June 5, 2026 5:00 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — The House has passed a bill to aid Ukraine and sanction key segments of the Russian economy. That’s despite Republican leaders warning the legislation will undermine negotiations designed to achieve a comparable but stronger result. The legislation seeks to cement U.S. assistance for Ukraine by providing more than $1 billion in security and reconstruction aid, and making another $8 billion available for Ukraine’s defense through loans. The vote Thursday represents the House’s second major foreign policy break this week with President Donald Trump. It comes one day after the House approved a war powers resolution that would halt the U.S. military action against Iran.
June 5, 2026 5:02 am
ST. PETERSBURG, Russia (AP) — President Vladimir Putin says Russia will strengthen its air defenses to counter recent Ukrainian drone attacks, which have reached deep inside his country and cast a cloud over his showcase economic forum in his hometown of St. Petersburg. Replying to a question from The Associated Press during a meeting Thursday with heads of international news agencies, Putin vowed to bolster Russia’s air defenses. The media session came on the sidelines of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, his annual showcase for investment. Hours before the forum opened Wednesday, a Ukrainian drone attack set ablaze an oil terminal in the city and also hit a historic nearby naval base.
June 5, 2026 5:03 am
The New World screwworm fly is threatening the $113 billion U.S. cattle industry for the first time in more than a half century. An infestation from its flesh-eating larvae has been confirmed in south Texas in a 3-week-old calf in La Pryor, about 100 miles southwest of San Antonio. Federal and state officials had been working to keep the parasite from reaching Texas since its late 2024 appearance in southern Mexico. Before that, it had been contained in Panama for years. The U.S. eradicated the pest by the early 1970s by breeding sterile male flies and dropping swarms from planes to mate with wild females. Millions are being released each week now.
June 5, 2026 4:58 am
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Television and movie actors have voted to ratify a four-year contract with studios and streaming services. This comes after union leaders negotiated protections against synthetic actors created by artificial intelligence. The ratification was widely expected, and a strike like the one in 2023 never seemed likely during the drama-free negotiations. More than 90% of Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists members approved the agreement. The new deal, like on recently reached by Hollywood writers, is for four years instead of the usual three. This provides extra labor stability in the industry. The contract includes provisions to keep the use of AI actors minimal.
June 8, 2026 2:32 am
The ongoing PennDot bridge replacement on Rt. 18 (Park Avenue) and South Main Street will see Rt.18 come to a complete close on Monday June 8. The closure is expected to last until June 29. A five mile detour is posted. That detour can be found here .
June 4, 2026 5:42 pm
WASHINGTON (AP) — Former Trump administration national security adviser John Bolton has agreed to plead guilty to a single count of retaining classified information under a deal with the Justice Department that could allow him to avoid prison time. That’s according to a person familiar with the matter. The deal would resolve a criminal case filed in October that charged Bolton with 18 counts of either retaining or sharing diary-like notes with family members. Officials said the material contained classified information as he was preparing a memoir of his time in government. The person familiar with the matter insisted on anonymity to discuss a deal that hasn’t been made public. (Photo: AP)
June 4, 2026 2:21 am
Earlier this spring, the Pennsylvania Opioid Misuse and Addiction Abatement Trust’s dispute resolution committee deemed four grants as non-compliant. These grants included $25,000 for training and continuing education for the county’s Department of Human Services, $75,000 for The Childcare Group Solutions Center by Direct Consulting Solutions, $300,000 for the Shawn Patrick Recovery House, and $80,000 for an ECHO (Educate Children for Healthy Outcomes) program through the WHS Teen Outreach’s Common Ground Teen Center. During an appeal hearing held Wednesday, these decisions were overturned and the grants were deemed compliant. The decision regarding the $25,000 grant for the county’s Department of Human Services was overturned at the beginning of the hearing without further discussion. The other three grants were voted on following discussions with county representatives and Dr. Mary Jo Podgurski, who runs the WHS Teen Outreach Program.
June 3, 2026 5:08 am
ROSS TOWNSHIP, Pa. — The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC) continues to host public input hearings about a proposed rate increase for People’s Natural Gas customers. A residential customer could see their monthly bill go up about $16 a month from $122 to $138, according to Peoples. If approved, the company said the rate increase would allow Peoples to earn a fair return on investments and continue to improve infrastructure. “The pipelines gas flows through are vitally important to continue to maintain and improve, and so, really, that’s in large part what this about, to continue to invest in the system and deliver safe, reliable service for customers,” said Nick Paradise of Peoples Gas. Critics believe Peoples Gas is looking to help its shareholders more than customers. In the end, a judge will make a recommendation to commissioners, who will then make a final decision. That’s due by December 26.
June 4, 2026 5:11 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — The House for the first time has approved a war powers resolution that would halt the U.S. military action against Iran. Wednesday’s action defied President Donald Trump as a handful of Republicans joined with Democrats to end the three-month-long war. House Speaker Mike Johnson had tried to prevent an outcome that would show the mounting opposition to the war. But displeasure has only grown as the conflict drags on. The roll call Wednesday was 215-208, but next steps are uncertain. Trump would likely reject any measure from Congress to limit his authority.
June 4, 2026 5:12 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump insists he’s comfortable with the current holding pattern in the Iran war. But he’s facing warnings from foes and allies alike that he’s getting boxed in on a conflict that he sold as a quick military incursion. There’s growing concern inside the administration and from key advisers and allies that Trump now finds himself in a bind. That’s according to a U.S. official and another person familiar with the administration’s internal deliberations who requested anonymity to discuss private conversations. He’s buffeted by Democrats looking to seize on surging global oil prices sparked by the war and warnings from hawkish members of his base that an early exit from the conflict would amount to capitulation.
