FAFSA data finally starts flowing to colleges to develop financial aid offers to students
Some colleges and universities are beginning to receive long-delayed information they need from the U.S. Department of Education to develop financial aid offers to college-bound students. Word that data is flowing from the troubled rollout of the revised Free Application for Federal Student Aid form (FAFSA) is welcome news. But...
A new $16,000 postpartum depression drug is here. How will insurers handle it?
A much-awaited treatment for postpartum depression, zuranolone, hit the market in December, promising an accessible and fast-acting medication for a debilitating illness. But most private health insurers have yet to publish criteria for when they will cover it, according to a new analysis of insurance policies. The lack of guidance...
Prosecutor leaves Georgia election case against Trump after relationship with district attorney
ATLANTA — A special prosecutor who had a romantic relationship with Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis formally withdrew Friday from the Georgia election interference case against Donald Trump after a judge ruled one of them had to leave for the case to move forward. Attorney Nathan Wade’s resignation allows...
Russian missiles kill at least 14 people in the latest strike on southern Ukraine’s Odesa
KYIV, Ukraine — First responders who arrived at the scene of a Russian missile attack on homes in the southern Ukrainian city of Odesa on Friday were themselves struck by a second missile, officials said. A paramedic and an emergency service worker were among the 14 people killed. Officials said...
Pope acknowledges criticism, health issues but says in his new memoir he has no plans to retire
VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis says he has no plans to resign and isn’t suffering from any health problems that would require doing so, saying in a new memoir he still has “many projects to bring to fruition.” Francis, 87, made the comments in an autobiography, “Life: My Story Through...
Russians are voting in an election that holds little suspense after Putin crushed dissent
Russia began three days of voting Friday in a presidential election that is all but certain to extend President Vladimir Putin’s rule by six more years after he stifled dissent. The election takes place against the backdrop of a ruthless crackdown that has crippled independent media and prominent rights groups...
1st ship to use a new sea route approaches Gaza with 200 tons of aid
WADI GAZA, Gaza Strip — A ship carrying 200 tons of aid approached the coast of Gaza on Friday in a mission to inaugurate a sea route from Cyprus that was intended to bring more assistance to alleviate the humanitarian crisis in the enclave five months into the war between...
McDonald’s system outages have been reported worldwide; chain says they’re getting fixed
LONDON — System failures at McDonald’s were reported worldwide Friday, shuttering some restaurants for hours and leading to social media complaints from customers, in what the fast food chain called a “technology outage” that was being fixed. Chicago-based McDonald’s Corp. said the problems were not related to a cybersecurity issue....
Damaging tornadoes move through Midwest, as officials in Indiana try to confirm deathsVideo
MADISON, Ind. — Authorities in Indiana said they were working to confirm reports of fatalities from a tornado that was part of storm system that also unleashed suspected twisters in parts of Ohio and Kentucky on Thursday, damaging homes and businesses. Storm damage in Indiana was reported in the east...
Colorado snow storm knocks out power for thousands even as I-70 reopensVideo
DENVER — A major storm dumped heavy snow in Colorado on Thursday — forcing flight cancellations and shutting down a highway that connects Denver to Colorado ski resorts for much of the day, stranding some people in their cars for hours. The storm comes as other parts of the country...
James Crumbley, who bought gun used by son to kill 4 students, guilty of manslaughter in MichiganVideo
PONTIAC, Mich. — The father of a Michigan school shooter was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter Thursday, a second conviction against the teen’s parents who were accused of failing to secure a gun at home and doing nothing to address acute signs of his mental turmoil. The jury verdict means...
Penn State targets under-enrolled programs, duplication as it eyes cuts at branch campuses
Efforts in the coming months to pare spending on Penn State University branch campuses will include reviewing duplicative or underenrolled academic programs and potentially sharing administrative services between campuses. The university has offered an update on a closely watched process to cut $54 million, or 14.1%, from commonwealth campus operations...
Philadelphia’s population declined for 3rd straight year, census data shows
PHILADELPHIA — Federal estimates released Thursday showed that more than 16,000 residents left Philadelphia last year, marking the third straight year the city’s population has declined. The U.S. Census Bureau data indicates Philadelphia’s population now stands at about 1.6 million residents, meaning a 1% drop occurred between July 2022 and...
Judge rejects bid by Donald Trump to throw out classified documents case on constitutional grounds
FORT PIERCE, Fla. — A federal judge on Thursday rejected a bid by Donald Trump to throw out out his classified documents criminal case, and appeared skeptical during hours of arguments of a separate effort to scuttle the prosecution ahead of trial. U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon issued a two-page...
Prosecutors say they’re open to delaying start of Donald Trump’s March 25 hush-money trial
NEW YORK — New York prosecutors said Thursday they are open to delaying the start of Donald Trump’s New York hush-money criminal trial by up to a month to give the former president’s lawyers time to review evidence that was only recently turned over. The Manhattan district attorney’s office said...
U.S. opens 1st large offshore wind farm, with more to come
America’s first commercial-scale offshore wind farm is officially open, a long-awaited moment that helps pave the way for a succession of large wind farms. Danish wind energy developer Ørsted and the utility Eversource built a 12-turbine wind farm called South Fork Wind 35 miles east of Montauk Point, New York....
Ohio Senate race, Chicago homeless tax and other races to watch in next Tuesday’s primary elections
The presidential primary contests may be over, but there are plenty of consequential down-ballot elections still to come. Voters across the country will vote next Tuesday night on combatting homelessness in Illinois, choosing candidates who could determine which party controls Congress next year and replacing ousted Speaker of the House...
Nigerian leader rules out ransoms for abducted students as observers urge dialogue
ABUJA, Nigeria — Nigeria’s leader has ruled out the payment of ransoms for nearly 300 schoolchildren abducted from their school in the conflict-hit north a week ago, raising questions from analysts on Thursday about how best to rescue the children without hurting them. Meanwhile, at least two people with extensive...
North Korea’s Kim test drives a new tank and orders troops to prepare for war
SEOUL, South Korea — North Korean leader Kim Jong Un joined troops training on a new model of tank and drove one himself, state media reported Thursday, as his rivals South Korea and the U.S. wrapped up their annual military exercises. It’s the third time Kim was reported to have...
Report claims Yemen’s Houthis have a hypersonic missile, possibly raising stakes in Red Sea crisis
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Yemen’s Houthi rebels claim to have a new, hypersonic missile in their arsenal, Russia’s state media reported Thursday, potentially raising the stakes in their ongoing attacks on shipping in the Red Sea and surrounding waterways against the backdrop of Israel’s war on Hamas in the...
Biden opposes plan to sell US Steel to a Japanese firm, citing the need for ‘American steel workers’
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden came out in opposition to the planned sale of U.S. Steel to Nippon Steel of Japan, saying Thursday the U.S. needs to “maintain strong American steel companies powered by American steel workers.” In a statement, Biden added: “U.S. Steel has been an iconic American steel...
What’s Pi Day all about? Math, science, pies and more
Math enthusiasts around the world, from college kids to rocket scientists, celebrate Pi Day on Thursday, which is March 14 or 3/14 — the first three digits of an infinite number with many practical uses. Around the world many people will mark the day with a slice of pie —...
Evangelical Christians are fierce Israel supporters. Now they are visiting as war-time volunteers
TEL AVIV, Israel — When Shawn Landis, an evangelical Christian from Pennsylvania, heard about the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on southern Israel, he knew he would come to Israel to volunteer as soon as it was safe. Five months later, he was chopping vegetables in a Tel Aviv kitchen, preparing...
Which conspiracy theorist will RFK Jr. pick as running mate, Aaron Rodgers or Jesse Ventura?
Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has developed a reputation as a conspiracy theorist. He could be conspiring to get another such person on the ticket with him. And a famous one at that. Kennedy’s campaign told the Los Angeles Times that the 70-year-old is considering New York Jets...
Georgia governor signs law reviving prosecutor sanctions panel. Democrats fear it’s aimed at Fani Willis
ATLANTA — Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp signed a law Wednesday that lets a state commission begin operating with powers to discipline and remove prosecutors, potentially disrupting Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis’ prosecution of former President Donald Trump. “This legislation will help us ensure rogue and incompetent prosecutors are held...
