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...
Pa. Capitol rioter turned in by his ex-girlfriend after he called her a ‘moron’ gets 9 months in prison
PHILADELPHIA — A Pennsylvania man who was turned in by his ex-girlfriend after he called her a “moron” for not believing Democrats had stolen the 2020 presidential election was sentenced to nine months in federal prison Tuesday for participating in the Capitol riot. Richard Michetti, 29, of Ridley Park, was...
Florida judge faces criticism because of order in Trump caseVideo
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon is facing sharp criticism following her decision this week to grant a request by former President Donald Trump’s legal team for an independent arbiter to review documents obtained during an FBI search of his Florida property last month. Cannon on Monday...
Oz, Toomey call on Fetterman to debate in Pa. Senate raceVideo
HARRISBURG — Republican Senate candidate Dr. Mehmet Oz teamed up with U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey on Tuesday to publicly call on his Democratic rival, John Fetterman, to participate in a debate in their high-profile Pennsylvania race. Oz and Toomey, holding a news conference in Philadelphia, also questioned Fetterman’s fitness for...
Video fills in details on alleged Georgia election system breachVideo
ATLANTA — Two months after the 2020 presidential election, a team of computer experts traveled to south Georgia to copy software and data from voting equipment in an apparent breach of a county election system. They were greeted outside by the head of the local Republican Party, who was involved...
Fears high as Canadian police search for stabbing suspectVideo
JAMES SMITH CREE FIRST NATION, Saskatchewan — Fears ran high Tuesday on an Indigenous reserve in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan, as police warned residents that the suspect in a deadly stabbing rampage over the weekend might be nearby. People on the James Smith Cree First Nation reserve were told...
Judge won’t restrict release of evidence in case of OnlyFans model accused of murder
MIAMI — A Miami-Dade judge won’t restrict the release of evidence in the murder case against OnlyFans model Courtney Clenney. Circuit Judge Diana Vizcaino on Tuesday rejected her defense attorneys’ request to prevent the release of evidence that is normally public record under Florida law. Clenney, who made her first...
Pa. roads, bridges to get extra $175M as funding is freed up from state police
An adjustment in Pennsylvania’s state budget will free up an additional $175 million this fiscal year to improve roads and bridges. For years, a portion of the state’s Motor License Fund — intended to provide money for public transportation and highway infrastructure — was instead allocated to the Pennsylvania State...
Explainer: Is covid-19 winding down? Scientists say no
Is the coronavirus on its way out? You might think so. New, updated booster shots are being rolled out to better protect against the variants circulating now. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has dropped covid-19 quarantine and distancing recommendations. And more people have thrown off their masks...
New Mexico bars commissioner Couy Griffin from office for insurrectionVideo
SANTA FE, N.M. — A New Mexico state district court judge has disqualified county commissioner and Cowboys for Trump cofounder Couy Griffin from holding public office for engaging in insurrection at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. State District Court Judge Francis Mathew issued a ruling Tuesday that permanently...
Juul to pay nearly $440M to settle states’ teen vaping probeVideo
HARTFORD, Conn. — Electronic cigarette maker Juul Labs has agreed to pay nearly $440 million to settle a two-year investigation by 33 states into the marketing of its high-nicotine vaping products, which have long been blamed for sparking a national surge in teen vaping. Connecticut Attorney General William Tong announced...
Cedar Point permanently closing world’s second-tallest roller coaster
SANDUSKY, Ohio — An amusement park in Ohio announced Tuesday it would be permanently closing the world’s second-tallest roller coaster. The decision by Cedar Point comes a year after a small metal object flew off the 420-foot tall Top Thrill Dragster coaster and struck a woman in the head at...
UN agency calls for safety zone around Ukraine nuclear plant
KYIV, Ukraine — The U.N. atomic watchdog agency urged Russia and Ukraine on Tuesday to establish a “nuclear safety and security protection zone” around the Zaporizhzhia power plant amid mounting fears the fighting could trigger a catastrophe in a country still scarred by the Chernobyl disaster. In a report following...
Pa. lawmakers spent at least $3M on private lawyers, experts during redistricting battle, invoices show
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 — Pennsylvania state lawmakers spent at least $3 million in taxpayer money on outside law firms and experts as they...
What it’s like on death row: Possible future for Parkland school killer
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — The two prisons that house men on Florida’s death row stand on a pleasant two-lane road that runs past farms and cow pastures about 30 miles north of Gainesville. Union Correctional Institution and Florida State Prison, low-rise complexes surrounded by fences, razor-wire and flat open fields,...
