August 28, 2025 4:37 am
RICHFIELD, Minn. (AP) — Just hours after a shooter opened fire through the windows of a Catholic church in Minneapolis, hundreds were crowding inside a nearby school’s gym, clutching one another and wiping away tears during a vigil. Archbishop Bernard Hebda told a crowd of mourners Wednesday night that students tried to shield their classmates as the gunfire erupted. Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara says two children were killed and 17 people were wounded in the shooting at Annunciation Catholic School. The children who died were 8 and 10, and 14 other kids were among the wounded. Police believe the shooter died by suicide. Officials were looking into the suspect’s motive.
August 28, 2025 4:29 am
NEW YORK (AP) — The director of the nation’s top public health agency has been fired after less than one month in the job. The White House says Susan Monarez isn’t “aligned with” President Donald Trump’s agenda and refused to resign, so she was fired. Her lawyers said she was targeted for standing up for science. Also on Wednesday, some other top agency leaders said they are resigning. Monarez was sworn in on July 31 — less than a month ago, making her the shortest-serving CDC director in the history of the 79-year-old agency.
August 28, 2025 4:25 am
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — A top Florida official says the controversial state-run immigration detention facility in the Everglades will likely be empty in a matter of days, even as Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis’ administration fights a federal judge’s order to shutter the facility dubbed “Alligator Alcatraz” by a late October deadline. That’s according to an email exchange shared with The Associated Press. Florida Division of Emergency Management Executive Director Kevin Guthrie says in an email to a South Florida rabbi on Aug. 22 in regard to providing spiritual care at the facility that “we are probably going to be down to 0 individuals within a few days.”
August 28, 2025 4:24 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — Lawyers for Kilmar Abrego Garcia, whose case has come to encapsulate much of President Donald Trump’s hard-line immigration agenda, say he wants to seek asylum in the United States. His lawyers told that to a federal judge Wednesday. The 30-year-old Salvadoran national was detained Monday in Baltimore by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement after leaving a Tennessee jail on Friday. Administration officials have said he’s part of the dangerous MS-13 gang, an allegation Abrego Garcia denies. His lawyers are fighting the deportation efforts in court, arguing he has the right to express fear of persecution and torture in Uganda.
August 28, 2025 4:32 am
ROME (AP) — Pope Leo XIV is demanding that Israel stop the “collective punishment” and forced displacement of Palestinians in Gaza. Leo was interrupted twice by applause as he read aloud his latest appeal for an end to the 22-month war during his weekly general audience Wednesday. History’s first American pope also called for the release of the remaining hostages taken by Hamas in southern Israel, and for both sides and international players to end the war. Palestinians in Gaza are bracing for Israel’s promised offensive in some of the territory’s most populated areas including Gaza City, where famine has been documented and declared.
August 28, 2025 1:37 am
Washington Police say two felony arrest warrants have been issued for Patrick Thurston. He is accused of recently burglarizing the Hidden Treasures and Sherwin Williams stores. Police credit tremendous community and area response in assisting in the identification of Thurston. Thurston is not believed to be a danger to the public, but police ask that people not try to apprehend him themselves. If anyone sees him or has information about his whereabouts, they are asked to contact the Washington City Police. Reach out to Detective Stallings at 724-223-4225 or email him at bstallings@washingtonpa.us. You may also submit tips anonymously to a dedicated tip line at 724-223-4108 or tips@washingtonpa.us. If you see and recognize the suspect, police say you should call 911 immediately. In addition, police suggest residents and visitors should keep doors locked at all times and be extra alert in and around the Crown Plaza, Stewart Ave, and Washington Street areas, and if possible, make use of home and business security cameras to help deter and record suspicious activity. (Photo: City of Washington Police Department)
August 28, 2025 4:19 am
Pennsylvania State Representative Bud Cook (R-50) held a press conference to update constituents on bills working their way through the State House. Cook’s biggest news comes from his introduction of House Bill 1823 that would change the method of how Local Share Account monies generated from casino gambling would be distributed. Cook would like the Commonwealth Financing Authority to be used exclusively for the grant projects in Washington County. Cook would like to see a forensic audit of the year 2021. Cook still feels that nearly $10 million in funds are unaccounted for. In other legislation, Cook says that House Bill 1737 that was introduced in July is a measure that would prevent public officials convicted of felonies from becoming lobbyists in Pennsylvania. That bill has been referred to the House State Government Committee. Finally House Bill 1035 introduced in March would update state law governing tire recycling. It would look to use a method called pyrolysis to break down old tires into reusable materials and reduce pollution and landfill waste.
August 28, 2025 4:14 am
(WPXI)-State police are urging residents to stay alert when using debit and credit cards as skimming devices become more widespread across Western Pennsylvania. “The skimmer devices in our area have really gotten to a heightened level that we’ve never seen before,” said Trooper Rocco Gagliardi of Pennsylvania State Police. Skimmers are often purchased on the black market and attached to legitimate card readers, allowing thieves to capture customers’ financial information. According to a recent FBI report, Pennsylvania ranks 8th in the nation for money lost to scams, including, but not limited to, card skimming. The report also found Pennsylvanians lost nearly $400 million to scams last year — a high amount compared to the number of complaints filed in the state. “We have fewer complaints but more money loss,” Gagliardi said. “That tells us they are taking us for way more than they should than any other state.” State police are urging both consumers and businesses to remain vigilant. While some retailers have added clamps to protect machines from tampering, officers say many stores still lack safeguards against skimming devices. Police recommend consumers use digital payment options, such as Apple Pay or Google Wallet, whenever possible to reduce the risk of having their information stolen.
August 27, 2025 11:42 am
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — A shooting Wednesday at a Minneapolis Catholic school has killed two children as they prayed and injured 17 other people, 14 of them kids. The police chief says the shooter also died in the violence Wednesday at the Annunciation Catholic School. Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara said the shooter approached the side of the church and shot through the windows toward the children sitting in the pews during Mass. The police chief said the shooter did not have an extensive known criminal history and is believed to have acted alone. A law enforcement official told The Associated Press that they have identified the shooter as 23-year-old Robin Westman. That official was not authorized to discuss the ongoing investigation and spoke on condition of anonymity. The police chief said a wooden plank was placed to barricade some of the side doors, and that authorities found a smoke bomb but no explosives at the scene. (Photo: AP)
August 27, 2025 5:45 pm
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Food and Drug Administration has approved updated COVID-19 vaccines for the upcoming fall and winter season. But it could be weeks before many Americans know whether they’ll be able to get one, under new restrictions from the Trump administration. The new shots from Pfizer, Moderna and Novavax target a newer version of the coronavirus. They are approved for all seniors but only for younger adults and children with at least one underlying health problem, like obesity. Additionally, U.S. officials revoked use of Pfizer’s vaccine in young children. (Photo: AP)
