November 26, 2025 4:50 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration is seeking to abandon a rule that sets tough standards for deadly soot pollution, arguing that the Biden administration did not have authority to set the tighter standard on pollution from tailpipes, smokestacks and other industrial sources. The Environmental Protection Agency finalized a rule last year that imposed strict standards for soot pollution, saying that reducing fine particle matter from motor vehicles and industrial sources could prevent thousands of premature deaths a year. Twenty-five Republican-led states and a host of business groups filed lawsuits seeking to block the rule. In a court filing this week, the EPA said the Biden-era rule was unlawful and done “without the rigorous, stepwise process that Congress required.”
November 26, 2025 4:48 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. consumers were much less confident in the economy in November in the aftermath of the government shutdown and amid weak hiring and stubborn inflation. The Conference Board said Tuesday that its consumer confidence index dropped to 88.7 in November from an upwardly revised October reading of 95.5, the lowest reading since April, when President Donald Trump announced sweeping tariffs that caused the stock market to plunge. The figures suggest that Americans are increasingly wary of high costs and sluggish job gains, with perceptions of the labor market worsening, the survey found.
November 25, 2025 4:47 am
An estimated 3.4 million travelers are expected to use the Pennsylvania Turnpike during the Thanksgiving holiday. The projection of travel between Nov. 25-30 marks a slight increase from the same period in 2024. The number of people on the roadways is expected to peak on Wednesday, at 705,000 travelers. To accommodate the influx of travelers, the PA Turnpike will suspend all construction and routine maintenance work from 5 a.m. on Nov. 25 until 11 p.m. on Nov. 30. The measure aims to keep as many travel lanes open as possible during the busy holiday period. Turnpike officials encourage drivers to use E-ZPass for a more cost-effective travel experience, offering a 50 percent savings on tolls.
November 25, 2025 2:27 am
Peters Township Council will be looking at adopting a 2026 budget with a .25 mill tax increase. The new millage rate will be 1.95 mills. According to Township Manager Paul Lauer, the new rate will see the average tax bill increase $87.75 per year or about $7.50 per month. In total, the tax increase will raise approximately $800,000 for the township. The proposed budget shows $34.6 million in expenditures, offset by $27 million in revenues. Lauer says that the difference is made up through a $2 million grant, and $1 million in funds from a U.S. Food and Drug Administration Task Force award received in 2023. The rest is funded by previous bonds. The last tax increase was in 2018 when council voted to acquire half of the old Rolling Hills Country Club to turn it into the current Rolling Hills Park. According Lauer, this is the third tax increase in 30 years. Cost increases in the delivery of services are the main reason for the tax increase. The township will also be looking to hire a Human Resource manager. The biggest project on the books for next year is a $2 million road paving program. $1.5 million has been set aside to assume equipment from VFW 764 to redevelop ambulance service in the township. Just how that will occur has yet to be determined. The final budget will be adopted in December.
November 25, 2025 1:53 pm
On Tuesday, Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro joined legislative leaders and local business owners to sign HB 439, also known as the Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair (CROWN) Act, into law. The legislation amends the Pennsylvania Human Relations Act (PHRA) to expand the definition of “race” to include traits historically associated with race, including hair texture, protective hairstyles, and religious creed. With the signing of this bill, Pennsylvania becomes the 28th state in the nation to prohibit discrimination based on hair texture and protective hairstyles historically associated with race, ensuring that all Pennsylvanians can live and work without fear of racial bias in their hair or appearance. According to a 2022 Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission (PHRC) report, 916 complaints were filed that year alone related to racial discrimination involving hair texture and protective hairstyles. “Real freedom means being respected for who you are — no matter what you look like, where you come from, who you love, or who you pray to,” said Governor Shapiro. ”For too long, many Pennsylvanians have faced discrimination simply for hairstyles that reflect their identity and culture — that ends today. I’m grateful to Speaker McClinton, Representative Mayes, and the advocates who worked to get this done. We’re building a Commonwealth where everyone is welcomed, respected, and protected.” Speaking at Island Design Natural Hair Studio in Philadelphia, Governor Shapiro was joined by business owner Lorraine Ruley, House Speaker Joanna McClinton, Representative La’Tasha Mayes, and CROWN Act champion and advocate Dr. Adjoa B. Asamoah. (Photo: Governor’s Office)
November 25, 2025 8:50 am
The White House is circulating a proposal that would extend subsidies to help consumers pay for coverage under the Affordable Care Act for two more years. Millions of Americans face spiking health care costs when the current tax credits are set to expire at the end of the year. The draft plan suggests that President Donald Trump is open to extending a provision of Obamacare as his administration and congressional Republicans search for a broader policy solution to a fight that has long flummoxed the party. The subsidies were at the heart of the Democrats’ demands in the government shutdown fight that ended earlier this month.
November 24, 2025 2:41 am
Tina Walker, superintendent of the State Correctional Institution at Fayette says an inmate, 42-year-old Fredderick Hall Junior, who was found unresponsive in his cell on Tuesday, November 18th, has died. She say prison staff immediately responded and provided life-saving measures until facility medical personnel arrived. Brownsville EMS arrived and advanced life support measures were continued as he was transferred to UPMC Presbyterian. Inmate Hall was pronounced dead on November 22nd. Hall was serving a 5-to-11-year sentence for Possession of a Firearm Prohibited from Dauphin County. He had been at SCI Fayette since September 11, 2025. In accordance with state policy, the Pennsylvania State Police were notified and will conduct an investigation. The official cause of death will be determined by the Fayette County Coroner’s Office.
November 25, 2025 4:53 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Pentagon says it’s investigating Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly of Arizona over possible breaches of military law after the former Navy pilot joined a handful of other lawmakers in a video that called for U.S. troops to defy “illegal orders.” The Pentagon’s statement Monday cited a federal law that allows retired service members to be recalled to active duty on orders of the defense secretary for possible court martial or other measures. Kelly said he upheld his oath to the Constitution and dismissed the Pentagon investigation as the work of “bullies.” It’s extraordinary for the Pentagon to directly threaten a sitting member of Congress with investigation.
November 25, 2025 4:54 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal judge has dismissed the criminal cases against former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James, concluding that the prosecutor who brought the charges at President Donald Trump’s urging was illegally appointed by the Justice Department. The rulings from U.S. District Judge Cameron McGowan Currie amount to a stunning rebuke of the Trump administration’s efforts to target Trump’s political opponents as well as its legal maneuvering to hastily install a loyalist prosecutor willing to file the cases. The orders make Lindsey Halligan the latest Trump administration prosecutor to be disqualified because of the manner in which they were appointed.
November 25, 2025 4:50 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Associated Press and the Trump administration renewed their argument over a president’s ability to limit media access to journalists he disagrees with. They resumed a courtroom dispute with potential First Amendment implications that began last winter when the president announced that he had renamed the Gulf of Mexico. Trump restricted the AP’s access to events in smaller spaces like the Oval Office and Air Force One, leading the news outlet to sue. A lower federal court ruled that President Donald Trump improperly retaliated against the outlet because it did not follow and refer to the body of water as the Gulf of America. Now it’s on appeal. No immediate ruling was issued.
