July 26, 2026 7:48 am
(AP) – The stage is in battleground Pennsylvania. The stakes are control of the House. And the main event Sunday will be political rallies to mark 100 days until the midterm elections. House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries will unveil the party’s Fighting for an Affordable America agenda as he works to focus voter attention and build momentum ahead of November. In Pennsylvania’s 7th District, Jeffries and Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, a potential 2028 Democratic presidential candidate, are rallying support for Bob Brooks. Down the road, Brooks’ rival, freshman GOP Rep. Ryan Mackenzie, is launching his own 100-day out event. It’s the symbolic start of the campaigns that will determine control of Congress in November.
July 26, 2026 7:45 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. military has paused its airstrikes on Iran after nearly two weeks of intensifying bombing. At the same time, diplomatic efforts pushed forward to try to avert a return to all-out war. But it remains to be seen whether the U.S. and Iran are at an inflection point in a mercurial conflict that will reach the five-month point Tuesday. President Donald Trump has threatened more strikes but also said talks are pressing on. He’s brushed off concerns that rising gas prices tied to the fighting could hurt Republicans in November’s midterm elections. Adding to the uncertainty is Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s planned visit with Trump next week. Israel has been notably absent from the renewed U.S. attacks.
July 26, 2026 7:53 am
NEW YORK (AP) — Trump’s tariffs are headed to court — again. Two lawsuits filed by small businesses are challenging Trump’s sweeping tariffs announced Thursday that impose double digit levies on 60 trading partners. The tariffs, implemented for what the Trump administration says is countries’ failure to prevent imports produced by forced labor, cover 99% of U.S. imports. Critics say that’s a pretext and the goal is to replace the worldwide tariffs that Trump imposed last year that were struck down by the Supreme Court in February. They came just as temporary 10% worldwide tariffs — that had also been challenged in court — expired.
July 26, 2026 7:51 am
NEW YORK (AP) — Skydance-owned Paramount has agreed to delay closing its $81 billion buyout of Warner Bros. Discovery well into next year. The move comes as a judge continues to consider a challenge from 12 states seeking to block the deal altogether. In a court filing, Paramount said it wouldn’t close the merger until a court ruling on the merits of the lawsuit or June 1, 2027. Just days ago, U.S. District Judge Araceli Martínez-Olguín granted a temporary restraining order requested by the states to freeze the transaction for several weeks. The states allege the merger would “extinguish competition” in Hollywood and lead to fewer choices for consumers.
July 26, 2026 7:50 am
(AP) – Living through the biggest jump in grocery prices in a half-century has many Americans changing their eating and food shopping habits. The price of food purchased for home use has increased 33% since the beginning of 2019. In the 7 1/2 before thatThe war in Iran has made it uncertain if a slowdown expected this year will materialize. Residents of some cities where food prices increased by more than the national average say they hunting for deals at multiple stores and switching brands. Others are buying fewer of their favorite foods or less food overall. One reason consumers feel so pinched is other costs have climbed rapidly, too, most recently for gasoline.
July 26, 2026 7:13 am
A SWAT situation in the City of Washington Saturday night ended peacefully. Authorities say an individual barricaded themselves inside of a home when police tried to serve an active arrest warrant on East Walnut Street. They say that prompted multiple law enforcement agencies, including a SWAT team, to respond to the area. The suspect was eventually arrested without further incident and there is no ongoing threat to the public. There were no reported injuries.
July 26, 2026 7:37 am
CLAIRTON, Pa. (WPXI) — Two men are dead after they were shot in Clairton on Saturday afternoon. The Allegheny County Police Department says the shooting on Miller Avenue near the Village Inn was reported around 6:35 p.m. First responders found two men shot multiple times. Both were taken to an area hospital, where police say they died. The Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s Office has identified one of the victims as Robert Allen Jones, 32, of Clairton. ACPD says preliminary information detectives have gathered so far indicates the suspects fled in a vehicle. Anyone with information concerning this incident is asked to call the County Police Tip Line at 1-833-ALL-TIPS. Callers can remain anonymous.
July 25, 2026 12:15 pm
BANGOR, Maine (AP) — Former state lawmaker and logger Troy Jackson has secured the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate in Maine on Saturday. He will face longtime GOP Sen. Susan Collins in November in a race that could decide which party controls the Senate. Jackson replaces Graham Platner, who won the Democratic primary in June but withdrew from the race earlier this month following an allegation of sexual assault that Platner has denied. Platner’s exit forced Democrats to quickly come up with a never-before-used process to choose a new nominee, which involved hundreds of delegates from across the state gathering in Bangor, about 130 miles (209 kilometers) north of Portland, to vote on a new nominee. Jackson won the support of almost all delegates to clinch the nomination.
July 25, 2026 4:38 am
LEGE-CAP FERRET, France (AP) — France is using a massive cargo aircraft to dump flame retardants on a wildfire near the wine country city of Bordeaux. The fire has forced tens of thousands to evacuate, with winds threatening to push it closer to the city. French Interior Minister Laurent Nunez described the battle as “long and very difficult.” Soldiers and firefighters are working to contain the blaze, which has reached unprecedented strength. French officials slashed the length of the final stage of the Tour de France on Sunday so more police could be deployed to the wildfire zones. In Spain, wildfires have displaced over 70,000 people. High temperatures and climate change have fueled these fires, catching authorities off guard.
July 25, 2026 9:25 am
Pennsylvania State Police have identified the victim of a fatal two-vehicle crash in the 800-block of Grindstone Road near School House Road in Jefferson Township, Fayette County. Troopers from Belle Vernon say 35-year-old Jacob Wolfe of Grindstone was killed in the crash that happened around 10:30 Thursday night. Another man, 63-year-old Roger Cline received minor injuries in the accident. State Police are continuing their investigation into what exactly happened.
