Agriculture, Pennsylvania’s No. 1 industry, supported through new state farm bill
Whether it’s an experienced farmer who wants to get into hemp production or a young farmer who needs access to farmland, there’s seemingly something for everyone in the new Pennsylvania Farm Bill. Gov. Tom Wolf’s signing of the $23.1 million farm bill — a series of legislative initiatives within the...
Bahamas police: 7 Americans killed in helicopter crash
NASSAU, Bahamas — A helicopter carrying seven Americans to Fort Lauderdale, Fla., crashed Thursday off Grand Cay island in the Bahamas, killing everyone on aboard, Bahamian police said. A statement from the Royal Bahamas Police Force said the helicopter went missing shortly after leaving Big Grand Cay and authorities and...
Trump sticks to patriotic themes at Fourth of July event
WASHINGTON — President Trump celebrated “the greatest political journey in human history” Thursday in a Fourth of July commemoration before a soggy, cheering crowd of spectators, many of them invited, on the grounds of the Lincoln Memorial. Supporters welcomed his tribute to the U.S. military while protesters assailed him for...
Best way to fight climate change? Plant a trillion trees
WASHINGTON — The most effective way to fight global warming is to plant lots of trees, a study says. A trillion of them, maybe more. And there’s enough room, Swiss scientists say. Even with existing cities and farmland, there’s enough space for new trees to cover 3.5 million square miles,...
Michigan Rep. Justin Amash quitting Republican Party
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Rep. Justin Amash of Michigan, the only Republican in Congress to call for impeachment proceedings against President Trump, said Thursday he is leaving the GOP because he has become disenchanted with partisan politics and “frightened by what I see from it.” In an opinion article published...
Holocaust survivor Eva Kor dies at age 85
TERRE HAUTE, Ind. — Holocaust survivor Eva Kor, who championed forgiveness even for those who carried out the Holocaust atrocities, died Thursday during an overseas trip for a museum she founded in Indiana, museum officials said. Kor was in Krakow, Poland, for an annual educational trip, according to the CANDLES...
Largest earthquake in decades hits Southern California, measuring 6.4 magnitudeVideo
SAN FRANCISCO — A strong earthquake rattled a large swath of Southern California and parts of Nevada on Thursday, rattling nerves on the July 4th holiday and causing some damage in a town near the epicenter amid a swarm of ongoing aftershocks. The 6.4 magnitude quake struck at 10:33 a.m....
Americans shell out billions to celebrate Fourth of July
What do holidays cost? OK, so the Fourth of July is not exactly Christmastime, but we do our fair share of spending, anyway. Research shows Americans will spend nearly $10 billion on various Fourth of July festivities, from barbecues to fireworks. About $1.6 billion will be spent on beer and...
Boat with 86 migrants capsizes off Tunisia; 3 survivors
CAIRO — The U.N. migration agency says a boat carrying 86 migrants from Libya sank in the Mediterranean overnight, and just three people on board survived, with 82 missing. The shipwreck late Wednesday off the Tunisian city of Zarzis came a day after a deadly airstrike on a Libyan detention...
Michigan Rep. Justin Amash quitting GOP
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Rep. Justin Amash of Michigan, the only Republican in Congress to call for impeachment proceedings against President Donald Trump, said Thursday he is leaving the GOP because he has become disenchanted with partisan politics and “frightened by what I see from it.” In an opinion article...
Fire crew dodges rockets as store fireworks explode
FORT MILL, S.C. — Firefighters had to dodge exploding rockets to douse a spectacular fire that destroyed containers of fireworks stored for sale on the Fourth of July. The blaze provided for an impressive, though sparsely attended show early Thursday as shells and rockets burst through the metal containers, sending...
Greensburg nurse ‘was always a friend to the underdog’
Carmella Neil helped found a church in Delmont, played violin, cared for thousands of people during her nursing career and made two trips to China in her 70s and 80s. “She was pure love, she was fair and she was always a friend to the underdog,” said her son, David...
Appeals court: Trump can’t use Pentagon cash for border wall
SAN DIEGO — An appeals court on Wednesday upheld a freeze on Pentagon money to build a border wall with Mexico, casting doubt on President Trump’s ability to make good on a signature campaign promise before the 2020 election. A divided three-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of...
CDC warns about ‘crypto,’ a parasite that can live for days in swimming poolsVideo
That clean, inviting swimming pool you’re jumping into this summer could be filled with a microscopic parasite that can live for days and wreck an immune system, federal health officials warn. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention published a report recently about the increased number of outbreaks caused by...
Trump administration still looking for way to add citizenship question to censusVideo
WASHINGTON — The Justice Department said Wednesday that it was still looking for a way to include a controversial citizenship question on the 2020 census, even though the government has started the process of printing the questionnaire without it. The abrupt shift from the Justice Department came hours after President...
Democrats eye Pennsylvania district that became more favorable turf in 2018 redraw
WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court’s decision last week not to stop partisan gerrymandering was a blow to congressional Democrats who were hoping several states could see more favorable maps for 2020. But in at least one state, a new map implemented last year to redress partisan gerrymandering is giving Democrats...
Cancer-safe grilling: Add marinade, forget the hot dog and other tips
By all means, do grill for summer holidays. But you can cut your exposure to potential cancer-causing agents by tweaking the menu and method of cooking, according to the American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR). Grilling and cooking meat at high temperatures can create several cancer-causing substances that are either...
Fire destroys Jim Beam warehouse filled with 45,000 bourbon barrelsVideo
FRANKFORT, Ky. — A fire destroyed a massive Jim Beam warehouse filled with about 45,000 barrels of bourbon, sending flames shooting into the night sky and generating so much heat that firetruck lights melted, authorities said Wednesday. Firefighters from four counties responded to the blaze that erupted late Tuesday. Lightning...
Self-taught woodworker from Apollo enjoyed staying active, eating healthy
In 1921, when Donald Bayne was born, Warren G. Harding was president, the first religious radio broadcast aired on Pittsburgh’s KDKA, the first Miss America pageant was held in Atlantic City, N.J., and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier was dedicated at Arlington National Cemetery. Mr. Bayne attributed his long...
No prosecution for Marshae Jones, the Alabama woman who was shot, lost fetusVideo
BESSEMER, Ala. — An Alabama district attorney said Wednesday she is dropping the manslaughter charge against a woman who lost her fetus when she was shot during a fight. Marshae Jones was arrested last week after a grand jury concluded she intentionally caused the death of her fetus by initiating...
‘Laugh-in’ comedic actor Arte Johnson dies at 90
LOS ANGELES — Actor Arte Johnson, who won an Emmy for comedy sketch work on the television show “Laugh-In,” has died early Wednesday in Los Angeles. He was 90. Johnson died of heart failure following a three-year battle with bladder and prostate cancer, family representative Harlan Boll said. No services...
College bills coming due? Here are some smart tips before you pay
With the cost of college rising each year, we did the math to see if it’s possible for students to pay their own way through school. In Pennsylvania, the worst state for affordability, students have to work 120 hours a week to cover in-state tuition and housing, according to price...
Toxic algae increases in Florida’s Lake Okeechobee
ORLANDO, Fla. — Recent test results show that toxic amounts of blue-green algae have surfaced in Lake Okeechobee, according to data released by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection. The liquid heart of Florida is showing more signs of cyanobacteria algae blooms contaminating its arteries in Martin and Palm Beach...
A tip from the highway patrol: Carpooling with the dead doesn’t mean you get to use the HOV lane
LAS VEGAS — A black van was driving southbound in the carpool lane of Interstate 15, just past the Stratosphere hotel and casino in Las Vegas, when the Nevada Highway Patrol trooper noticed the driver appeared to be alone. He flipped on his red and blue lights and pulled the...
Woman’s $5,000 tip on $55 check was revenge on boyfriend, cops say
CLEARWATER, Fla. — Police say a $5,000 tip a woman left on a $55 cafe bill wasn’t a case of generosity or charity. The woman is accused of using her boyfriend’s credit card to leave the tip as revenge, and she’s charged with theft in the incident. Clearwater police say...
