Pennsylvania school directors speak out against Doug Mastriano’s education funding plan
An open letter to Pennsylvania families and voters being circulated around the state by public school board members issues a warning about the threat that they believe Republican gubernatorial candidate Doug Mastriano poses to the public education system. The letter drew 59 signatures from school directors from 24 school districts...
After a lifetime of preparation, Charles takes the throne
LONDON — Prince Charles has been preparing for the crown his entire life. Now, at age 73, that moment has finally arrived. Charles, the oldest person to ever assume the British throne, became king on Thursday following the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II. No date has been set...
The prime ministers who served under Queen Elizabeth II
LONDON — In seven decades on the throne, Queen Elizabeth II saw 15 British prime ministers come and go, from Winston Churchill to Margaret Thatcher to Boris Johnson to Liz Truss. Here is a list of the leaders who served under her and their years in office: — Winston Churchill,...
10 things to know about Queen Elizabeth II’s life
LONDON — Ten things to know about the life of Queen Elizabeth II: BRITAIN’S LONGEST-REIGNING MONARCH Elizabeth, who marked 70 years on the throne this year, is the oldest and longest-reigning monarch in British history. In September 2015 she surpassed her great-great-grandmother Queen Victoria, who reigned for 63 years and...
Retailers pull lobster from menus after ‘red list’ warning
PORTLAND, Maine — Some retailers are taking lobster off the menu after an assessment from an influential conservation group that the seafood poses too much of a risk to rare whales and should be avoided. Seafood Watch, which rates the sustainability of different seafoods, said this week it has added...
Bernard Shaw, CNN’s 1st chief anchor, dies at 82
NEW YORK — Bernard Shaw, CNN’s chief anchor for two decades and a pioneering Black broadcast journalist best remembered for calmly reporting the beginning of the Gulf War in 1991 as missiles flew around him in Baghdad, has died. He was 82. He died of pneumonia on Wednesday at a...
Steve Bannon pleads not guilty in ‘We Build the Wall’ schemeVideo
NEW YORK — Former President Donald Trump’s longtime ally Steve Bannon pleaded not guilty Thursday to duping donors who gave money to build a wall on the U.S. southern border. The case, brought by New York prosecutors, is a state-level reboot of a federal case cut short last year by...
Gloves off, Biden embraces tough tone on ‘MAGA Republicans’
WASHINGTON — In recent days, President Joe Biden has sharpened his attacks against Donald Trump and the so-called MAGA Republicans for posing a threat to democracy. He’s likened the philosophy undergirding the dominant strain of the modern-day GOP to “semi-fascism.” And Democrats are taking notice. The gloves-off, no-holds-barred approach from...
Blinken, in Kyiv, unveils $2B in U.S. military aid for Europe
KYIV, Ukraine — U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken made an unscheduled visit to Kyiv on Thursday as the Biden administration announced major new military aid worth more than $2 billion for Ukraine and other European countries threatened by Russia. In meetings with senior Ukrainian officials, Blinken said the Biden...
Queen Elizabeth II, Britain’s monarch for 70 years, dies
LONDON — Queen Elizabeth II, Britain’s longest-reigning monarch and a rock of stability across much of a turbulent century, died Thursday after 70 years on the throne. She was 96. The palace announced she died at Balmoral Castle, her summer residence in Scotland, where members of the royal family had...
Texas judge rules against required coverage of HIV prevention drug
AUSTIN, Texas — A federal judge ruled Wednesday that required coverage of an HIV prevention drug under the Affordable Care Act violates a Texas employer’s religious beliefs and undercut the broader system that determines which preventive drugs are covered in the U.S. The ruling was handed down by U.S. District...
Police arrest Memphis man in livestreamed shootings; 4 deadVideo
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — A gunman who livestreamed himself driving around Memphis shooting at people, killing four and wounding three others in seemingly random attacks, was finally arrested after crashing a stolen car, police said early Thursday. The hours-long rampage had police warning people across the city to shelter in place,...
Police raid elected official’s home in Vegas investigative reporter deathVideo
LAS VEGAS — Police in Las Vegas searched the home of an outgoing local elected official and towed away a vehicle similar to one sought in the criminal investigation of the fatal stabbing of a veteran investigative reporter. A Las Vegas police statement did not specify where officers searched following...
Gov. Tom Wolf announces $100 million in new funds to curb gun violence across Pennsylvania
PHILADELPHIA — Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf on Wednesday announced more than $100 million in new funding for community groups working to curb gun violence across the commonwealth. The governor made the announcement from Mander Playground in North Philadelphia, one of many neighborhoods that have seen firsthand the toll of rapidly...
John Fetterman agrees to 1 debate against Mehmet Oz in Pa. Senate race
HARRISBURG — Democratic Senate candidate John Fetterman of Pennsylvania will participate in just one debate, his campaign said Wednesday, after weeks of his Republican rival, Dr. Mehmet Oz, pressuring Fetterman and aggressively questioning the severity of his lingering health problems from a stroke. Fetterman’s campaign said he will participate in...
Official: Suspect in Canada stabbing rampage is dead by his own hand
JAMES SMITH CREE NATION, Saskatchewan — The final suspect in a stabbing rampage that killed 10 people in and around a Canadian Indigenous reserve died of self-inflicted wounds after his car was run off the road by police Wednesday following a three-day manhunt, officials said. Myles Sanderson, 32, was found...
Judge nixes Oath Keepers leader’s bid to delay Jan. 6 trial
The high-profile seditious conspiracy trial for the leader of the far-right Oath Keepers extremist group will begin this month after a judge on Wednesday rejected a last-minute bid by Stewart Rhodes to replace his lawyers and delay his case. Rhodes said in court papers this week there had been a...
Audit: Pa. Turnpike’s future financial viability requires immediate legislative action
Without some legislative action and innovative solutions, the Pennsylvania Turnpike could be on its way to becoming the “nicest roadway in the nation that no one ever uses,” said state Auditor General Timothy DeFoor. The turnpike commission has accumulated $13.2 billion in debt — or $1.5 billion more than the...
Prosecutors in Rushdie attack want delay to review evidence
MAYVILLE, N.Y. — The criminal case against the man charged with stabbing author Salman Rushdie involves so much potential evidence that prosecutors need more time to review it, the chief prosecutor said Wednesday. District Attorney Jason Schmidt of Chautauqua County in western New York said his office is reviewing about...
Israel acquires rare ancient papyrus with Hebrew inscription
JERUSALEM — Israel has acquired a previously unknown ancient papyrus bearing a Hebrew inscription dated to around 2,700 years ago that had long been in possession of a Montana resident, the country’s antiquities authority said Wednesday. The scrap of papyrus — scarcely larger than a postage stamp with four lines...
Here they are: Obamas’ White House portraits being unveiled
WASHINGTON — Former President Barack Obama and his wife Michelle returned to the White House on Wednesday for the unveiling of official portraits with a modern vibe: him standing expressionless against a white background and her seated on a sofa in the Red Room wearing a formal light blue dress....
Why was suspect in Canadian stabbing rampage on the streets?
JAMES SMITH CREE NATION, Saskatchewan — As the manhunt dragged on for one of two brothers in the stabbing deaths of 10 people in Saskatchewan, the rampage raised questions Wednesday of why the suspect — an ex-con with 59 convictions and a long history of shocking violence — was out...
Police: Shark kills Erie woman snorkeling in Bahamas
A 58-year-old woman who was a longtime employee at Erie’s Gannon University was killed in a shark attack while snorkeling with her family in the Bahamas on Tuesday, the university said. Gannon identified the woman as Caroline DiPlacido in a statement released to the university community on Wednesday morning. She...
Steve Bannon expects to face new criminal charge in New York
NEW YORK — Steve Bannon, a longtime ally of former President Donald Trump, said Tuesday that he expects to be charged soon in a state criminal case in New York City. Bannon, 68, plans to turn himself in on Thursday, according to a person familiar with the matter. The person...
New Jersey man accused of raping Penn State student in dorm room, police say
A New Jersey man was accused Tuesday of raping a Penn State student inside her dorm room. Jacob S. Tillman, 20, told university police during an interview last month there is “no doubt in my mind that I raped her,” a detective wrote in an affidavit of probable cause. “I...
