March 24, 2026 1:33 pm
(AP) – The U.S. Supreme Court is considering whether mail ballots that arrive after Election Day should be counted. If the justices decide they should not be, it would leave little time for election officials and voters to adapt. Some election officials said some material related to November’s midterm elections has already been printed. Others said informing voters of the change would be the biggest hurdle, to ensure they are not disenfranchised. In 14 states, all mail ballots will be counted if sent by Election Day and received within a certain period of days. Another 15 states have grace periods for military and overseas ballots. (Photo: AP)
March 24, 2026 1:20 pm
(AP) – President Trump has cast another mail ballot in Florida as he continues to publicly bash the voting method as a source of fraud and push Congress to curtail the practice. Palm Beach County voter records show the president voted by mail in a Tuesday special election for state legislative seats and that his ballot has been counted. Early in-person voting in the contest ran through Sunday, when Trump was still at his south Florida estate. The White House did not immediately return a request for comment. Aides have said Trump’s ire is directed at states using universal mail-in voting, not individual voters who may not be able to get to a polling place.
March 24, 2026 12:48 pm
A Fayette County high school teacher is facing criminal charges, accused of having inappropriate contact with a minor. State Police said in a release that an investigation began Monday when troopers received a report about inappropriate contact between an adult and a minor. During the investigation, troopers identified the accused adult as Daniel Cervone, a Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (JROTC) instructor at Laurel Highlands High School. Cervone was taken into custody on Tuesday and charged with institutional sexual assault, corruption of minors and unlawful contact with a minor. The complaint states the victim told police she had a sexual relationship with Cervone in 2020 and claimed she spent “copious amounts of time” in his office on a “regular weekly basis” and had sex inside the high school once. The complaint goes on to say that after Cervone was taken into custody, he “confessed to the allegations which were made against him,” including having sex with a student on school property. Cervone’s arrest comes days after a different Laurel Highlands School District teacher was charged with attempted sexual assault, unlawful contact with minors and corruption of minors. (Photo: Fayette County DA Office)
March 24, 2026 4:46 am
NORTH FRANKLIN TOWNSHIP, Pa. — A worker who fell from the roof of the former Washington Crown Center Mall Monday afternoon suffered broken bones and was flown to a Pittsburgh hospital. North Franklin Township Supervisor Chairman Bob Sabot tells WJPA News that it could have been worse if not for the quick response by the township’s fire department. Sabot says they were called to the 1500 block of West Chestnut Street just before 4 p.m. and arrived within minutes. Sabot says there will most likely be an investigation into the incident by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. The man was employed by DesignPro Roofing of Pittsburgh and Naples, Florida.
March 24, 2026 6:15 pm
North Franklin Township Supervisor tells WJPA news that the first phase of the construction work at the former Washington Crown Center Mall is pretty much finished and crews next week, are preparing to move into phase two. Sabot says the retail stores that are there will remain open, but starting Monday, there will be no more walking allowed. Sabot says they are hoping the work will be completed in May or June and then, he says, he’ll be making a big announcement regarding new retail outlets for the facility. In September 2025, PREP Funds, based in Cleveland, and Los Angeles-based Industrial Realty Group acquired the mall and renamed it Franklin Crossroads Park.
March 24, 2026 2:51 am
Spring has begun, and prices at the pump have continued to climb. Today’s national average ($3.95) is 24 cents higher than last week and $1.02 higher than last month. The impact from the Iran situation combined with seasonal increases are main contributors of the price increases. According to new data from the Energy Information Administration (EIA), gasoline demand decreased last week from 9.24 million b/d to 8.72 million. Gasoline production decreased last week, averaging 9.4 million barrels per day. At the close of Wednesday’s formal trading session, West Texas Intermediate rose 11 cents to settle at $96.32 a barrel. The EIA reports that crude oil inventories increased by 6.2 million barrels from the previous week. At 449.3 million barrels, U.S. crude oil inventories are about 1% below the five-year average for this time of year. The national average per kilowatt hour of electricity at a public EV charging station remained the same this past week at 41 cents. (Photo: AP)
March 23, 2026 2:42 am
Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents were deployed to Pittsburgh International Airport on Monday. Airport spokesperson Bob Kerlik said agents trained at the airport terminal on Monday morning and are expected to assist the Transportation Security Administration starting Tuesday. Over the weekend, President Donald Trump said Federal immigration officers could start helping with airport security if a bill is not agreed on to fund the Department of Homeland Security. Hundreds of thousands of homeland security workers, including from the TSA, U.S. Secret Service and Coast Guard, have worked without pay since Congress failed to renew DHS funding last month, the Associated Press reported. “I look forward to moving ICE in on Monday, and have already told them to, ‘GET READY.’ NO MORE WAITING, NO MORE GAMES!” Trump wrote on social media.
March 23, 2026 4:56 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — Senators are discussing a proposal to end the Homeland Security budget stalemate by funding much of the department, but not ICE’s enforcement and removal operations that have been central to the standoff. The potential breakthrough comes after a group of Republican senators headed to the White House late Monday to meet with President Donald Trump. The scramble is on to end the partial government shutdown that is leading to long lines at U.S. airports as Transportation Security Administration workers are going without pay. Senate Majority Leader John Thune said talks have been productive. The deal would impose some restraints Democrats have demanded on immigration operations. Both parties expect to discuss the proposals Tuesday at their weekly caucus lunches.
March 24, 2026 4:52 am
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Iranian missiles and drones are targeting Israel and Gulf Arab states as Tehran keeps up its chokehold on the Strait of Hormuz, even as U.S. President Donald Trump said talks were ongoing with the Islamic Republic to end the war. A missile slammed into a street in central Tel Aviv on Tuesday but no one was seriously hurt. Iran denied talks with the U.S. were held. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel will continue to strike Iran and Lebanon, even as the U.S. considers a ceasefire. The respite in oil prices was short lived, with the price of Brent crude, the international standard, back to $104 a barrel in morning trading.
March 24, 2026 4:59 am
NEW YORK (AP) — Investigators are continuing to delve into what caused the high speed crash between an Air Canada jet and a fire truck at New York’s LaGuardia Airport. The collision Sunday killed the pilots and injured several others. But stories of survival are also emerging, including that of a flight attendant, found injured but alive outside the aircraft. Passengers opened emergency exit doors, jumped off the wings and then turned around to catch the others. Officials say the fire truck was crossing the tarmac after being given permission to check on another plane reporting an odor onboard. The crash temporarily shut down LaGuardia during what was already a messy time at U.S. airports.
