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,”...
Report: Ukraine world’s 3rd biggest arms importer in 2022
HELSINKI — Russia’s invasion of Ukraine that has led to a substantial flow of military aid to Kyiv from the United States and Europe made Ukraine the world’s third largest importer of arms in 2022, a Swedish think tank said Monday. The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, or SIPRI, reported...
Biden tells U.S. to have confidence in banks after 2 collapse
NEW YORK — President Joe Biden on Monday told Americans the nation’s financial systems were safe, seeking to project calm following the swift and stunning collapse of two banks that prompted fears of a broader upheaval. “Your deposits will be there when you need them,” he said. U.S. regulators closed...
West Virginia GOP Legislature passes transgender care ban
CHARLESTON — A bill that would ban evidence-based health care for transgender minors in West Virginia, the state estimated to have more transgender youth per capita than any other in the nation, is headed to the desk of Gov. Jim Justice. The Republican governor has not taken a public stance...
As atmospheric river exits, another awaits to hit CaliforniaVideo
WATSONVILLE, Calif. — Wet, miserable weather continued across huge swaths of California on Sunday as an atmospheric river that caused major flooding flowed eastward, and as a new system threatens the region with another onslaught of rain, snow and gusting wind as soon as Monday night. The National Weather Service...
8 dead after smuggling boats capsize off San Diego coast
SAN DIEGO, Calif. — At least eight people were killed when two migrant smuggling boats capsized in shallow but treacherous surf amid heavy fog, authorities said Sunday, marking one of the deadliest maritime human smuggling operations ever off of U.S. shores. A Spanish-speaking woman on one of the panga-style boats...
U.S. government moves to stop potential banking crisis
NEW YORK — The U.S. government took extraordinary steps Sunday to stop a potential banking crisis after the historic failure of Silicon Valley Bank, assuring depositors at the failed financial institution that they would be able to access all of their money quickly. The announcement came amid fears that the...
Bill banning marriages under age 16 passes in West Virginia
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — A child marriage bill is heading to the West Virginia governor’s desk after lawmakers agreed to let 16- and 17-year-olds get married with restrictions. The House of Delegates passed the bill 83-9 without debate Saturday, a day after the Senate easily endorsed it after making changes to...
Anti-Trump GOP voters mostly loyal in 2022, but not entirely
WASHINGTON — Rep. Lauren Boebert’s grip on Colorado’s 3rd Congressional District didn’t seem in question heading into last year’s midterms. But in the end, the congresswoman who gained a national reputation as a combative member of the “Make America Great Again” movement won reelection by just 564 votes. “This was...
Pence says Trump ‘endangered my family’ on Jan. 6
WASHINGTON — Former Vice President Mike Pence on Saturday harshly criticized former President Donald Trump for his role in the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol, widening the rift between the two men as they prepare to battle over the Republican nomination in next year’s election. “President Trump was...
Reliving Mazeroski’s historic World Series homer perched atop the Cathedral of Learning
Woody Turner couldn’t concentrate. He was working on an assignment, perhaps for a Roman history class, but he’s not sure. What mattered on Oct. 13, 1960, was that the University of Pittsburgh senior chose to be in — of all places — the library on the fifth floor of a...
Determining if someone is mentally fit for trial in Pa. often traps them in the place making them worse — jail
This story is a collaboration between Spotlight PA and the Pittsburgh Institute for Nonprofit Journalism, published as part of a Pittsburgh Media Partnership project. Sign up for Spotlight PA’s free newsletters here. Rachel Bridgeman thought she could hear God. Locked in the Allegheny County Jail, she slid from reality. The...
3D-printed rocket remains grounded after more launch aborts
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — A rocket made almost completely of 3D-printed parts came within a half-second of blasting off Saturday on its debut flight, but remained grounded after back-to-back launch aborts. The engines ignited, but abruptly shut down, leaving Relativity Space’s rocket, named Terran, standing on its pad. Launch controllers...
From wine country to London, bank’s failure shakes worldwide
NEW YORK — It was called Silicon Valley Bank, but its collapse is causing shockwaves around the world. From winemakers in California to startups across the Atlantic Ocean, companies are scrambling to figure out how to manage their finances after their bank suddenly shut down Friday. The meltdown means distress...
