April 29, 2025 5:08 am
VATICAN CITY (AP) — The Italian cardinal at the heart of the Vatican’s “trial of the century” announced Tuesday he was withdrawing from participating in the upcoming conclave to elect a new pope. Cardinal Angelo Becciu’s status has dominated discussions in the days after Pope Francis’ death amid questions about whether he would participate in the conclave to elect his successor. After his 2020 downfall, Becciu had said he would not participate in any future conclave. But in recent days he had asserted he had a right to enter the Sistine Chapel with other cardinals on May 7. On Tuesday, the 76-year-old Italian issued a statement through his lawyers that said he had “decided to obey” the will of Pope Francis.
April 29, 2025 5:06 am
PITTSBURGH — (WPXI) – A man was electrocuted in Pittsburgh‘s South Side Slopes neighborhood after severe storms moved through the city on Tuesday afternoon. A Pittsburgh Public Safety official says police, fire and EMS responded to the 1000 block of St. Martin Street for a man electrocuted by live wires around 7 p.m. He died on scene. “I walked down there and [saw] him lying between the car and the truck, and his feet were on fire and wires were lying on top of him,” Mike Bryan said. Pittsburgh Public Safety urges residents to use extreme caution after the storm, especially as night falls, due to storm damage hazards like downed trees and possible live wires.
April 29, 2025 5:06 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — The White House is opening a weeklong celebration of President Donald Trump’s first 100 days in office. Officials kicked off the promotional campaign Monday with a focus on his immigration crackdown. Tom Homan, Trump’s top border adviser, said “we’re going to keep doing it, full speed ahead.” Trump is holding a rally in Michigan on Tuesday and delivering a commencement address at the University of Alabama on Thursday. Although immigration remains the Republican president’s strongest issue in public opinion surveys, he’s faced declining support overall. Polling from AP-NORC shows there are concerns that he’s focused on the wrong issues.
April 29, 2025 5:05 am
MADRID (AP) — Power had almost fully returned to Spain early Tuesday morning as many questions remained about what caused one of Europe’s most severe blackouts across Spain and Portugal. By 7:00a.m., Spanish electricity operator Red Eléctrica said that more than 99% of energy demand had been restored. Power had returned to several regions across Spain and Portugal as the nations reeled from the still-unexplained widespread blackout that had turned airports and train stations into campgrounds for stranded travelers. Monday night, many city residents, including in Spain’s capital of Madrid, went to sleep in total darkness.
April 29, 2025 5:04 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump’s administration is asking the Supreme Court to allow enforcement of a ban on transgender people in the military, while legal challenges proceed. The high court filing Thursday follows a brief order from a federal appeals court that kept in place a court order blocking the policy nationwide. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth issued a policy that presumptively disqualifies transgender people from military service, after the Republican president signed an executive order claiming the sexual identity of transgender service members is harmful to military readiness. A federal judge in Tacoma, Washington, ruled for several transgender military members who challenged the ban, saying their firing would cause lasting damage to their careers and reputations.
April 29, 2025 5:02 am
Prime Minister Mark Carney’s Liberal Party has won Canada’s federal election, capping a stunning turnaround in fortunes fueled by U.S. President Donald Trump’s threats to Canada’s economy and sovereignty. The Liberals are projected to win more of Parliament’s 343 seats than the Conservatives in Monday’s contest. It isn’t clear yet if they will win an outright majority, at least 172, or will need to rely on one or more smaller parties to pass legislation. Trump’s threats of tariffs and suggestions that Canada should become the 51st state upended the race, as polls showed Pierre Poilievre and his Conservative Party with comfortable leads only months ago.
April 29, 2025 4:55 am
PITTSBURGH — (WPXI) – A Pittsburgh funeral home owner is charged with deceiving more than 6,500 pet owners who paid for burial services, but instead received ashes from other animals, the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office announced Monday. Patrick Vereb, 70, owner of Vereb Funeral Home and Eternity Pet Memorial, is charged with improper disposal of thousands of dogs and cats for which owners paid for cremations, burials, returns of ashes, and other services between 2021 and 2024. Following an extensive investigation, the Attorney General’s Office identified more than 6,500 victims from Allegheny, Armstrong, Washington and Westmoreland counties. The AG’s Office said nearly a dozen veterinary practices and businesses worked with their office to confirm Vereb collected at least $657,517 in fees from pet owners who were promised a private cremation for their pet, but did not receive the actual ashes of their pet. According to agents with the state Attorney General’s office, Vereb told pet owners he would cremate their pets, but would actually dump their bodies in a landfill. Then, he allegedly gave the family’s ashes from other animals that he had “on hand” at the funeral home. Vereb is charged with theft by deception, receiving stolen property, and deceptive business practices. Vereb surrendered Monday afternoon and was arraigned on the charges. He was released on his own recognizance. The AG’s office launched a website for victims to provide their contact information, share victim impact statements and receive updates on the criminal case. It can also help concerned citizens to determine if they are also victims in this case.
April 29, 2025 2:53 am
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — The Trump administration says the University of Pennsylvania illegally denied women equal opportunities by letting a transgender swimmer compete on the school’s women’s team and into team facilities. The administration’s statement Monday doesn’t name Lia Thomas, the transgender swimmer who last competed for the Ivy League school in 2022. But the investigation opened in February by the U.S. Education Department focused on Thomas, who became a leading symbol of transgender athletes and a prominent political target. The department wants Penn to strip Thomas of any awards and apologize to female swimmers. Penn had no immediate comment, but has said that it always followed NCAA and Ivy League policies. (Photo: AP)
April 28, 2025 5:57 pm
ST. LOUIS (AP) — U.S. health officials are pushing to get artificial colors out of the nation’s food supply. Sensient Technologies Corp. is one of the world’s largest dyemakers. The company has seen a surge in businesses rushing to covert their products from synthetic to natural colors. The process to change from petroleum-based dyes to colors made from vegetables, fruits, flowers and even insects won’t be cheap or easy. Health advocates have long called for the removal of the dyes. They cite mixed evidence that the colors are linked to behavior problems and obesity in kids.
April 28, 2025 5:06 am
TORONTO (AP) — Canadians are set to decide whether to extend the Liberal Party’s decade in power or instead hand control to the Conservatives. They’ll pick either Prime Minister Mark Carney or opposition leader Pierre Poilievre to lead the way forward, but Monday’s election is also a referendum of sorts on a non-Canadian: Donald Trump. Until the American president won a second term and began threatening Canada’s economy and sovereignty, even suggesting the country should become the 51st state, the Liberals looked headed for defeat. But Trump’s truculence has infuriated many Canadians and led to a tightening of the race. Whichever candidate becomes prime minister will face big challenges, including a trade war and resetting of Canada’s relationship with the United States.
