March 21, 2026 12:00 pm
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump took the United States to war without a vote of support from Congress. Now, lawmakers are increasingly questioning when, how and at what cost the war with Iran will come to an end. Under the War Powers Act, the president can engage in military operations for 60 days without approval from Congress. As that deadline approaches, some lawmakers want more information on the goals and an exit plan. Meanwhile, a $200 billion request from the Pentagon for war funds is circulating, oil prices are spiking and thousands of U.S. troops are deploying to the Middle East.
March 21, 2026 7:56 am
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Israel’s defense minister has threatened a surge in attacks against Iran and Britain condemned Iran for targeting a joint U.K.-U.S. base in the Indian Ocean. The Iranian attack on the Diego Garcia air base suggested that Tehran has missiles that can go far further than it had previously acknowledged — the base is about 2,500 miles from Iran. Meanwhile, an official Iranian news agency said the country’s Natanz nuclear enrichment facility was hit in an airstrike on Saturday, stressing there was no radiation leakage. The developments indicate the war in the Middle East shows no sign of abating as the conflict enters its fourth week.
March 21, 2026 4:53 am
Harrisburg, PA. – Today, the Pennsylvania Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs (DDAP) launched Narcan in Courts, a new initiative to expand access to the lifesaving overdose reversal medication naloxone by having it on hand at judicial buildings — including courthouses — across the Commonwealth in the event someone is experiencing an overdose. Naloxone is a medication approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to reverse an opioid overdose by quickly restoring breathing to an individual if their breathing has slowed or stopped. “Overdoses can happen anytime, anywhere. ‘Narcan in Courts’ will help to expand access to naloxone by placing it in buildings within Pennsylvania’s judicial system that are open to the public,” said DDAP Secretary Dr. Latika Davis-Jones. The naloxone for the initiative is funded and supplied through DDAP’s Overdose Prevention Program. DDAP is providing 600 Narcan kits, which equates to 1,200 individual doses of Narcan – the common brand of naloxone that comes as a nasal spray – to the Administrative Office of Pennsylvania Courts (AOPC). The goal of the new, voluntary initiative is to place one Narcan kit in each of the 512 Magisterial District Judge courts and all 67 county courthouses for on-site emergency use. The Narcan will be placed in locations near or similar to those that house AEDs. In addition to distributing Narcan, AOPC will provide instructions, educational materials, and information about training videos to each location.
March 21, 2026 7:23 am
STOWE TOWNSHIP, PA. (WPXI) — A jury found a teen who was charged in the death of a man in Stowe Township “not guilty.” Cy-Miar Amari Woods, 16, was charged with criminal homicide criminal attempted burglary, conspiracy, tampering with evidence and gun charges in 2024. Police said he shot and killed 26-year-old Michael Dean on the 800 block of Bendwood Avenue on Nov. 22, 2023. Court documents show that a jury found Woods “not guilty” of criminal homicide on Thursday. He was also found “not guilty” of his gun possession charge.All other charges were dismissed. Arrmon Hagans, 46, was also charged in connection with the shooting. His case is still ongoing.
March 21, 2026 6:30 am
BEIRUT (AP) — Three young men were hanged in Iran this week, raising alarm among rights groups that a wave of executions may be underway as authorities facing relentless attacks from the U.S. and Israel seek to squelch public dissent. The three men are the first to be executed from among the tens of thousands who were arrested during a January crackdown on nationwide protests. They had been sentenced on charges of “waging war against God,” for allegedly killing two police officers during protests, but Amnesty International said the convictions came in “grossly unfair trials” that used confessions extracted by torture. Rights groups say more than 100 others could face death sentences.
March 21, 2026 6:37 am
The public is experiencing the consequences of a partial U.S. government shutdown in long wait times at some airports as Transportation Security Officers take time off to manage the financial strain. The Department of Homeland Security says hundreds more have quit their jobs altogether since the shutdown began on Valentine’s Day. That could worsen the delays at airport security checkpoints and pose longer-term problems for an agency that historically has had some of the U.S. government’s highest attrition and lowest employee morale. TSA pay starts at around $34,500 and the average pay is $40,000 to $55,000, according to government figures.
March 21, 2026 4:50 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — Scientists say a record-smashing March heat wave in the U.S. Southwest shows climate change is already driving more dangerous weather extremes. World Weather Attribution said Friday that the heat would have been virtually impossible without human-caused warming. Experts say extremes now hit more often, in odd seasons, and in unusual places. NOAA data shows a much larger share of the country sees extreme conditions than decades ago. An analysis by The Associated Press finds the U.S. breaks far more heat records than in past decades. One former FEMA official said disasters now fall outside old planning models and noted insurers pulling back.
March 21, 2026 4:00 am
A former Washington County attorney has been charged with embezzling more than $1.3 million from the organization that operates the Duquesne Incline. Fifty-three-year-old Christopher Furman, now of Pittsburgh, has been indicted by a federal grand jury on charges of wire fraud and money laundering, the Department of Justice (DOJ) said Thursday. The ten-count indictment alleges that Furman transferred money to his bank account from that of the Society for the Preservation of the Duquesne Heights Incline. The DOJ says Furman made 25 different transactions between October 2024 and September 2025 and he allegedly put the money in an online cryptocurrency exchange and digital asset management platform, where he traded cryptocurrency for himself. According to the indictment, this happened while Furman was president of the Society’s board. Furman was selected for that position because he used to work for the incline and knew how its mechanics worked, the DOJ says. While the board president, Furman was not allowed to look at the Society’s bank account or use its money for personal reasons, the DOJ says. Each count of wire fraud carries a maximum total sentence of up to 20 years in prison and/or a fine of $250,000 or double the gain from the alleged illegal activity. Each count of money laundering carries a maximum of 10 years in prison and/or the same monetary penalty.
March 21, 2026 4:00 am
Washington County Commissioners, in a 2-1 have approved a $1.1 million dollar change order in connection with the P25 emergency radio system. At issue is a change order from Motorola Solutions, Inc. saying the money is necessary to deliver, build and outfit three support buildings for antenna sites for the new radio system. Commissioner Nick Sherman says that $5 million was put aside in the original contract that allows commissioners to outsource some of the project to local contractors. This is a part of that provision. The money is not covered by that $5 million as the payment for the change order will be coming from the county’s general operating fund. Commissioner Larry Maggi voted against the measure. He is concerned that the cost of the project keeps escalating. He says that he does not recall the provision of the holdback of $5 million. His view is to use that $5 million for the change order and leave the taxpayer money alone. The original contract was for $24.4 million. The contract now, with this change order stands at $26,380,072.73.
March 19, 2026 2:59 am
A local teacher is facing several charges, including attempted sexual assault, for offenses against a high school student. Fayette County District Attorney Mike Aubele said charges were filed against 50-year-old Martin Clement Gatti, who taught at the Laurel Highlands School District. He faces charges of attempted sexual assault, unlawful contact with minors and corruption of minors. The DA’s office said these crimes were committed against a high school student. The School District immediately placed Gatti on leave and removed him from his position upon learning about the allegations against him. According to a criminal complaint, a victim told State Police that Gatti asked the victim to come to his classroom on January 9th, even though the victim did not have any classes with Gatti. Police said Gatti made several suggestive comments to the student. Police said they were provided with an audio recording of the conversation.
