Podcast: The papal transition: What happens next
Many mourners are taking a closer look at one of the most sacred and secretive transitions in the world — the period following the death of a pope. Pope Francis, born Jorge Mario Bergoglio in Buenos Aires, Argentina, died on April 21, 2025, at age 88. Since his death, the...
Trump says Zelenskyy is prolonging war in Ukraine by resisting calls to cede Crimea to Russia
KYIV, Ukraine — President Donald Trump on Wednesday lashed out at Ukraine’s president, saying Volodymyr Zelenskyy is prolonging the “killing field” after pushing back on ceding Crimea to Russia as part of a potential peace plan. Zelenskyy on Tuesday ruled out ceding territory to Russia in any deal before talks...
Iran agrees to allow in a team to discuss restoring nuclear monitoring, a UN watchdog says
WASHINGTON — Iran has agreed to allow in an International Atomic Energy Agency technical team in the coming days to discuss restoring camera surveillance at nuclear sites, the head of the U.N. nuclear watchdog said Wednesday, calling it an encouraging signal of Iran’s attitude toward nuclear talks with the United...
Dick Durbin of Illinois, the Senate’s No. 2 Democrat, won’t seek reelection to a 6th term in 2026
WASHINGTON — Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois said Wednesday he will not seek reelection in 2026, ending his more than four-decade career representing Illinois and accelerating a generational shift in Senate Democratic leadership where he has long held the No. 2 position. Durbin, 80, is in his fifth Senate term...
Iowa town hall attendees turn on each other as Sen. Grassley faces heated questionsVideo
NORTHWOOD, Iowa — Iowans attending a forum Wednesday hosted by Sen. Chuck Grassley started to turn on each other as the lawmaker faced heated questions about President Donald Trump’s first months in office. The room of about 100 people in north-central Worth County, near the Minnesota border, was largely critical...
New York police ID woman and child whose remains were discovered near Gilgo Beach
MINEOLA, N.Y. — A woman and her child whose remains were discovered scattered along an oceanfront highway not far from Long Island’s Gilgo Beach were identified by police Wednesday, nearly three decades after their deaths. Police in Nassau County said the mother, previously nicknamed “Peaches” by investigators after a tattoo...
Gov. Shapiro denounces violence in recounting arson attack in New York Times guest essay
Gov. Josh Shapiro recounted the arson attack that burned through his Harrisburg home earlier this month, penning a guest essay published Wednesday in the New York Times. A state trooper alerted Shapiro and his wife, Lori, of the fire just after 2 a.m. April 13. They escaped without injury from...
Danish king will visit Greenland to meet with its new leader
COPENHAGEN, Denmark — Danish King Frederik X will visit Greenland, a semi-autonomous territory of Denmark, next week to meet with the new prime minister and his government, the royal house said Wednesday. The trip comes weeks after U.S. Vice President JD Vance visited a remote U.S. military base in Greenland...
Swimmer’s remains found after shark attack in waters off Israel’s Mediterranean coast
JERUSALEM — A man in Israel has died after he was attacked by a shark, police and the victim’s wife said Wednesday, after he went swimming in an area that draws dozens of the marine predator and also curious beachgoers. After a two-day search, police said remains that had been...
Photo gallery: Body of Pope Francis arrives at St. Peter’s Basilica following procession
VATICAN CITY — Thousands of people filed through the central aisle of St. Peter’s Basilica to pay their final respects to Pope Francis on Wednesday, the start of three days of public viewing ahead of the pontiff’s funeral. Throngs of ordinary faithful made their way slowly to the 16th-century basilica’s...
Who are the Jesuits, Pope Francis’ religious order?
Pope Francis was the first pontiff elected from the Society of Jesus — also known as the Jesuits. It’s one of the most prominent religious orders in the Catholic Church, with approximately 15,000 priests, brothers and novices from more than 110 countries. Their reach extends from prestigious universities in world...
Worries about flying seem to be taking off. Here’s how to cope with in-flight anxiety
NEW YORK — Adelynn Campbell’s last plane trip ended with a panic attack that she got through largely with the help of a kind flight attendant. That was last year — before 67 people died in January when an American Airlines jet collided with a helicopter over Washington, D.C., in...
Law firms fighting Trump to ask judges to permanently block executive orders
WASHINGTON — Two major law firms are expected to ask separate judges on Wednesday to permanently block President Donald Trump’s executive orders that were designed to punish them and hurt their business operations. The firms — Perkins Coie and WilmerHale — have said the orders imposed in March are unconstitutional...
IRS turmoil: Leadership churn, worker exodus and threats to groups’ tax-exempt status roil agency
WASHINGTON — The height of tax season was the height of turmoil at the IRS. The agency shuffled through three acting directors over the course of a week. It’s preparing to lose tens of thousands of workers to layoffs and voluntary retirements. And President Donald Trump is weighing in on...
Orders to leave the country — some for U.S. citizens — sow confusion among immigrants
McALLEN, Texas — Hubert Montoya burst out laughing when the U.S. Department of Homeland Security emailed to say he should leave the country immediately or risk consequences of being deported. He is a U.S. citizen. “I just thought it was absurd,” the Austin, Texas, immigration attorney said. It was an...
Evacuation orders lifted as fast-moving New Jersey wildfire burns
BARNEGAT TOWNSHIP, N.J. — A fast-moving wildfire was burning in New Jersey, but officials on Wednesday lifted earlier evacuation orders and a stretch of a major highway that was closed due to the blaze has reopened. More than 1,300 structures were threatened and about 3,000 residents had been evacuated, the...
A set of 1st editions of Shakespeare’s plays could fetch $6 million at auction
LONDON — A set of the first four editions of William Shakespeare’s collected works is expected to sell for up to $6 million at auction next month. Sotheby’s auction house announced the sale on Wednesday, Shakespeare’s 461st birthday. It said the May 23 sale will be the first time since...
Israeli strike on school-turned-shelter kills 23 as Arab mediators seek long-term Gaza truce
DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip — An overnight Israeli strike on a school-turned-shelter in Gaza City killed 23 people, as Arab mediators worked on a proposal to end the war with Hamas that would include a five to seven year truce and the release of all remaining hostages, officials said Wednesday....
A woman hugs the man who fatally shot her brother and 22 more in a racist attack at a Texas Walmart
Speaking to the gunman who killed her brother and 22 other people, Yolanda Tinajero did not raise her voice or condemn him for his racist attack at a Walmart in 2019. Instead she told him Tuesday that she forgave him, and wished she could give him a hug. The judge,...
The Vatican opens St. Peter’s Basilica to public to pay final respects to Pope Francis
The body of Pope Francis was moved Wednesday morning to St. Peter’s Basilica for three days of public mourning for an Argentine pontiff remembered for his humble style, concern for the poor and insistent prayers for peace. The public viewing is largely for ordinary Catholics to grieve the 88-year-old pope,...
Private security guards charged after woman was dragged out of chaotic Idaho town hall meeting
Prosecutors in northern Idaho have filed misdemeanor charges against six men in connection with the forcible removal of a woman from a legislative town hall meeting in February. Theresa Borrenpohl, the woman who was dragged out of the meeting in a Coeur d’Alene school building by plain-clothed private security officers,...
Trump says he has no intention of firing Fed chief Jerome Powell
President Donald Trump said he had no intention of firing Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell despite his frustration with the central bank not moving more quickly to slash interest rates. “Never did,” Trump told reporters on Tuesday. “The press runs away with things. No, I have no intention of firing...
Watch: Gainey and O’Connor spar in Pittsburgh democratic mayoral debate
Pittsburgh’s Democratic candidates for mayor will meet Tuesday at 7 p.m. for a live, hourlong debate at WTAE’s studio ahead of the May 20 primary. WTAE anchor Shannon Perrine will moderate the debate between Mayor Ed Gainey and Allegheny County Controller Corey O’Connor. Gainey and O’Connor will field questions from...
Justice Department drops lawsuit accusing Pennsylvania city of diluting power of Hispanic voters
HARRISBURG — The U.S. Justice Department has withdrawn its lawsuit that accused a heavily Hispanic city in Pennsylvania of illegally diluting the political power of its growing Hispanic population. U.S. District Judge Karoline Mehalchick in Scranton approved the dismissal of the case against Hazleton on Tuesday, a day after the...
Federal judge blocks Trump administration from dismantling Voice of America
WASHINGTON — A federal judge agreed Tuesday to block the Trump administration from dismantling Voice of America, the 83-year-old international news service created by Congress. U.S. District Judge Royce Lamberth ruled that the administration illegally required Voice of America to cease operations for the first time since its World War...
