses to reporters and disdain for mainstream news outlets. He even blamed “the media” for low polling numbers in July. But in recent weeks, he has pivoted to accommodate and encourage the spotlight. As his presidential...
Pittsburgh area couple shares escape from ‘hellacious’ Maui wildfires
An immigrant cook building a new life. A widow preparing to say goodbye. And a couple taking their vows. All were caught in the crossfire, forced to flee as flames swallowed parts of Maui, that drop in the Pacific where roads wind past waterfalls, turtles glide through gem-blue waters and...
AG Garland appoints special counsel in Hunter Biden probe, deepening investigation
WASHINGTON — Attorney General Merrick Garland announced Friday he has appointed a special counsel in the Hunter Biden probe, deepening the investigation of the president’s son ahead of the 2024 election. Garland noted the “extraordinary circumstances” of the matter as he named David Weiss, the U.S. attorney in Delaware who...
Former Tennessee state senator gets 21-month prison sentence for campaign finance cash scheme
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — A former Tennessee state senator on Friday was sentenced to 21 months in prison after he unsuccessfully tried to take back his guilty plea on federal campaign finance charges. Former Republican Sen. Brian Kelsey received his sentence in U.S. District Court in Nashville in the case centering...
Hershey Chocolate World evacuated due to bomb threat
Hershey Chocolate World evacuated its building due to a bomb threat reported at around 3:30 p.m. Friday, according to officials. Security officials from Chocolate World called Dauphin County 911 dispatchers to report the threat, according to Jennifer Fitch, press secretary for Dauphin County. Fitch said the popular tourist destination was...
Judge sends FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried to jail, says crypto mogul tampered with witnesses
NEW YORK — FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried left a federal courtroom in handcuffs Friday after a judge revoked his bail after concluding that the fallen cryptocurrency wiz had repeatedly tried to influence witnesses against him. Bankman-Fried looked down at his hands as Judge Lewis A. Kaplan explained at length why...
South Huntingdon fire department purchases gear for firefighters
The Turkeytown Volunteer Fire Department in South Huntingdon will purchase more than $30,000 worth of gear thanks to a grant from a Florida-based nonprofit. The $30,500 grant from Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation will cover the cost of seven sets of bunker gear. Each set includes a jacket, pants, hood,...
Highmark among insurers that won’t cover new Alzheimer’s treatment for some customers
Some private insurers are balking at paying for the first drug fully approved to slow mental decline in Alzheimer’s patients. Insurers selling coverage in North Carolina, Pennsylvania and New York, among other states, told The Associated Press they won’t cover Leqembi with insurance offered on the individual market and through...
