April 8, 2025 1:20 pm
Public health officials say a day care facility in a Texas county that’s part of the measles outbreak has multiple cases, including children too young to be fully vaccinated. West Texas is in the middle of a still-growing measles outbreak with 505 cases as of Tuesday and the state expanding the number of counties in the outbreak area this week to 10. The highly contagious virus began to spread in late January. Three people who were unvaccinated have died from measles-related illnesses this year, including two elementary school-aged children in Texas. Lubbock Public Health director Katherine Wells says day care there had seven cases as of Friday.
April 8, 2025 10:57 am
NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks dove following another stunning reversal. The S&P 500 dropped 1.6% Tuesday after wiping out an early gain of 4.1%, which had it on track for its best day in years That brought the index nearly 19% below its record set in February. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 320 points after giving up an earlier surge of 1,460, while the Nasdaq composite lost 2.1%. Uncertainty is still high about what President Donald Trump will do with his trade war. The latest set of tariffs, including a massive 104% levy on Chinese imports, are scheduled to kick in after midnight.
April 8, 2025 10:15 am
Crashes snarled traffic on several major area roadways Tuesday morning after icy conditions were reported across the region. State police said they worked with PennDOT to clear crashes on I-79 and I-376. A crash along the outbound Parkway West near the Carnegie exit involved 13 vehicles. Washington County 911 dispatchers told WJPA News that there we no accidents reported during that time along Interstate 79 here in Washington County.
April 8, 2025 9:19 am
A big energy announcement for Washington County. Liberty Energy, Inc, Imperial Land Corporation, and Range Resources have announced a strategic alliance to support development of a “state-of-the-art power generation facility within the Fort Cherry Development District in Robinson Township.” According to the release, “the strategic collaboration between Liberty, ILC, and Range will focus on a dedicated power generation facility tailored to meet the energy demands of data centers, industrial facilities, and other high-energy-use businesses in Pennsylvania. This initiative, which is being advanced by companies with proven experience in the region, aligns with Pennsylvania’s commitment to fostering innovation and investment in the energy sector.” Brian Temple, President at Imperial Land Corporation says “This collaboration represents an exciting opportunity to foster industrial growth in the region while leveraging Pennsylvania’s vast natural resources for innovative, reliable, energy solutions”. “By working with Liberty and Range we are positioning the Fort Cherry Development District as a prime location for future industrial demand growth. This initiative is a testament to the region’s potential as an energy, technology and data center hub.” Alan Engberg, Range’s VP Marketing & Midstream commented: “Range is excited to power this growing wave of technology and manufacturing opportunities. This initiative with Imperial Land and Liberty provides an attractive site for a scalable data center or large industrial tenant by virtue of being ideally situated adjacent to the heart of Range’s existing natural gas production, in close proximity to the Ohio River, the City of Pittsburgh and a newly renovated international airport.”
April 8, 2025 5:04 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court is allowing the Trump administration to use an 18th century wartime law to deport Venezuelan migrants, but says they must get a court hearing before they are taken from the United States. In a bitterly divided decision Monday, the court said the administration must give Venezuelans who it claims are gang members “reasonable time” to go to court. But the conservative majority says the legal challenges must take place in Texas, instead of a Washington courtroom. In dissent, the three liberal justices say the administration has sought to avoid judicial review in this case and the court “now rewards the government for its behavior.”
April 8, 2025 5:02 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump says the U.S. is holding direct talks with Iran about its nuclear program. He also warns Tehran it will be in “great danger” if the talks aren’t successful. The president says the talks with Tehran will start Saturday. He insists that Tehran can’t get nuclear weapons. For its part, Tehran confirmed talks would happen but insisted they would be indirect discussions through a mediator in the sultanate of Oman. Trump made the comments to reporters after meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday. Trump said the talks would happen “at almost the highest level.”
April 8, 2025 5:01 am
FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — Rivers rose and flooding worsened across the U.S. South and Midwest, threatening communities already waterlogged and badly damaged by days of heavy rain and storms that killed at least 23 people. From Texas to Ohio, utilities scrambled to shut off power and gas, while cities deployed sandbags to protect homes and businesses. Forecasters warned that flooding could persist for days, especially in Kentucky, Tennessee and Alabama. Some rivers that inundated towns rose to near-record levels and were expected to crest Monday. Forecasters attributed the violent weather to warm temperatures, an unstable atmosphere, strong winds and abundant moisture streaming from the Gulf.
April 8, 2025 4:58 am
China says it will “fight to the end” and take countermeasures against the United States to safeguard its own interests after President Donald Trump threatened an additional 50% tariff on Chinese imports. The Commerce Ministry said Tuesday the U.S.‘s imposition of “so-called ‘reciprocal tariffs’” on China is “completely groundless and is a typical unilateral bullying practice.” Trump’s threat Monday of additional tariffs on China raised fresh concerns that his drive to rebalance the global economy could intensify a financially destructive trade war. Stock markets from Tokyo to New York have become more unstable as the tariff war worsens.
April 8, 2025 4:52 am
President Donald Trump has ordered the Committee on Foreign Investment to review the potential acquisition of U.S. Steel by Nippon Steel. It’s a review that could have a significant economic impact on Western PA and the Mon Valley. In January, the Biden administration issued an order prohibiting the acquisition, after a review by the same Committee on Foreign Investment cited national security concerns. U.S. Steel and Nippon are challenging that order in court. Clairton Mayor Richard Lattanzi worked for U.S. Steel for 30 years. He says President Trump ordering the Committee on Foreign Investment to review the merger is a win for the Mon Valley and the greater Pittsburgh region. “You couldn’t create a better story,” Mayor Lattanzi said. “I thought the deal was great three months ago. Now, Nippon just said recently they may throw another $7 billion in.” Mayor Lattanzi says if the deal is approved, Nippon would invest billions in our backyard, hinting at what that could look like. “They just recently added some more promises to monies,” Mayor Lattanzi said. “I’m hearing rumors about a possible new battery in Clairton, a new hot mill at Edgar Thomson and possibly greener gas.” But environmental groups, including the Breathe Project, say talks of Nippon’s potential investments are vague and don’t address ongoing negative health impacts from outdated facilities or climate pollution.
April 8, 2025 4:42 am
Canonsburg Borough Council discussed a floodwater project aimed at alleviating the chronic flooding issues in the Pike Plaza business district. The area is prone to flooding. Chairman Richard Russo highlighted the joint effort between Canonsburg Borough and Chartiers Township to address this long-standing issue. Russo emphasized that Chartiers Township has been supportive throughout the process, including backing the borough’s grant application. Canonsburg applied for a Local Share Account (LSA) Grant and was awarded $90,000 for the project. While the awarded amount was less than the borough’s initial request, Russo states that the funding would go a long way in addressing the floodwater problems. Canonsburg Public Works plans to partner with Chartiers Township Public Works to tackle any remaining aspects of the project that are not covered by the grant. Russo added that there would be no need for a tax increase to fund the project, as the work will be fully financed by the grant money. In addition to the flood mitigation project, a new electronic sign will be installed in front of the Borough Building. The current sign, which has been in place for approximately 12 to 15 years, has been experiencing issues with display quality, which has led to feedback from residents. The Canonsburg Volunteer Fire Department applied for and received a grant of approximately $25,000 to fund the new sign. However, the timeline for installation remains uncertain.
