May 22, 2026 3:39 pm
DUNBAR TOWNSHIP, Pa. — A man was electrocuted in Fayette County on Friday. The Fayette County Coroner’s Office says it was called to Laurel Hill Road in Dunbar Township for a deceased person. Aaron Cottrell, 32, was pronounced dead due to an accidental electrocution. The coroner’s office says Cottrell was not on the property “in an employment capacity by the church or any commercial business.” According to Pennsylvania State Police, Cottrell was found with a pole saw and a backpack. He’d apparently been trying to take wire from electrical lines when he was electrocuted.
May 22, 2026 3:09 pm
WASHINGTON (AP) — Tulsi Gabbard has resigned as President Donald Trump’s director of national intelligence, saying she needed to step away as her husband battles cancer. She is the fourth Cabinet official to depart during Trump’s second term. In her resignation letter, which she posted on social media, Gabbard said she told Trump of her decision to leave office on June 30. She said her husband had recently been diagnosed with a rare form of bone cancer and “faces major challenges in the coming weeks and months.” Trump posted that her principal deputy, Aaron Lukas, will serve as acting director of national intelligence. (Photo: AP)
May 22, 2026 12:43 pm
First the cost of gasoline goes up and then groceries, and now, your electric bill. The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission is alerting consumers about upcoming electric price adjustments effective June 1st. Officials say the changes coincide with increasing electricity demand and higher summer energy costs across Pennsylvania. The June 1st adjustments will impact the “Price to Compare” (PTC) for electric distribution companies, which is the cost per kilowatt-hour charged to customers who have not chosen a competitive electric generation supplier. Residential customers will see their default service – Price to Compare rates adjust starting June 1st. West Penn Power’s Price to Compare will increase by 10.3%.
May 22, 2026 1:17 am
The new Washington County Public Safety building is getting ready to be built, as the demolition crew starts to prepare the site by removing the bottom part of the parking garage and the rubble of the old Courthouse Square building. Commissioners Chairman Nick Sherman says that they are on schedule and should be ready by the July meeting. Sherman says that they are excited for the new building and that during that July meeting, they look to have a planning report for the bid on the project and discuss who will be constructing the building. The Public Safety building will occupy the County 911 operators and the sheriff’s office for the first and second floor, but are still looking at their options for what will be on the third floor. The building as well is energy efficient and will save taxpayers money to heat and cool the building. The demolition for this project began on March 2, and looks to be done by the end of June.
May 22, 2026 4:44 am
Federal officials have cleared Pennsylvania to spend over $700 million to expand high-speed internet in rural areas. This decision resolves a dispute over state labor law that threatened the funding. The move will connect about 130,000 homes and businesses lacking broadband. The state has six months to sign contracts with companies, which must provide service within four years. Most connections will use fiber-optic cables, but some will rely on satellite internet due to cost considerations. The state is also addressing permitting processes to avoid delays. It’s unclear how Pennsylvania will use additional leftover funding.
May 22, 2026 4:53 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — Senate Republicans have departed Washington for the Memorial Day recess without voting on a roughly $70 billion bill to fund immigration enforcement agencies. Voting on the bill was abruptly called off on Thursday. Republicans are debating whether to try and block a new $1.776 billion settlement fund to compensate Trump allies. They failed to reach a resolution after a tense meeting with acting Attorney General Todd Blanche. Soon after Republican leaders announced that they would not vote on the immigration enforcement measure until they return from a Memorial Day recess, the week of June 1. That had been Trump’s self-imposed deadline to pass the bill.
May 22, 2026 4:50 am
HELSINGBORG, Sweden (AP) — NATO allies and defense officials are bewildered by U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision to send 5,000 U.S. troops to Poland. It comes just weeks after he ordered 5,000 troops to be pulled out of Europe. Swedish Foreign Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard said the about-face “is confusing indeed.” U.S. defense officials say they don’t know what it means. Trump announced the deployment on Truth Social, citing strong ties with Polish President Karol Nawrocki. His decision follows conflicting statements about reducing the U.S. military presence in Europe. NATO allies have been blindsided despite U.S. promises of coordination.
May 21, 2026 4:51 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration is loosening a federal rule that requires grocery stores and air-conditioning companies to reduce greenhouse gases used in cooling equipment. President Donald Trump says that will help lower grocery costs. But it’s not clear how much or how quickly prices could be impacted. Industry groups say it could even raise prices because manufacturers have already redesigned products, retooled factories and trained workers to build and service next-generation refrigerant equipment. The move to relax the Biden-era rules on harmful pollutants known as hydrofluorocarbons is the latest attempt by the administration before the November elections to try to address rising voter concerns over the cost of living.
May 22, 2026 4:54 am
NEW YORK (AP) — Democratic National Committee Chair Ken Martin has released a critical study of the party’s performance in the 2024 campaign. His decision on Thursday followed intense internal pressure from frustrated Democrats who had publicly demanded the release of the postelection autopsy. The 192-page report, which was concluded last December and authored by Democratic consultant Paul Rivera, calls for Democrats to focus on Middle America and the South. The autopsy also points to a reduction in support and training for Democratic state parties, shifts in voter registration, and what it called “a persistent inability or unwillingness to listen to all voters.”
May 22, 2026 2:58 am
(AP) – Meteorologists predict a developing El Nino could dampen the upcoming Atlantic hurricane season, but it won’t eliminate storms. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration forecasts a below-average season with fewer named storms and hurricanes. Colorado State University expects the lowest activity since 2015. El Nino is a warming of the central Pacific that typically reduces Atlantic storms by creating strong wind shear that disrupts storm formation. However, El Nino can increase storm activity in the Pacific, affecting regions like Japan and Korea. The Atlantic hurricane season starts June 1 and ends November 30.
