OpenAI shuts down Iranian influence operation targeting U.S. election
NEW YORK — OpenAI removed a network of Iranian accounts that used its ChatGPT chatbot to try to wage a foreign influence campaign targeting the U.S. presidential election by generating longform articles and social media comments, the company said Friday. The accounts created content that appeared to be from liberal...
Border arrests drop 33% to 46-month low in July after asylum restrictions take hold
WASHINGTON — Arrests for illegally crossing the border from Mexico plummeted 33% in July to the lowest level since September 2020, a result of asylum being temporarily suspended, authorities said Friday. The Border Patrol made 56,408 arrests last month, down from 83,536 arrests in June, according to U.S. Customs and...
Woman in crash with Sen. John Fetterman in Maryland still recuperating after June crash
The Virginia motorist whose vehicle was struck by Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman’s in June said this week through an attorney she’s still undergoing treatment after the collision in western Maryland. An attorney retained by Jennifer Campbell said in the statement the 62-year-old “seeks to maintain her privacy” as she recuperates...
California social media law likely violates the First Amendment, 9th Circuit panel rules
A 2022 law signed by California Gov. Gavin Newsom aimed at protecting young people online likely violates the First Amendment of the Constitution, a panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled Friday. The bipartisan law, co-authored by Democratic Assemblywoman Buffy Wicks of Oakland and Republican (now former)...
Bibles, cryptocurrency, Truth Social and gold bars: A look at Trump’s reported sources of income
Former President Donald Trump owns more than $1 million worth of cryptocurrency and up to $250,000 in gold bars along with the portfolio of golf courses and real estate properties that have made him a billionaire, according to newly released financial disclosures. The details come from documents filed by Trump...
Penn-Trafford hires new assistant principal after shuffling of administrators
Luke Healey is excited to go back to high school. Healey, 39, of Murrysville will start as an assistant principal at Penn-Trafford High School in the fall. It means he’ll have less of a commute than the 60 miles he’s traveled daily to an administrative position at Washington County’s McGuffey...
Woman charged with trying to defraud Elvis Presley’s family through sale of iconic Graceland
WASHINGTON — A Missouri woman has been arrested on charges she orchestrated a scheme defraud Elvis Presley’s family by trying to auction off his iconic Graceland property before a judge halted the mysterious foreclosure sale, the Justice Department said Friday. Lisa Jeanine Findley, 53, of Kimberling City, Missouri, falsely claimed...
Harris aims to blunt Trump’s economic attacks by proposing new tax breaks in a bid to lower costs
RALEIGH, N.C. — Vice President Kamala Harris is promoting a broad set of economic proposals that would offer new tax breaks and lower the cost of living for Americans, aiming to address the financial concerns that are at the top of the mind for voters and that Republican Donald Trump...
Texas couple charged with failing to seek medical care for injured 12-year-old who later died
JOURDANTON, Texas — A mother and stepfather have been arrested after the death of their 12-year-old daughter, who lay unconscious in their home for four days before medical treatment was sought as the pair tried to feed her smoothies, according to the county sheriff. “They thought they could nurse her...
Police hunt for 2 teens in Central Park mugging as NYPD clamps down on robbery surge
NEW YORK — Detectives are searching for a pair of teenage thieves who robbed two 20-year-old men inside Central Park, cops said Friday. The search comes as the NYPD conducts a massive crackdown on the iconic greenspace in an attempt to curb a rise of robberies there, officials said. The...
Ukrainian officials urge civilians to evacuate eastern city of Pokrovsk as Russian troops close in
KYIV, Ukraine — Military authorities in the eastern Ukrainian city of Pokrovsk on Friday urged civilians to speed up their evacuation because the Russian army is quickly closing in on what has for months been one of Moscow’s key targets in the war. Pokrovsk officials said in a Telegram post...
The collapse of an iconic arch in Utah has some wondering if other famous arches are also at risk
SALT LAKE CITY — A common line of questions has emerged from visitors to Utah’s Arches National Park in the week since an iconic rock arch at Lake Powell known as the “Toilet Bowl” collapsed.Are these arches also at risk of falling soon? What are you doing to prevent their...
Matthew Perry’s death leads to sweeping indictment of 5, including doctors and reputed dealers
LOS ANGELES — Nearly 10 months after the death of Matthew Perry, the long-simmering investigation into the ketamine that killed him came dramatically into public view with the announcement that five people had been charged with having roles in the overdose of the beloved “Friends” star. Here are key things...
Mideast mediators strike hopeful note after talks in Doha
JERUSALEM — Mediators trying to end the Israel-Hamas war expressed hope for an imminent deal Friday, saying two days of talks had wrapped up in Qatar and they aimed to reconvene in Cairo next week to seal an agreement to stop the fighting. Israel issued a vague statement saying it...
Hurricane Ernesto barrels toward Bermuda as wealthy British territory preps for storm
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — Hurricane Ernesto charged toward Bermuda on Friday as officials on the tiny island in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean prepared to open shelters and close government offices. The Category 2 storm was located 320 miles (510 kilometers) south-southwest of Bermuda. It had maximum sustained...
Looking to buy a home? You may now need to factor in the cost of your agent’s commission
LOS ANGELES — Thinking of buying a home with the help of a real estate agent? You can no longer take it for granted that a seller will cover the cost of your agent’s commission. Home sellers have traditionally offered a blanket commission to a buyer’s agent when they listed...
Sweden reports 1st case of more infectious form of mpox first identified in Congo
LONDON — Swedish health officials said Thursday they have identified the first case of a person with the more infectious form of mpox first seen in eastern Congo, a day after the World Health Organization declared the outbreaks there and elsewhere in Africa to be a global emergency. The Swedish...
A rarely seen deep sea fish is found in California, and scientists want to know why
SAN DIEGO — A rarely seen deep sea fish resembling a serpent was found floating dead on the ocean surface off the San Diego coast and was brought ashore for study, marine experts said. The silvery, 12-foot-long oarfish was found last weekend by a group of snorkelers and kayakers in...
Police arrest 4 suspects in killing of former ‘General Hospital’ actor Johnny Wactor
LOS ANGELES — Los Angeles police have arrested four suspects in the fatal shooting of former “General Hospital” actor Johnny Wactor. The four suspects who have been arrested range in age from 18 to 22 and hail from Huntington Park, Inglewood and cities in LA county. Three of the suspects...
Trump says he’s ‘entitled to personal attacks’ as he hammers Kamala Harris on inflation with grocery props
BEDMINSTER, N.J. — Former President Donald Trump said Thursday he thinks he’s “entitled to personal attacks” on his Democratic rival, adding he’s “very angry” at Vice President Kamala Harris and questioning her intelligence. Trump was asked during a news conference whether his campaign needs more discipline as he faces a...
Harris zeroes in on high food prices as inflation plays big role in the presidential raceVideo
WASHINGTON — Vice President Kamala Harris is zeroing in on high food prices as her campaign previews an economic policy speech Friday in North Carolina, promising to push for a federal ban on price gouging on groceries as she looks to address one of voters’ top concerns. Harris is putting...
Detroit judge handcuffs teen who fell asleep in his courtroom during field trip
A Detroit judge thought he was making an example of 15-year-old Eva Goodman by threatening her with jail time for falling asleep in his courtroom. Turns out, she doesn’t have a permanent home, the Detroit Free Press reported. The teenager, who was on a field trip to the court this...
‘Hollywood Squares’ host and Broadway star Peter Marshall dies at 98
LOS ANGELES — Peter Marshall, the actor and singer turned game show host who played straight man to the stars for 16 years on “The Hollywood Squares,” has died. He was 98. He died Thursday of kidney failure at his home in the Encino neighborhood of Los Angeles, publicist Harlan...
August’s supermoon kicks off 4 months of lunar spectacles. Here’s how to watch
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — The first of four supermoons this year rises next week, providing tantalizing views of Earth’s constant companion. Stargazers can catch the first act Monday as the full moon inches a little closer than usual, making it appear slightly bigger and brighter in the night sky. “I...
U.S.-Russian dual national jailed for 12 years on treason charges for $52 donation to Ukraine
YEKATERINBURG, Russia — U.S.-Russian dual national Ksenia Khavana was convicted Thursday of treason in a Russian court and sentenced to 12 years in prison on charges stemming from a donation of about $52 to a charity aiding Ukraine. Khavana, identified by Russian authorities by her maiden name of Ksenia Karelina,...
