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Democrats lean into border debate as it shapes contest for control of Congress
WASHINGTON — With immigration shaping the elections that will decide control of Congress, Democrats are trying to outflank Republicans and convince voters they can address problems at the U.S. border with Mexico, embracing an issue that has traditionally been used against them. The shift in strategy, especially from Democrats running...
East Coast earthquakes aren’t common, but they are felt by millions. Here’s what to know
DALLAS — East Coast residents were jolted Friday by a 4.8-magnitude earthquake centered near Lebanon, New Jersey, with weak rumblings felt as far away as Baltimore and the Massachusetts-New Hampshire border. No life-threatening injuries or major damage have been reported. Here’s what to know about earthquakes on the East Coast....
Anonymous users are dominating right-wing discussions online. They also spread false information
NEW YORK — The reposts and expressions of shock from public figures followed quickly after a user on the social platform X who uses a pseudonym claimed that a government website had revealed “skyrocketing” rates of voters registering without a photo ID in three states this year — two of...
New York City’s skyscrapers are built to withstand most earthquakes
NEW YORK — The ground rumbled Friday beneath New York City, home to famous skyscrapers like the Empire State Building and One World Trade Center. Though buildings that can reach above 100 stories might seem especially vulnerable to earthquakes, engineering experts say skyscrapers are built with enough flexibility to withstand...
For families of hostages, it’s a race against time as Israel’s war reaches 6-month mark
JERUSALEM — It’s the last wish of a dying mother, to be with her daughter once more. But six months into Israel’s war against Hamas, time is running out for Liora Argamani, who hopes to stay alive long enough to see her kidnapped daughter come home. “I want to see...
Russian missile strikes on Ukrainian city of Kharkiv kill 6, wound 11
KYIV, Ukraine — Russian forces overnight attacked Ukraine with drones and missiles, killing at least six people and wounding 11 more in Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second largest city, officials said Saturday. Governor of the Kharkiv region Oleh Syniehubov said missile strikes on the city damaged residential buildings, a gas station, a...
House to take up bill to reauthorize crucial U.S. spy program as expiration looms
WASHINGTON — The House is set to consider a bill next week that would reauthorize a surveillance program U.S. officials consider vital to national security but that critics say raises privacy concerns. The action comes shortly before the program, known as Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, expires...
Donald Trump demands new judge days before start of hush-money criminal trial
NEW YORK — Former President Donald Trump is demanding a new judge just days before his hush-money criminal trial is set to begin, rehashing longstanding grievances with the judge in a long-shot, eleventh-hour bid to disrupt and delay the case. Trump’s lawyers — echoing his recent social media complaints —...
Faculty union of state university system overwhelmingly votes to ratify labor contract
The union representing 5,000 state university faculty and coaches across Pennsylvania voted overwhelmingly to ratify a four-year labor agreement, union representatives announced Friday. Of the members of Association of Pennsylvania State College and University Faculties who voted, 96% were in favor of the deal. The deal now goes to Pennsylvania’s...
Donald Trump to hold rally in Lehigh Valley next week
Former President Donald Trump is set to return to the Lehigh Valley next weekend for a campaign rally as he seeks a second term in the White House. A rally has been scheduled for the Schnecksville Fire Hall on Old Packhouse Road in North Whitehall Township at 7 p.m. April...
Biden urges Egypt, Qatar leaders to press Hamas on agreement for Israeli hostages
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden on Friday wrote to the leaders of Egypt and Qatar, calling on them to press Hamas for a hostage deal with Israel, according to a senior administration official, one day after Biden called on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to redouble efforts to reach a...
Former Trump officials among most vocal opponents of returning him to White House
NEW YORK — Former Defense Secretary Mark Esper has called him a “threat to democracy.” Former national security adviser John Bolton has declared him “unfit to be president.” And former Vice President Mike Pence has declined to endorse him, citing “profound differences.” As Donald Trump seeks the presidency for a...
3 people killed in crash of small plane in southeastern Oklahoma
ANTLERS, Okla. — Three people died when the single-engine aircraft they were aboard crashed in southeastern Oklahoma, authorities said. Pilot Brian Davis, 62, and passengers Michael Davis, 23, and Kelly Thompson, 21, all of Antlers, died in Thursday’s crash, according to an Oklahoma Highway Patrol report. The crash occurred near...
Fire outside Vermont office of Sen. Bernie Sanders investigated as arson
BURLINGTON, Vt. — Police in Vermont are seeking a suspect who allegedly started a fire Friday outside the office of U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders. The small blaze caused minor damage but no injuries. Authorities say an unknown male suspect sprayed what they described as a possible accelerant on the office...
Lee, Patel spar on TV over Biden support, Mideast war
Democratic U.S. Rep. Summer Lee and primary challenger Bhavini Patel sparred Thursday in their only scheduled televised debate, attacking each other over their positions on war in the Mideast and support of President Joe Biden. WPXI moderated the 28-minute debate, which was not open to other media. No primary race...
Franklin Regional set to host public health, wellness fair
The Franklin Regional School District has a health services department. But when district officials began discussing ideas for a health and wellness fair, they decided to expand beyond the student body. The district’s April 29 community health fair will be open to the public, bringing more than 40 local health...
NYC to pay $17.5M to settle lawsuit by 2 Muslim women forced to remove hijabs for mug shots
NEW YORK — New York City has agreed to pay $17.5 million to settle a lawsuit filed by two Muslim women who were forced to remove their head coverings to be photographed after they were arrested. The class-action lawsuit was filed in 2018 by Jamilla Clark and Arwa Aziz, two...
Earthquake centered near New York City rattles the Northeast
NEW YORK — An earthquake shook the densely populated New York City metropolitan area Friday morning, the U.S. Geological Survey said, with residents across the Northeast reporting rumbling in a region where people are unaccustomed to feeling the ground move. The agency reported a quake at 10:23 a.m. with a...
Israel dismisses 2 officers over deadly drone strikes on aid workers in Gaza
JERUSALEM — The Israeli military said Friday that it dismissed two officers and reprimanded three others for their roles in drone strikes in Gaza that killed seven aid workers on a food-delivery mission, saying they had mishandled critical information and violated the army’s rules of engagement. The findings of a...
Iran vows to ‘punish Zionist regime’ over deadly strike on Iranian consulate attributed to Israel
TEHRAN, Iran — The commander of Iran’s powerful Revolutionary Guard warned Friday that “our brave men will punish the Zionist regime,” escalating threats against Israel for an airstrike that killed seven of the group’s members, including two Iranian generals, earlier this week. The strike, widely attributed to Israel, destroyed the...
Biden to tour collapsed Baltimore bridge where recovery effort has political overtones
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden is expected to get a firsthand look Friday at efforts to clear away the hulking remains of the collapsed Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, as cranes, ships and diving crews work to reopen one of the nation’s main shipping lanes. Biden will receive updates...
Powerball jackpot reaches $1.23B as long odds mean lots of losing, just as designed
Powerball will match a record for lottery drawings Saturday night with a stretch of more than three months without a jackpot winner. It’s that string of futility that has enabled Powerball’s top prize to reach $1.23 billion, the 8th largest in U.S. lottery history. And it’s a sign that the...
Total solar eclipse forecast: Will your city have clear skies Monday?
DALLAS — Some who hope to witness Monday’s total solar eclipse may see the sun obscured by clouds instead of by the moon. There’s still plenty of time for forecasts to change, but meteorologists predict that eclipse day storms could blanket parts of the path, which stretches from Mexico and...
6 inmates who sued New York over its prison lockdown order will get to view solar eclipse after all
NEW YORK — Six inmates who sued New York’s corrections department over its decision to lock down prisons during next Monday’s total solar eclipse will get to watch the celestial event after all. Lawyers for the six men incarcerated at the Woodbourne Correctional Facility in upstate New York said Thursday...
Morning Roundup: Wigle Whiskey opens site at PNC Park; landslide limits road access in Ross
Here are some of the latest news items from this morning, Friday, April 5: Wigle Whiskey opens site at PNC Park Wigle Whiskey food and spirits will be available at PNC Park this season, the Pittsburgh-based craft distillery announced on its website. The distillery’s North Shore menu will be available...
