Island-wide blackout hits Puerto Rico as residents prepare for Easter weekend
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — An island-wide blackout hit Puerto Rico on Wednesday as the largely Catholic residents of the U.S. territory prepared to celebrate the Easter weekend, officials said. All 1.4 million clients on the island were without power, Hugo Sorrentini, spokesman for Luma Energy, which oversees the transmission...
Franklin Regional blows past 2024’s fundraising total in second Mini-THON
Franklin Regional High School hosted its second annual Mini-THON on Wednesday, raising more than $33,000 to support pediatric cancer patients and their families. The fundraising culminated in a four-hour celebration where students and teachers participated in games and activities. The school organized a Mini-THON Club last school year, inviting students...
A colossal squid is caught on camera for the first time in the deep sea
A colossal squid has been caught on camera for the first time in the deep sea by an international team of researchers steering a remotely operated submersible. The sighting was announced Tuesday by the Schmidt Ocean Institute. The squid filmed was a juvenile about 1 foot in length at a...
Experts make new recommendations on RSV and meningitis vaccines, but it’s unclear what happens next
ATLANTA — A federal panel of experts on Wednesday recommended an expansion of RSV vaccinations for adults and a new combination shot as another option to protect teens against meningitis. The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices also voted to recommend a shot to protect travelers from a mosquito-borne illness called...
How war, money and the quest for discovery entwined U.S. government and universities
NEW YORK — The showdown between the Trump administration and Harvard University is spotlighting bare-knuckled politics and big dollar figures. But in the battle of the moment, it’s easy to lose sight of a decades-long alliance between the U.S. government and the nation’s most prominent universities, forged to fight a...
Podcast: College students voice fear, anxiety over visa revocations
A rising wave of fear and uncertainty is spreading among international students in Pittsburgh and throughout the United States, as visa revocations become more frequent under the Trump administration. Some students who have not violated any immigration rules are choosing to stay in the U.S., during college breaks, rather than...
Fort Benning takes back its old name, but to honor a different soldier
FORT BENNING — The Army officially restored the name Fort Benning to its storied training post in Georgia, only this time to honor an 18-year-old corporal who fought in World War I rather than a Confederate general. A ceremony to make the name change official was held Wednesday at the...
Maryland Sen. Van Hollen meets with El Salvador’s VP in push for Abrego Garcia’s release
SAN SALVADOR — Maryland Sen. Chris Van Hollen traveled to El Salvador on Wednesday and met with the country’s vice president to push for the release of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a man who was sent there by the Trump administration in March despite an immigration court order preventing his deportation....
Security review planned for Gov. Shapiro’s official residence after arson attack
HARRISBURG — An independent expert will review security at Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro’s official residence after investigators accused a man of scaling a wall and setting fire to the mansion, state police said Wednesday. State police said the review will be a risk and vulnerability assessment of the governor’s official...
Gallery: Photos from April 16, 2025
Embark on a visual journey around the Western Pennsylvania region with TribLive’s latest collection of captivating images for Wednesday, April 16, 2025. From the rustic landscapes of Western Pa. to diverse corners of the globe, experience the shared moments of humanity....
Trump administration sues Maine over participation of transgender athletes in girls sports
WASHINGTON — The Trump administration said Wednesday it is suing Maine’s education department for not complying with the government’s push to ban transgender athletes in girls and women’s sports, escalating a dispute over whether the state is abiding by a federal law that bars discrimination in education based on sex....
White House to launch new media policy restricting wire services’ access to the president
Fresh from a courtroom loss over The Associated Press’ access to the presidency, the White House on Tuesday put forward a new media policy that sharply curtails access to Donald Trump by news agencies that serve media outlets around the world. It was the latest attempt by the new administration...
Biden alleges Trump has ‘taken a hatchet’ to Social Security in 1st post-presidency speech
CHICAGO — Former President Joe Biden warned on Tuesday that President Donald Trump has “taken a hatchet” to Social Security, weighing in on a critical issue for millions of Americans as the 82-year-old Democrat briefly returned to the national stage. Biden, who has largely avoided speaking publicly since leaving the...
Trump says he’s joining Bessent and Lutnick for trade negotiations with Japanese at the White House
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump said he’s joining some of his top economic advisers on Wednesday for negotiations at the White House over tariffs and trade with a top Japanese official who is traveling to Washington for the talks. The Republican president said in a post on his social media...
Russian glide bombs and artillery strike a Ukrainian city, killing 1
KYIV, Ukraine — Russian glide bombs and artillery struck a city in southern Ukraine on Wednesday, killing one person and wounding five others as Moscow forces continued daily attacks across the country. The city of Kherson was struck with glide bombs on Wednesday morning, and when rescue teams arrived at...
Pa. Gov. Shapiro was targeted for ‘what he wants to do to Palestinian people,’ warrant shows
The suspect in the arson attack at the Governor’s Residence targeted Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro because of his perceived stance on Palestine, according to a search warrant obtained by PennLive. The suspect, Cody Balmer, called 911 following the attack early Sunday, identified himself by name and told operators Shapiro needs...
U.K.’s top court says definition of a woman is based on biological sex and excludes transgender people
LONDON — The U.K. Supreme Court ruled Wednesday that a woman is someone born biologically female, excluding transgender people from the legal definition in a long-running dispute between a feminist group and the Scottish government. Several women’s groups that supported the appeal celebrated outside court and hailed it as a...
China’s economy grows at 5.4% annual pace in January-March quarter
BANGKOK — China’s economy expanded at a 5.4% annual pace in January-March, supported by strong exports ahead of U.S. President Donald Trump’s rapid increases in tariffs on Chinese exports, the government said Wednesday. Analysts are forecasting that the world’s second largest economy will slow significantly in coming months, however, as...
IRS agent who investigated Hunter Biden expected to be named IRS acting chief
CHICAGO — An IRS whistleblower who testified publicly about investigations into Hunter Biden’s taxes is expected to be promoted to IRS acting commissioner, two sources familiar with the plan tell The Associated Press. Gary Shapley, an IRS employee who testified to Congress as Republicans reviewed the business dealings of Joe...
Marjorie Taylor Greene laughs off protests to deliver pro-Trump message at Georgia town hall
ACWORTH, Ga. — U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene came to a town hall in suburban Atlanta on Tuesday night to deliver a full-throated support of President Donald Trump, and she wasn’t letting the protesters faze her — not even the one who was wrestled to the ground by police and...
Wink Martindale, the genial game-show host and an early TV interviewer of Elvis Presley, dies at 91
LOS ANGELES — Wink Martindale, the genial host of such hit game shows as “Gambit” and “Tic-Tac-Dough” who also did one of the first recorded television interviews with a young Elvis Presley, has died. He was 91. Martindale died Tuesday at Eisenhower Health in Rancho Mirage, California, according to his...
White House threatens Colombia over regulations affecting U.S. auto exports
BOGOTA, Colombia — The White House is urging Colombia to halt the implementation of new auto safety regulations that could jeopardize American car exports to Colombia, as both nations prepare to discuss tariffs recently imposed on Colombian products including coffee, avocados, flowers and oil. In a letter to Colombia’s Ministry...
Pentagon senior adviser Dan Caldwell ousted during investigation into leaks
WASHINGTON — Dan Caldwell, a senior adviser to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, has been placed on administrative leave and was escorted out of the Pentagon by security on Tuesday, two defense officials said. The officials said Caldwell’s sudden downfall was tied to an investigation into unauthorized disclosure of department information....
Army and Air Force libraries are ordered to review books for DEI material
WASHINGTON — Army and Air Force libraries have been told to go through their stacks to find books related to diversity, equity and inclusion, according to new memos obtained by The Associated Press. The orders from service leaders come about two weeks after the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland,...
NATO chief reaffirms support for Ukraine during visit to port city of Odesa
ODESA, Ukraine — NATO’s support for Ukraine remains “unwavering,” the alliance’s secretary-general said Tuesday, emphasizing that more than $22 billion in security assistance has already been pledged by NATO allies in the first three months of the year. Mark Rutte spoke on Tuesday in Ukraine’s port city of Odesa, where...
