April 25, 2026 3:41 am
NAHUNTA, Ga. (AP) — Officials say a volunteer firefighter has died battling a wildfire in Florida, while two large fires in Georgia have destroyed more than 120 homes. The sheriff’s office in Nassau County, Florida, said Friday that volunteer firefighter James “Kevin” Crews died Thursday after suffering an unspecified medical emergency while suppressing a brush fire. Meanwhile, crews are battling two large fires in southeast Georgia that Gov. Brian Kemp says have destroyed 120 homes. Fire officials say thousands more remain threatened. Kemp said no other wildfire in Georgia’s history have burned so many homes. He said investigators believe the fire in rural Brantley County was sparked by an aluminum party balloon touching power lines.
April 25, 2026 3:39 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. military says it launched another strike on a boat accused of ferrying drugs in the eastern Pacific Ocean, killing two people Friday. The Trump administration’s campaign of blowing up alleged drug-trafficking vessels in Latin American waters has persisted since early September and killed at least 183 people in total. Other strikes have taken place in the Caribbean Sea. The military has not provided evidence that any of the vessels were carrying drugs. U.S. Southern Command posted a video on X Friday night showing a boat floating in the water before a explosion left it in flames.
April 25, 2026 3:38 am
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — The Philadelphia Museum of Art is embracing a statue it once kept at arm’s length. A new exhibition, “Rising Up: Rocky and the Making of Monuments,” brings the bronze figure of Rocky Balboa inside for the first time, reframing it as both pop culture icon and part of a 2,000-year tradition of boxing imagery. The show explores how the fictional fighter became a global symbol of struggle and resilience. For decades, the museum sought to remove the statue. It is now a pilgrimage site that draws millions each year. After the exhibit closes, the statue will move to a permanent spot atop the museum’s steps.
April 25, 2026 3:36 am
LONDON (AP) — King Charles III embarks on a state visit to the U.S., aiming to strengthen ties between the two nations. His mother, Queen Elizabeth II, set a high bar with her 1991 speech to Congress, highlighting shared democratic values. Charles plans to echo these themes as he celebrates America’s 250th birthday. The visit includes a commemoration of the Sept. 11 attacks and a tribute to fallen service members. Despite political tensions, Charles seeks to emphasize the enduring friendship between the U.S. and the U.K. His speech to Congress aims to unite lawmakers across party lines, focusing on long-term bonds over short-term disputes.
April 25, 2026 3:35 am
The White House says President Donald Trump is sending envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner to Pakistan to take part in a new round of talks with Iran. Officials in Pakistan say Iran Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi arrived there late Friday and met with Pakistan’s foreign minister and army chief field marshal. Pakistan also is preparing to receive Witkoff and Kushner, although officials have not specified when they are due in Islamabad. The White House says Vice President JD Vance will not attend the talks. The Trump administration also announced it is placing economic sanctions on a major China-based oil refinery and roughly 40 shipping companies and tankers involved in transporting Iranian oil.
April 25, 2026 2:47 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Food and Drug Administration says it will offer ultra-fast review to three psychedelic drugs being studied for hard-to-treat mental health conditions, including major depression. The agency announced the move Friday, following an executive order by President Donald Trump calling for the agency to speed up access to the mind-altering drugs. The move reflects growing popular support for the psychedelics among Trump’s supporters, including combat veterans and followers of the Make America Healthy Again movement. The FDA also greenlighted initial testing of a drug related to ibogaine, a potent psychedelic linked to dangerous heart rhythms.
April 25, 2026 2:38 am
Pittsburgh, PA – PennDOT District 11 is announcing overnight lane closures on I-376 (Parkway West) in Collier and Robinson townships, Allegheny County, will begin Monday night, April 27 weather permitting. Starting Monday, an overnight single-lane restriction will occur as needed in both directions on I-376 between the Ridge Road (Exit 61) and Erie/Washington/I-79 (Exit 64A) interchanges nightly from 9:00 PM to 5:00 AM through Friday, May 8. Crews will conduct drainage work. The work is part of the $12.6 million project on the Parkway West located between the Ridge Road (Exit 61) and I-79 (Exit 64A) interchanges in Robinson and Collier townships. Additionally, milling and paving on I-376, ramp preservation work, overhead sign structure repairs, drainage improvements, guide rail updates, and sign and pavement marking installation work will continue. Restrictions include the long-term closure of Boyce Road, ramp closures, overnight single-lane restrictions, and four weekend-long single-lane closures. The majority of the project was completed in late 2025, however, punch list work is expected to continue through the spring of 2026. To help keep drivers informed as work progresses, PennDOT has created an email distribution list for Parkway West traffic advisories and construction updates. Enroll by clicking on the Parkway West online sign-up form link and entering your email address.
April 25, 2026 4:07 am
Pennsylvania will receive nearly $838,000 in federal funding to make communities more resilient to disasters, FEMA announced. The money is part of more than $137 million for more than 50 projects nationwide from FEMA’s Hazard Mitigation Grant Program. Pennsylvania will use its $837,780 for costs including technical assistance and the efficient administration of funding awards across the state.
April 25, 2026 2:41 am
(AP) – Norfolk Southern railroad’s first-quarter profit fell 27% because it didn’t collect big insurance payments related to the East Palestine, Ohio, derailment and its planned merger with Union Pacific added to its costs. The Atlanta-based railroad said Friday that it earned $547 million, or $2.43 per share. That’s down from $750 million, or $3.31 per share, a year ago. The disastrous derailment in the small town on the Ohio-Pennsylvania border has generally boosted earnings in recent quarters as the railroad collected insurance payments, but that wasn’t the case this time, so it combined with planning costs related to the merger, the derailment reduced earnings per share by 22 cents. Without those unusual costs, the railroad’s profit would have beat Wall Street expectations.
April 24, 2026 10:58 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Justice Department has ended its probe into Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell, clearing a major roadblock to the confirmation of his successor, Kevin Warsh. U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeannine Pirro said on X on Friday that her office was ending its probe into the Fed’s extensive building renovations because the Fed’s inspector general would scrutinize them instead. The decision ends an investigation that was among several undertaken by the Justice Department into President Donald Trump’s perceived adversaries. The investigation for months had failed to gain traction as prosecutors struggled to articulate a basis to suspect criminal conduct.
