Rescues in Turkey offer moments of relief in aftermath of quake that’s killed 21,000
ISKENDERUN, Turkey — Rescuers pulled several people alive from the shattered remnants of buildings on Friday, some who survived more than 100 hours trapped under crushed concrete in the bitter cold after a catastrophic earthquake slammed Turkey and Syria, killing more than 20,000. The survivors included six relatives who huddled...
Russia hits targets across Ukraine with missiles, drones
KYIV, Ukraine — Russia used strategic bombers, cruise missiles and killer drones in a wave of attacks across Ukraine early Friday, while Moscow’s military push that Kyiv says has been brewing for days appeared to pick up pace in eastern areas ahead of the one-year anniversary of its invasion. Russian...
Unexploded artillery shell from Civil War found in Gettysburg
Gettysburg National Military Park officials discovered an unexploded artillery shell this week at the Central Pennsylvania historic site during a rehabilitation process of the park. The unexploded ordnance shell was found on Feb. 8 within the Little Round Top area of the park, said officials, and it dates back to...
Pitt names interim law school dean
Haider Ala Hamoudi has been named interim dean of the University of Pittsburgh School of Law following Amy Wildermuth’s resignation on Jan. 23. Employed at the school since 2007, Hamoudi had been overseeing daily operations as acting dean while an interim dean was put in place, Provost Ann Cudd said....
Minnesota Rep. Angie Craig assaulted at Washington apartment
WASHINGTON — Democratic Rep. Angie Craig of Minnesota was assaulted in her Washington apartment building on Thursday, suffering bruises while escaping serious injury in an attack that did not appear to be politically motivated, her chief of staff said. Craig was assaulted in the elevator at about 7:15 a.m., called...
Mike Pence subpoenaed by special counsel probing Trump
Former Vice President Mike Pence has been subpoenaed by the special counsel overseeing investigations into efforts by former President Donald Trump and his allies to overturn the results of the 2020 election, according to a person with direct knowledge of the event. The subpoena to Pence as part of the...
New York City woman convicted in poison cheesecake identity theft bid
NEW YORK — A New York City woman accused of feeding poisoned cheesecake to her lookalike in a bid to steal the other woman’s identity has been convicted of attempted murder, prosecutors said Thursday. Viktoria Nasyrova, 47, was found guilty by a jury on Wednesday of trying to kill 35-year-old...
Jan. 6 rioter who menaced officer with Confederate flag gets prisonVideo
WASHINGTON — A Delaware man who threatened a Black police officer with a pole attached to a Confederate battle flag as he stormed the U.S. Capitol was sentenced on Thursday to three years in prison. Kevin Seefried, 53, tearfully apologized for his participation in the Jan. 6, 2021, riot before...
Menstrual questions cut from Florida athletic forms amid criticism
ORLANDO, Fla. — Questions about female athletes’ menstrual history will no longer appear on the medical forms that Florida high school students have to fill out before participating in sports. The Florida High School Athletic Association axed the questions on Thursday after listening to a flood of complaints contained in...
New measure introduced to expel Rep. George Santos from HouseVideo
Rep. George Santos is facing a new push for his expulsion from Congress over his serial lying. The New York Republican was targeted Thursday by Rep. Robert Garcia, D-Calif., who unveiled a measure to boot Santos from the House. New York Democratic Reps. Ritchie Torres and Dan Goldman also joined...
Shapiro, Pa. lawmakers face multibillion-dollar budget question after major school funding ruling
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 long-awaited ruling on how Pennsylvania funds its public schools could have a seismic impact on state finances in...
New Zealand police find 3.5 tons of cocaine in Pacific OceanVideo
WELLINGTON, New Zealand — New Zealand police said this week they found more than 3 tons of cocaine floating in a remote part of the Pacific Ocean after it was dropped there by an international drug-smuggling syndicate. While they had yet to make any arrests, police said they had dealt...
Seton Hill University names new financial chief
Seton Hill University has a new chief financial officer. Brent Jackson begins his duties effective immediately, according to Seton Hill President Mary Finger. In addition to CFO, Jackson also will be the university’s vice president for finance and administration. Jackson has held the job on an interim basis since April...
Focused on 2024, Biden sees opportunity in GOP-held Florida
TAMPA, Florida — With an eye toward the 2024 campaign, President Joe Biden on Thursday ventured to Florida, a state defined by its growing retiree population and status as the unofficial headquarters of the modern-day Republican Party. The president sees a chance to use Social Security and Medicare to drive...
U.S. says China balloon could collect intelligence signals
WASHINGTON — The China balloon shot down by the U.S. was equipped to detect and collect intelligence signals as part of a huge, military-linked aerial surveillance program that targeted more than 40 countries, the Biden administration declared Thursday, citing imagery from American U-2 spy planes. A fleet of balloons operates...
Native Americans renew protests of Kansas City Chiefs mascot
PHOENIX — Two years ago as the Kansas City Chiefs were vying for a second consecutive Super Bowl victory in Tampa, Florida, there was one group outside Raymond James Stadium picketing their appearance. Native American protesters were calling for the Chiefs to drop their name, logo and their trademark “war...
U.S., U.K. impose cybersecurity sanctions on Russian group
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Treasury Department on Thursday announced a joint U.S.-U.K. effort to sanction Russian cybercriminals as the one-year anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine nears and Treasury tightens its efforts to financially punish violators of existing sanctions. The U.S. coordinated with the United Kingdom to impose sanctions on...
Minnesota factory workers subdue armed person at plant
NEW YORK MILLS, Minn. — Workers at a boat factory in Minnesota subdued a person armed with a weapon at the plant early Thursday, authorities said. The unidentified person was taken into police custody and no one was injured at the Lund Boat Co., the Otter Tail County Sheriff’s office...
U.S. House votes to condemn China over balloon surveillance
WASHINGTON — The House voted unanimously Thursday to condemn China’s balloon surveillance program as a “brazen violation” of U.S. sovereignty, a rare and swift bipartisan rebuke of Beijing as questions mount about the craft the U.S. says was part of a vast aerial spy program. The 419-0 action comes as...
Pilot shortage puts pressure on airline operations
GOODYEAR, Ariz. — Until last summer, Ashley Montano had never flown. Now she was preparing to land a small plane with three passengers after a previous touch-and-go that had been rough. “The plane is a bit heavy, so give it just a little more power to make a smooth landing,”...
Senate panel probes holiday meltdown at Southwest Airlines
A pilots’ union president has told Congress that Southwest Airlines’ December meltdown happened because the airline grew too fast during the pandemic and didn’t update critical technology, then botched the recovery including operating 500 empty flights while passengers were stranded over the holidays. In prepared testimony for a Senate hearing...
Arrested journalist covering Ohio train derailment was ‘just trying to do my job’Video
A journalist for NewsNation television station was arrested Wednesday in East Palestine, Ohio after a press conference about lifting evacuation orders related to a damaging train derailment. The correspondent, Evan Lambert, was recording a live broadcast for NewsNation around 5 p.m. and was arrested by law enforcement officers after he...
Supreme Court might have easy outs on elections, immigration
WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court soon could find itself with easy ways out of two high-profile cases involving immigration and elections, if indeed the justices are looking to avoid potentially messy, divisive decisions. Off-ramps in those cases could prove attractive in a term with no shortage of big cases that...
The pandemic missing: The kids who didn’t go back to school
She’d be a senior right now, preparing for graduation in a few months, probably leading her school’s modern dance troupe and taking art classes. Instead, Kailani Taylor-Cribb hasn’t taken a single class in what used to be her high school since the height of the coronavirus pandemic. She vanished from...
Earthquake hits Indonesia, killing 4 as restaurant collapses
JAKARTA, Indonesia — A shallow earthquake shook Indonesia’s easternmost province of Papua on Thursday, killing four people who were unable to escape when a floating restaurant collapsed into the sea. The U.S. Geological Survey said the magnitude 5.1 earthquake hit residential areas in Jayapura, near Papua’s northern coast and was...
