‘Cocaine cat’ escaped owner, will now live at Cincinnati Zoo
An African serval cat that was found with cocaine in its system after an escape at a traffic stop now calls the Cincinnati Zoo home, much to the delight of social media users still amused by the recent release of the movie “Cocaine Bear.” The wild cat’s story has trended...
9th grader sues over Pledge of Allegiance confrontation
COLUMBIA, S.C. — The parents of a ninth grade South Carolina student who said she was accosted by a teacher for quietly walking to class instead of stopping and reciting the Pledge of Allegiance are suing the teacher, principal, school district and state education officials. Marissa Barnwell said she was...
House votes to declassify info about origins of covid-19
WASHINGTON — The House voted unanimously on Friday to declassify U.S. intelligence information about the origins of covid-19, a sweeping show of bipartisan support near the third anniversary of the start of the deadly pandemic. The 419-0 vote was final approval of the bill, sending it to President Joe Biden’s...
Michigan State University shooter’s note says he felt hated, rejected
A man who fatally shot three students and wounded five others on the Michigan State University campus left a note describing himself as being “hated,” “a loner” and an “outcast.” Anthony McRae, 43, also wrote “I’m tired of being rejected,” in the note, which was dated the day before the...
GOP leader Mitch McConnell remains in hospital after concussion
WASHINGTON — Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell was being treated Thursday for a concussion and is expected to remain in the hospital for “a few days” after he tripped and fell at a hotel dinner the night before, his spokesman said. The Kentucky senator, 81, was at a Wednesday evening...
U.S. adds a robust 311,000 jobs despite Fed’s rate hikes
WASHINGTON — America’s employers added a substantial 311,000 jobs in February, fewer than January’s huge gain but enough to keep pressure on the Federal Reserve to raise interest rates aggressively to fight inflation. The unemployment rate rose to 3.6%, from a 53-year low of 3.4%, as more Americans began searching...
Daylight saving time: Here’s when clocks ‘spring forward’
It’s March, everyone, and despite what Punxsutawney Phil said, spring could very well be just around the corner. Which begs the question: when is daylight saving time? The days will start getting lighter when folks set their clocks forward this Sunday. Unfortunately, this does mean we’ll all be losing an...
Fire breaks out at building near White House, no injuries
WASHINGTON — A fire broke out Friday at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building next to the White House, leading to the evacuation of workers as firefighters responded to the call, according to the U.S. Secret Service. D.C. Fire and Emergency Medical Services said at 8 a.m. on Twitter that a...
Xi awarded 3rd term as China’s president, extending rule
BEIJING — Chinese leader Xi Jinping was awarded a third five-year term as the nation’s president Friday, putting him on track to stay in power for life at a time of severe economic challenges and rising tensions with the U.S. and others. The endorsement of Xi’s appointment by the ceremonial...
BotsIQ competition in Hempfield puts STEM concepts into actionVideo
Southmoreland High School senior Josef Jefferson has learned quite a bit during his time with the school’s BotsIQ team, building robots that battle in a competition among Western Pennsylvania schools. “We came up with some new ideas, and we saw a lot of bots last year that were really effective,”...
Iran, Saudi Arabia agree to resume relations after tensions
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Iran and Saudi Arabia on Friday agreed to reestablish diplomatic relations and reopen embassies after years of tensions between the two countries, including a devastating attack on the heart of the kingdom’s oil production attributed to Tehran. The deal, struck in Beijing this week amid...
Child marriage ban bill resurrected in West Virginia Senate
CHARLESTON — A bill to prohibit minors from getting married in West Virginia was resurrected in the state Senate on Thursday, a day after its defeat in a committee. The about-face didn’t necessarily give the bill a clear path to passage. Several senators gave impassioned speeches after the bill was...
Norfolk Southern train derails in Alabama, no public threat
PIEDMONT, Ala. — A Norfolk Southern train derailed Thursday in Alabama, but company and local officials said there was no threat to the public. The Alabama accident came on the same day the company’s CEO testified before Congress about the impact of a hazardous materials train derailment in Ohio. The...
Report: Trump invited to testify before New York grand jury
NEW YORK — Former President Donald Trump has been invited to testify before a New York grand jury that has been investigating hush money payments made on his behalf during his 2016 presidential campaign, according to one of his lawyers. Trump attorney Joseph Tacopina confirmed Thursday that the Manhattan district...
Ex-Trump lawyer Jenna Ellis censured after admitting she twisted the truth over 2020 election
Jenna Ellis, a lawyer who once described herself as part of an “elite strike force” fighting for Donald Trump, was formally censured by the Colorado Supreme Court after admitting to making 10 misrepresentations about the 2020 election. Ellis, who is from Colorado, agreed with a disciplinary judge that she repeatedly...
German police: 6 dead in Jehovah’s Witnesses hall shootingVideo
BERLIN — A former member of the Jehovah’s Witnesses shot dead six people at a hall belonging to the congregation in the German city of Hamburg before killing himself after police arrived, authorities said Friday. Police said an unborn baby also died, without clarifying whether the baby’s mother was among...
Philadelphia state Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta announces bid for auditor general
State Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta announced on Thursday he will be vying for the Democratic nomination for state auditor general in 2024. Standing outside the Pennsylvania Capitol, the 32-year-old Philadelphia lawmaker said he is running to take back the office that had been in Democratic hands for 24 years until 2020...
Ex-GOP Ohio speaker, lobbyist guilty in $60M bribery schemeVideo
COLUMBUS — Former state House Speaker Larry Householder and former Ohio Republican Party Chair Matt Borges were convicted Thursday in a $60 million bribery scheme that federal prosecutors have called the largest corruption case in state history. A jury in Cincinnati found the two guilty of conspiracy to participate in...
Former Pa. Secretary of State Kathy Boockvar to join Pitt as visiting scholar
Former Secretary of State Kathy Boockvar is joining the University of Pittsburgh as a visiting scholar and adjunct professor, campus officials announced Thursday. She will work in Pitt’s Institute for Cyber Law, Policy and Security and also teach as an adjunct in the university’s School of Law. Boockvar’s work will...
Biden to seek more than $2.8B from Congress for cancer fight
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden is asking Congress for more than $2.8 billion in the federal budget he’s sending to Capitol Hill on Thursday to help advance his cancer-fighting goals. More than half of the money, $1.7 billion, would go to the Department of Health and Human Services to support...
Apology letter found after American citizens killed in Mexico
CIUDAD VICTORIA, Mexico — A letter claiming to be from the Mexican drug cartel blamed for abducting four Americans and killing two of them condemned the violence and said the gang turned over to authorities its own members who were responsible. In a letter obtained by The Associated Press through...
How much do Pa. government workers make? More are seeing $200K+ pay
From candy to cars, the price of everything is going up — and that includes government salaries. PennLive’s annual roundup of six-figure earners in Pennsylvania state government attracts a lot of attention — and criticism. Now, with membership in this once-exclusive “club” growing so large — approaching 12,000 employees in...
Anxiety, fear fill West Virginia transgender-health clinic
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — The tiny clinic where physicians prescribe hormones and other medications to transgender teenagers shares the same campus where West Virginia kids travel to receive treatments for rare cancer, heart surgery and other health care difficult to get anywhere else. In a rural state purported to have the...
Volunteers in mountain towns dig out snow-stuck Californians
LAKE ARROWHEAD, Calif. — After a blizzard swept through Southern California mountains, 79-year-old Alan Zagorsky found himself shut inside his home with snow blocking the door and stairways leading out. He and his wife had enough food to get through the 10 days until volunteers finally arrived Wednesday to help...
Senate OKs Shapiro picks for attorney general, police chief
HARRISBURG — Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro’s nominees for attorney general and state police commissioner won unanimous approval from Pennsylvania’s Republican-controlled Senate on Wednesday — a smooth landing for his top two public safety appointees. Michelle Henry, a career prosecutor from Bucks County before becoming Shapiro’s top deputy at the attorney...
