Politico pardoned by Trump accused of illegal campaign scam
WASHINGTON — A Republican political operative pardoned by President Donald Trump after his conviction in a 2012 bribery plot has been charged again with campaign-related crimes, this time involving a 2016 illegal campaign contribution scheme and a Russian national. Jesse Benton, 43, of Louisville, Ky., was accused in an indictment...
Gabby Petito’s boyfriend sought in Florida nature preserveVideo
NORTH PORT, Fla. — Authorities were once again searching a swampy preserve area Tuesday near the home of the boyfriend wanted for questioning in the death of 22-year-old Gabby Petito, whose body was discovered at a Wyoming national park months after the pair set out on a cross-country road trip....
Texas doctor who defied the state’s abortion ban is suedVideo
DALLAS — A San Antonio doctor who said he performed an abortion in defiance of a new Texas law has been sued by two people seeking to test the legality of the state’s near-total ban on the procedure. Former attorneys in Arkansas and Illinois filed lawsuits Monday against Dr. Alan...
Debt limit linked to vital spending bill in risky political move
WASHINGTON — House Democrats will include a suspension of the U.S. debt ceiling in a must-pass spending bill needed to keep the government open past the end of this month, a risky move that ensures a potentially damaging showdown with Republicans. The debt ceiling would be suspended through December 2022,...
Ohio Rep. Tim Ryan contracts covid-19 despite vaccination
COLUMBUS, Ohio — U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan of Ohio tested positive Monday for covid-19 despite being vaccinated against the virus. In a statement, Ryan said he was experiencing mild symptoms from his breakthrough case and will continue to quarantine from his northeast Ohio home. “While I’m currently experiencing mild symptoms,...
Lou Barletta signs anti-tax pledge in GOP campaign for governor
HARRISBURG — Lou Barletta, the former congressman seeking the Republican nomination for governor of Pennsylvania, has signed a pledge from a conservative anti-tax Washington-based group that commits him to oppose tax increases. The pledge, sponsored by Americans for Tax Reform, commits the signer to the state’s taxpayers to “oppose and...
Lawyer of Trump CFO Allen Weisselberg says he suspects more indictments on way
NEW YORK — A lawyer for Donald Trump’s indicted corporate finance chief told a judge Monday he has “strong reason to believe” more indictments are coming in an ongoing New York investigation into the former president’s real estate empire. Lawyer Bryan Scarlatos made the remark during Trump Organization CFO Allen...
Powerball jackpot at $490 million; winning ticket sold for Mega Millions $432 million jackpot
Lottery players throughout the United States will still have a chance this week at another massive jackpot after one was claimed Tuesday night. A winning ticket was sold at a New York City pizzeria for Tuesday’s Mega Millions jackpot, which had hit $432 million, with a cash option of $312.8...
Supreme Court sets arguments in big abortion case
WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court will hear arguments Dec. 1 in Mississippi’s bid to have the landmark Roe v. Wade decision guaranteeing a woman’s right to an abortion overturned. The court issued its arguments calendar for late November and early December on Monday. Mississippi is asking the high court to...
Federal officer arrested at Capitol rally won’t be charged
WASHINGTON — A federal law enforcement officer was arrested carrying a gun at Saturday’s rally at the U.S. Capitol billed to support the suspects charged in January’s insurrection but will not be prosecuted. The 27-year-old New Jersey man is an officer with U.S. Customs and Border Protection. He was arrested...
Police: 2 people wounded in shooting at Virginia high school
NEWPORT NEWS, Va. — Two students were wounded Monday afternoon in a shooting at a Virginia high school, police said. A 17-year-old boy was shot in the face at Heritage High School and a 17-year-old girl was shot in the leg, Newport News police Chief Steve Drew said at a...
Prosecutors wrap up as R. Kelly trial moves into next stage
NEW YORK — Prosecutors at the R. Kelly sex trafficking trial ended their case Monday after calling dozens of witnesses over the past month who detailed the government’s sweeping allegations against the singer in lurid detail. Several women and two men who were in Kelly’s celebrity orbit testified about how...
Canadians vote in pandemic election that could cost Trudeau
TORONTO — Canadians voted Monday in a tight pandemic election that threatens to knock Prime Minister Justin Trudeau from power. Trudeau gambled on an early election in a bid to win a majority of seats in Parliament. But the opposition has been relentless in accusing Trudeau of calling an unnecessary...
Covid has killed about as many Americans as the 1918-19 flu
Covid-19 has now killed about as many Americans as the 1918-19 Spanish flu pandemic did — approximately 675,000. The U.S. population a century ago was just one-third of what it is today, meaning the flu cut a much bigger, more lethal swath through the country. But the covid-19 crisis is...
Church bus crash in central Pa. sends 30 to hospitals, some critically hurt
DONALDSON, Pa. — A bus carrying high school students and leaders returning from a church retreat crashed Sunday in Pennsylvania, injuring more than two dozen people, at least three critically, authorities said. State police in Schuylkill County said the bus was heading south on Interstate 81 in Frailey Township shortly...
U.S. easing foreign travel restrictions; vaccinations required
In a major easing of pandemic travel restrictions, the U.S. said Monday it will allow foreigners to fly into the country this fall if they have vaccination proof and a negative covid-19 test — changes replacing a hodgepodge of rules that had kept out many non-citizens and irritated allies in...
Pittsburgh man charged in Johnstown assault, chase
JOHNSTOWN — A Pittsburgh man is accused of assaulting a woman during a robbery late Saturday and then leading police on a nearly 8-mile chase. Johnstown police said Denzel Kendrick, 25, and another man followed the woman with their vehicle through a Solomon Homes parking lot — at one point...
4 famous giant trees unharmed by Sequoia National Park fire
Four famous giant sequoias were not harmed by a wildfire that reached the edge of Giant Forest in California’s Sequoia National Park, authorities said. The Four Guardsmen, a group of trees that form a natural entryway on the road to the forest, were successfully protected from the KNP Complex fire...
Shooting at Russian university leaves 6 dead, 28 hurt
A student opened fire Monday at a university in Russia, leaving six people dead and 28 hurt, before being shot by police and detained, officials said. Beyond saying that he was a student, authorities offered no further information on his identity or possible motive. During the attack, students and staff...
Pro-Kremlin party retains large majority in parliament
MOSCOW — Russia’s ruling party retained its supermajority in parliament, further cementing President Vladimir Putin’s grip on power in elections that most opposition politicians were barred from and that were marred by multiple reports of violations. The vote has been watched closely for any signs that Putin’s control might slip,...
‘Hotel Rwanda’ hero found guilty of terror-related charges
KIGALI, Rwanda — A court in Rwanda says the man who inspired “Hotel Rwanda,” Paul Rusesabagina, is guilty of terror-related offenses. Rusesabagina boycotted Monday’s announcement after declaring he didn’t expect justice in a trial he called a “sham.” He has so far been found guilty of the formation of an...
Pfizer says covid-19 vaccine works in kids ages 5 to 11
Pfizer said Monday its covid-19 vaccine works for children ages 5 to 11 and that it will seek U.S. authorization for this age group soon — a key step toward beginning vaccinations for youngsters. The vaccine made by Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech already is available for anyone 12...
Senate parliamentarian deals blow to Dems’ immigration push
WASHINGTON — Democrats can’t use their $3.5 trillion package bolstering social and climate programs to give millions of immigrants a chance to become citizens, the Senate’s parliamentarian said late Sunday, a crushing blow to what was the party’s clearest pathway in years to attaining that long-sought goal. The decision by...
Health official: Booster use may be expandedVideo
WASHINGTON — The National Institutes of Health director says a government advisory panel’s decision to limit Pfizer covid-19 booster shots to Americans 65 and older as well as those at high risk of severe disease is a preliminary step and predicts broader approval for most Americans “in the next few...
U.S. closes part of Texas border, begins flying Haitians homeVideo
DEL RIO, Texas — The United States acted Sunday to stem the flow of migrants into Texas by blocking the Mexican border at an isolated town where thousands of Haitian refugees set up a camp, and American officials began flying some of the migrants back to their homeland. About a...
