Smoke from wildfires, a fact of life in the West, catches outdoor workers off guard in the East
NEW YORK — The hazardous haze from Canada’s wildfires is taking its toll on people whose jobs have forced them outdoors along the U.S. East Coast even as a dystopian orange hue led to the cancelation of sports events, school field trips and Broadway plays. Delivery workers, construction workers, farm...
Under house arrest, fake heiress Anna ‘Delvey’ Sorokin launches podcast to rehab public image
NEW YORK — It’s a weekday morning and Anna Sorokin is on house arrest in a New York apartment building that has been condemned as imminently perilous to life. So she’s attempting to capture outside attention and relieving her boredom in the most quotidian way: starting a podcast. “So many...
2nd week of Pittsburgh synagogue attack trial wraps up with testimony from police, FBI
The tourniquet wasn’t working. In the minutes after Pittsburgh SWAT Officer Anthony Burke was shot through his right hand during a gunfight at the Tree of Life synagogue in Squirrel Hill, he moved to another upstairs classroom, and another team member placed the tourniquet around his arm. “My hand was...
Smoky haze blanketing U.S. and Canada could last into the weekend
NEW YORK — On air quality maps, purple signifies the worst of it. In reality, it’s a thick, hazardous haze that’s disrupting daily life for millions of people across the U.S. and Canada, blotting out skylines and turning skies orange. And with weather systems expected to hardly budge, the smoky...
Outer Banks makes Dr. Beach’s 2023 top 10 list
With the official start of summer just around the corner, many are getting their vacation plans together. The Outer Banks has long been a popular summer destination for Western Pennsylvania residents, and this year it made a spot on a special list. Dr. Stephen P. Leatherman, more commonly known as...
Newer heart transplant method could allow more patients a chance at lifesaving surgery
WASHINGTON — Most transplanted hearts are from donors who are brain-dead, but new research shows a different approach can be just as successful and boost the number of available organs. It’s called donation after circulatory death, a method long used to recover kidneys and other organs but not more fragile...
Republican presidential field is largely set. Here are takeaways on where the contest stands
NEW YORK — After a trio of new announcements this week, the Republican Party’s 2024 presidential field is all but set. A handful of stragglers may jump in later, but as of now there are at least 10 high-profile Republican candidates officially seeking their party’s nomination. And with the announcement...
Pat Robertson, broadcaster who helped make religion central to GOP politics, dies at 93
VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — Pat Robertson, a religious broadcaster who turned a tiny Virginia station into the global Christian Broadcasting Network, tried a run for president and helped make religion central to Republican Party politics in America through his Christian Coalition, has died. He was 93. Robertson’s death Thursday was...
Pittsburgh synagogue gunman described as ‘nice and cordial’ after the attack
As he was being treated at Allegheny General Hospital for gunshot wounds suffered in a firefight with Pittsburgh police at the Tree of Life synagogue, Robert Bowers was described as being “very polite, very cooperative.” “He kind of was very nice and cordial with everybody,” Pittsburgh police Detective Robert Shaw...
Actor Jay Johnston, known for ‘Bob’s Burgers’ character, arrested on Capitol riot charges
An actor known for his roles on the comedy television shows “Bob’s Burgers” and “Mr. Show with Bob and David” was arrested Wednesday on charges that he joined a mob of Donald Trump supporters in confronting police officers during the U.S. Capitol riot, court records show. Jay Johnston, 54, of...
House Republicans pull back contempt charge against FBI director Wray over Biden doc
WASHINGTON — The Republican chairman of the House Oversight Committee on Wednesday called off a vote on a contempt of Congress charge against FBI Director Christopher Wray, accepting a last-minute offer by the bureau to allow the full committee access to a confidential document of an unverified tip about President...
Justice Department moves closer toward possible indictment of Trump in classified documents investigationVideo
WASHINGTON — A federal grand jury investigating Donald Trump in Florida heard from at least one additional witness Wednesday amid signs that the Justice Department was moving toward a possible indictment over the former president’s mishandling of classified documents. In the last week, his lawyers have met with Justice Department...
Biden vetoes effort to block student loan forgiveness
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden vetoed legislation on Wednesday to block his attempt to grant student debt relief through executive action. The measure, which the Senate cleared last week, will now go back to Capitol Hill for a possible override attempt, which would be unsuccessful based on the support it...
Owner of funeral homes accused of spraying insecticide at cops, assaulting media at Jan. 6 riot
An owner of several funeral homes on Long Island was arrested Wednesday on charges that he sprayed wasp killer at police officers and attacked journalists — including an Associated Press photographer — during the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol, authorities said. Peter G. Moloney, 58, of Bayport,...
Colleges and universities moving away from standardized tests in admissions decisions
More than eight out of every 10 colleges and universities that award bachelor’s degrees no longer require or do not consider standardized tests in admissions decisions, according to a national survey released Wednesday. The latest tally from FairTest, an Arlington, Mass., group that has long been critical of the SAT...
Pennsylvania looking to charge electric vehicle owners a $290 annual fee
Pennsylvanians who own electric vehicles may soon be required to pay an annual fee to help pay for road and bridge improvements. The Senate Transportation Committee on Wednesday approved a bipartisan-backed bill by a 13-1 vote that would charge owners of non-commercial passenger electric vehicles a $290 fee annually —...
Pennsylvania House OKs $100 million for adult mental health services
HARRISBURG — A proposal to allocate $100 million in federal funds to pay for adult mental health programs easily passed the Pennsylvania House of Representatives on Wednesday, a plan built on the recommendations of a state commission charged with issuing suggestions for coordinated care. The bill passed 173-30 and was...
American Red Cross: Shortfall of blood donations last month
American Red Cross officials said they experienced a “concerning shortfall” in blood donations last month, collecting 26,000 fewer donations than needed to meet patient needs in May. World Blood Donor Day is June 14, and Red Cross officials are offering a $10 gift card for donors through the end of...
Head of Carnegie Mellon’s music school leaving for job at Northwestern
Jonathan Bailey Holland, the head of Carnegie Mellon University’s school of music for less than a year, is leaving to accept the music deanship at Northwestern University. He begins his new job Sept. 1. Holland’s appointment to the Henry and Leigh Bienen School of Music was announced on Northwestern’s website....
Conservative group says Pitt violated free speech rights of organizers of transgender debate
A conservative group representing organizers of an April transgender rights debate at the University of Pittsburgh claims that Pitt violated the organizers’ free speech rights by charging an $18,734 security fee to quell raucous student protests outside. The Alliance Defending Freedom made the accusation in a letter to the university...
Pittsburgh synagogue gunman described as ‘nice and cordial’ after the attack
As he was being treated at Allegheny General Hospital for gunshot wounds suffered in a firefight with Pittsburgh police at the Tree of Life synagogue, Robert Bowers was described as being “very polite, very cooperative.” “He kind of was very nice and cordial with everybody,” Pittsburgh police Detective Robert Shaw...
Ukraine rushes drinking water to flooded areas as environmental damage mounts from dam break
KHERSON, Ukraine — Authorities rushed drinking water to areas flooded by a collapsed dam in southern Ukraine on Wednesday as they managed a growing humanitarian and ecological disaster along a river that forms part of the front line in the 15-month war. The collapse of the Kakhovka hydroelectric dam and...
Photos: Northeastern cities experiencing smoky skies because of Canadian wildfiresVideo
Canadian wildfires are blanketing the northeastern U.S. in a haze, turning the air acrid, the sky yellowish gray and prompting warnings for vulnerable populations to stay inside. The effects of hundreds of wildfires burning across the western provinces to Quebec could be felt as far away as New York City...
Police arrest white Florida woman accused of fatally shooting Black neighbor
OCALA, Fla. — A Florida woman accused of fatally shooting her neighbor last week in the violent culmination of what the sheriff described as a 2½-year feud was arrested Tuesday, the Marion County Sheriff’s Office said. Susan Louise Lorincz, 58, who is white, was arrested on charges of manslaughter with...
As conservatives target schools, LGBTQ+ kids and students of color feel less safe
NOLENSVILLE, Tenn.— The first encounter with racism that Harmony Kennedy can remember came in elementary school. On a playground, a girl picked up a leaf and said she wanted to “clean the dirt” from Harmony’s skin. In sixth grade, a boy dropped trash on the floor and told her to...
