RFK Jr. talks new food pyramid, avoids controversial vaccine changes in Harrisburg visit
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. visited Harrisburg on Wednesday, giving an address that roped Pennsylvania’s agricultural prowess into his “Make America Healthy Again” agenda, particularly the recent revision of federal dietary guidelines. But the most enthusiastic supporters weren’t exactly there to hear about the new food pyramid. Although not a perfect...
‘Sinners’ makes history, setting Oscars nomination recordVideo
Ryan Coogler’s blues-steeped vampire epic “Sinners” led all films with 16 nominations to the 98th Academy Awards on Thursday, setting a record for the most in Oscar history. Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences voters showered “Sinners” with more nominations than they had ever bestowed before, breaking the 14-nomination...
Forecasters warn of a ‘potentially catastrophic’ storm from Texas to the Carolinas
ATLANTA — With many Americans still recovering from multiple blasts of snow and unrelenting freezing temperatures in the nation’s northern tier, a new storm is set to emerge this weekend that could coat roads, trees and power lines with devastating ice across a wide expanse of the South. The storm...
Trump rolls out his Board of Peace at Davos, but many top U.S. allies aren’t participating
DAVOS, Switzerland — President Donald Trump on Thursday inaugurated his ” Board of Peace ” to lead efforts at maintaining a ceasefire in Israel’s war with Hamas, insisting that “everyone wants to be a part” of the body that could eventually rival the United Nations — despite many U.S. allies...
Trump’s European threats could make it harder for future U.S. leaders to repair ties
WASHINGTON — Barely a month into his presidency, Joe Biden had a message for Europe. “America is back,” Biden told the Munich Security Conference in 2021. “The transatlantic alliance is back.” It was a promise Biden delivered often as he sought to cast the disruptions of his predecessor, Donald Trump,...
Gunman at large in Australia after leaving 3 dead and 1 wounded
MELBOURNE, Australia — A gunman was at large after a shooting in a town in Australia’s New South Wales state on Thursday left three people dead and another wounded, police said. Emergency services were called to two locations at Lake Cargelligo, a town of around 1,500 people, after 4 p.m....
Former Uvalde officer acquitted in trial over police response to Robb Elementary attack
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — A former Uvalde police officer was acquitted Wednesday of charges that he failed in his duties to confront the gunman at Robb Elementary during the critical first minutes of one of the deadliest school shootings in U.S. history. Jurors deliberated for more than seven hours before...
Former special counsel Jack Smith set to testify at House panel
WASHINGTON — John L. “Jack” Smith is set to testify before the House Judiciary Committee on Thursday, a high-profile appearance that will allow him and Republicans to present starkly different takeaways about the former special counsel’s criminal investigations of President Donald Trump. For Smith, the hearing will offer a platform...
Autopsy finds Cuban immigrant in ICE custody died of homicide due to asphyxia
WASHINGTON — A Cuban migrant held in solitary confinement at an immigration detention facility in Texas died after guards held him down and he stopped breathing, according to an autopsy report released Wednesday that ruled the death a homicide. Geraldo Lunas Campos died Jan. 3 as a result of an...
Summer Lee votes to hold Clintons in contempt of Congress for defying Epstein-related subpoenas
U.S. Rep. Summer Lee, D-Swissvale, voted Wednesday to hold former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in contempt of Congress for defying subpoenas to testify before the House Oversight Committee as part of its Jeffrey Epstein investigation. Lee was one of nine Democrats on the Oversight...
Immigration officers assert sweeping power to enter homes without a judge’s warrant, memo saysVideo
WASHINGTON — Federal immigration officers are asserting sweeping power to forcibly enter people’s homes without a judge’s warrant, according to an internal Immigration and Customs Enforcement memo obtained by The Associated Press, marking a sharp reversal of longstanding guidance meant to respect constitutional limits on government searches. The memo authorizes...
Poor insurance reimbursements place Pa. hospitals at risk of closure, report says
Insufficient insurance reimbursements could drive more than a dozen Pennsylvania hospitals to close within five years, according to a report released Wednesday by the Hospital and Healthsystem Association of Pennsylvania. The industry group hired consultancy Oliver Wyman to create the report. In its analysis, the New York City-based firm focused...
Washington Post seeks court order for government to return electronics seized from reporter’s home
WASHINGTON — The Washington Post asked a federal court on Wednesday for an order requiring federal authorities to return electronic devices that they seized from a Post reporter’s Virginia home last week, accusing the government of trampling on the reporter’s free speech rights and legal safeguards for journalists. A magistrate...
ICE activity increases in Maine as anxiety grows in immigrant communities
PORTLAND, Maine — The Trump administration is now targeting its mass deportation campaign on Maine, a state with relatively few residents in the United States illegally but notable African refugee communities in its largest cities. The Department of Homeland Security named the operation “Catch of the Day,” an apparent play...
Minneapolis businesses struggle during Trump’s immigration enforcement surge
At Taste of East African in Minneapolis, the manager and owner are the only employees who come to work now, serving new customers who aren’t familiar with the food but are trying to support a restaurant challenged by a federal immigration enforcement surge. Like the employees, the usual patrons are...
Former DEA agent sentenced to 5 years in prison for using badge to protect drug trafficking friends
BUFFALO, N.Y. — In two decades of kicking in doors for the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, Joseph Bongiovanni often took on the risks of being the “lead breacher,” meaning he was the first person into the room. On Wednesday, he felt a familiar uncertainty awaiting sentencing for using his DEA...
Supreme Court seems inclined to keep Lisa Cook on Fed board despite Trump attempt to fire her
WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court on Wednesday seemed inclined to keep Federal Reserve governor Lisa Cook in her job, casting doubt on President Donald Trump’s bid to wrest control of the nation’s central bank. The justices heard arguments over Trump’s effort to fire Cook based on allegations she committed mortgage...
Greensburg native, a federal judge in Va., questioned legitimacy of Trump-appointed prosecutor
A federal district judge, who excoriated a former Justice Department prosecutor for pursuing indictments against political adversaries of President Donald Trump, grew up in Greensburg and earned a bachelor’s degree from Saint Vincent College. David Novak, a Trump-appointed district judge in the Eastern District of Virginia, is one of two...
Former sports broadcaster Michele Tafoya announces Republican Senate bid in Minnesota
A former NFL sideline reporter is making a bid for the U.S. Senate. Michele Tafoya announced Wednesday that she’s running as a Republican for an open Senate seat in Minnesota. She retired from NBC in 2022. A California native, Tafoya joins a fledgling Republican primary field in the race to...
Photos from around the world to our backyard
From the rolling hills of Western Pennsylvania to far-flung corners of the globe, TribLive’s gallery captures the world in motion — one frame at a time. Shot by photographers near and far, these images tell stories of place, connection and the quiet beauty of everyday life. More than a look...
Meteorologists blame a stretched polar vortex, moisture, lack of sea ice for dangerous winter blast
WASHINGTON — Warm Arctic waters and cold continental land are combining to stretch the dreaded polar vortex in a way that will send much of the United States a devastating dose of winter weather later this week with swaths of painful subzero temperatures, heavy snow and powerline-toppling ice. Meteorologists said...
‘Sad to see’: Ruthie’s Diner in Ligonier Township destroyed by blazeVideo
Rob Iscrupe saw no signs of smoke at 6 p.m. Tuesday when he clocked out from his shift as a dishwasher at Ruthie’s Diner. By Wednesday morning, he was surveying the icy mass of charred wood that remained where the longtime Ligonier Township landmark once stood. The building was destroyed...
‘West Wing’ actor Timothy Busfield released from New Mexico jail pending trial
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Actor Timothy Busfield was released from jail Tuesday night in New Mexico, where he is facing counts of child sexual abuse. Hours earlier, Busfield’s attorneys successfully argued that the actor best known for appearances in “The West Wing,” “Field of Dreams” and “Thirtysomething” wasn’t a danger to...
House committee takes first step to hold the Clintons in contempt of Congress in Epstein probe
WASHINGTON — A House committee advanced resolutions Wednesday to hold former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in contempt of Congress over the Jeffrey Epstein investigation, opening the prospect of the House using one of its most powerful punishments against a former president for the first...
Air Force One returns to Washington area due to minor electrical issue, White House says
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump’s plane, Air Force One, returned to Joint Base Andrews about an hour after departing for Switzerland on Tuesday evening. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the decision to return was made after takeoff when the crew aboard Air Force One identified “a minor electrical...
