Zelenskyy tells U.K. ‘freedom will win,’ pushes for warplanes
LONDON — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy pushed for fighter jets to ensure his country’s victory over Russia in a dramatic speech before the U.K. Parliament, where he also thanked the British people for their support since “Day One” of Moscow’s invasion. The embattled leader’s surprise visit to Britain in a...
Day care in Canada struck by city bus; 2 children dead
LAVAL, Quebec — A city bus crashed into a day care center Wednesday north of Montreal, killing two children and injuring six, authorities said. The driver was arrested and charged with homicide and careless driving. A neighbor who ran to the center in Laval, Quebec, said she saw children screaming...
Primary care remains hot deal target with CVS $10.6B bid
Big money is pouring into primary care clinics as the nation’s health care giants hunt for ways to cut costs by keeping people healthy. CVS Health said Wednesday that it will spend about $10.6 billion to buy Oak Street Health, which runs clinics that specialize in treating Medicare Advantage patients....
In new role, Bernie Sanders demands answers from Starbucks CEO
WASHINGTON — As Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders settles into his new role as chairman of a committee that oversees health and labor issues, he says some corporations “should be nervous.” And the longtime liberal crusader’s first target is Howard Schultz, the interim CEO of Starbucks who has aggressively fought his...
IOC responds to Paris mayor on Olympic plan for Russians
LAUSANNE, Switzerland — The International Olympic Committee pushed back against the mayor of Paris on Wednesday, insisting there were no plans for “a Russian or Belarusian delegation” at the 2024 Games while also acknowledging that some athletes from those countries could be welcomed. The IOC statement came a day after...
U.K. holds ceremony replete with tradition to consider coinsVideo
LONDON — A jury sat solemnly in a gilded hall in central London on Tuesday, presided over by a bewigged representative of the crown in flowing black robes, but there were no criminals in the dock. Britain’s coinage was on trial. In a ceremony that dates back to the 12th...
Danish queen to undergo ‘major back surgery’
COPENHAGEN, Denmark — Denmark’s Queen Margrethe II, whose half-century reign makes her Europe’s longest-serving monarch, will undergo “major back surgery” later this month, the royal palace said Wednesday. The 82-year-monarch will be hospitalized afterward and undergo “a longer rehabilitation process,” the royal household said in a statement. “During a long...
United Airlines flight bound for New Jersey turns around after fire in cabin
SAN DIEGO — A fire on board a New Jersey-bound United Airlines plane prompted it to return to San Diego International Airport and four people were taken to a hospital for treatment for smoke inhalation, authorities said. Flight 2664 was heading to Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey when...
Hope fading as deaths in Turkey, Syria quake pass 11,000
GAZIANTEP, Turkey — With hope fading to find survivors, stretched rescue teams toiled Wednesday in Turkey and Syria, searching for signs of life in the rubble of thousands of buildings toppled by a catastrophic earthquake. The death toll passed 11,000 in the deadliest quake worldwide in more than a decade....
North Korean troops encouraged by Kim Jong Un, his daughter
SEOUL, South Korea — North Korean leader Kim Jong Un lauded the “irresistible might” of his nuclear-armed military as he visited troops with his daughter to mark the 75th founding anniversary of his army, state media said Wednesday. The visit came amid indications North Korea is preparing to stage a...
U.S., states weigh farmland restrictions after Chinese balloon
HARLOWTON, Mont. — Near the banks of Montana’s Musselshell River, cattle rancher Michael Miller saw a large, white orb above the town of Harlowton last week, a day before U.S. officials revealed they were tracking a suspected Chinese spy balloon over the state. The balloon caused a stir in the...
Toxic gases connected to Ohio train derailment cause concern
Days after crews released and burned toxic chemicals transported by a wrecked train in Ohio, residents remain concerned about the toxic substances that could be lingering in their evacuated neighborhoods. About 50 cars, including 10 carrying hazardous materials, derailed in a fiery crash Friday in East Palestine, according to rail...
Ex-Twitter execs to face GOP questioning on Hunter Biden
WASHINGTON — House Republicans are expected to question former Twitter executives about the platform’s handling of reporting on Hunter Biden, the president’s son, fulfilling a party promise to investigate what they have long asserted is anti-conservative bias at social media companies. Three former executives will be appearing Wednesday before the...
Arkansas Gov. Sanders slams Biden for ‘woke fantasies’
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders painted a dystopian portrait of the country in her rebuttal to President Joe Biden’s State of the Union address Tuesday night, leaning heavily into Republican culture war issues and accusing Biden of pursuing “woke fantasies.” Speaking from the governor’s mansion in...
In State of the Union, a feisty Biden calls for bipartisanshipVideo
WASHINGTON — In a State of the Union address that began as a bipartisan appeal, President Biden appeared combative and feisty at times as he sparred with Republicans over his legislative record, the federal deficit and border security. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., at one point tried to quiet hecklers...
Memphis officer took, shared photos of bloodied Tyre Nichols
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Documents released Tuesday provided a scathing account of what authorities called the “blatantly unprofessional” conduct of five officers involved in the fatal police beating of Tyre Nichols during a traffic stop last month — including new revelations about how one officer took and shared pictures of the...
Florida Gov. DeSantis floats legislation that would make it easier to sue news outlets
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis raised the possibility Tuesday of passing legislation that could lower the bar for prominent people to successfully sue news outlets for defamation. In a roundtable discussion that featured complaints about the unfair “narrative” of the news media, DeSantis sat behind a desk similar to one of...
Poorer districts win challenge to Pennsylvania public school funding
HARRISBURG — A Pennsylvania judge ruled Tuesday that the state’s system of funding public schools falls woefully short and violates students’ constitutional rights, siding with poorer districts in a lawsuit launched nearly a decade ago in pursuit of billions of dollars in additional annual aid. Commonwealth Court Judge Renee Cohn...
Conservative groups look beyond Trump for 2024 GOP nominee
NEW YORK — Two major conservative groups have signaled they are open to supporting someone other than Donald Trump in the 2024 race for the White House, the latest sign from an increasingly vocal segment of the Republican Party that it’s time to move on from the former president. David...
West Virginia House OKs bill to encourage more birth centers
CHARLESTON — Months after passing a near-total ban on abortion, West Virginia lawmakers are advancing a bill that would eliminate some of the red tape involved with opening birthing centers in the state. The state House of Delegates passed a bill Tuesday that would remove birthing centers from the state’s...
Penn State lands on group’s 10-worst list for free speech
On top of the fallout Penn State University experienced after a tumultuous Proud Boys appearance on campus last fall, now an individual rights group is labeling the university weak on free speech. The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE) placed Penn State on its latest national “10 Worst Colleges...
Navy divers begin pulling up Chinese spy balloon debrisVideo
WASHINGTON — Navy divers began pulling pieces of the downed Chinese spy balloon from the depths of the ocean floor on Tuesday, using sophisticated reconnaissance drones dubbed the Kingfish and the Swordfish to locate the debris. After collecting all of the balloon’s white fabric and shell structure found floating on...
Check out the guest list for local elected officials at State of the Union address
The State of the Union speech is a tradition that surrounds the presidency, but members of the House and Senate participate in their own traditions. Members of Congress can bring a guest to the State of the Union speech. Local representatives from Southwestern Pennsylvania are bringing guests to Tuesday’s speech,...
Biden aims to deliver reassurance in State of Union address
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden is ready to offer a reassuring assessment of the nation’s condition rather than roll out flashy policy proposals as he delivers his second State of the Union address on Tuesday night, seeking to overcome pessimism in the country and concerns about his own leadership. His...
Race to find survivors as quake aid pours into Turkey, Syria; death toll soars above 7,200Video
NURDAGI, Turkey — Search teams and aid poured into Turkey and Syria on Tuesday as rescuers working in freezing temperatures and sometimes using their bare hands dug through the remains of buildings flattened by a powerful earthquake. The death toll soared above 7,200 and was still expected to rise. But...
