July 3, 2025 5:02 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — A top official at the Food and Drug Administration recently overruled government scientists on the availability of two COVID-19 vaccines. Newly released documents show the FDA’s vaccine chief, Dr. Vinay Prasad, intervened to restrict approval of two new shots from vaccine makers Novavax and Moderna. FDA staff reviewers recommended the shots be approved for anyone 12 and older. But the FDA memos show Prasad limited the use to seniors and certain higher-risk Americans. It’s the latest in a series of vaccine restrictions imposed by officials working under Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
July 3, 2025 5:00 am
The Trump administration has accused states and schools of using federal education grants to help fund “a radical leftwing agenda.” The administration this week froze over $6 billion in federal education grants meant for immigrant and low-income students. Officials say they are reviewing the funds to ensure alignment with President Donald Trump’s priorities. On Wednesday, the Office of Management and Budget claimed some grants were misused to support immigrants in the country illegally or promote LGBTQ+ inclusion. Programs for English learners and migrant children are among those affected, leaving schools scrambling to adjust. Advocates say the majority of children in English language programs were born in the United States.
July 3, 2025 4:54 am
PITTSBURGH — AAA is expecting a record number of travelers this Fourth of July holiday. Pittsburgh International Airport says 200,000 people are expected to fly between July 1-7, with the most passengers traveling on Thursday and Sunday. “We at AAA are expecting this is going to be a record-setting Fourth of July, going all the way back to when we started tracking these numbers. We’re expecting 72.2 million people heading out, most of them are going to be on the road,” said Jim Garrity of Director of Public Affairs with AAA. “Get out the door early. You could run into delays on the road, you could run into delays at the airport.” Pittsburgh International Airport says while they are anticipating a busy few days, this Fourth of July will not break records. “For us, the busiest times are 5 a.m. to 8 a.m., so we advise that people are here 2 hours in advance of [their] flight,” said Pittsburgh International Airport Director of Public Affaris Bob Kerlik. In April, the TSA announced that during busy hours, passengers without TSA PreCheck would go to the alternate security checkpoint to help alleviate long lines, especially during busy holiday travel.
July 2, 2025 5:50 pm
BOISE, Idaho (AP) — Bryan Kohberger pleaded guilty Wednesday to murder in the stabbing deaths of four University of Idaho students. He entered the plea in a deal with prosecutors that will allow him to avoid the death penalty. He had been set to go to trial in August. Kohberger remained impassive as he confirmed to the judge that he stabbed the four victims. He was a graduate student at nearby Washington State University when prosecutors say he sneaked into a rental home in Moscow, Idaho, and stabbed the four students. The killings terrified the campus and set off a nationwide search in 2022. No motive has emerged for the killings. (Photo: AP)
July 2, 2025 1:13 pm
(AP) – Del Monte Foods is filing for bankruptcy protection. The 139-year-old California company is best known for its canned fruits and vegetables, which have seen sales slide as U.S. consumers seek out healthier and cheaper options. Del Monte said late Tuesday that the bankruptcy filing is part of a planned sale of the company’s assets. It has secured $912.5 million in debtor-in-possession financing that will allow it to operate normally during the sale process. Del Monte is owned by Singapore-based Del Monte Pacific. It also owns the Contadina, College Inn and Joyba bubble tea brands. (Photo: AP)
July 2, 2025 11:36 am
NEW YORK (AP) — A judge has declined to set Sean “Diddy” Combs free on bond to await sentencing in his sex crimes case. Combs was convicted Wednesday of federal prostitution-related offenses but acquitted of sex trafficking and racketeering charges. The 55-year-old Combs has been behind bars since his arrest in September. He stands convicted of two counts of a crime that carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison. But the jury cleared him of charges that could have put him behind bars for life. (Photo: AP)
July 2, 2025 9:49 am
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — A strike being staged by nearly 10,000 city workers in Philadelphia has entered its second day. But a judge has ordered some emergency service dispatchers and essential water department employees to return to work. The judge granted the city an injunction Tuesday stating 237 out of 325 workers at the city’s 911 call center must return to work because their absence creates a “clear and present danger to threat to health, safety or welfare of the public.” The judge also ordered some water department workers back to the job because they’re essential to ensuring fresh, clean drinking water is available to residents.
July 2, 2025 4:59 am
Republican leaders in the House are sprinting toward a vote on President Donald Trump’s tax and spending cuts package, determined to seize momentum from a hard-fought vote in the Senate while essentially daring their members to defy their party’s leader and vote against it. It’s a risky gambit designed to meet Trump’s demand for a July 4 finish. after staying up all night with GOP leaders and the president himself working to persuade skeptical holdouts to drop their opposition by his Fourth of July deadline. Final debates began in the predawn hours after another chaotic day and night at the Capitol following a series of closed-door meetings.
July 2, 2025 4:57 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump keeps saying that Republicans’ mega tax and spending cut legislation will eliminate taxes on federal Social Security benefits. It does not. Instead of eliminating the tax, the Senate and House have each passed their own versions of a temporary tax deduction for seniors aged 65 and over, which applies to all income — not just Social Security. And it turns out not all Social Security beneficiaries will be able to claim the deduction. Those who won’t be able to do so include the lowest-income seniors who already don’t pay taxes on Social Security, those who choose to claim their benefits before they reach age 65 and those above a defined income threshold.
July 2, 2025 4:56 am
Paramount says it has agreed to pay $16 million to settle a lawsuit filed by President Donald Trump over the editing of CBS’ “60 Minutes” interview with then-Vice President Kamala Harris in October. The parent company of CBS told media outlets that the money will go to Trump’s future presidential library, not to the president himself. It said the settlement did not involve an apology. Trump’s lawyer said the president had suffered “mental anguish” over the editing of the interview by CBS News. Paramount and CBS have rejected Trump’s contention that the interview was edited to enhance how Harris sounded. A press advocacy group has threatened to sue if Paramount settled the case.
