Indiana tornado kills 1 as severe weather causes damage and power outages
SHOALS, Ind. — A tornado struck a home, killing one occupant and injuring another as severe weather hit parts of Indiana, Tennessee and other states, an official said. The tornado that struck the home Sunday evening was part of a storm system that pushed through Martin County, Indiana, WXIN-TV reported....
Fourth defendant sentenced to prison in 2020 drug-related slaying of classmate
HOLLIDAYSBURG — The last of several teenagers charged in the shooting death of a classmate in a drug-related robbery more than three years ago in Pennsylvania has been sentenced to prison following a plea deal. Damien Green, now 19, was sentenced Friday to 15 to 30 years after pleading guilty...
In post-Roe era, House Republicans begin quiet push for new restrictions on abortion access
WASHINGTON — When the Supreme Court issued its abortion ruling last June overturning Roe v. Wade, House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy said “our work is far from done.” He didn’t say what might come next. A year later later, McCarthy is the speaker, Republicans are in the majority and the...
Coast Guard is investigating the loss of the Titan submersible to determine cause of implosion
The U.S. Coast Guard said Sunday it is leading an investigation into the loss of the Titan submersible that was carrying five people to the Titanic, to determine what caused it to implode. Capt. Jason Neubauer, chief investigator, said the salvage operations are ongoing, and they have mapped the accident...
Water being tested where freight train carrying hazardous material plunged into Yellowstone RiverVideo
COLUMBUS, Mont. — Authorities on Sunday were testing the water quality along a stretch of the Yellowstone River where mangled cars carrying hazardous materials remained after crashing into the waterway following a bridge collapse. Seven train cars carrying hot asphalt and molten sulfur fell into the rushing river Saturday morning...
Pence lawyer says John Eastman’s push to reject electors left him ‘offended for my profession’
On the day before rioters stormed the U.S. Capitol in 2021, Orange County law professor John Eastman was trying to convince Mike Pence’s attorney that the vice president possessed a power that none of his predecessors had ever exercised in American history. Eastman was in Washington, D.C., in his capacity...
At least 3 dead and 5 injured at early morning shootings in Kansas City, Missouri
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — At least three people have been found dead, and at least five others are thought to be injured, police in Missouri said while investigating two shootings with multiple victims in the same area of Kansas City early Sunday morning. Officers were called to the intersection of...
With Russia revolt over, mercenaries’ future and direction of Ukraine war remain uncertainVideo
Russian government troops withdrew from the streets of Moscow on Sunday and the rebellious mercenary soldiers who had occupied other cities were gone, but the short-lived revolt has weakened President Vladimir Putin just as his forces are facing a fierce counteroffensive in Ukraine. The aborted march on the capital by...
Pitt, Penn State branch campuses bleeding enrollment; decline expected to continue
Brianna Guinther studies nursing minutes from her Greensburg home at a University of Pittsburgh branch campus, a leafy suburban setting with plenty of quiet study spaces and a new Life Sciences Building. Having Pitt-Greensburg as an option spared her a more arduous commute as she pursues a four-year degree. She...
A bridge over Yellowstone River collapses, sending a freight train into the waters below
COLUMBUS, Mont. — A bridge that crosses Yellowstone River in Montana collapsed overnight, causing portions of a freight train, including some cars carrying hazardous material, to plunge into the water below. The train crew was safe and no injuries were reported after the bridge collapse, according to a statement from...
One year later, the Supreme Court’s abortion decision is both scorned and praised
Activists and politicians are marking the one-year anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court ruling that overturned a nationwide right to abortion by both bashing and celebrating it. Rallies on both sides were scheduled for Saturday in Washington and across the country. In a statement, President Joe Biden pledged to protect...
Safety, oversight concerns raised as Pa. lawmakers pursue billions for hydrogen hubs
Spotlight PA is an independent, nonpartisan newsroom powered by The Philadelphia Inquirer in partnership with PennLive/The Patriot-News, TribLIVE/Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, and WITF Public Media. Sign up for our free newsletters. HARRISBURG — The Pennsylvania Senate is weighing a measure that would give state regulators, rather than federal ones, the power to...
Russia says Wagner Group’s leader will move to Belarus after his rebellious march challenged Putin
The head of the private Russian military company Wagner will move to neighboring Belarus as part of deal to defuse rebellion tensions and the criminal case against him will be closed, the Kremlin said Saturday. Yevgeny Prigozhin’s troops who joined him in the uprising will not face prosecution and those...
Walk or run, this busy spot on Pitt campus has a new name
So, will it be Gallagher Walk or Gallagher Run? University of Pittsburgh trustees Friday renamed a spot in the heart of campus for departing Chancellor Patrick Gallagher, saying it reflected a transformational project during his nine-year tenure, and something else about him. The plaza and walkway that were chosen wrap...
What role will liability waivers play in the aftermath of the Titan sub tragedy?
BOSTON — Before they boarded the submersible that imploded near the Titanic wreck, the passengers who died this week were most likely asked signed liability waivers. One of the waivers, signed by a person who planned to go on an OceanGate expedition, required passengers to acknowledge risks involved with the...
Pa. Gov. Josh Shapiro affirms support for funding private school vouchers amid budget push
Spotlight PA is an independent, nonpartisan newsroom powered by The Philadelphia Inquirer in partnership with PennLive/The Patriot-News, TribLIVE/Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, and WITF Public Media. Sign up for our free newsletters. HARRISBURG — A coalition with wealthy backers is pushing Pennsylvania lawmakers to use public dollars to create tuition vouchers so K-12...
West Virginia University approves $7M in staff cuts, 3% tuition increase
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — With more cuts expected, West Virginia University’s governing board moved forward Friday with slashing 12 graduate and doctorate programs amid a $45 million budget shortfall and approved a just under 3 percent tuition increase. The estimated $1.2 billion fiscal year 2024 budget approved by the institution’s Board...
Xylazine-laced fentanyl is causing wounds and scrambling efforts to stop overdoses
WASHINGTON — A powerful animal sedative in the illicit drug supply is complicating the U.S. response to the opioid crisis, scrambling longstanding methods for reversing overdoses and treating addiction. Xylazine can cause severe skin wounds, but whether it is leading to more deaths — as suggested by officials in Washington...
Interstate 95 reopens to some traffic less than 2 weeks after collapse in Philadelphia
PHILADELPHIA — Interstate 95 reopened Friday less than two weeks after a deadly collapse in Philadelphia, a quicker-than-expected rebuild to get traffic flowing again on a heavily traveled stretch of the East Coast’s main north-south highway. Workers put the finishing touches on an interim six-lane roadway that will serve motorists...
Ukraine’s president tells other countries to act before Russia attacks nuclear plant
KYIV, Ukraine — Ukraine wants other countries to heed its warning that Russia may be planning to attack an occupied nuclear power plant to cause a radiation disaster, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said. Members of his government briefed international representatives on the possible threat to the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant. Zelenskyy...
The latest on Titan submersible tragedy and what’s next in recovery efforts
The desperate search to find the missing Titan submersible turned into a recovery effort Thursday after officials announced the vessel imploded sometime this week, killing all five aboard, near the Titanic shipwreck. Deep-sea robots will continue searching the sea floor for clues about what happened deep in the North Atlantic....
House Republicans push off Biden impeachment bid for now as hard-right clamors for action
WASHINGTON — Eager to impeach President Joe Biden, hard-right House Republicans forced a vote Thursday that sent the matter to congressional committees in a clear demonstration of the challenge that Speaker Kevin McCarthy faces in controlling the majority party. The ability of a single lawmaker in the 435-member House to...
Former FBI analyst sentenced for keeping classified documents at Kansas City-area home
A former FBI analyst has been sentenced to nearly four years in prison for keeping classified documents at her Kansas City-area home. Kendra Kingsbury, 50, pleaded guilty in October to two counts of unlawfully retaining documents related to national defense. She was sentenced Wednesday to three years and 10 months...
DeSantis sues Biden administration over university accrediting system
TAMPA, Fla. — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis announced Thursday that the state has filed a lawsuit against the Biden administration and the Department of Education over accreditation agencies, which control federal aid for students. The lawsuit, filed Wednesday in Fort Lauderdale federal court, challenges a federal law that requires colleges...
Temporary lanes on I-95 will reopen at noon Friday, Gov. Shapiro says
PHILADELPHIA — The temporary lanes for the damaged section of Interstate 95 in Northeast Philadelphia will reopen noon Friday, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro’s office announced. “Thanks to the crews that have worked around the clock to repair I-95, six lanes of traffic will reopen to motorists at 12:00 PM ET...
