October 7, 2025 5:06 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump’s administration is warning of no guaranteed back pay for federal workers during a shutdown. That would be a reversal of what’s been long-standing policy for some 750,000 furloughed employees. Trump said some people “don’t deserve” to be taken care of during an event at the White House. A memo being circulated by the White House on Tuesday says legislation the Republican president signed into law in 2019 does not require back pay. The memo says it’s up to Congress to provide the funds. The move was widely seen as a negotiating tactic. But Democratic Sen. Patty Murray calls it a “scare” tactic since the law is clear that workers will be paid.
October 7, 2025 5:05 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — Attorney General Pam Bondi has repeatedly deflected questions while seeking to defend herself during a combative congressional hearing in the face of growing criticism that she’s turning the law enforcement agency into a weapon to seek vengeance against President Donald Trump’s political opponents. Democrats sought to use Tuesday’s hearing to warn of what they view as the politicization of a department that has long prided itself on remaining independent from the White House. The hearing comes on the heels of the indictment of former FBI Director James Comey, which has deepened concerns about the politicization of the department.
October 7, 2025 5:04 am
CAIRO (AP) — Peace talks between Israel and Hamas have resumed in Egypt. The second day of indirect talks Tuesday took place on the two-year anniversary of Hamas’ surprise attack on Israel that triggered the war. The talks focus on a plan proposed by U.S. President Donald Trump to end the fighting. Hamas is demanded guarantees that Israel will not resume the war after the remaining hostages are released. The plan envisions Israel withdrawing its troops and an international security force taking over. Israel has demanded that Hamas disarm, a condition the militants have yet to accept. Qatar’s prime minister and Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff are expected to join the talks Wednesday in a sign of their momentum.
October 7, 2025 4:53 am
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Former NFL quarterback Mark Sanchez is facing a felony battery charge for what authorities say was a fight over parking. Marion County prosecutor Ryan Mears announced the upgraded charge Monday, saying it carries a potential sentence of one to six years in prison. The incident happened early Saturday in Indianapolis. A police affidavit alleges the 38-year-old Sanchez, smelling of alcohol, confronted a 69-year-old truck driver. The driver pulled a knife to defend himself. The former New York Jet was pepper-sprayed and stabbed multiple times. He remains hospitalized in stable condition. Authorities say the investigation is ongoing, and additional charges are possible.
October 7, 2025 4:52 am
American distillers have gotten a costly cold shoulder from Canada. A spirits industry group says spirits exports to Canada plunged 85% earlier this year. That led broad declines in key international markets amid global trade tensions. The report was released Monday by the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States. The industry worries even a thaw in trade relations may not shake this hangover right away. Kentucky craft distiller Tom Bard says even though things have eased up, his products still aren’t back on Canadian shelves. The worry is that consumer reaction to trade conflicts could curb the international thirst for American spirits in key markets.
October 7, 2025 4:48 am
CHICAGO (AP) — Illinois and Chicago have filed a lawsuit aiming to stop President Donald Trump’s administration from sending hundreds of National Guard troops to Chicago. Trump moved to deploy National Guard troops from another city on Saturday by authorizing 300 troops to protect federal officers and assets in Chicago. Trump has long threatened to send troops to Chicago, but it was not immediately clear when or exactly where they would be deployed. The lawsuit was filed Monday, just as troops prepared to deploy and just hours after a federal judge blocked their deployment to Portland, Oregon.
October 7, 2025 4:46 am
REIM, Israel (AP) — Israelis are mourning the dead and fearing for the remaining hostages as they mark two years since Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack plunged the region into a devastating war. Tuesday’s commemorations come as Israel and Hamas hold indirect negotiations in Egypt. The main memorial ceremony is being organized by bereaved families. The government-organized memorial will be held according to the Jewish calendar next week. The rift reflects deep divisions over Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s leadership, which many blame for the failure to secure a ceasefire that would free the hostages. Israel’s retaliatory offensive has killed tens of thousands and razed entire towns and cities in the Gaza Strip.
October 7, 2025 2:38 am
The second day of testimony in the trial of Joshua George, accused of violently shaking his infant son and delivering him to his grandparents for baby sitting has concluded. Morning testimony was a continuation of cross examination of the infant’s grandmother Cheska Rotellini, supplemented by video of her interviews with police. Defense attorneys tried to show Rotellini’s qualities as a baby sitter as deficient and unqualified to care for a child. They pointed to several instances of bruising and a battered lip on the infant that was in her care in the month leading up to his death. Afternoon testimony featured expert witness testimony from independent forensic pathologist Dr. Jennifer Hammers. She described her report provided to prosecutors on the cause and manner of death of the infant. She classified the cause of death as blunt force trauma to the head. The manner was homicide. Defense attorneys concentrated on timelines of when someone several months old could develop bruising and brain swelling associated with a skull fracture. Hammers testimony said that especially in the case of infants, those symptoms can be immediate or delayed by several hours. She did say the force needed to fracture the infant’s skull would have needed to be significant.
October 7, 2025 2:15 am
Police are investigating a fatal motorcycle accident that occurred sometime between nine o’clock Sunday night and eight-thirty Monday morning in Cecil Township. Washington County Coroner Tim Warco says 32-year-old Alexander Adams of Lawrence was operating a motorcycle, west, on Baker Road, when he went over an embankment and landed in the yard of a home at 960 Baker Road. Warco says his family had been searching for him, when they discovered the wreck. Warco says he was not wearing a helmet.
October 7, 2025 2:04 am
A McDonald man was killed in a motorcycle crash Monday evening. The Washington County Coroner’s office says 67 year old John Dinsmore was traveling east on Millers Run Road in Cecil Township just before 6 p.m. A witness says an SUV crossed the center line and collided with the bike in the 38-hundred block. He was pronounced dead at the scene. A cause and manner of death are pending. Cecil Township Police continue to investigate.
