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Seven incarcerated firefighters from Nevada are suing state forestry and prison officials who they allege mocked and ignored burn injuries the prisoners received in April 2021 in a wildfire area carpeted by hot soil and burning embers. In emails, state Division of Forestry and Department of Corrections officials declined Thursday to comment. The lawsuit alleges that when one plaintiff’s boot melted off, a forestry supervisor duct-taped it back on and told her to keep working. The American Civil Liberties Union filed the lawsuit Wednesday in state court in Las Vegas. The civil complaint includes allegations of negligence and infliction of cruel and unusual punishment. It seeks at least $700,000 in damages along with training and policy changes.

The office of Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman says he's expected to return to the chamber soon after seeking inpatient treatment for clinical depression. Senate Democratic leaders aren't giving a timeline for his return. The 53-year-old Fetterman was still recovering from the aftereffects of a stroke from last May when he checked himself into Walter Reed National Military Medical Center on Feb. 15. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer says “we want to give him the space to recuperate.” Fetterman’s spokesperson says Fetterman will be back soon, although his return is at least a week away. The aide says Fetterman is receiving daily briefings.

Prosecutors in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania say they plan to seek the death penalty if a man is convicted of first-degree murder in last month's fatal shooting of one police officer and the wounding of another. Thirty-one-year-old Johnathan Jermia Morris of McKeesport is charged in the Feb. 6 shooting that killed Officer Sean Sluganski. A detective said Morris told him he didn't remember firing at the officer and only shot after failing to scare off the police. Prosecutors cited several reasons capital punishment would be warranted, including that the victim was a police officer. Pennsylvania hasn't carried out an execution since 1999.

A Pennsylvania judge is dismissing a lawsuit filed by the Republican National Committee that had sought to prevent counties from helping voters ensure their ballots count by fixing minor, technical errors on mail-in ballot envelopes. The judge wrote Thursday that county courts, not a statewide court, have jurisdiction. Republicans had argued that state law prevents what is known as “ballot curing” and must be barred. Ballot curing has been practiced primarily by Democratic-leaning counties in Pennsylvania. It includes notifying voters that they forgot to do things like date or sign their mail-in ballot envelope and gives them the opportunity to fix it. The state's lawyers say no law bars it.

Police say one of two porcupines which went missing from a zoo in central Germany over the weekend has somehow found its way back home. State police in Saxony-Anhalt had called Sunday for the public to keep an eye out for the two Indian crested porcupines, called Pinky and Brain, after they were apparently stolen from an animal park in the town of Thale. German news agency dpa quoted police saying the exact circumstances of their disappearance were still being investigated, but there was no way the porcupines could have escaped on their own. Police also expressed hope that Pinky might be found soon, after a hiker reported seeing the animal about 6 miles from the zoo.

Thai police have busted a gang that operated call centers to deceive elderly U.S. citizens into wiring them money, netting more than $87 million. Police say they have arrested 21 people after simultaneously raiding nine locations across four Thai provinces on Tuesday, seizing bank accounts, mobile phones, two cars, a gun and multiple real estate properties. One Thai suspect was arrested Wednesday. U.S. agents took part in the raids. The suspects have been charged with transnational crime, fraud, money laundering and other offenses. Police said they told their victims they were carrying out a criminal investigation, and their funds were suspicious so needed to be transferred to them to be verified. Some victims’ computers were also hacked.

The Kremlin says Russian President Vladimir Putin has visited the occupied port city of Mariupol, his first trip to Ukrainian territory that Moscow illegally annexed in September. Mariupol became a worldwide symbol of Ukrainian resistance after its outgunned and outmanned forces held out in a steel mill there for nearly three months before Moscow finally took control in May. Putin traveled to Mariupol late Saturday after visiting nearby Crimea to mark the ninth anniversary of the Black Sea peninsula’s annexation from Ukraine. The visit was a show of defiance by Putin, two days after the International Criminal Court issued a warrant for his arrest on war crimes charges.

Swiss President Alain Berset said banking giant UBS is acquiring its smaller rival Credit Suisse for almost $3.25 billion in an effort to avoid further market-shaking turmoil in global banking. The combination of the two biggest and best-known Swiss banks, each with storied histories dating back to the mid-19th century, amounts to a thunderclap for Switzerland’s reputation as a global financial center — leaving it on the cusp of having a single national champion in banking. While UBS is buying Credit Suisse, UBS officials said they plan to sell off parts of Credit Suisse, or reduce the size of the bank over the coming months and years.

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Seven incarcerated firefighters from Nevada are suing state forestry and prison officials who they allege mocked and ignored burn injuries the prisoners received in April 2021 in a wildfire area carpeted by hot soil and burning embers. In emails, state Division of Forestry and Department of Corrections officials declined Thursday to comment. The lawsuit alleges that when one plaintiff’s boot melted off, a forestry supervisor duct-taped it back on and told her to keep working. The American Civil Liberties Union filed the lawsuit Wednesday in state court in Las Vegas. The civil complaint includes allegations of negligence and infliction of cruel and unusual punishment. It seeks at least $700,000 in damages along with training and policy changes. Read moreLawsuit: Officials ‘mocked’ Nevada prison-firefighter burns

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Lawmakers in states including Colorado, California, Texas and New York are taking big, legislative swings at the eating disorder crisis. It’s estimated that around 30 million Americans — about the population of Texas — will struggle with an eating disorder in their lifetime. Every year about 10,000 die from the illness. The proposals include prohibiting the sale of weight loss pills to minors, blocking the use of body mass index or BMI in determining treatment and restricting social media algorithms from promoting content that could exacerbate the illness. Among the most common eating disorders is anorexia, which typically involves restrictive eating habits and extreme thinness. It can cause abnormally low blood pressure and organ damage. Read moreSurge in eating disorders spurs state legislative action

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Four Honolulu police officers are pleading not guilty to charges related to their roles in a cover-up of a high-speed chase that resulted in a crash and a traumatic brain injury to the driver of another car. The Honolulu Star-Advertiser reported the officers entered their pleas in Circuit Court on Thursday. Joshua Nahulu pleaded not guilty to a charge for a collision that resulted in serious bodily injury. He faces up to 10 years in prison if convicted. Officers Erik Smith, Jake Bartolome and Robert Lewis III pleaded not guilty to hindering prosecution and conspiracy. Read moreHonolulu police officers plead not guilty in crash, cover-up

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The office of Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman says he's expected to return to the chamber soon after seeking inpatient treatment for clinical depression. Senate Democratic leaders aren't giving a timeline for his return. The 53-year-old Fetterman was still recovering from the aftereffects of a stroke from last May when he checked himself into Walter Reed National Military Medical Center on Feb. 15. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer says “we want to give him the space to recuperate.” Fetterman’s spokesperson says Fetterman will be back soon, although his return is at least a week away. The aide says Fetterman is receiving daily briefings. Read moreFetterman expected back 'soon,' but no certain timeline yet

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Prosecutors in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania say they plan to seek the death penalty if a man is convicted of first-degree murder in last month's fatal shooting of one police officer and the wounding of another. Thirty-one-year-old Johnathan Jermia Morris of McKeesport is charged in the Feb. 6 shooting that killed Officer Sean Sluganski. A detective said Morris told him he didn't remember firing at the officer and only shot after failing to scare off the police. Prosecutors cited several reasons capital punishment would be warranted, including that the victim was a police officer. Pennsylvania hasn't carried out an execution since 1999. Read moreAllegheny D.A. seeks death penalty in officer's killing

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A Pennsylvania judge is dismissing a lawsuit filed by the Republican National Committee that had sought to prevent counties from helping voters ensure their ballots count by fixing minor, technical errors on mail-in ballot envelopes. The judge wrote Thursday that county courts, not a statewide court, have jurisdiction. Republicans had argued that state law prevents what is known as “ballot curing” and must be barred. Ballot curing has been practiced primarily by Democratic-leaning counties in Pennsylvania. It includes notifying voters that they forgot to do things like date or sign their mail-in ballot envelope and gives them the opportunity to fix it. The state's lawyers say no law bars it. Read morePennsylvania judge dismisses latest GOP mail ballot lawsuit

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The average long-term U.S. mortgage fell for the second straight week, which combined with moderating home prices, could give the housing market a boost as the spring buying season begins. Mortgage buyer Freddie Mac reported Thursday that the average on the benchmark 30-year rate fell to 6.42% from 6.6% last week. The average rate a year ago was 4.42%. Even though financial markets remain jittery over recent bank collapses and the Fed raised its benchmark lending rate by another 25 basis points Wednesday, some economists think there may be light at the end of the tunnel for the slumping housing market. Read moreAverage long-term US mortgage rate falls to 6.42% this week

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Americans eager to buy a home this spring, beware: It’s slim pickings out there. The number of U.S. homes on the market is at near-historic lows, which could dim would-be buyers’ prospects for finding a house or condo and fuel competition for the most affordable properties, economists say. Some 980,000 homes were on the market nationally at the end of February, according to the National Association of Realtors. That’s up 15.3% from an all-time low set last February. While homebuyers will have more properties to choose from than last spring, the low supply and sharply higher mortgage rates set the stage for a higher overall price tag for homeownership. Read moreSlim pickings for buyers amid near-record low homes for sale

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An asteroid big enough to wipe out a city will zip harmlessly between Earth and the moon's orbit this weekend. Saturday’s close encounter will offer astronomers the chance to study a space rock from just over 100,000 miles away. That’s less than half the distance from here to the moon. While asteroid flybys are common, NASA says a big one like this comes this close only once a decade. Scientists estimate its size somewhere between 130 feet and 300 feet. It won't be back this way again until 2026. Read moreLarge asteroid coming close, but zero chance of hitting us

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A new report from the American Library Association says attempted book bannings and restrictions at school and public libraries continue to surge, setting a record in 2022. The report released Thursday says more than 1,200 challenges were recorded by the association in 2022, nearly double the then-record total from 2021. Deborah Caldwell-Stone is the director of the ALA's Office for Intellectual Freedom. She says she has "never seen anything like this,” and calls the past two years "exhausting, frightening, outrage inducing.” Librarians around the country have told of being harassed, and threatened with violence or legal action. Read moreBook ban attempts hit record high in 2022, library org says

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Did you hear about the small town, population 350, that had an economic boost from tourism when they inherited a giant ball of sisal twine from one of its residents? That was Darwin, Minnesota, where the late Francis A. Johnson spent four hours a day, beginning in 1950, wrapping the twine until it was 12 feet wide and weighed 17,400 pounds. Read moreChris Rodell to present program at Ligonier library

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A judge has temporarily blocked Wyoming’s new abortion ban. Wednesday's decision means abortion is legal again in Wyoming. The new ban took effect Sunday, making abortion illegal in Wyoming despite earlier rulings by Teton County District Court Judge Melissa Owens that blocked a previous ban. Owens’ decision suspends the ban for at least two weeks amid a new lawsuit. Owens is not weighing in for now on another new Wyoming abortion law being challenged in her court, a first-in-the-nation ban on abortion pills. Gov. Mark Gordon says he's disappointed by the ruling but looks forward to the state defending the abortion ban in court. Read moreJudge halts Wyoming abortion ban days after it took effect

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Authorities say a student shot and wounded two school administrators after a handgun was found during a daily search of a student at a Denver high school. The vehicle of suspect Austin Lyle was found later Wednesday in a mountain community about 50 miles southwest of Denver, but he remains at large. A shelter in place order has been issued by authorities around the small town of Bailey, in Park County. The shooting occurred at a school shaken by frequent lockdowns and violence. Denver school officials, facing criticism over lax security, say they will put armed officers into the city’s public high schools. Read morePolice: Boy shoots 2 administrators at Denver high school

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The Federal Reserve extended its year-long fight against high inflation by raising its key interest rate by a quarter-point despite concerns that higher borrowing rates could worsen the turmoil that has gripped the banking system. Fed Chair Jerome Powell sought to reassure Americans that it is safe to leave money in their banks, two weeks after a rush of depositors pulled funds from Silicon Valley Bank, which collapsed in the second-biggest bank failure in U.S. history. Signature Bank fell soon afterward. “We have the tools to protect depositors when there’s a threat of serious harm to the economy or to the financial system,” Powell said. “Depositors should assume that their deposits are safe.” Read moreFed raises key rate by quarter-point despite bank turmoil

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For over 20 years, the work of gospel music composer Charles Henry Pace sat in 14 unorganized crates, dirty and decomposing. This was until a music historian at the University of Pittsburgh was inspired to uncover the true history behind the photo negatives, printing plates and pieces of sheet music the university acquired in 1999. As a result, they’ve discovered that Pace was an early pioneer of gospel music whose independently owned publishing company helped elevate and expand the genre. This week the community will honor Pace and his wife Frankie with a free concert in the historic Hill District of Pittsburgh, showcasing some of his work. Read morePioneer of gospel music rediscovered in Pittsburgh archives

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Scientists have pulled DNA from Ludwig van Beethoven's hair to look for clues about his many health problems and hearing loss. They weren't able to figure out why the famous composer lost his hearing and had severe stomach problems. But they reported Wednesday that they did find clues about the liver disease that is widely believed to have killed the German composer. Beethoven's genome showed that he had a high risk for liver disease and was infected with the liver-damaging hepatitis B. The researchers concluded that those factors, along with his drinking, likely contributed to his death nearly 200 years ago. Read moreWhat made Beethoven sick? DNA from his hair offers clues

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Police say one of two porcupines which went missing from a zoo in central Germany over the weekend has somehow found its way back home. State police in Saxony-Anhalt had called Sunday for the public to keep an eye out for the two Indian crested porcupines, called Pinky and Brain, after they were apparently stolen from an animal park in the town of Thale. German news agency dpa quoted police saying the exact circumstances of their disappearance were still being investigated, but there was no way the porcupines could have escaped on their own. Police also expressed hope that Pinky might be found soon, after a hiker reported seeing the animal about 6 miles from the zoo. Read moreMissing porcupine Brain returns to zoo, Pinky still missing

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Thai police have busted a gang that operated call centers to deceive elderly U.S. citizens into wiring them money, netting more than $87 million. Police say they have arrested 21 people after simultaneously raiding nine locations across four Thai provinces on Tuesday, seizing bank accounts, mobile phones, two cars, a gun and multiple real estate properties. One Thai suspect was arrested Wednesday. U.S. agents took part in the raids. The suspects have been charged with transnational crime, fraud, money laundering and other offenses. Police said they told their victims they were carrying out a criminal investigation, and their funds were suspicious so needed to be transferred to them to be verified. Some victims’ computers were also hacked. Read moreThai police bust call scammers who preyed on older Americans

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PITTSBURGH – Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers at Pittsburgh International Airport (PIT) prevented two Pennsylvania residents from bringing their handguns through the security checkpoint Friday, March 17, and Saturday, March 18. Read moreTSA officers prevent two individuals from carrying guns through checkpoint at Pittsburgh International Airport

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READING – Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) Director of Workforce Development Initiatives Gwen Ross on Tuesday highlighted Gov. Josh Shapiro’s commitment to strengthening manufacturing innovation in Pennsylvania during the seventh annual Berks Schuylkill What’s So Cool About Manufacturing Student Video Contest Awards, which helps high school students explore career pathways in this crucial industry. Read moreState officials highlight manufacturers, celebrate student interest

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Newly obtained surveillance video shows a group of sheriff’s deputies and other employees at a Virginia mental hospital pinning a patient to the floor until he was motionless and limp. The video shows unsuccessful resuscitation efforts then began on Irvo Otieno. Otieno's death at the hospital March 6 has led to second-degree murder charges against seven deputies and three hospital workers. The surveillance video was available through a link included in public court records. It shows the workers pressing down on a prone Otieno who was handcuffed and shackled. Final autopsy findings in Otieno's death have not been made public. Defense attorneys for several defendants have indicated they plan to vigorously fight the charges. Read moreVideo shows Irvo Otieno pinned to floor before his death

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Conservationists want South Carolina to make the Venus fly trap the state’s official carnivorous plant. Supporters say honoring the Venus fly trap isn’t about one extra thing students see on an elementary school worksheet. Instead, it’s to protect and increase awareness of an interesting species found only in the upper part of the South Carolina coast and a small sliver of southeast North Carolina. In all, South Carolina has about five dozen different official state things, such as the state bird, state opera and even a state snack, which is boiled peanuts. Read moreSnap! Venus fly trap fans ask South Carolina to honor plant

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Residents of a Louisiana parish located in the heart of a cluster of polluting petrochemical factories filed a lawsuit in federal court raising allegations of civil rights, environmental justice and religious liberty violations. In the lawsuit, filed against the St. James Parish, residents and environmental organizations claim that the parish council approved the construction of several factories in two Black districts of the parish that emit harmful amounts of toxic chemicals that negatively affected the health of the areas Black residents. The lawsuit calls for a moratorium on the construction of new petrochemical plants like one under construction by Formosa Plastics, which was approved by the council in 2019. Read moreResidents sue Louisiana parish to halt polluting plants

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A former suburban Philadelphia police officer accused of sexual abuse of teenage boys while he was working with a youth drug prevention program decades ago has been sentenced to decades in prison. Bucks County Judge Wallace Bateman Jr. on Tuesday sentenced 54-year-old James Carey to 24 1/2 to 55 years on statutory rape and aggravated indecent assault without consent convictions. Prosecutors alleged that Carey assaulted boys in the 1990s while serving in the Centennial School District as a resource officer with the D.A.R.E. program. Carey maintained his innocence but entered no contest pleas that don't acknowledge wrongdoing but acknowledge that prosecutors have enough evidence for a conviction. Read moreEx-officer sentenced in abuse of teenagers in drug program

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A handful of red-state Democrats were instrumental in helping Republicans secure a rollback of banking regulations sought by then-President Donald Trump in 2018. Now those changes are being blamed for contributing to the recent collapse of Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank that prompted a federal rescue and stoked anxiety about a broader banking contagion. The rollback was leveraged with a lobbying campaign that cost tens of millions of dollars and drew an army of more than 1,000 lobbyists into the effort. It also was seeded with ample campaign contributions. It  offers a fresh reminder of the power that bankers wield in Washington, where the industry spends prodigiously. Read moreArmy of lobbyists helped water down banking regulations

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The failures of two U.S. banks this month meant losses for U.S. public-sector pension systems that invested in them. Experts don't see the holdings in Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank as especially risky for the funds, which provide retirement incomes for teachers, firefighters and other public workers. But there are worries that the funds have too many risky holdings. More aggressive investing is one way funds have narrowed funding gaps over the last decade. After years of benefit increases and funding contribution cuts in the early 2000s, funds were hit hard by the 2008 financial crisis. Read morePublic pension plan losses from bank failures seen as minor

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PITTSBURGH – Pennsylvania Department of Human Services (DHS) Acting Secretary Val Arkoosh last week joined second lady of Pennsylvania Blayre Holmes Davis and leadership from the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank to highlight significant federal changes to Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits that will result in a reduction of benefits for all SNAP recipients this month. Read moreState officials highlight federal changes to SNAP benefits

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