South Carolina comptroller to resign after $3.5B error
COLUMBIA, S.C. — Embattled South Carolina Comptroller General Richard Eckstrom will resign next month after a $3.5 billion accounting error in the year-end financial report he oversaw. The state’s top accountant will leave the elected post he has held for 20 years on April 30, according to a copy of...
Police: Driver veered into Baltimore highway work zone, killing 6 workers
WOODLAWN, Md. — New details are emerging about a crash along the Baltimore beltway Wednesday that left six construction workers dead after a driver lost control of her vehicle, which went careening into a work zone, according to Maryland State Police. Lisa Adrienna Lea, 54, was identified as the driver...
Russia’s security chief blasts West, dangles nuclear threats
MOSCOW — A top Russian security official warned Thursday about the rising threat of a nuclear war and blasted a German minister for threatening Russian President Vladimir Putin with arrest, saying that such action would amount to a declaration of war and trigger a Russian strike on Germany. Dmitry Medvedev,...
What made Beethoven sick? DNA from his hair offers clues
NEW YORK — Nearly 200 years after Ludwig van Beethoven’s death, researchers pulled DNA from strands of his hair, searching for clues about the health problems and hearing loss that plagued him. They weren’t able to crack the case of the German composer’s deafness or severe stomach ailments. But they...
Pro-labor? Biden aims to prove it with unionized 2024 staff
WASHINGTON — Joe Biden likes to say he’s the most pro-union president in U.S. history. When he announces his expected reelection campaign in the coming weeks, he’ll get the chance to prove it to his own staffers. Workers on his 2024 campaign will be unionized, political allies say, making him...
Library association reports record book ban attempts in 2022
NEW YORK — Attempted book bans and restrictions at school and public libraries continue to surge, setting a record in 2022, according to a new report from the American Library Association being released Thursday. More than 1,200 challenges were compiled by the association in 2022, nearly double the then-record total...
Holy month of Ramadan begins for Muslims across the world
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — The Muslim holy month of Ramadan began at sundown on Wednesday, as the faithful prepared for a month of dawn-to-dusk fasting intended to bring them closer to God and to remind them of the suffering of those less fortunate. For the next 30 days, Muslims...
Trump lawyer ordered to turn over Mar-a-Lago case documents
WASHINGTON — A federal appeals court in a sealed order Wednesday directed a lawyer for Donald Trump to turn over to prosecutors documents in the investigation into the former president’s retention of classified records at his Florida estate. The ruling is a significant win for the Justice Department, which has...
Bipartisan support emerges for Senate railroad safety bill
WASHINGTON — A bipartisan consensus that Congress should act to toughen regulations on railroads emerged Wednesday as senators heard fresh testimony on the fiery hazardous train derailment last month on the Ohio-Pennsylvania border. Both Republicans and Democrats on the Senate Commerce Committee peppered Norfolk Southern CEO Alan Shaw with questions...
Report: 119K people hurt by riot-control weapons since 2015
SALEM, Ore. — More than 119,000 people have been injured by tear gas and other chemical irritants around the world since 2015 and some 2,000 suffered injuries from “less lethal” impact projectiles, according to a report released Wednesday. Physicians for Human Rights and the International Network of Civil Liberties Organizations,...
Senators press Moderna CEO on covid-19 vaccine price hike
Moderna’s CEO on Wednesday defended a plan to more than quadruple the company’s covid-19 vaccine price, but he also said the drugmaker will work to ensure patients continue paying nothing at drugstores or clinics. Stephane Bancel told the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions that the drugmaker will...
U.S. review of Afghanistan withdrawal to be released in April
WASHINGTON — The results of the long-delayed government review of the chaotic U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan will be released next month, the White House announced Wednesday, with Congress and the public set to see an assessment of what went wrong as America ended its longest war. The August 2021 pullout...
Workplace-safety sanction finalized in Alec Baldwin shooting
No one is objecting to a settlement agreement to resolve allegations of workplace safety violations in the 2021 shooting death of a cinematographer by Alec Baldwin on the set of a Western movie. After a 20-day vetting period with no objections, the agreement between New Mexico workplace safety regulators and...
What the Fed rate increase means for your credit card bill
NEW YORK— The Federal Reserve raised its key rate by another quarter point Wednesday, bringing it to the highest level in 15 years as part of an ongoing effort to ease inflation by making borrowing more expensive. If you have money to save, you’ll probably earn a bit more interest...
TikTok sends influencers to Washington as its troubles grow
WASHINGTON — TikTok is ramping up a public relations campaign to fend off the possibility of a nationwide ban by the Biden administration, and it’s bringing some unconventional advocates to help: online influencers. Dozens of TikTok creators — some with millions of followers on the video-sharing app — came to...
Massachusetts governor: Pharmacies must stock abortion pills
BOSTON — The governor of Massachusetts reminded pharmacies Wednesday that they are required to stock a key abortion pill, despite a nationwide effort by anti-abortion activists to ban the medication. The action comes as a federal judge in Texas is considering a lawsuit that would overturn decades-old federal approval of...
DeSantis to expand ‘Don’t Say Gay’ law to high schools
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — The administration of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is moving to forbid classroom instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity in all grades, expanding the controversial law critics call “Don’t Say Gay” as the Republican governor continues a focus on cultural issues ahead of his expected presidential run....
Fed raises key rate by quarter-point despite bank turmoil
WASHINGTON — The Federal Reserve extended its year-long fight against high inflation Wednesday by raising its key interest rate by a quarter-point despite concerns that higher borrowing rates could worsen the turmoil that has gripped the banking system. “The U.S. banking system is sound and resilient,” the Fed said in...
Police: 2 school administrators shot at Denver high school
DENVER — Two school administrators were shot on Wednesday morning at a Denver high school after a handgun was found on a student subjected to daily searches, authorities said. The male, juvenile suspect remained at large and the gun was not immediately recovered following the shooting at East High School,...
Why TikTok’s security risks keep raising fears
The battle between the U.S. and China over TikTok will come into full view Thursday when the social media platform’s CEO testifies before Congressional lawmakers. Shou Zi Chew’s hearing is happening at what he’s called a “pivotal moment” for the hugely popular short video sharing app. TikTok is owned by...
Manhattan DA postpones Trump grand jury session
NEW YORK — Manhattan prosecutors postponed a scheduled grand jury session Wednesday in the investigation into Donald Trump over hush money payments during his 2016 presidential campaign, at least temporarily slowing a decision on whether to charge the ex-president. The postponement was confirmed by four people familiar with the matter...
Officials: 8 dolphins dead after stranding in New Jersey
SEA ISLE CITY, N.J. — Eight dolphins have died after they became stranded on a beach in New Jersey, marine animal welfare officials said. The Marine Mammal Stranding Center said on Facebook on Tuesday morning that a pod of eight common dolphins had become stranded in Sea Isle City and...
Trump case recalls John Edwards’ scandal in N.C. Would it play out differently in court?
Former President Donald Trump announced over the weekend that prosecutors were likely to arrest him Tuesday in connection to a $130,000 payment made to keep an adult film star quiet about her alleged tryst with Trump. That didn’t happen Tuesday, but in social media posts and fundraising emails, Trump has...
Thousands of homeowners still at risk as Pa. alleges improper denials, delays in mortgage relief
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 state agency overseeing Pennsylvania’s troubled mortgage relief program has leveled a slew of new accusations against the private contractor...
GOP hopefuls hold off presidential campaigns
NEW YORK — They are meeting with campaign donors and giving frequent interviews on cable news. They’re delivering speeches in early voting states like Iowa and New Hampshire and hobnobbing with local Republican groups. Some are even quietly discussing campaign jobs with political operatives. But don’t call them presidential candidates...
