Donald Trump Jr. plans campaign against GOP congressman calling for president’s impeachment
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump’s eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., signaled Thursday that he plans to campaign for a primary challenger to Justin Amash of Michigan, the sole Republican congressman who has called for the president’s impeachment. “See you soon Justin,” Trump Jr. said in a morning tweet. “I hear...
Tankers targeted near Strait of Hormuz amid Iran-U.S. tensions
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Two oil tankers near the strategic Strait of Hormuz were damaged in suspected attacks on Thursday, leaving one ablaze and the other adrift and forcing sailors to evacuate in the latest mysterious incident involving tankers amid heightened tensions between the U.S and Iran. The...
Earthquake rumbles parts of central Pennsylvania
MIFFLINTOWN — A small earthquake has rumbled parts of central Pennsylvania. The United States Geological Survey says the epicenter of Wednesday night’s magnitude 3.4 quake was about 11 miles southwest of Mifflintown at a depth of nearly 17 miles . No damage has been reported. Some people reported hearing a...
Study: Pennsylvania in lower half of states for life expectancy
Pennsylvania ranks in the lower half of states in life expectancy, and is in third place when measuring the rate of drug overdose deaths, according to a new study. “Life Expectancy In Every U.S. State,” released this week by SeniorLiving.org, is based on reports issued last year by the Centers...
Trump says he’d ‘want to hear’ foreign dirt on 2020 rivals
WASHINGTON — President Trump said Wednesday that if a foreign power offered dirt on his 2020 opponent, he’d be open to accepting it and that he’d have no obligation to call in the FBI. “I think I’d want to hear it,” Trump said in an interview with ABC News, adding,...
San Francisco prosecutors turn to AI to reduce racial bias
SAN FRANCISCO — In a first-of-its kind experiment, San Francisco prosecutors are turning to artificial intelligence to reduce racial bias in the courts, adopting a system that strips certain identifying details from police reports and leaves only key facts to govern charging decisions. District Attorney George Gascon announced Wednesday that...
Wife of U.S. Rep. Hunter to change plea in corruption case
SAN DIEGO — The wife of U.S. Rep. Duncan Hunter is planning to change her not-guilty plea in a federal corruption case alleging the couple spent more than $250,000 in campaign funds on vacations and other personal expenses, setting up the possibility she will testify against her husband, a close...
Mothers: Air Force failed when child sex assaults reported
To the mothers, the 13-year-old boy appeared largely unsupervised as he roamed among the clusters of townhomes on the U.S. Air Force base in Japan. It would have been unremarkable — the neighborhood was full of kids — except that young girls were starting to report the boy had led...
Catholic bishops approve new sex-abuse reporting hotline
BALTIMORE — U.S. Catholic bishops voted Wednesday to create a new national sex-abuse hotline run by an independent entity, a decision that represents one of the church’s most tangible steps yet in confronting its sex-abuse crisis. The hotline, which would field allegations that bishops committed abuse or covered it up,...
Experts: Spy used AI-generated face to connect with targets
LONDON — Katie Jones sure seemed plugged into the Washington’s political scene. The 30-something redhead boasted a job at a top think tank and a who’s-who network of pundits and experts, from the centrist Brookings Institution to the right-wing Heritage Foundation. She was connected to a deputy assistant secretary of...
Utah police: Deputy shooting suspect left home with a gun
LOS ANGELES — The Utah man accused of shooting an off-duty Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputy Monday and killing another man an hour earlier had told his family he wanted to “make it on his own or die,” police said Wednesday. The family of Rhett Nelson, 30, contacted St. George...
3 life sentences without parole for man who killed 3 Muslims
DURHAM, N.C. — Moments after a North Carolina man pleaded guilty to gunning down three Muslim university students, a prosecutor played a cellphone video of the slayings in court Wednesday as one of the victims’ relatives fainted, others wept and a man cursed the confessed killer openly. Craig Stephen Hicks,...
Federal hate crime charges filed in black church fires
NEW ORLEANS — The son of a Louisiana sheriff’s deputy is facing federal hate crime charges in connection with three fires that destroyed African American churches this year. Holden Matthews , 21, was charged in a six-count federal indictment that was unsealed Wednesday. The indictment charges Matthews with three counts...
Lock HIM up? Dems weigh what to do about Trump’s deeds
WASHINGTON — With a familiar chant, President Trump’s backers regularly called for Hillary Clinton to be thrown in prison during the 2016 campaign. Now top Democrats are grappling with fraught questions about whether to lock HIM up. As Democrats in Congress press for continued investigation of Trump while he remains...
Pennsylvania Senate backs bill to expand role of nurse practitioners
HARRISBURG — Pennsylvania’s Senate is advancing legislation that backers say will help make health care more available through nurses, and less expensive. The Senate voted 44-6 Wednesday to allow certified nurse practitioners to practice independently of physicians. Supporters say 22 other states have similar laws. The Pennsylvania Medical Society opposes...
Nevada law prevents most employers from rejecting pot-users
LAS VEGAS — Two backers of a pioneering Nevada law to prevent employers from rejecting job-seekers based on a pre-employment marijuana test cast the effort Wednesday as an anti-discrimination measure in a state where recreational pot sales are booming and rules about legal marijuana consumption are evolving. The law, which...
Dallas law firm places winning bid for Robert E. Lee statue
AUSTIN, Texas — A Dallas-based law firm placed the winning $1.435 million bid for a statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee that the city put in an online auction almost two years after removing it from a state park. Holmes Firm PC made the top offer for the bronze...
House oversight panel backs contempt vote in census dispute
WASHINGTON — A House committee voted Wednesday to hold two top Trump administration officials in contempt of Congress for failing to comply with subpoenas for documents related to a decision adding a citizenship question to the 2020 census. The Democratic-controlled House Oversight Committee voted 24-15 to advance contempt measures against...
Maine becomes 8th state to legalize assisted suicide
AUGUSTA, Maine — Maine legalized medically assisted suicide Wednesday, becoming the eighth state to allow terminally ill people to end their lives with prescribed medication. Democratic Gov. Janet Mills, who had previously said she was unsure about the bill, signed it in her office. Oregon was the first state to...
1st black priest in U.S., ex-slave, positioned for sainthood
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — Pope Francis on Wednesday deemed the first known black Roman Catholic priest in the United States to be “venerable,” positioning the former slave for possible sainthood. The pontiff’s designation of the Rev. Augustine Tolton as venerable, meaning the church intensely scrutinized his life and recognizes it as...
Former Trump aide Hicks agrees to Judiciary interview in Russia meddling investigation
WASHINGTON — Former White House Communications Director Hope Hicks has agreed to a closed-door interview with the House Judiciary Committee, the panel announced Wednesday. The panel subpoenaed Hicks last month as part of its investigation into special counsel Robert Mueller’s report and obstruction of justice. The interview will be held...
After emotional testimony from 9/11 responders, House panel votes to replenish victim fund
WASHINGTON — The House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday voted unanimously in support of a bill that would give fresh money to a compensation fund for those who are sick or dying from illnesses linked to their work amid the toxic debris at 9/11 attack sites. The vote comes a day...
Pennsylvania court ruling may open door for future clergy sex abuse suits
Lawyers for clergy sexual abuse survivors say a Pennsylvania Superior Court ruling handed down Tuesday could open a path for many old claims previously timed out to go to a jury. Writing in a 38-page opinion, a three-judge panel overturned a Blair County judge’s decision to dismiss a clergy sexual...
Here’s how Pa. ranks in terms of women’s rights
Pennsylvania is pretty average when it comes to women’s rights. A new study, the best and worst states for women’s rights, released by security.org, a company that collects security data, research and studies, shows Pennsylvania ranks 29th with an overall score of over 46% compared to other states, based on...
8 fascinating ways to witness dinosaurs alive on Earth today
Forget what you’ve been told about dinosaurs going extinct. They’re doing just fine. In fact, you can still see 10,000 different species of their descendants flying around if you just look up at the sky. Of course, the dinosaurs’ dominance of planet Earth ended with a catastrophic asteroid strike —...
