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HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro ‘s administration says billions of dollars in aid to Pennsylvania’s schools and human services will be delayed, as he and the politically divided Legislature struggle to end what is now a month-long budget stalemate.State-supported universities, libraries, early-childhood education programs and county health departments also will see delays in payments, Shapiro’s administration said in letters sent Tuesday to providers.“I recognize this information is concerning, and it is equally concerning to both me and the governor,” Budget Secretary Uri Monson said in the letters. “Our administration continues to work diligently to find agreement between…

Facebook Tweet Email Link Arab and Muslim states including Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Egypt have for the first time issued a joint call for Hamas to disarm and relinquish power in the Gaza Strip as part of efforts to end the war in the territory. The 22-member Arab League, the entire European Union and another 17 countries backed a declaration signed at a United Nations conference co-hosted by Saudi Arabia and France on Tuesday. The meeting in New York aimed to address “the peaceful settlement of the question of Palestine and the implementation of the Two-State Solution,” and the declaration…

Andy Wiederhorn, former Fatburger CEO.CNBCThe Justice Department is dropping its case against Fat Brands and its chair Andy Wiederhorn.In May 2024, the company and Wiederhorn were indicted by a federal grand jury in Los Angeles on charges of wire fraud, tax evasion and other counts related to what prosecutors alleged was a “sham” loan scheme that netted Wiederhorn $47 million.On Tuesday, federal prosecutors filed to dismiss all charges against Wiederhorn, two other people and the restaurant company that owns Fatburger, Johnny Rockets and Great American Cookies.Wiederhorn has maintained his innocence since he was indicted. He was previously convicted about two decades ago…

Universal Studios has unveiled two additional haunted houses debuting this fall at Universal Orlando Resort and Universal Studios Hollywood Halloween Horror Nights.“Five Nights at Freddy’s” and WWE’s legendary The Wyatt Sicks will kick off on August 29 at Universal Orlando Resort and at Universal Studios Hollywood on September 4. Both events will run on select nights through November, 2025.Five Nights at Freddy’s Guests fight to survive as they venture through an all-new haunted house inspired by the 2023 hit film “Five Nights at Freddy’s,” Blumhouse’s highest-grossing movie to date and an adaptation of the horror videogame phenomenon.Guests follow in the…

Skyrocketing demand for copper promises to push prices to new heights. As the global economy transitions away from fossil fuels, it is going to need twice as much copper in the coming years than humanity has mined throughout all of its existence. Still Bright, a New Jersey-based startup founded in 2022, thinks it has found a novel (and cleaner way) to slash those costs. “The fact that we’ve already mined the easily mineable stuff, and the fact that we need many more mines to come into production every year — we’re talking like 60-plus mines — is it seems like…

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration is freezing $108 million in research funding to Duke University as the federal government accuses the school of racial discrimination in the form of affirmative action, according to a person familiar with the matter.The National Institutes of Health halted the funding to the private university in North Carolina, said the person who spoke Wednesday on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations. Earlier this week, the Department of Health and Human Services and the Education Department sent a joint letter alleging racial preferences in Duke’s hiring and admissions. Duke is the latest institution…

Facebook Tweet Email Link London  —  Outgoing flights from United Kingdom airports were disrupted by air traffic control technical problems on Wednesday, according to several airports. Airports across Britain – including Edinburgh Airport in Scotland, Newcastle Airport in north England, and Gatwick Airport in London – posted to X that flights from their transport hubs were suspended. More airports posted that flights were delayed. Inbound flights were still able to land, London’s Gatwick Airport said. Monitoring site Flightradar24 showed that no flights were taking off from UK airports at one point, though planes were later seen departing from several hubs.…

NEW YORK (AP) — A comic novel about a cynic’s struggles to connect with others has won a $10,000 award named for a widely-respected author and editor, the late Gabe Hudson.Kate Greathead’s “The Book of George” is this year’s recipient of the Gabe Hudson Prize, which is administered by the literary publisher McSweeney’s. “The Book of George” was praised by The Associated Press reviewer Kendal Weaver, who called Greathead “a gifted storyteller who reels off dialogue filled with wit and humor so well it makes page-turning a pleasure.”Hudson, who died in 2023 at age 52, was a creative teacher, a…

Customers enter a Starbucks coffee shop in New York, US, on Monday, July 28, 2025. Victor J. Blue | Bloomberg | Getty ImagesWall Street is seeing early signs that Starbucks’ turnaround is taking hold, despite a quarterly earnings miss and another quarter of shrinking same-store sales.”The focus for Starbucks’ third fiscal quarter was less on the results (which were below Street expectations) and more on proof points on the pace of the potential recovery ahead,” William Blair analyst Sharon Zackfia wrote in a note to clients Wednesday.The company reported weaker-than-expected earnings for its fiscal third quarter on Tuesday evening. Its…

Rail Europe has introduced one-way summer fares to and from Paris, which start at approximately 19 euros or approximately $22, with first-class fares starting at 29 euros, or about $34.The offer applies to bookings made between July 29-31, 2025, for travel from August 4-14 on TGV INOUI high-speed trains. “Whether you are planning to soak up the culture, romance and cuisine of the French capital – or heading south to the coast, the countryside or the Alps – this limited-time promotion offers unbeatable value,” Rail Europe said.“Direct connections link Paris with regions such as Brittany, La Rochelle, the Loire Valley,…