August 27, 2025 3:52 am
NEW YORK (AP) — A conservative election researcher whose faulty findings on voter data were cited by President Donald Trump as he tried to overturn his 2020 election loss has been appointed to an election integrity role at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. The agency’s website shows Pennsylvania activist Heather Honey is now serving as the deputy assistant secretary for election integrity. The political appointment shows how self-styled election investigators who have thrown themselves into election conspiracy theories since 2020 are now being celebrated by Trump’s administration. Her new role also comes as Trump has used election integrity concerns as a pretext to try to give his administration power over election administration that the Constitution does not give to presidents.
August 26, 2025 1:35 pm
(AP) – It’s a love story and, baby, she said yes: Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce are engaged. The superstar singer and football player revealed the news in a five-photo joint post on Instagram on Tuesday. It’s the fairy-tale culmination of a courtship that for two years has thrilled and fascinated millions around the world. It’s unclear when and where the two got engaged. The announcement comes not long after Swift’s appearance on “New Heights.” That’s the podcast hosted by the Kansas City Chiefs tight end and his brother Jason Kelce. (Photo: AP)
August 26, 2025 4:37 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — The House Oversight Committee is subpoenaing the estate of the late Jeffrey Epstein. Congressional lawmakers are trying to determine who was connected to the disgraced financier and whether prosecutors mishandled his case. The subpoena is the latest effort by both Republicans and Democrats to respond to public clamor for more information about Epstein, who was found dead in his New York jail cell in 2019. The subpoena demands that Epstein’s estate provide documents including a book that was compiled with notes from friends for his 50th birthday, his last will and testament, agreements he signed with prosecutors, his contact books, and his financial transactions and holdings.
August 26, 2025 4:35 am
CHICAGO (AP) — President Donald Trump says Chicago will likely be the next target of his efforts to address crime, homelessness and illegal immigration. On Friday, Trump mentioned that Chicago could receive similar treatment to Washington, D.C., where 2,000 troops have been deployed. He also indicated plans to assist New York. Trump has often described some of the nation’s largest cities as dangerous. On Friday, he singled out Chicago, calling it a “mess” and claiming residents are “screaming for us to come.” City officials and advocates, meanwhile, slammed Trump’s threats and emphasized drops in violent crime in Chicago.
August 26, 2025 4:31 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump says he’s firing Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook, a sharp escalation in his battle to exert greater control over what has long been considered an institution independent from day-to-day politics. Trump said in a letter posted Monday on his Truth Social platform that he is removing Cook because of allegations that she committed mortgage fraud. Bill Pulte, a Trump appointee to the agency that regulates mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, made the accusations last week. Cook said Monday night that Trump has no authority to fire her and she would not step down.
August 26, 2025 4:21 am
CLEARFIELD COUNTY, Pa. —(WPXI)- There are growing concerns and calls for answers about what’s happening inside the largest ICE detention facility in the northeast. It’s not far away. The Moshannon Valley Processing Center is a privately owned and operated facility located in Clearfield County. That is about three hours from Pittsburgh. It houses nearly two thousand detainees, one of them recently died by suicide. That’s led to protests, including one over the weekend. Local congresswoman Summer Lee tried to visit the facility. She says she waited in the parking lot for an hour before she was denied access. Lee, who sits on the House Oversight Committee, says Congress has a role in ensuring safe and humane conditions inside the facility. Right now, she has lots of questions and few answers. Lee says she’s not sure how many people from Western PA are being detained at the facility. The protests come on the heels of the death by suicide in August of a 32-year-old man– Chaofeng Ge Chow Feng Ji from China- who was being held at the facility. He is the 12th detainee to die while in ICE custody this year, the first to die in ICE custody at Moshannon Valley in 2025. ICE says Moshannon Valley has met or exceeded all standards for such a facility. We reached out to ICE for a statement specifically on Congresswoman Lee’s visit to Moshannon Valley. A spokesperson said they are working to put a response together.
August 26, 2025 4:11 am
BALTIMORE (AP) — The White House says a judge’s decision to throw out the Trump administration’s lawsuit against all federal judges in Maryland is a direct assault on the president’s ability to enforce immigration laws. White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson says Tuesday’s ruling by U.S. District Judge Thomas Cullen will not be the final say on the suit. The administration has filed a notice of appeal. Cullen was nominated by President Donald Trump but slammed the administration’s lawsuit as “potentially calamitous” in his ruling. Cullen also criticized the Republican administration’s attacks on the judiciary. At issue in the lawsuit was an order by the chief judge of the Maryland district court that stopped the immediate deportation of migrants challenging their removals.
August 26, 2025 4:00 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump has sparked backlash from some members of his loyal base by saying his administration would allow 600,000 Chinese students into American universities. That would be a departure for the administration after it’s added new vetting for student visas, moved to block foreign enrollment at Harvard and more. The State Department said in May that it would revoke visas for students tied to the Chinese Communist Party and boost vetting of new applicants. Trump’s announcement Monday adds to confusion about the administration’s restrictive visa policies and its approach to China as the superpowers tussle over trade and intensifying tech competition.
August 26, 2025 1:52 am
(WPXI) – The man who police say stole a Westmoreland County veteran’s car while his dog was still inside has pleaded guilty. Kenneth Crider had a pre-trial conference scheduled for 9 a.m. Monday, where he pleaded guilty to several charges. He was sentenced to 14 months to 10 years in prison, consecutively. In September of 2024, police said Crider stole an 87-year-old man’s car with his beloved dog, Lucky, still inside. A week later, officers arrested Crider in North Carolina after a high-speed chase, but Lucky was nowhere to be found — and remains missing. The search for Lucky has spanned across the country, with t-shirts, billboards, and a Facebook page dedicated to finding him.
August 26, 2025 1:47 am
A truck driver was killed along US Route 22 Monday afternoon in a hit-and-run crash. Washington County Coroner Tim Warco said Brian Everhart was driving a commercial truck and parked to the right of the fog line to check on a mechanical issue. While outside of the truck, Everhart was struck and killed by another driver who fled the scene. Pennsylvania State Police are investigating.
