March 5, 2025 5:06 am
President Donald Trump’s one-hour and 40-minute address to Congress highlighted many of his initiatives, from an immigration crackdown to tariffs and energy policy. But many of his comments Tuesday night included false and misleading information about those efforts. Trump overstated numbers around his immigration crackdown and misrepresented economic figures, repeating several false claims he has made in the past. He also distorted an initiative from his predecessor on electric vehicles and took credit for Army recruitment trends that began before he entered office.
March 5, 2025 5:04 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump vowed to keep up his campaign of “swift and unrelenting action” in reorienting the nation’s economy, immigration and foreign policy as he delivered an unyielding address Tuesday night to Congress and the nation. Democratic legislators registered their dissent with stone faces, placards calling out “lies,” and one legislator’s ejection. Trump’s prime-time speech added up to a defiant sales pitch for the policies that he promised during his campaign and leaned into during his first weeks back in office. Trump pledged to keep delivering sweeping changes to the country, rescuing it from what he described as destruction and mistakes left by his predecessor while repeatedly needling Democrats.
March 5, 2025 5:02 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — Rep. Al Green of Texas wasn’t the first lawmaker ever to blurt out a protest during a presidential address to Congress. But the Democrat is perhaps the only one in recent memory to actually be ejected from the hall Tuesday night by the Speaker of the House. Green said afterward it was worth it to make his point. Speaker Mike Johnson later called for the congressman to be censured. In past years, several lawmakers have raised their voices to shout at presidents – from GOP Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene’s shouts against President Joe Biden and Republican Rep. Joe Wilson’s against President Barack Obama. Green, first elected to Congress 20 years ago, has often been a maverick who stood alone.
March 5, 2025 4:59 am
Popular burger chain Red Robin is considering closing dozens of underperforming locations to help pay off its debt. The company said in its February earnings release that it was “evaluating alternatives for approximately 70 underperforming restaurant locations, including closure upon expiration of the current lease term.” The president and CEO, G.J. Hart, said the locations would close over the next five years with 10 to 15 of them closing in 2025, USA Today reported. The company already closed one location when its lease expired and will sell three locations during the first quarter of this fiscal year, according to the earnings release. A list of targeted locations was not provided in the release. Red Robin has 498 locations with 407 of them owned by the company and the other 91 owned by franchisees, USA Today reported.
March 5, 2025 4:54 am
Several people from our region were special guests at President Donald Trump’s address to a joint session of Congress. Marc Fogel (pictured) and Corey Comperatore’s family were among a group of “everyday Americans” first lady Melania Trump invited to the U.S. Capitol. Fogel, a Butler County native who was imprisoned in Russia for more than three years, was released in February as part of a prisoner swap negotiated by the Trump administration. He and his mother, Malphine, will attend. In a statement, Fogel said the privilege of sitting before a joint session of Congress as Trump speaks is not lost on him. Corey Comperatore was shot and killed while shielding his family from the gunman who made an attempt on Trump’s life during a rally in Butler last July. The former fire chief’s widow, Helen, and their two daughters were also in attendance. Trump recognized Fogel and Comperatore during his speech.
March 5, 2025 4:53 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump is granting a one-month exemption on his stiff new tariffs on imports from Mexico and Canada for U.S. automakers. Worries persist that the newly launched trade war could crush domestic manufacturing. The announcement comes after Trump spoke with leaders of the “big 3” automakers, Ford, General Motors, and Stellantis on Wednesday. Asked if 30 days was enough for the auto sector to prepare for the new taxes, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt says Trump told them: “He told them that they should get on it, start investing, start moving, shift production here to the United States of America where they will pay no tariff.”
March 5, 2025 2:47 am
The Monongalia County Sheriff’s Office has confirmed that Singh Sukhjinder has been arrested in Phoenix, Arizona, on March 4th in connection with a fatal accident that occurred on January 19th on the Cheat Lake Bridge along I-68 East near Morgantown, West Virginia. Sukhjinder has been charged with negligent homicide following the investigation into the death of 59-year-old Kevin C. Lataille, of Smithfield in Fayette County, who died when his vehicle plunged into Cheat Lake after being struck by Sukhjinder’s tractor-trailer. Authorities say Sukhjinder’s reckless driving, including traveling at an unsafe speed and failing to stop after striking Lataille’s vehicle, directly contributed to the fatal crash. The investigation revealed that Sukhjinder’s actions led to Lataille’s vehicle being forced off the bridge into the lake, resulting in his death. Singh Sukhjinder’s arrest in Phoenix, Arizona, was the result of coordinated efforts by law enforcement agencies. He is currently in custody, and further legal proceedings will be handled by the Monongalia County Prosecutor’s Office. Authorities say this remains an active investigation, and additional charges could be forthcoming. (Photo courtesy of Monongalia County Sheriff’s Office)
March 5, 2025 2:13 am
Authorities in Greene County have issued a warrant for the arrest of a Washington man. The District Attorney’s Office there says they have charged 65-year-old William Charles Smith, Sr. with multiple drug charges related to an investigation into the distribution of methamphetamine from Dubtown Vapes in Morrisville last year in November. They say an undercover Drug Task Force Detective purchased meth from Smith, as well as a pipe used to smoke the drug. Smith is facing charges that include delivery of a controlled substance, Possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance and delivery of drug paraphernalia. Anyone with information on Smith’s whereabouts is asked to call police.
March 4, 2025 1:14 pm
(WPXI) – A person is in critical condition after being hit by a car on the bridge near Kennywood park in Duquesne Tuesday morning. Emergency Crews responded to the 1000 block of Duquesne Boulevard around 8:55 a.m. Allegheny County police said an Audi sedan was traveling north when it hit a person in the roadway. The victim was taken to a hospital. The driver of the car remained on scene. Allegheny County police detectives are investigating.
March 4, 2025 12:46 pm
(WPXI) – A small electrical fire broke out at the Pittsburgh Zoo’s Aquarium building on Tuesday morning. A spokesperson for the zoo said the fire was quickly placed under control. All guests and staff were safely evacuated, and the animals are being closely monitored. The fire was confined to the duct-work, and the building has been deemed structurally sound, according to the zoo spokesperson.
