January 1, 2026 5:04 am
The Trump administration has frozen child care funds to all states after allegations of fraud at Minnesota day care centers run by Somali residents. A Department of Health and Human Services spokesperson said states will have to provide more verification for the child care centers that receive funds from the Child Care and Development Fund. In addition, Minnesota will have to provide additional verification on top of the new requirements for centers that are suspected of fraud. Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz has accused President Donald Trump of weaponizing the allegations for political gains. Trump has targeted the Somali diaspora in the state.
January 1, 2025 2:12 am
MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Drummers pounded in the New Year and a stampede of computer-generated horses was shown over part of the Great Wall as China and elsewhere in Asia marked the start of 2026. Temple bells rang across Japan, and some climbed mountains to see the year’s first sunrise. Hong Kong held subdued celebrations following a recent deadly fire. And Sydney saluted the new year with joy and defiance less than three weeks after Australia’s worst mass shooting in almost 30 years. (File Photo: AP)
January 1, 2025 2:50 am
BETHEL PARK, Pa. — One person is in custody following reports of shots fired and an assault outside South Hills Village Mall on Tuesday. Bethel Park Police said they were called to the AMC Theatre at 4 p.m. Officers said they found a man who had been assaulted and evidence of an unknown number of shots fired when they arrived. No injuries were reported. Allegheny County Police said a juvenile boy was arguing with a group of people who were traveling in a vehicle outside of the theater. That vehicle was later determined to be stolen. As the situation escalated, police said the boy struck a second vehicle and caused damage to it. The driver of that second vehicle got out and began yelling at the boy. That confrontation turned physical. As the fight broke out, the driver of the first vehicle, identified as 18-year-old Elijah Brown, fired shots in the direction of the second driver. The boy involved in the fight then got into the vehicle from which shots had come and fled the scene. The vehicle was found traveling through Mt. Lebanon and Dormont. Allegheny County Police said the people inside that stolen vehicle got out and ran from it along Route 19 in Dormont. Brown is facing multiple charges.
January 1, 2026 4:47 am
A winter weather advisory was allowed to expire at 10 a.m. New Year’s Day for Washington County and surrounding areas in Western Pennsylvania. Additional snowfall of 1-3 inches is expected Thursday for total snowfall accumulations of 3-5 inches. The Weather Service warned that bridges and overpasses could still be slick and hazardous. The speed limit was reduced from 55 mph to 45 on interstates 79 and 70 in Washington, Greene and Westmoreland counties until about 7 a.m. Crews are treating roads with salt, but motorists are urged to avoid unnecessary travel and use caution.
January 1, 2026 4:37 am
About two dozen accidents were reported between 7 p.m. New Year’s Eve and 3 a.m. this morning as Washington County ran in the New Year with additional snowfall. A Washington County 911 supervisor said no serious injuries were reported, but that the challenging conditions wreaked havoc on motorists. There were reports of overturned cars, he added.
January 1, 2026 4:23 am
Firefighters from multiple departments spent several hours battling a blaze that engulfed a trailer home Thursday night in Canton Township, Washington County 911 reported. No one was home when the fire started, and no injuries were reported. Firefighters responded from Canton Township, Chartiers Township and the City of Washington at 7:49 p.m. Thursday, according to a 911 supervisor. The homeowner arrived at the scene shortly thereafter.
January 1, 2025 2:54 am
(WPXI) – A large police presence responded to reports of shots being fired and an assault outside the South Hills Village Mall. Bethel Park Police said they were called to the AMC Theater at 4 p.m. on Tuesday. Officers said they found a man who had been assaulted and evidence of an unknown number of shots fired when they arrived. Ultimately, police found that no one was hit by gunfire. The Bethel Park Police Department said multiple suspects fled the scene but were taken into custody by neighboring South Hills police departments. There is no ongoing threat to the public, police say.
January 1, 2026 7:37 am
SOUTH STRABANE TOWNSHIP (WPXI) — After sitting abandoned for more than a decade, the Washington Mall is in its final days. Crews on Wednesday used an excavator to tear down what remained of the last portion, including the former JCPenney. Construction crews expect the structure to be fully down by the end of next week, about a month ahead of schedule, owner Vinnie Neiswonger said. Drone video over the property shows that most of the once-popular mall has already been reduced to rubble. The demolition will clear the way for a major retail redevelopment anchored by a Costco. Developers say part of the former grocery store structure will remain and be converted into an RV dealership. Two businesses on the property — China Buffet and Harbor Freight — are still under lease through the summer of 2026 and are tentatively expected to relocate on the site, according to local commissioners.
January 1, 2025 2:55 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — Fewer Americans applied for unemployment benefits last week as layoffs remain low despite a weakening labor market. U.S. applications for jobless claims for the week ending Dec. 27 fell by 16,000 to 199,000 from the previous week’s 215,000, the Labor Department reported Wednesday. Analysts surveyed by the data firm FactSet forecast 208,000 new applications. Applications for unemployment aid are viewed as a proxy for layoffs and are close to a real-time indicator of the health of the job market. The total number of Americans filing for jobless benefits for the previous week ending Dec. 20 fell by 47,000 to 1.87 million, the government said.
January 1, 2025 2:54 am
PITTSBURGH — We have a winter weather advisory that will ring in the new year. Snow will continue through the evening and into New Year’s Day. Snow will be steady to heavy at times and could include snow squalls, especially during the evening hours. Travel is expected to be slippery and hazardous for New Year’s Eve celebrations. Bursts of snow will quickly cover roads, and visibility could drop to near zero. Total snow for much of the area will range from two to four inches for New Year’s Eve, and isolated higher amounts are possible. Most of the snow exits by early New Year’s Day morning.
