March 19, 2025 5:17 pm
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — President Donald Trump has suggested to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy that the U.S. should take ownership of Ukrainian power plants to ensure the critical facilities’ security. According to a White House statement, Trump told Zelenskyy during a call Wednesday that the U.S could be “very helpful in running those plants with its electricity and utility expertise.” Trump added that “American ownership of those plants could be the best protection for that infrastructure.” The idea was floated even as the Trump administration looks to finalize an agreement to gain access to Ukraine’s critical minerals as partial repayment for U.S. support for Ukraine during the war. Wednesday’s call, which both sides say went well, comes weeks after Zelenskyy’s disastrous White House visit.
March 19, 2025 5:07 am
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams have returned to Earth after being stuck in space for more than nine months. Their SpaceX capsule parachuted into the Gulf of Mexico early Tuesday evening, just hours after departing the International Space Station. The splashdown brought their space saga to an end. It all began with a bungled Boeing test flight last year. The two expected to be gone a week or so after launching on Boeing’s new Starliner capsule. So many problems cropped up that NASA ordered Starliner back empty and reassigned Williams and Wilmore to SpaceX for the ride home.
March 19, 2025 5:03 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal judge has blocked enforcement of President Donald Trump’s executive order banning transgender people from serving in the U.S. military. Judge Ana Reyes in Washington, D.C., ruled Tuesday that Trump’s order to exclude transgender troops from military service likely violates their constitutional rights. The judge issued a preliminary injunction requested by attorneys for six transgender people who are active-duty service members and two others seeking to join the military. She delayed her order until Friday to give the administration time to appeal.
March 19, 2025 5:02 am
SEATTLE (AP) — Attacks on property carrying the logo of Elon Musk’s electric-car company are cropping up from coast to coast and even overseas. Tesla showrooms, vehicle lots, charging stations and even privately owned cars have been targeted. Not all of the incidents have been definitively linked to politics, but there has been a clear uptick since President Donald Trump took office and empowered Musk to oversee a new Department of Government Efficiency that is slashing government spending. Experts on domestic extremism say Tesla is a predictable target for left-wing anarchist violence, even if it’s impossible to know yet if the spate of violence is a passing fad or the beginning of a worrisome trend.
March 19, 2025 5:01 am
DALLAS (AP) — Unredacted documents related to the 1963 assassination of President John F. Kennedy have been released following an order by President Donald Trump shortly after he took office. The documents were posted on the website of the U.S. National Archives and Records Administration on Tuesday evening. The vast majority of the National Archives’ collection of over 6 million pages of records, photographs, motion pictures, sound recordings and artifacts related to the assassination have previously been released.
March 19, 2025 4:48 am
A Washington woman has been charged with stealing from the Wash High Football Boosters Club. According to the Criminal Complaint, on January 13, police were dispatched to Washington High School, where Head Football Coach Mike Bosnic, and Booster club leaders reported a significant amount of money had been taken from the club. City Detectives began an investigation. Officials identified 38-year-old Nicole Cook, the Vice President of the Wash High football boosters, as someone who used the group’s bank card for multiple unauthorized transactions. All told, there were more than 18 unauthorized uses totaling more than 43-hundred dollars. In early February she told investigators that she was struggling for money. Purchases were allegedly made at Wal-Mart, Sam’s Club and Dick’s and used for rent. Cook reportedly paid some of the money back. Cook is charged with Theft by Unlawful Taking and other charges at District Judge Kelly Stewart’s court.
March 19, 2025 4:43 am
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Voters in a western Pennsylvania state House district will be filling a vacancy next week and deciding which party will hold the speakership. The district at stake in a special election on Tuesday includes towns along the Mon Valley steel region southeast of Pittsburgh. The race pits McKeesport Police Officer Dan Goughnour, the Democrat, against longtime volunteer firefighter and current White Oak Borough Council President Chuck Davis, the Republican. Since Democratic state Rep. Matt Gergely died in January, the House has been deadlocked at 101 to 101. Democrats hope to keep the seat and maintain Democratic Speaker Joanna McClinton as the chamber’s presiding officer.
March 19, 2025 2:49 am
A Canonsburg man received probation for a drug delivery resulting in death charge. John Backner, 58 pleaded guilty for selling a fatal dose of fentanyl to Sean Caldwell, 41 of Hickory, in October of 2023. The negotiated plea is for five years probation with one year of electronic home monitoring. The sentence also included 180 days of time served in the Washington County Jail before Backner was released on $500,000 bond. The judge reluctantly accepted the plea after prosecutors explained that Backner admitted responsibility very early on at his preliminary hearing. They also indicated that Backner has been particularly instrumental in the investigations of other unrelated cases. Backner could have been sentenced to more than six years in prison. Charges of possession with intent to deliver and criminal use of a communications facility were dropped.
March 19, 2025 2:41 am
The Superintendent of the Fort Cherry School District, in a Facebook post and letter to parents and guardians, said the high school principal received notification Wednesday morning that a threatening statement was discovered written on a wall within the school. Thomas Samosky said that after consultation with law enforcement, the Mt. Pleasant Police Department, Washington County Sheriff’s Office, and the Trinity Area School District Police conducted a thorough sweep of the building out of an abundance of caution and it has been determined that the threat is not credible. Samosky wrote that the safety and well-being of students and staff are top priorities. As such, we took these precautionary measures to ensure the safety of everyone on campus. All classes and extracurricular activities will continue as scheduled. Samosky says though, that there will be an increased police presence in and around the school. In addition, counselors will be available if any students would like to talk to someone about this event. He says a thorough investigation is ongoing to identify the individual or individuals responsible for this incident. Any person found responsible will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.
March 19, 2025 2:17 am
PITTSBURGH — Kennywood, Idlewild and Sandcastle are being sold to a new company. Parques Reunidos has agreed to sell its Palace Entertainment U.S. properties, which include the three Pennsylvania parks, to Herschend, which owns award-winning destinations like Dollywood, the Adventure Aquarium and Wild Adventures Theme Park. In all, Herschend, which describes itself as the “world’s largest family-owned themed attractions company,” is acquiring 20 entertainment venues across 10 states. Herschend says it’s committed to a smooth transition and no immediate changes are planned for the daily operations of the properties it’s acquiring. “We look forward to building upon the strong foundation that Palace Entertainment has created and welcoming these properties and hosts into the Herschend family of brands,” said Andrew Wexler, CEO of Herschend. “The teams at these parks have done an incredible job building beloved destinations in their communities, and we look forward to learning from them, growing together, and building on their success. This is an exciting opportunity for all of us to continue creating exceptional experiences for guests and meaningful opportunities for our teams.” Terms of the sale were not announced. The sale has not yet been completed.
