Northeast winter storm shuts schools, knocks out power
CONCORD, N.H. — The start of a winter storm with heavy, wet snow caused a plane to slide off a taxiway and led to hundreds of school closings, canceled flights and thousands of power outages in parts of the Northeast on Tuesday. The storm’s path included parts of New England,...
U.S.: Russian fighter jet hits American drone over Black Sea
KYIV, Ukraine — A Russian fighter jet struck the propeller of a U.S. surveillance drone over the Black Sea on Tuesday in a “brazen violation of international law,” causing American forces to bring down the unmanned aerial vehicle, the U.S. said. Moscow said the U.S. drone maneuvered sharply and crashed...
Ohio Supreme Court to review block of near-ban on abortion
COLUMBUS, Ohio — The Ohio Supreme Court agreed Tuesday to review a county judge’s order that is blocking enforcement of the state’s near-ban on abortions, and to consider whether the clinics challenging the law have legal standing to do so. In its split decision, the court, however, denied Republican Attorney...
Invasive species are a ‘scourge’ in Pa., report says
Pennsylvania has been hit with a slew of invasive species over the years, from spotted lanternflies colonizing Pittsburgh bridges to emerald ash borers destroying the state’s timber stock. In a report released Monday, the Pennsylvania Governor’s Invasive Species Council recommends a statewide response to tackle the threat of invasive species,...
Biden says Jimmy Carter has asked him to deliver his eulogy
ATLANTA — President Joe Biden says he plans to deliver the eulogy at the funeral of former President Jimmy Carter, who remains under hospice care at his home in south Georgia. Biden told donors at a California fundraiser Monday evening about his “recent” visit to see the 39th president, whom...
Facebook parent Meta slashes another 10,000 jobs
Facebook parent Meta is slashing another 10,000 jobs and will not fill 5,000 open positions as the social media pioneer cuts costs. The company said Tuesday it will reduce the size of its recruiting team and make further cuts in its tech groups in late April, and then its business...
Conn. woman 1st non-Vermonter granted assisted suicide right
MONTPELIER, Vt. — Lynda Bluestein has terminal cancer and knows she’ll likely die soon, but until Tuesday, she didn’t know if she’d be able to choose how or when and whether her family, friends and dog would be with her when the time comes. The 75-year-old from Bridgeport, Connecticut, reached...
Former Rep. Pat Schroeder, pioneer for women’s rights, dies
WASHINGTON — Former U.S. Rep. Pat Schroeder, a pioneer for women’s and family rights in Congress, has died. She was 82. Schroeder’s former press secretary, Andrea Camp, said Schroeder suffered a stroke recently and died Monday night at a hospital in Celebration, Florida, the city where she had been residing...
China to reopen to tourists, resume all visas Wednesday
HONG KONG — China will reopen its borders to tourists and resume issuing all visas Wednesday as it tries to revive tourism and its economy following a three-year halt during the covid-19 pandemic. China is one of the last major countries to reopen its borders to tourists. The announcement Tuesday...
Biden issues order to strengthen gun background checks
SAN DIEGO — President Joe Biden signed an executive order on Tuesday aiming to increase the number of background checks to buy guns, promote more secure firearms storage and ensure U.S. law enforcement agencies are getting the most out of a bipartisan gun control law enacted last summer. The Democratic...
Kentucky House passes tax-relief bill for bourbon industry
FRANKFORT, Ky. — Proposed tax relief for Kentucky’s bourbon makers was fast-tracked Monday in advancing in the state House, but local leaders living near some of the world’s best-known distilleries were in no mood to toast the industry victory. The measure aims to phase out a property tax on the...
Abortion pill hearing made public after transparency concern
WASHINGTON — A judge is set to hear arguments this week in a lawsuit that poses a threat to the nationwide availability of medication abortion. The upcoming hearing became public Monday after reporting raised concerns that the case with major implications could unfold with little public oversight. The intensely watched...
Zebra bites, injures Ohio owner’s arm before it’s fatally shotVideo
CIRCLEVILLE, Ohio — A zebra attacked its owner at an Ohio home and bit the man’s arm before it was fatally shot by a sheriff’s deputy, authorities said. The attack occurred around 5:30 p.m. Sunday in Circleville. Pickaway County Sheriff’s deputies responded to the home and found the man in...
New Pa. Lt. Gov. Austin Davis fires 2 employees touted as ‘success stories’
As one of his first official acts, Pennsylvania Lt. Gov. Austin Davis fired two employees who had been touted as prime examples of successful second chances. Davis, however, is refusing to take responsibility for the firings. Davis, a McKeesport native, fired George Trudel, 56, and Naomi Blount Wilson, 72, from...
Pitt events on gender issues draw criticism, but university says it’s committed to protecting free speech
A free expression-versus-hate speech quandary looms over planned events at the University of Pittsburgh that critics contend will “advance a platform of hate and transphobia.” Pitt, however, says the events must be allowed — even if some deem them offensive. A petition that has drawn more than 7,000 signatures is...
Mitch McConnell released from hospital, headed to inpatient rehab
WASHINGTON — Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell was released from the hospital Monday after treatment for a concussion and will continue to recover in an inpatient rehabilitation facility, a spokesman said. McConnell’s office said his doctors discovered over the weekend that he had also suffered a “minor rib fracture” after...
Divided jury means no death penalty for New York City bike path killerVideo
NEW YORK — A split among jurors means there will be no death penalty for an Islamic extremist who maniacally raced a truck along a popular New York City bike path, killing eight people and maiming others. The decision means Sayfullo Saipov, 35, an Uzbekistan citizen who lived in New...
Autopsy: ‘Cop City’ protester had hands raised when killed
DECATUR, Ga. — An environmental activist who was fatally shot in a confrontation with Georgia law enforcement in January was sitting cross-legged with their hands in the air at the time, the protester’s family said Monday as they released results of an autopsy they commissioned. The family of Manuel Paez...
New England, upstate New York bracing for winter stormVideo
Parts of the Northeast were bracing for a powerful winter storm that could dump heavy, wet snow and unleash strong winds, knocking out power to hundreds of thousands of people. The National Weather Service says the storm is expected to begin late Monday and last into Wednesday. The storm could...
Agents stop crowd at Texas border crossing amid asylum woesVideo
EL PASO, Texas — A large group of migrants in Mexico who were poised to barge into the U.S. over the weekend were blocked from crossing a bridge leading from Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, to El Paso, Texas, a U.S. Customs and Border Protection spokesman said. The migrants were “posing a...
Study confirms global floods, droughts worsening with warming
The intensity of extreme drought and rainfall has “sharply” increased over the past 20 years, according to a study published Monday in the journal Nature Water. These aren’t merely tough weather events, they are leading to extremes such as crop failure, infrastructure damage, even humanitarian crises and conflict. The big...
Pa. hospital’s revoked property tax exemption is ‘warning shot’ to other nonprofits, expert says
This story first appeared in The Investigator, a weekly newsletter by Spotlight PA featuring the best investigative and accountability journalism from across Pennsylvania. Sign up for free here. HARRISBURG — A Commonwealth Court judge recently revoked a Southeastern Pennsylvania hospital’s property tax exemption and denied appeals regarding three others, decisions...
Michael Cohen to testify before grand jury in Trump hush money probe
NEW YORK — Donald Trump’s former lawyer and fixer Michael Cohen testified Monday before a Manhattan grand jury investigating hush money payments made on the former president’s behalf. A Trump loyalist turned adversary, Cohen spent around three hours answering questions in the secret proceeding. He is scheduled to return again...
Woody Guthrie’s family to Josh Hawley: Stop using his lyrics, insurrectionist
WASHINGTON — Sen. Josh Hawley referenced Woody Guthrie last week when he sponsored a bill to prevent people associated with the Chinese Communist Party from owning U.S. farmland and called it the “This Land is Our Land Act.” But the family of one of America’s most revered folk singers wasn’t...
Pfizer buys Seagen for $43B, boosts access to cancer drugs
Pfizer is spending about $43 billion to reach deeper into new cancer treatments that target tumor cells while sparing surrounding healthy tissue. The pharmaceutical giant said Monday it will pay $229 in cash for each share of Seagen Inc. Pfizer then plans to let the biotech drug developer “continue innovating,”...
