WJPA News

Today, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) announced it is directing $25 million in investments to build EV chargers in Western Pennsylvania as part of the Community Charging phase of the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure program, called NEVI. This is the second region where funding has been made available, after funding for chargers in Southeastern Pennsylvania was announced in February. Governor Josh Shapiro’s administration is directing a total of $100 in federal funding to build public EV charging stations throughout Pennsylvania. “The most critical element when considering an EV is knowing where you can charge it,” said PennDOT Secretary Mike Carroll. The newly announced Western region charging station includes Washington County. Local transportation planning agencies will determine specific areas within the region to prioritize for investment, but all publicly available locations within the region are eligible to apply.

Just days after Paul Miller’s Law took full effect; the Pennsylvania State Police (PSP) conducted a statewide enforcement initiative aimed at deterring the use of handheld mobile devices while driving. From June 8 – 10, Troopers conducted Operation Hands Off, where Troopers cracked down on distracted drivers across the Commonwealth as part of their ongoing effort to reduce crashes, prevent fatalities, and ensure everyone can travel roadways safely. Officials say the three-day initiative resulted in 694 traffic citations and 308 warnings related to Paul Miller’s Law. The The operation builds on Paul Miller’s Law, which Governor Josh Shapiro signed into law back in 2024. Those cited will receive a $50 citation that with court costs, will reach nearly $200 in fines.

A power outage disrupted Pittsburgh International Airport operations on Thursday.  Airport officials said they lost power after lightning struck Duquesne Light’s power distribution. The microgrid and main grid were impacted.  Backup generators were used to bring the airport partially back online.  The checkpoint was briefly closed as crews worked to make repairs.  An airport spokesperson said the air traffic control tower was not affected and maintained power throughout the entire incident.  Planes were able to take off and land without any cancellations.  After 5:40 p.m., airport officials said the airport was back to normal.

In a statement issued by Charissa Ruth, Care Partner on behalf of the 300 UPMC Washington Hospital workers in SEIU Healthcare in Pennsylvania, she says, “The dedicated healthcare workers of Washington Hospital are deeply concerned that UPMC’s job cuts break the corporation’s original vow to invest in our local community, and have upended the lives of valued coworkers. When UPMC first took over our hospital almost exactly two years ago, they made a clear, emphatic promise of “preserving jobs of our talented health care workers”, and to “invest a minimum of $300 million” in our hospital, “invest in its employees”,  and “uphold and protect a healthy future for this community.” The slashing of 200 current jobs and 300 open positions throughout the health system – many of which are vital roles at Washington – comes at a time when we need more investment, not less. As we’re already understaffed, the cuts have created a feeling of distrust, uncertainty and fear of not knowing what our future holds. There’s been a lack of transparency and communication from UPMC, and we’re still not clear on the full scope of the cuts.  We call on executives and the hospital board to meet with us to discuss the challenges still facing our facility, and how they can live up to their promise to invest in workers, so that we can ensure the highest quality care.”

Pakistan’s prime minister says the United State and Iran have agreed to wording of an agreement aimed at ending their war in the Middle East. Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said in a social media post Friday that mediators are working with both sides to finalize a deal. He wrote: “Peace has never been this close.” No details were given. But three regional officials who spoke Friday to The Associated Press said they expect the deal to pave the way for reopening the Strait of Hormuz. A senior U.S. official said terms include removal or destruction of nuclear material from Iran. All four officials spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitive negotiations.

NEW YORK (AP) — Shares of SpaceX soared 19% in their Wall Street debut, making the rocket maker’s founder and CEO Elon Musk the first-ever trillionaire. The shares opened at $150 and finished Friday slightly above $161. That price gave the company a market value of around $2.2 trillion. Forbes estimates that Musk, who is also a major shareholder in Tesla, is now worth $1.1 trillion. Musk says SpaceX is going public because it needs money to fund its ambitions of putting satellites and data centers in space and eventually establishing a colony of people on Mars. The $75 billion in proceeds from the IPO tops the previous high of $26 billion for Saudi Aramco’s IPO in 2019.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump is anticipating a significant weekend for his presidency. The World Cup returns to the U.S. on Friday, a bid Trump helped secure. On Sunday, his 80th birthday, he hosts a UFC fight night at the White House. But he has set expectations even higher by announcing that the U.S. and Iran might reach an agreement to end a three-month-old war. He has said before that a deal was within reach without anything coming to fruition. Trump claims Iran is eager to settle the conflict, though Iranian officials have not confirmed this. The war has affected global oil markets and is expected to be a major topic at the G7 summit in France next week.

(AP) – At least three tornadoes have battered communities outside Chicago, leveling homes and ripping down trees and power poles. Storms have also grounded flights and knocked out power for hundreds of thousands across the Midwest and Northeast on Thursday. The large column of air swept through Merrillville, Indiana, a town about 33 miles southeast of Chicago. Meanwhile, the nearby manufacturing and farm city of Streator, Illinois, has set up a family reunification center for displaced residents in its city hall as officials took stock of the major damage. The National Weather Service says tornado warnings were also in place in Chicago and in parts of Indiana and Michigan.

NEW YORK (AP) — Taylor Swift has become the youngest woman ever inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame at age 36. Steven Spielberg introduced Swift on Thursday night with a speech about the power of songwriting. Tamar Braxton opened the induction ceremony with a tribute to the game-changing R&B songwriter, producer and rapper Christopher “Tricky” Stewart. The gala was held at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in New York City. Inductees included Swift, Stewart, Kiss’ Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley, Alanis Morissette and Kenny Loggins. Also celebrated were nonperformers including songwriting duo Terry Britten and Graham Lyle behind Tina Turner’s “What’s Love Got To Do With It” and songwriter Walter Afanasieff, who wrote Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas Is You.”  (Photo:  AP)