PSU President Neeli Bendapudi: ‘What is good for Penn State is good for Pennsylvania’Video
HARRISBURG — With a new governor and newly-seated Legislature to hear it, Penn State President Neeli Bendapudi made a pitch for more state aid for Penn State, in particular, and higher education generally in remarks Monday before the Pennsylvania Press Club. Now seven months into her tenure as president and...
Suspect killed, 3 deputies wounded in Kansas firefightVideo
DODGE CITY, Kan. — A wanted man was killed and three deputies were wounded Monday morning in an exchange of gunfire in western Kansas, authorities say. The Kansas Bureau of Investigation said in a news release that it started around 9 a.m. when the sheriff’s office in Clark County attempted...
Democrats defy Kevin McCarthy with 2 selections for Intel panel
WASHINGTON — Democrats are picking an early fight with the House Republican majority over committee seats, nominating two California lawmakers for the Intelligence Committee in open defiance of House Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s vow to block them. Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, in a letter sent to McCarthy over the weekend, asked...
Refusal to release inaugural donors exposes gap in Pennsylvania law
HARRISBURG — The refusal thus far of Gov. Josh Shapiro to disclose who paid for his glitzy inaugural bash has exposed the gap in state law that lets governors in Pennsylvania escape the kind of transparency that is sometimes required elsewhere. Presidential inaugural committees are required by federal law to...
The senator’s spouse: Gisele Fetterman finds new role, larger platform for change
Gisele Fetterman loves that people talk about the way she dresses. It has nothing to do with vanity and all to do with advocacy. In November, while accompanying husband, newly elected member of the U.S. Senate John Fetterman, she sent social media abuzz when she wore a $12 thrifted dress...
Police: 2 students dead, teacher hurt in Des Moines shooting
DES MOINES, Iowa — Police say two students were killed Monday and a teacher was injured in a shooting at a Des Moines school on the edge of the city’s downtown. The shooting was at an educational program called Starts Right Here that is affiliated with the Des Moines school...
4 Oath Keepers convicted of Jan. 6 seditious conspiracy
WASHINGTON — Four members of the Oath Keepers were convicted Monday of seditious conspiracy in the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol attack in the second major trial of far-right extremists accused of plotting to forcibly keep President Donald Trump in power. The verdict against Joseph Hackett of Sarasota, Fla.; Roberto Minuta...
Alex Murdaugh goes on trial in 2021 killings of wife, son
As his life unraveled over the past two years, disgraced South Carolina attorney Alex Murdaugh didn’t fight giving up his law license and admitted plenty of mistakes tied to missing client money and a financial mess that led to 100 criminal charges. But he has adamantly insisted, from the moment...
Man who propped feet on Pelosi’s desk guilty in Jan. 6 caseVideo
WASHINGTON — An Arkansas man who propped his feet up on a desk in then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s office during the U.S. Capitol riot was convicted on Monday of joining a mob’s attack on the building two years ago. A jury deliberated for approximately two hours before unanimously convicting Richard...
U.S. proposes once-a-year covid shots for most Americans
WASHINGTON — U.S. health officials want to make covid-19 vaccinations more like the annual flu shot. The Food and Drug Administration on Monday proposed a simplified approach for future vaccination efforts, allowing most adults and children to get a once-a-year shot to protect against the mutating virus. This means Americans...
Hazing suit at Bowling Green ends with nearly $3M settlement
The family of a student who died from alcohol poisoning while pledging a fraternity will receive nearly $3 million from Bowling Green State University to settle its hazing-related lawsuit, according to an agreement announced Monday. As part of the settlement, the family of Stone Foltz and the university both said...
Ex-FBI counterintelligence agent aided Russian oligarch
NEW YORK — A former high-ranking FBI counterintelligence official who investigated Russian oligarchs has been indicted on charges he secretly worked for one, in violation of U.S. sanctions. The official was also charged, in a separate indictment, with taking cash from a former foreign security officer. Charles McGonigal, the special...
Ex-Ohio House speaker relieved for corruption trial’s start
CINCINNATI — As his federal racketeering trial kicked off Monday, former Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder said he is optimistic and looking forward to telling his side of the story. “It should be a very good six weeks for me,” Householder told reporters as he awaited opening statements in the...
Pa. Gov. Josh Shapiro loosens his predecessor’s notoriously strict gift ban for top officials
Spotlight PA is an independent, nonpartisan newsroom powered by The Philadelphia Inquirer in partnership with PennLive/The Patriot-News, TribLIVE/Pittsburgh Tribune-Review and WITF Public Media. Sign up for our free newsletters. HARRISBURG — Top officials for Pennsylvania’s governor are now allowed to accept an occasional free lunch while on duty. In one...
Trump’s MAGA forces threaten to upend vote for RNC chair
NEW YORK — By week’s end, the Republican National Committee is set to resolve a bitter leadership feud that has exposed perilous divisions within a party that has struggled to move past a disappointing midterm ahead of a critical race for the White House. Those inside the fight believe the...
Lights out in Pakistan as energy-saving move backfires
ISLAMABAD — Much of Pakistan was left without power Monday as an energy-saving measure by the government backfired. The outage spread panic and raised questions about the cash-strapped government’s handling of the country’s economic crisis. It all started when electricity was turned off during low usage hours overnight to conserve...
New pill treats diabetic cats without daily insulin shots
When Mark Winternheimer’s 12-year-old tabby cat was diagnosed with diabetes last year, the treatment was daunting: twice-daily injections of insulin, an implanted monitor and frequent visits to the vet. Despite their qualms, Winternheimer and his wife, Courtnee, of New Albany, Indiana, learned to give Oliver his shots. “For us, they’re...
Police seek why 72-year-old gunman shot up LA dance hall; death toll climbs to 11
MONTEREY PARK, Calif. — The search for the motive behind the shooting massacre at a Los Angeles-area ballroom dance hall led police to a mobile home community as they probed the past of the 72-year-old suspect Monday and his relationship to the club. Meanwhile, the death toll rose to 11...
State lawmakers propose power grid protections after attacks
RALEIGH, N.C. — When gunshots at two electrical substations cut power to thousands of central North Carolina homes for several days in early December, Republican state Rep. Ben Moss watched his vibrant district full of family farms, small businesses and sprawling golf courses become “a ghost town.” After the latest...
12 people injured in shooting at Louisiana nightclub
BATON ROUGE, La. — A dozen people were injured in a Baton Rouge nightclub shooting, authorities in Louisiana said Sunday. One of the victims is in critical condition, police said. No arrests have been made, but police believe the early morning attack was “targeted.” “This was not a random act...
Democrats: Biden should be ’embarrassed’ by classified docs caseVideo
WASHINGTON — Senior Democrats, dismayed by a steady stream of startling disclosures, expressed criticism Sunday of how President Joe Biden handled classified material after leaving office as vice president and disappointment that the White House has not been more forthcoming with the public. Lawmakers who might have anticipated questions focusing...
State trooper charged with oppression after gun-involved road rage incident
A State Police trooper has been suspended without pay and charged with official oppression after an off-duty road rage incident, according to news sources across the state. David Levy, 36, was charged after an incident on Dec. 28 that resulted in him firing a gun and pulling over a family,...
Biden to pick Jeff Zients as his next chief of staff
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden is expected to name Jeff Zients, who ran the administration’s response to the covid-19 pandemic at the start of Biden’s term, as his next chief of staff, according to two people familiar with the matter. Biden’s current top aide, Ron Klain, is preparing to leave...
Harris rallies against GOP push to roll back abortion rights
WASHINGTON — Vice President Kamala Harris railed against efforts in Washington and in Republican-led states to restrict abortion on what would have been the 50th anniversary of Roe vs. Wade, invoking fundamental American values such as freedom to make the case for protecting abortion access despite the Supreme Court’s decision...
Sundance doc looks into Brett Kavanaugh investigation
PARK CITY, Utah — A new documentary looks into the sexual misconduct allegations against Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh and raises questions about the depth of the FBI investigation in 2018. “Justice,” from filmmaker Doug Liman, debuted Friday night at the Sundance Film Festival to a sold-out theater surrounded by...
