Texas officials are trying to figure out who’s really missing from the floods
This week in Texas, estimates put the number of people still missing from the Hill Country floods at more than 170, a daunting figure atop at least 120 deaths confirmed by authorities. But that missing person tally might not be as precise as it seems. Confusion and uncertainty can take...
Rubio says U.S. and Russia have exchanged new ideas for Ukraine peace talks
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia — U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Thursday that the U.S. and Russia have exchanged new ideas for Ukraine peace talks after he met with his Russian counterpart in Malaysia Thursday. “I think it’s a new and a different approach,” Rubio told reporters after talks with...
31 construction workers reach safety after partial collapse of L.A. industrial tunnel
LOS ANGELES — All 31 construction workers who were far inside a huge industrial tunnel in Los Angeles made it to safety after a portion of it collapsed Wednesday evening, an outcome officials called a blessing after they initially feared much worse. The cave-in apparently happened between the tunnel boring...
Trump praises leader of English-speaking African nation for his ‘good English’Video
President Donald Trump praised Liberian President Joseph Boakai for speaking English articulately, seemingly unaware of the fact that English is Liberia’s national language. “Such good English, that’s beautiful,” Trump said during a Wednesday meeting at the White House with five African leaders. “Where did you learn to speak so beautifully?”...
Flash flooding that killed 3 leaves New Mexico village heartbroken, anxious as cleanup beginsVideo
RUIDOSO, N.M. — Broken tree limbs, twisted metal, crumpled cars and muddy debris remained Wednesday as crews worked to clear roads and culverts in the wake of a flash flood that descended upon the New Mexico mountain community of Ruidoso, killing three people and damaging dozens of homes. An intense...
What Trump’s big tax law could mean for the youngest Americans
WASHINGTON — The impact of the massive spending bill President Donald Trump signed into law on Independence Day is expected to filter down to infants and toddlers — a segment of the population that’s particularly vulnerable to cuts to the federal social safety net. Many middle-class and wealthy families will...
Former West Virginia officers sentenced to decades in prison for their role in deadly inmate assault
CHARLESTON — Two former West Virginia correctional officers were sentenced to decades in prison on Wednesday for their roles in an assault that resulted in the death of an inmate. Mark Holdren, 41, was sentenced to 20 years in prison and Johnathan Walters, 33, was sentenced to 21 years in...
Trump administration resumes sending some weapons to Ukraine after Pentagon pause
WASHINGTON — The Trump administration has resumed sending some weapons to Ukraine, a week after the Pentagon had directed that some deliveries be paused, U.S. officials said Wednesday. The weapons heading into Ukraine include 155 mm munitions and precision-guided rockets known as GMLRS, two officials told The Associated Press on...
Prices on certain goods, services could rise as Pa. lawmakers consider axing some sales tax exemptions
Spotlight PA is an independent, nonpartisan, and nonprofit newsroom producing investigative and public-service journalism that holds power to account and drives positive change in Pennsylvania. HARRISBURG — Sales tax exemptions for everything from newspapers to legal services to candy cost the commonwealth billions every year, and at least one top...
13-year-old suspected of setting off fireworks that sparked Southern California wildfire
LAGUNA BEACH, Calif. — A 13-year-old boy was arrested on suspicion of setting off fireworks that sparked a wildfire this week in coastal Southern California, forcing the evacuations of about a hundred canyon homes, authorities said. Crews with air support protected residences from the Rancho Fire as flames raced through...
Trump tariffs goods from Brazil at 50%, citing ‘witch hunt’ trial against Bolsonaro
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump singled out Brazil for import taxes of 50% on Wednesday for its treatment of its former president, Jair Bolsonaro, showing that personal grudges rather than simple economics are a driving force in the U.S. leader’s use of tariffs. Trump avoided his standard form letter with...
A surprise IRS move on political endorsements leaves faith leaders and legal experts divided
WASHINGTON — A surprise move by the IRS that would allow pastors to back political candidates from the pulpit without losing their organization’s tax-exempt status is drawing praise from conservatives and even some progressive religious groups but concern from other leaders of faith, along with tax and legal experts. A...
Supreme Court keeps hold on Florida immigration law aimed at people in the U.S. illegally
WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court on Wednesday refused to allow Florida to enforce an immigration law making it a crime for people who are living in the U.S. illegally to enter the state. The high court’s action will keep the law on hold while a legal challenge continues. The court...
The U.S. is having its worst year for measles in more than 3 decades
The United States is having its worst year for measles spread in more than three decades, with a total of 1,288 cases nationally and another six months to go in 2025. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Wednesday that the national case count surpassed 2019, when there...
GOP congressman opts not to run for Pa. governor, despite backing of Trump
In late May, Republican congressman Dan Meuser’s possible candidacy for governor appeared to get a boost from President Donald Trump. In an appearance at U.S. Steel’s Irvin Works in West Mifflin, Trump promised to support the fourth-term congressman from Luzerne County if he decided to seek the Republican nomination to...
GOP congressman won’t run for Pa. governor, despite Trump’s promise to support him
HARRISBURG — U.S. Rep. Dan Meuser will not seek the Republican nomination for governor of Pennsylvania, despite having President Donald Trump’s recent promise of support if he were to run. Meuser’s decision to run again for his northeastern Pennsylvania seat rather than governor leaves the Republican Party with a shorter...
Gallery: Photos from July 9, 2025
Embark on a visual journey around the Western Pennsylvania region with TribLive’s latest collection of captivating images for Wednesday, July 9, 2025. From the rustic landscapes of Western Pa. to diverse corners of the globe, experience the shared moments of humanity....
Texas flooding, and politics around it, underscore the challenges Trump faces in replacing FEMA
Just weeks ago, President Donald Trump said he wanted to begin “phasing out” the Federal Emergency Management Agency after this hurricane season to “wean off of FEMA” and “bring it down to the state level.” But after months of promises to overhaul or eliminate the federal agency charged with responding...
How the Know-Nothings, Free Soilers and other third parties shaped U.S. politics
Elon Musk’s plan to create a new political party puts him in the company of a long line of business and political titans looking to upend the two-party system that has dominated U.S. politics since almost the beginning. From the Anti-Masonic Party in the early 1800s to last year’s ill-fated...
Trump’s trade blitz produces few deals but lots of uncertainty
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump and his advisers promised a lightning round of global trade negotiations with dozens of countries back in April. White House trade adviser Peter Navarro predicted “90 deals in 90 days.” Administration officials declared that other countries were desperate to make concessions to avoid the massive...
3 dead as flash flooding hits mountain village of Ruidoso in New Mexico, officials say
SANTA FE, N.M. — Three people have died in a mountain village in southern New Mexico that is a popular summer retreat after monsoon rains triggered flash flooding that was so intense an entire house was swept downstream, officials said. A man and two children were swept away Tuesday by...
Philadelphia workers and city reach a deal to end strike that halted residential trash pickup
PHILADELPHIA — A union representing thousands of city workers in Philadelphia and the city have reached a deal to end a more than weeklong strike that halted residential curbside trash pickup and affected other services, officials said Wednesday. Nearly 10,000 blue-collar employees from District Council 33 of the American Federation...
Russia launches another record drone attack on Ukraine, Ukrainian officials say
KYIV, Ukraine — Russia fired a record 728 Shahed and decoy drones at Ukraine overnight, as well as 13 cruise and ballistic missiles, the Ukrainian air force said Wednesday, in the latest escalation after weeks of mounting Russian aerial and ground attacks in the more than three-year war. The city...
Europe’s human rights court finds Russia committed violations in Ukraine and was behind Flight MH17
THE HAGUE, Netherlands — Europe’s top human rights court delivered two rulings against Russia Wednesday, stating in the first ruling that Russia violated international law during the conflict in Ukraine, the first time an international court has found Moscow responsible for human rights abuses since the full-scale invasion in 2022....
40 Palestinians killed in Gaza as Netanyahu and Trump meet over a ceasefire
DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip — At least 40 Palestinians were killed in Israeli airstrikes in the Gaza Strip, hospital officials said Wednesday, as international mediators raced to complete a ceasefire deal. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had a second meeting in two days with U.S. President Donald Trump at the...
