February 27, 2025 5:00 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is using a visit to Washington to press President Donald Trump not to abandon Ukraine as he looks to find a quick endgame to Russia’s bloody invasion of its neighbor. With a mix of flattery and frank talk, the center-left Starmer made the case to the Republican president to remain cautious as he goes about ending the biggest conflict in Europe since World War II. The British premier started the visit by delivering an invitation from King Charles III to come to Scotland for a “historic” state visit — noting it was an “unprecedented” honor since Trump already had been given the royal treatment by Queen Elizabeth II during his first term.
February 27, 2025 4:59 am
MEXICO CITY (AP) — Mexico has sent infamous drug lord Rafael Caro Quintero to the United States along with 28 other prisoners requested by the U.S. government. Caro Quintero was behind the killing of a U.S. DEA agent in 1985. Mexico’s Attorney General’s Office said in a statement that the 29 prisoners removed to the U.S. Thursday faced charges related to drug trafficking among other crimes. The unprecedented show of security cooperation comes as top Mexican officials are in Washington trying to head off the Trump administration’s threat of imposing 25% tariffs on all Mexican imports.
February 28, 2025 5:06 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — Federal health officials are trying to tell if this year’s harsh flu season led to an increase in a rare but dangerous brain complication in children. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates 19,000 people have died from the flu so far this winter including 86 children. The CDC says at least nine of those children experienced brain complications and has asked state health departments to help investigate if there are more. Experts say it’s not too late to get vaccinated, and CDC found this year’s shot do lower the risk of being hospitalized for the flu.
February 27, 2025 10:16 am
(AP) – President Donald Trump says he plans to impose tariffs on Canada and Mexico starting next Tuesday, in addition to doubling the 10% universal tariff charged on imports from China. Meanwhile, federal agencies must develop plans to eliminate employee positions, according to a memo distributed by Trump’s administration. Thousands of probationary employees have already been fired, and now his administration is turning its attention to career officials with civil service protection.
February 27, 2025 4:59 am
Washington and Jefferson College has announced that all in-person activities will resume today and all students are expected to attend classes. In a release, President Elizabeth MacLeod Walls said “I am very happy to share with you that, thanks to outstanding and collaborative work across departments, we identified the individual who posted threatening remarks on Yik Yak. This individual already has a binding agreement with W&J not to be on campus; all evidence we have gathered indicates that he is not on campus and points to him being several hours away. Law enforcement will be recommending that prosecutors pursue legal recourse to ensure that the individual is held accountable for his actions. Our Student Life staff and others will take further disciplinary action regarding the student’s violation of our Code of Conduct and other policies.” The identity of the individual was not released. Yik Yak is an anonymous online platform that is used by college students. The anonymous threat reportedly asked, “How many people you think I can kill if I shoot the joint up?” And an anonymous response saying “30-50”. She thanked the “outstanding and collaborative work across departments”. As a result of the incident, she says they will be arranging for active shooter training again this spring.
February 26, 2025 2:33 am
A defense attorney and prosecutors were surprised by a revelation that a suspect was released from the Washington County Jail in error. Samuel Valle, 20 of Monessen, was to appear as an incarcerated defendant at a plea court hearing on Wednesday. Valle’s defense attorney found out the day before from relatives that the Washington County Jail released him after a hearing he had in Westmoreland County back in December. Valle faces attempted homicide and aggravated assault and burglary charges among others in two cases in Washington County. Court documents reflect that Valle was free on $10,000 bail in May 2024, but had that bail revoked in July 2024. Valle is accused of being involved in a gunfight in Charleroi in September of 2024. Calls for comment placed to the Washington County Jail were not returned. A bench warrant has been issued for Valle’s arrest.
February 27, 2025 5:04 am
BULLSKIN TOWNSHIP, Pa. — (WPXI)- A woman is accused of trying to keep a wild deer as a pet in Fayette County. According to a criminal complaint, a Pennsylvania Game Warden officer received a call about a white-tailed deer buck with a dog collar and ear tags in the area of Breakneck Road in Bullskin Township on Tuesday. A woman was in her vehicle, driving next to the animal, and trying to escort it back to a nearby house. Officers learned that the woman was Tamara Shiery, 64, and said she was keeping the deer as a pet illegally in a fenced-in area around her house. The Pennsylvania Game Commission said the animal had been castrated and altered to prevent its antlers from growing. It was being kept in a fenced-in area around Shiery’s house. Police said Shiery refused to open the fence and allow them access to the animal multiple times and she was placed under arrest for interfering with a valid search warrant. The deer was taken into custody per the search warrant.
February 27, 2025 5:12 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump’s administration says federal agencies should begin planning to eliminate employee positions. The process is known as a reduction in force. Agency leaders must submit their plans by March 13. Trump is setting the stage for what could become a dramatic realignment of the federal government. He’s already downsized the workforce by laying off probationary employees. Now the administration is turning its attention to career officials with civil service protection. Trump foreshadowed this goal in an executive order that he signed with Elon Musk, the billionaire entrepreneur who’s advising the Republican president on overhauling the government.
February 27, 2025 5:09 am
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Three senior Ukrainian officials say that Ukraine and the U.S. have reached an agreement on a framework for a broad economic deal that would include access to Ukraine’s rare earth minerals. The officials, who were familiar with the matter, spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly. One of them said that Kyiv hopes that signing the agreement will ensure the continued flow of U.S. military support that the country urgently needs. President Trump called it “a very big deal,” adding that it could be worth a trillion dollars.
February 27, 2025 5:08 am
KHAN YOUNIS, Gaza Strip (AP) — An Israeli official says the military will not withdraw from a strategic corridor in the Gaza Strip. The pullout was part of the ceasefire, and Israel’s refusal could spark a crisis with Hamas and key mediator Egypt at a sensitive moment for the fragile truce. The official says Israeli forces needed to remain in the so-called Philadelphi corridor, on the Gaza side of the border with Egypt, to prevent weapons smuggling. The official spoke hours after Hamas released the remains of four hostages in exchange for over 600 Palestinian prisoners, the last planned exchange of the ceasefire’s first phase, which ends this weekend.
