September 16, 2026 1:53 pm
Pennsylvania’s Secretary of the Commonwealth Al Schmidt held his second virtual update on the November 3 general election on Tuesday afternoon. In a seven-minute video, he touched on a variety of topics, like September 15th’s National Voter Registration Day, the in mail-in balloting decision made by the U.S. Supreme Court, whether the state uses AI technology in the election process, and prediction market platforms. On behalf of the Shapiro administration, he called the U.S. Postal Service’s proposed changes to mail-in balloting “unlawful” and “an overreach” and called the Supreme Court’s decision a “win” for Pennsylvania voters. Schmidt said “Nothing has changed for voters” in the Keystone State and eligible voters should continue to have confidence that they can vote securely and safely. He said that some ballots have already been sent out to voters who asked for them. He also touted a new public relations dashboard that residents can check up on their voter registration, trends and up to date information at Vote.pa.gov. Schmidt also added that A.I. tools are not used in elections, and that workers pledge an oath against prediction markets and other wagering. Schmidt will be back again Tuesday with another video.
September 16, 2026 1:34 pm
WASHINGTON (AP) — Fencing has gone up around the main Kennedy Center building, a day after the Trump-aligned board voted to close most of the performing arts center for repairs. That vote came after a federal judge blocked the institution from returning President Donald Trump’s name to the building. The Republican had said in social media post that the closure was needed for safety repairs. But he said the repairs, which Congress has allocated $257 million to cover, would only happen if the board was permitted to move forward with plans to add his name to the building.
September 16, 2026 8:53 am
NEW YORK (AP) — Consumers stepped up their spending at a better-than-expected pace in August after an unexpectedly sharp pullback in July. Retail sales rose 1.2% last month after recording a revised 0.5% dip in July, according to Commerce Department data released Wednesday. The decline in July was notable because there had been few signs of fatigue from U.S. consumers. Americans spent heavily during the World Cup and Amazon Prime Day sales this summer. That followed heavy retail traffic in April and May as Americans dipped into their government tax refunds. Excluding gas prices, retail sales rose 1.1% in August. The government figures aren’t adjusted for inflation.
September 16, 2026 2:38 am
During the agenda meeting for Washington County Commissioners, County Solicitor Gary Sweat alerted officials of closer monitoring of county data information. Sweat stated that pension office staff were able to access pension information from another county. Immediately, the organization responsible for county pension information, Pension Technology Group was notified. They are currently monitoring and working on the internal issue. In a second instance, the county C-Track system was compromised. The C-Track system monitors all of the information regarding the court system, not only in Washington County but throughout the Commonwealth. Thompson-Reuters is the organization that performs that service and they alerted the county to a data breach within their system. According to Sweat, both companies have been notified to keep the county informed of any changes in status. He says that he has been assured by both companies that no sensitive information for employees or citizens has been accessed. Sweat credits the county information technology staff for their efforts in these instances. Sweat says IT security has been significantly improved since a 2024 data breach to the county that held them hostage for several weeks.
September 16, 2026 4:41 am
North Strabane Township Supervisors will be finalizing a project that will hopefully keep car speeds down on two area roads and increase public safety. The DeMar Avenue and McDowell Lane Safety Device project will be voted on next week. The project is a traffic calming effort using flashing speed signs and pavement rumble strips to alert drivers that are travelling too fast on the roads. Supervisors are also developing a data center ordinance. Supervisors will look to alert the public on its availability to be reviewed and a public hearing will be scheduled. Supervisors will vote on the issues on September 22 at 7:00 pm in the municipal building.
September 16, 2026 4:39 am
Buffalo Township Supervisors are embarking on a project that has not been addressed in over 50 years. Supervisors are updating their Comprehensive Plan. The purpose of the plan is to guide township leaders in what the residents feel are priorities for the township over the next 10-20 years. Residents were mailed a survey with questions about the township’s future development. The survey is also available on line at the township’s website. Township Supervisor Randall Mounts says that feedback from the community will help them keep what residents want and make the improvements that they want. It will be a tool to guide governmental decisions and a demonstration to Pennsylvania officials to generate grant funding for possible infrastructure improvements. Terri Carroll is an engineer with Harshman, CE Group. They are assisting with developing the plan. She says that community input is vital to the process in proving to Pennsylvania officials that a project is a community priority, not a pet project for an individual. The township held a public meeting. Residents were asked for their input in several interactive displays. One asked if there were particular problems with a location and they were asked to mark the location with an adhesive dot. The most intriguing display was the Buffalo Bucks display. Residents were given $100,000 in Buffalo Bucks and were asked to divide the money among three priority projects from a list of 12 by inserting their “Bucks” into slots for projects such as roads, water and sewage, parks and recreation, business development and others. For those wishing to take the survey, the opportunity is still there. The plan will be developed and hopefully be ready for adoption in about 12 months.
September 16, 2026 2:41 am
NEW YORK (AP) — Pennsylvania officials are reporting a fourth measles-associated death. An 18-year-old from Mifflin County died from a severe neurological complication of the virus. None of the four who died were vaccinated. The U.S. is experiencing its worst measles year since 1991, with seven deaths in two years. Pennsylvania’s outbreak includes nearly 700 illnesses across 38 counties. These are the first measles-associated deaths in the state in 35 years. Health officials emphasize the importance of the MMR vaccine to prevent outbreaks. International health officials will meet in November to assess the U.S. and Mexico’s measles-free status.
September 15, 2026 2:19 am
CRANBERRY TOWNSHIP, Pa. — A Western Pennsylvania man accused of buying a gun and ammunition with intent to commit terrorism was arrested outside of a local hotel over the weekend. Federal agents arrested Jonathan Kramer, 21, of Valencia, Butler County, on Saturday in Cranberry Township. After Kramer was released from a juvenile detention facility in March of this year, someone submitted an anonymous online tip to the FBI, saying Kramer was ordering “mysterious” packages and “talking to his friends from before” his juvenile adjudication. Authorities said they confirmed he had been using an online persona who claimed affiliation with ISIS. He allegedly offered to share explosive manuals with others and expressed his intent to prepare for his “mission” and that he was just missing a “weapon.” The FBI executed search warrants on Kramer’s person, his hotel room and his home. According to court documents, agents seized a semiautomatic rifle, five rifle magazines (two loaded and the other three each offering a 30-round capacity), a rifle bipod and scope, a total of 190 rounds of rifle ammunition, an entrenchment tool, a prayer rug, pepper spray, and approximately 30 knives, along with a handwritten note stating “DoNt look For me[.] IDK what I did buT I cant live In constant Fear[.]”
September 16, 2026 4:45 am
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Officials say a news helicopter for NBC and Telemundo 52 crashed in Los Angeles and killed at least three people. NBC4 Los Angeles anchor Colleen Williams confirmed during live broadcasts Tuesday that the station’s chopper went down just before 7 p.m. She identified two people on the helicopter who were killed as reporter Eliana Moreno and pilot George Marciniw. An official says one person outside in a parking lot was killed. The helicopter was covering a fatal bus accident. Officials say two people were killed and six others were injured after an SUV crashed into a city bus. Photos and videos online showed around half an SUV lodged into the side of an MTA bus.
September 15, 2026 2:42 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — The board of the Kennedy Center has voted to close the facility over financial issues and a dispute over putting President Donald Trump’s name on the iconic performing arts venue. That’s according to people familiar with the matter. They spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss a private meeting. Prior to Tuesday’s board meeting, a federal judge blocked the Kennedy Center board from adding Trump’s name to the structure or grounds, saying it would violate an earlier ruling that his name was illegally added to the building. Trump says the Justice Department will appeal the judge’s ruling.
