January 30, 2026 10:39 am
NEW YORK (AP) — A judge has ruled that federal prosecutors can’t seek the death penalty against Luigi Mangione in the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. U.S. District Judge Margaret Garnett’s ruling Friday foiled the Trump administration’s bid to see Mangione executed for what it called a “premeditated, cold-blooded assassination that shocked America.” Garnett dismissed a federal murder charge against Mangione, finding that it was technically flawed. She left in place stalking charges that carry a maximum punishment of life in prison.
January 30, 2026 2:30 am
An investigation by the DEP and the EPA is underway into an explosion at the Langeloth Metallurgical Plant Thursday evening. Smith Township Fire Chief Brandon Kriznik said the explosion – in the 10 block of Langeloth Plant Road happened just after six, while a tanker was trying to transport chemicals. Firefighters said the spill was brought under control quickly, and because all chemicals were contained, nothing dangerous was released into the air and there is no threat to the public. Authorities say four people were hurt and taken to the hospital, and that included the truck driver and three plant employees, but they didn’t release any information on the nature of the injuries. The plant is currently shut down. Authorities say the blast was heard for miles.
January 30, 2026 6:55 am
PITTSBURGH — The woman pulled from her vehicle after it plunged into the Mon River died at the hospital late Thursday night. An Allegheny County dispatcher said emergency crews were called to the area of the 900 block of Second Avenue in Pittsburgh’s Bluff neighborhood around 4:36 p.m. Dive teams began entering the water at around 5:20 p.m. The victim was removed at around 5:45 p.m. Divers used a rope system and stokes basket to bring up the woman. Medics resuscitated her, and she was taken to a hospital, where she later died. The Medical Examiner’s Office identified the woman who died as Jacinta Stevens, 31, of the West End. Gilchrist commended first responders, including off-duty paramedics who responded and divers who operated in ice and sub-zero temperatures.
January 30, 2026 5:10 am
A Washington man has been sentenced to federal prison for drug trafficking in the northern panhandle of West Virginia. James Howard, 37, was sentenced to 77 months for distributing methamphetamine. Prosecutors say he sold 32 grams of meth to someone in Marshall County. He has multiple prior drug convictions. Howard’s arrest was part of Operation Take Back America.
January 30, 2026 2:40 am
Governor Josh Shapiro called on the Pennsylvania General Assembly on Thursday to take action and send a bill to his desk requiring schools to implement a bell-to-bell ban on cell phones and mobile devices. In a post on X, Governor Shapiro said: “It’s time for us to get distractions out of the classroom and create a healthier environment in our schools. “Students need to spend time focused on learning, on socializing with their peers, and on developing the critical skills they’ll need later in life. “I’m calling on the State Legislature to send a bill to my desk requiring our schools to implement policies that take cell phones and mobile devices out of kids’ hands from the time they start class until the time they leave for home — helping teachers and kids focus on learning.” (Photo: AP)
January 30, 2026 5:16 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — Senate leaders were scrambling to save a bipartisan spending deal and avert a partial government shutdown at midnight Friday as Democrats have demanded new restrictions on federal immigration raids across the country. Democrats struck a rare deal with President Donald Trump Thursday to separate funding for the Homeland Security Department from a broad government spending bill and fund it for two weeks while Congress debates curbs on the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency. The deal came as irate Democrats had vowed to vote against the entire spending bill and trigger a shutdown in the wake of the deaths of two protesters at the hands of federal agents in Minneapolis.
January 30, 2026 8:41 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — Journalist Don Lemon has been arrested after he entered a Minnesota church and recorded anti-immigration enforcement protesters who disrupted a service. The protest Jan. 18 increased tensions between residents and the Trump administration. It is unclear what charge or charges Lemon is facing. The arrest came after a magistrate judge last week rejected prosecutors’ initial bid to charge the journalist. Lemon was taken into custody by federal agents in Los Angeles, where had been covering the Grammy Awards. His lawyer said Lemon will “fight these charges vigorously and thoroughly in court.”
January 30, 2026 5:18 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump is suing the IRS and Treasury Department for $10 billion. He accuses them of failing to prevent a leak of his tax information to news outlets. The lawsuit was filed in a Florida federal court on Thursday. In 2024, former IRS contractor Charles Edward Littlejohn was sentenced to five years in prison for leaking tax information about Trump and others. Earlier this week, the U.S. Treasury Department cut its contracts with Booz Allen Hamilton, where Littlejohn worked. He was charged and imprisoned for leaking tax information about thousands of wealthy individuals, including Trump.
January 30, 2026 5:17 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump says he’ll nominate former Federal Reserve governor Kevin Warsh to be the next Fed chair. Friday’s pick is likely to result in sharp changes to the powerful agency that could bring it closer to the White House and reduce its longtime independence from day-to-day politics. Warsh would replace Jerome Powell when his term expires in May. Trump chose Powell to lead the Fed in 2017 but recently has assailed him for not cutting interest rates quickly enough. Warsh’s appointment requires Senate confirmation. Warsh was on the Fed’s board from 2006 to 2011. He’s a fellow at the right-leaning Hoover Institution and a lecturer at the Stanford Graduate School of Business.
January 29, 2026 5:15 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump has signed an executive order that would impose a tariff on any goods from countries that sell or provide oil to Cuba, a move that puts pressure on Mexico. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum says her government had at least temporarily stopped oil shipments to Cuba. She says it was a “sovereign decision” not made under pressure from the U.S. Trump has squeezed Mexico to distance itself from the Cuban government. In the wake of the U.S. military operation to oust former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, Trump has said the Cuban government is ready to fall.
