Anger, chaos and confusion take hold as federal workers face mass layoffs
NEW YORK — Workers across the country responded with anger and confusion Friday as they grappled with the Trump administration ‘s aggressive effort to shrink the size of the federal workforce by ordering agencies to lay off probationary employees who have yet to qualify for civil service protections. While much...
Vermont border agent’s death was the latest violence linked to the cultlike Zizian group
In the wooded outskirts of Chapel Hill, North Carolina, a perplexed landlord noticed odd sights at two of his rental properties. Tenants wore long black coats and parked box trucks outside the duplexes. They ran an electrical cord from one box truck into one of the condos, and kept a...
Consumer watchdog agency called ‘vicious’ by Trump seen as a ‘hero’ to many it aided
NEW YORK — To President Donald Trump, it’s a hotbed of “waste, fraud and abuse” whose only purpose is to “destroy people” and whose staff amounts to a “vicious group.” To Jonathon Booth, it’s simply the agency that helped him get $17 back. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is in...
Eastern U.S. braces for flooding while snow will hit Northeast, cold temperatures across Plains
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Much of the eastern U.S. braced for a renewed round of harsh, soggy weather on Saturday, while snowstorms were predicted in the Northeast and heavy winds brought the threat of tornadoes to the Mississippi Valley. Kentucky, Tennessee, West Virginia and Arkansas were under flood warnings, and residents...
Israel and Hamas complete their latest exchange as ceasefire’s first phase has just 2 weeks left
KHAN YOUNIS, Gaza Strip — Israel and Hamas completed the sixth exchange of hostages and hundreds of Palestinian prisoners on Saturday with just over two weeks remaining in the initial phase of their fragile Gaza ceasefire. Israelis expressed relief as the three hostages — Argentinian-Israeli Iair Horn, 46; American-Israeli Sagui...
‘We can’t carry anger.’ Parkland families let doves fly on 7th anniversary of shooting
MIAMI — About 200 people gathered in Coral Springs on Friday to remember the 17 victims of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting with the things they loved: art, sports, horses and music. The somber day marks seven years since a former student killed 14 students and three school...
U.S. deports immigrants to Venezuela after judge blocked transfer to Guantanamo Bay
EL PASO, Texas — Three immigrants who won a restraining order against the federal government to avoid transfer to the Guantanamo Bay Naval Base in Cuba were deported this week on direct flights to Venezuela, according to court documents published Friday. The three men were deported Monday, the day after...
AP reporter, photographer barred from Air Force One over ‘Gulf of Mexico’ terminology dispute
The White House barred a credentialed Associated Press reporter and photographer from boarding the presidential airplane Friday for a weekend trip with Donald Trump, saying the news agency’s stance on how to refer to the Gulf of Mexico was to blame for the exclusion. It represented a significant escalation by...
Kindergarteners could learn gun safety in school under a bill gaining momentum in Utah
SALT LAKE CITY — Utah students in as early as kindergarten would be required to learn about firearm safety in the classroom under a bill that passed the state House with overwhelming support Friday. The Republican-controlled chamber approved the measure in a 59-10 vote and sent it to the Senate,...
Pennsylvania man honored for more than 5 decades of refereeing basketball
No matter what call a referee makes, someone is going to be unhappy. So, when a basketball game was stopped Feb. 3 to cheer for an official, it was a rare occurrence. “It was a touching moment and brought tears to my eyes,” said Bernie Mackowski, 76, of Erie, who...
Texas measles outbreak rises to 48 cases, the state’s worst in nearly 30 years
The ongoing measles outbreak in West Texas has doubled in size to 48 cases, mostly in children and teens, making it the state’s worst in nearly 30 years. State health officials said Friday in a news release those who are infected are either unvaccinated or their vaccination status is unknown....
Top commander with U.N. peacekeeping force in Lebanon is injured by protesters
The outgoing deputy commander of the U.N. peacekeeping force in Lebanon was injured Friday when protesters attacked a convoy taking peacekeepers to the Beirut airport, the force known as UNIFIL said in a statement. “We are shocked by this outrageous attack on peacekeepers who have been serving to restore security...
Major Michigan insurer in talks to settle lawsuits over fired workers and covid-19 vaccine
DETROIT — A major Michigan insurance company is in talks to possibly settle more than 100 lawsuits by employees who were fired after declining to get a covid-19 vaccination, court records show. The disclosure comes three months after a jury awarded more than $12 million to a woman who had...
Hamas names 3 more Israeli hostages set for release to uphold shaky Gaza ceasefire
JERUSALEM — Hamas named three Israeli hostages on Friday it will release in a weekend trade for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners, the latest sign that the shaky Gaza ceasefire deal appears to be holding in spite of a tense dispute that has threatened to renew fighting. The militant group and...
Very cold weather is coming. U.S. about to get 10th and chilliest polar vortex this winter
The coldest burst of Arctic air this season is coming to put an icy exclamation point on America’s winter of repeated polar vortex invasions, meteorologists warn. And it will stay frozen there all next week. Different weather forces in the Arctic are combining to push the chilly air that usually...
Philadelphia turns green on Valentine’s Day to celebrate Super Bowl champions
PHILADELPHIA — Philadelphia was awash in green on Valentine’s Day to celebrate its Super Bowl champions. Swooning fans screamed and cheered Friday as MVP quarterback Jalen Hurts and Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie took turns hoisting the Vince Lombardi Trophy at the start of the team’s victory parade through the City...
McConnell tests the strengths and limits of his power opposing a trio of Trump’s Cabinet nominees
WASHINGTON — No longer in charge, Sen. Mitch McConnell has been speaking his mind, the long-serving GOP leader rejecting President Donald Trump’s more high-profile Cabinet nominees — alone at times, among the Republicans, casting his no votes. When it came to Pete Hegseth, now the defense secretary, who faced allegations...
Michigan judge sentences Walmart shoplifters to wash cars in the parking lot
A Michigan judge is putting sponges in the hands of shoplifters, ordering them to wash cars in a Walmart parking lot when spring arrives. Judge Jeffrey Clothier hopes the unusual form of community service discourages people from stealing from Walmart and rewards shoppers who could see higher prices, or possibly...
DOGE gets mixed reviews from conservatives who have long wanted major budget cuts
DES MOINES, Iowa — Conservatives who have spent decades promoting deep cuts to government are giving mixed reviews to the Department of Government Efficiency, the Elon Musk-led project to slash the federal workforce and reduce or end disfavored programs. The Associated Press interviewed four veteran budget hawks, including some who...
Bakery owner in New England says he was offended over town’s decision against pastry painting
CONCORD, N.H. — A New Hampshire bakery owner testified Friday that his excitement about displaying a painting by high school students of giant pastries quickly turned to annoyance after a zoning code officer told him it was a sign and had to be changed or removed. Sean Young said the...
Photos: Daily gallery for Feb. 14, 2025
Embark on a visual journey around the Western Pennsylvania region with TribLive’s latest collection of captivating images for Friday, Feb. 14, 2025....
Pope Francis, suffering breathing issues, faces tests after being hospitalized to treat bronchitis
ROME — Pope Francis was hospitalized Friday to treat a weeklong bout of bronchitis and undergo diagnostic tests, the Vatican said, confirming the latest issues with the 88-year-old’s pontiff’s health that forced him to cancel his agenda through Monday at least. Francis has complained of breathing trouble and was diagnosed...
Federal funding freeze disrupts rural organizations supporting foster youth, job growth
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — After surviving teen homelessness and domestic violence in West Virginia, 23-year-old Ireland Daugherty was finally feeling stable: She had her own apartment, a job and was studying for a four-year degree. Ashley Cain, 36, was celebrating four years of sobriety and working with a nonprofit that trains...
Judge sets a 5-day deadline for the Trump administration to start lifting its USAID funding freeze
WASHINGTON — A federal judge has ordered President Donald Trump’s administration to temporarily lift a funding freeze that has shut down U.S. humanitarian aid and development work around the world, and he has set a five-day deadline for the administration to prove it’s complying. The judge’s ruling late Thursday cited...
TikTok returns to Apple and Google app stores in U.S.
HONG KONG — TikTok has returned to the app stores of Apple and Google in the U.S., after President Donald Trump delayed the enforcement of a TikTok ban. TikTok, which is operated by Chinese technology firm ByteDance, was removed from Apple and Google’s app stores on Jan. 18 to comply...
