Israel approves settlement project that could divide West Bank
TEL AVIV, Israel — Israel gave final approval Wednesday for a controversial settlement project in the occupied West Bank that would effectively cut the territory in two, and that Palestinians and rights groups say could destroy hopes for a future Palestinian state. Settlement development in E1, an open tract of...
Trump to expand push to whitewash ‘woke’ museum exhibits on slavery
President Donald Trump reportedly plans to expand his push to whitewash “woke” museum exhibits on slavery and American history beyond the Smithsonian. After Trump tweeted that the Smithsonian is too focused on “how bad slavery was,” the White House said it would eventually seek to use its power over funding...
Trump calls on Federal Reserve official to resign after official accuses her of mortgage fraud
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump on Wednesday called on Federal Reserve governor Lisa Cook to resign after a member of his administration accused Cook of committing mortgage fraud, the latest example of the Trump administration’s efforts to gain control over the central bank. Bill Pulte, director of the agency that...
Texas can’t put the Ten Commandments in certain school districts’ classrooms, judge says
Texas cannot require public schools in Houston, Austin and other select districts to display the Ten Commandments in every classroom, a judge said Wednesday in a temporary ruling against the state’s new requirement. Texas is the third state where courts have blocked recent laws about putting the Ten Commandments in...
Gallery: Photos from August 20, 2025
Embark on a visual journey around the Western Pennsylvania region with TribLive’s latest collection of captivating images for Wednesday, August 20, 2025. From the rustic landscapes of Western Pa. to diverse corners of the globe, experience the shared moments of humanity....
Bus crash in Afghanistan kills more than 70 Afghans returning from IranVideo
A bus crash in northwestern Afghanistan killed at least 79 people returning from Iran, including 19 children, an official said. Two people were also injured in the crash, Ministry of Interior spokesperson Abdul Mateen Qani told The Associated Press. Tolo News, citing the official, said the accident happened Tuesday around...
Rwanda-backed rebels killed over 140 civilians in eastern Congo, rights group says
DAKAR, Senegal — Rwanda-backed rebels killed at least 140 people in farming communities in eastern Congo in July, a human rights group said in a report Wednesday, describing the killings as “summary executions.” Human Rights Watch said 141 people, predominantly Hutus, were feared dead or missing after the attacks near...
Lawyer argues Meta can’t be held liable for gunmaker’s Instagram posts in Uvalde families’ lawsuit
LOS ANGELES — A lawsuit filed by families of the Uvalde school shooting victims alleging Instagram allowed gun manufacturers to promote firearms to minors should be thrown out, lawyers for Meta, Instagram’s parent company, argued Tuesday. Nineteen children and two teachers were killed in the May 2022 shooting at Robb...
Ranger fired for hanging transgender flag in Yosemite and park visitors may face prosecution
A Yosemite National Park ranger was fired after hanging a pride flag from El Capitan while some visitors face potential prosecution for alleged violations of protest restrictions that have been tightened under President Donald Trump. Shannon “SJ” Joslin, a ranger and biologist who studies bats, said they hung a 66-foot...
Fox News host Bret Baier pulled over, ticketed amid Trump’s D.C. crackdown
No one seems to be safe amid President Trump’s crime crackdown in Washington, D.C. — not even Fox News host Bret Baier, who was caught on video being pulled over by police in the nation’s capital. The “Special Report” host was stopped by a D.C. cop for distracted driving while...
US destroyers head toward waters off Venezuela as Trump aims to pressure drug cartels
WASHINGTON — The United States is deploying three Aegis guided-missile destroyers to the waters off Venezuela as part of President Donald Trump’s effort to combat threats from Latin American drug cartels, according to a U.S. official briefed on the planning. The USS Gravely, the USS Jason Dunham and the USS...
5th death linked to Legionnaires’ disease outbreak that has sickened dozens in New York City
NEW YORK — Health officials have uncovered another death in connection with a Legionnaires’ disease outbreak in New York City, health officials said. The outbreak in Central Harlem has sickened dozens since it began in late July and the latest death was announced late Monday night. Officials said they had...
Las Vegas tourism is down. Some blame Trump’s tariffs, immigration crackdownVideo
LAS VEGAS — Tourism in Las Vegas is slumping this summer, with resorts and convention centers reporting fewer visitors compared to last year, especially from abroad, and some officials are blaming the Trump administration’s tariffs and immigration policies for the decline. The city known for lavish shows, endless buffets and...
Covid shots for kids still recommended by U.S. pediatric group in break with CDC
The American Academy of Pediatrics updated its recommendations for immunizations Tuesday, including calling for covid shots for healthy kids, diverging from controversial advice from the federal government. The group said it recommends the covid shot for children ages 6 months to 23 months. Earlier this year, Health and Human Services...
Years after abuse reports, ex-coach at renowned U.S. gymnastics academy arrested by FBI
IOWA CITY, Iowa — The U.S. gymnastics world was only just recovering from a devastating sexual abuse scandal when a promising young coach moved from Mississippi to Iowa to take a job in 2018 at an elite academy known for training Olympic champions. Liang “Chow” Qiao, the owner of Chow’s...
Hurricane Erin forecast to churn up dangerous swells, wind from Florida to New EnglandVideo
RODANTHE, N.C. — Hurricane Erin chugged slowly Tuesday toward the eastern U.S., stirring up treacherous waves that already have led to dozens of water rescues and shut down beaches along the coast in the midst of summer’s last hurrah. While forecasters remain confident the center of the monster storm will...
Oklahoma to screen would-be teachers from N.Y., Calif. to keep ‘leftist propaganda’ out of schools
For now, Pennsylvanians looking to land a teaching job in Oklahoma won’t have to take a test designed to weed out “woke indoctrinators” seeking classroom work in the conservative Sooner State. Oklahoma soon will begin administering what Ryan Walters, the state’s elected superintendent of public instruction, calls the “America First”...
Trump administration revokes security clearances of 37 current and former government officials
WASHINGTON — The Trump administration moved Tuesday to revoke the security clearances of 37 current and former national security officials in the latest act of retribution targeting public servants in the federal government’s intelligence community. A memo posted by Tulsi Gabbard, the director of national intelligence, accuses the targeted officials...
Trump’s Justice Department investigating whether D.C. police officials falsified crime data
WASHINGTON — The Justice Department has opened an investigation into whether police officials in Washington, D.C., have falsified data to make crime rates appear lower than they are, according to two people familiar with the probe who weren’t authorized to publicly discuss an open investigation. The investigation comes amid an...
Feds working to thwart southern invasion of New World Screwworm
The latest threat to the southern border has wings and lays eggs that hatch into flesh-eating maggots that can kill people. At least five Central Americans have died from myiasis of the New World Screwworm this year. Myiasis is the term used when maggots infest human flesh and cause an...
Former U.S. Attorney Catherine Hanaway appointed as Missouri’s next attorney general
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — Former U.S. Attorney Catherine Hanaway was appointed Tuesday as Missouri’s next attorney general, vowing a tough-on-crime approach as her predecessor leaves for a job with the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Republican Gov. Mike Kehoe announced Hanaway’s appointment just a day after Attorney General Andrew Bailey said...
Air Force’s top uniformed officer is retiring early in latest Trump military shake-up
WASHINGTON — The Air Force’s top uniformed officer is set to retire early in the most recent shake-up of military leadership during President Donald Trump’s second term. Gen. David Allvin will continue serving as the service’s chief of staff until a replacement is confirmed by the Senate, the Air Force...
Qatar urges a Gaza ceasefire after ‘positive response’ from Hamas
JERUSALEM — A key mediator on Tuesday stressed the urgency of brokering a ceasefire in Gaza after Hamas showed a “positive response” to a proposal, but Israel has yet to weigh in as its military prepares an offensive on some of the territory’s most populated areas. The prospect of an...
Indigenous leaders demand action from South American leaders at Amazon summit
BOGOTA, Colombia — Indigenous leaders from across the Amazon are urging South American presidents meeting in Bogota this week to turn promises into concrete action, saying the gathering may be the first time at the conference they sit face-to-face with heads of state to demand a role in shaping the...
5th person dies after a Legionnaires’ disease outbreak sickens dozens in New York City
NEW YORK — A fifth person has died in connection with a Legionnaires’ disease outbreak in New York City, health officials said. The outbreak in Central Harlem has sickened dozens since it began in late July and the latest death was announced late Monday night. Fourteen people were hospitalized as...
