All 3 of John Fetterman’s top communications staffers have resigned in the past month
There’s been some serious turnover in Sen. John Fetterman’s office, The Philadelphia Inquirer has learned. In the last month, all three of Fetterman’s top communications staffers have left Capitol Hill. Nick Gavio, who was deputy communications director, will leave the office at the end of March to take a new...
Biden is raising more campaign cash than Trump — and he’ll need it
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden’s reelection campaign is raising gobs of cash. And it has an election-year strategy that, in a nutshell, aims to spend more — and spend faster. Not only has Biden aimed to show himself off as a fundraising juggernaut this month, but his campaign is also...
Man in critical condition after being shot in chest multiple times in Wilkinsburg
A man was shot in the chest multiple times Friday night in Wilkinsburg, Allegheny County police said. Police responded to a call for a shooting on the 1500 block of Montier St. around 9:50 p.m. The man who was shot was taken to a local hospital in critical condition. County...
Easter weekend storm hits Southern California with rain, mountain snow
LOS ANGELES — An Easter weekend storm slammed into Southern California, bringing more rain and mountain snow to a region already drenched by winter weather. The slow-moving storm was expected to unleash 1 to 3 inches of rain, as well as up to 2 feet of snow in the mountains...
Baltimore collapse focused attention on vital bridges. Thousands are in poor shape across U.S.
After a yearlong closure, a bridge over the Puyallup River reopened in 2019 with a sturdy new span and a brand new name. It even won a national award. But today, the Fishing Wars Memorial Bridge is closed again after federal officials raised concerns about a vintage section of the...
EPA sets strict emissions standards for heavy-duty trucks, buses
WASHINGTON — The Environmental Protection Agency on Friday set strict emissions standards for heavy-duty trucks, buses and other large vehicles, an action that officials said will help clean up some of the nation’s largest sources of planet-warming greenhouse gases. The rules, which take effect for model years 2027 through 2032,...
Lawmaker shoots airball labeling basketball players at Detroit airport as ‘illegal invaders’
In Michigan, Republican state Rep. Matt Maddock wrongfully claimed on social media that he had photo evidence of “illegal invaders,” who were arriving at the Detroit Metro Airport this week. As it turns out, the “evidence” was actually photos of college basketball teams flying in Wednesday and being transported to...
A tropical cyclone makes landfall in northern Madagascar, killing 18 people
ANTANANARIVO, Madagascar — A tropical cyclone that swept across Madagascar has killed 18 people and left four missing after making landfall on the north of the Indian Ocean island nation earlier this week, authorities said on Friday. The storm has also caused severe flooding that partly submerged entire villages, displaced...
Biden says he’s working to secure release of Wall Street Journal reporter held for a year in Russia
NEW YORK — On the one-year anniversary of the Russian detention of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, President Joe Biden said the U.S. is working every day to secure his release. “Journalism is not a crime, and Evan went to Russia to do his job as a reporter —...
Magnitude 2.8 earthquake shakes southern Illinois; no damage or injuries reported
GERMANTOWN, Ill. — An earthquake of magnitude 2.8 has been reported in southern Illinois, near the Missouri state line, the U.S. Geological Survey reported. The earthquake was detected about 6:55 p.m. Thursday north of Germantown, about 40 miles east of St. Louis, at a depth of just over 14 miles....
Thai court acquits dozens of protesters who shut down Bangkok’s airports in 2008
BANGKOK — A Thai court on Friday acquitted nearly 70 people of all charges related to mass protests that shut down Bangkok’s two airports in 2008 for about 10 days. The ruling by the Bangkok Criminal Court was the second this year finding that the protesters, who opposed a government...
Russia launches barrage of 99 drones and missiles on Ukraine’s energy system, officials say
KYIV, Ukraine — Moscow launched a large-scale attack on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure Friday, with a mass barrage of 99 drones and missiles hitting regions across the country, Ukraine’s armed forces said. Air raid warnings rang out across the country, with 10 Ukrainian regions coming under fire, the country’s Interior Minister,...
5 dead, over 100 hospitalized from recalled Japanese health supplements
TOKYO — Five people who took a Japanese health supplement have died and more than 100 have been hospitalized as of Friday, a week after a pharmaceutical company issued a recall of the products, officials said. Osaka-based Kobayashi Pharmaceutical Co. came under fire for not going public quickly with problems...
$1B in tax refunds still unclaimed, IRS says. Is some of it yours?
The government could owe you money, but time is running out to collect it. About 940,000 people in the U.S. still haven’t filed their 2020 tax return, the IRS said in a recent press release, meaning that there’s more than $1 billion in refunds remain unclaimed. “There’s money remaining on...
Elections 101: What to know about poll watchers, and what they can and can’t do in Pennsylvania
Elections 101 from Spotlight PA protects you against election misinformation and empowers you to make informed decisions. HARRISBURG — As the 2024 election heats up, voters in Pennsylvania may hear candidates talk about poll watchers. Appointed by candidates or political parties, poll watchers are permitted to observe polling place setup,...
Poll: Democracy the ‘best system,’ but fewer young people agree
The vast majority of Americans believe democracy, despite its problems, is the best system of government. But polling shows that far fewer younger voters agree. The nationwide poll conducted in mid-March by Florida Atlantic University found 73% of voters agree that “Democracy may have problems, but it is the best...
Alex Murdaugh’s lawyers say FBI agent’s mention of Joran van der Sloot led to failed polygraph test
COLUMBIA, S.C. — Lawyers for Alex Murdaugh said an FBI agent conducting a polygraph test that the agency said the convicted killer flunked asked odd questions and confided he had just examined the notorious Dutch killer of an Alabama teen, throwing the results off. The name-check of Joran van der...
Biden’s fundraiser with Obama and Clinton nets a record $25 million, his campaign says
NEW YORK — A fundraiser for President Joe Biden on Thursday in New York City that also stars Barack Obama and Bill Clinton is raising a whopping $25 million, setting a record for the biggest haul for a political event, his campaign said. The eye-popping amount was a major show...
Biden OKs $60M in aid after Baltimore bridge collapse as governor warns of ‘very long road ahead’
BALTIMORE — Maryland Gov. Wes Moore warned Thursday of a “very long road ahead” to recover from the loss of Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge as the Biden administration approved $60 million in immediate federal aid after the deadly collapse. Massive barges carrying cranes streamed toward the site to begin...
Tennessee governor signs bill to undo Memphis traffic stop reforms after Tyre Nichols death
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee on Thursday signed off on the repeal of Memphis police traffic stop reforms set in place after the fatal beating of Tyre Nichols by officers just over a year ago. By enacting the legislation, the Republican governor sided with GOP lawmakers who forged...
Oklahoma judge rules death row inmate not competent to be executed
OKLAHOMA CITY — An Oklahoma judge ruled Thursday that a death row inmate is not competent to be executed for his role in the 1999 slayings of a mother and son. Pittsburg County Judge Michael Hogan issued an order in the case involving 61-year-old James Ryder in that county. “The...
Tennessee politicians strip historically Black university of its board
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Trustees of Tennessee’s only publicly funded historically Black university were removed Thursday under legislation signed into law by Republican Gov. Bill Lee. Black lawmakers and community leaders said state leaders, a majority of whom are white, are unfairly targeting Tennessee State University. The legislation cleared the state...
Walk-in mammograms available through Allegheny Health Network
Walk-in mammograms will be available this spring through Allegheny Health Network — at both the Allegheny General Hospital Breast Center and North Fayette Health + Wellness Pavilion. The campaign will run from April 1 through June 14 for women over 40 and anyone younger with a family history of breast...
Ex-Minnesota Gov. Jesse Ventura says he will sell cannabis edibles
MINNEAPOLIS — Former Minnesota Gov. Jesse Ventura has announced he is entering the cannabis market as a seller, as the state still figures out retail sales of the drug on the heels of legalizing marijuana for adults last year. Ventura is launching his own brand of cannabis edibles in partnership...
Biden administration restores threatened species protections dropped by Trump
BILLINGS, Mont. — The Biden administration on Thursday restored rules to protect imperiled plants and animals that had been rolled back back under former President Donald Trump. Among the changes announced, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will reinstate a decades-old regulation that mandates blanket protections for species newly classified...
