February 25, 2025 4:51 am
VATICAN CITY (AP) — Thousands of people have gathered in St. Peter’s Square to pray for an ailing Pope Francis, expressing sorrow for his suffering, hope for his recovery and gratitude for his efforts to steer the Catholic Church in new directions. The 88-year-old Francis has pneumonia in both lungs and remains in critical condition despite showing a slight improvement after 11 days in the hospital. Still, the mood was mostly grim in the monumental square on Monday evening, with many understanding they may be in Rome for Francis’ final days. Crowds sat under umbrellas on folding chairs or stood by the vast colonnades as they reflected fondly on the pontiff’s legacy.
February 25, 2025 4:49 am
Nearly 40% of the federal contracts that the Trump administration claims to have canceled as part of its signature cost-cutting program aren’t expected to save any money. The Department of Government Efficiency run by Elon Musk published last week an initial list of 1,125 contracts that it terminated in recent weeks across the federal government. Data published on DOGE’s “Wall of Receipts” shows that more than one-third of the contract cancellations, 417 in all, are expected to yield no savings. That’s usually because the government has a legal requirement to spend the funds for the goods or services it purchased and in many cases has already done so.
February 25, 2025 4:44 am
A Pittsburgh man died in a tree-cutting accident in Burgettstown Monday evening. The Washington County Coroners office says 71 year old James Krapp was pronounced dead in the 500-block of Meadow Road just after 6:30 p.m. Investigators believe the accident occurred sometime between 9 a.m and 3:55 p.m. A cause and manner of death are pending. State Police are investigating.
February 25, 2025 4:41 am
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro says President Donald Trump’s administration has freed up billions in federal aid that the Democrat had accused it of withholding unconstitutionally. Shapiro said in a news conference Monday that more than $2 billion that his administration had identified as either frozen or held up by an unspecified review was now accessible to state agencies. Shapiro sued in federal court on Feb. 13. That was after federal courts had repeatedly rejected the Trump administration’s sweeping pause on federal funding. Trump administration lawyers have argued that the government’s move to freeze funds was legal and characterized it as a “pause” to consider how best to use federal funds.
February 25, 2025 4:38 am
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — A funeral service will be held later this week for a Pennsylvania police officer who was killed last weekend while responding to a gunman inside a hospital intensive care unit. West York Patrolman Andrew Duarte was shot on Saturday at UPMC Memorial Hospital in York. Authorities say the gunman had shot and wounded three hospital employees and taken staff members hostage before responding officers shot and killed him. Duarte’s funeral is to be held Friday at a church in Red Lion, Pennsylvania. An autopsy on Monday concluded that Duarte died from being shot in the torso.
February 25, 2025 2:52 am
Peters Township Council approved a measure to operate a pilot program employing a Police Social Services Coordinator. Peters Township Manager Paul Lauer says that the licensed social worker will not only be dedicated to the Police department, but to any other departments that may need the intervention of an individual to help solve repeated incidents. The most common police issues are centered on domestic disturbances and substance use calls. Other departments experience calls dealing with matters such as trash and recycling questions and simple daily tasks. The goal of the coordinator is to solve the repetitive nature of the calls by having the people involved be guided to the appropriate agency to address their concerns. Washington County will be offsetting the cost of the program for the next five years by contributing $42,000 to the annual salary of the position. Lauer interviews are soon to begin and he hopes to have the position filled by May.
February 25, 2025 2:28 am
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Penn State’s president Neeli Bendapudi says declining enrollments, demographic shifts and financial pressures will require the school to close some of its 19 branch campuses. In a message posted to Penn State’s website, Bendapudi said the university’s seven largest branch campuses will remain open: Abington, Altoona, Behrend, Berks, Brandywine, Harrisburg, and Lehigh Valley. But she says she’ll decide this spring which of the other 12 to close. Bendapudi says Penn State can’t sustain a viable campus system without closing some campuses. About 23,000 students were enrolled at the campuses last fall. She says no campus will close before 2026-27 academic year ends.
February 24, 2025 5:46 pm
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukraine is marking the bleakest anniversary yet of its war against the Russia invasion. The country’s forces are under severe pressure on the battlefield, and U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration apparently embracing the Kremlin in a reversal of U.S. policy. The three-year milestone drew more than a dozen Western leaders to Kyiv for commemorative events in a conspicuous show of support. Hours after the anniversary observances, Trump said Russian President Vladimir Putin would accept European peacekeepers in Ukraine as part of a potential deal to end the war. Separately, Putin suggested that European countries could be part of a settlement, but he also said that he has not discussed resolving the conflict in detail with Trump.
February 24, 2025 12:45 pm
(WPXI) – Three people, including a child, are dead after a duplex fire in Kittanning early Monday. The fire in the 1400 block of North Grant Avenue in Kittanning broke out shortly before 4 a.m Kittanning Hose Co. No. 6 Chief Scott Kline said that a man, woman and 3-year-old child were killed in the fire. Two other children, 5 and 7 years old, made it out. The Armstrong County Coroner’s Office identified the victims as Kayla Whittaker, 28, Ryland Whittaker, 3, and Jason C. Blystone Jr., 26. All three were found in a bedroom, per the coroner’s office. Two firefighters were hurt after falling through the floor from the second level to the first. They were taken to Armstrong County Memorial Hospital and are expected to be Okay. The fire is under investigation by the PSP Fire Marshall and Kittanning Police.
February 24, 2025 10:41 am
NEW YORK (AP) — Roberta Flack has died at 88. The Grammy-winning singer and pianist was known for her intimate vocal and musical style on “Killing Me Softly With His Song,” “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face” and other hits. Her publicist said she died Monday, surrounded by her family. Flack became an overnight star in the early 1970s after Clint Eastwood used “The First Time I Ever Saw Your Face” in his film “Play Misty for Me.” Flack’s other hits included “Feel Like Makin’ Love” and a duet with former Howard University classmate Donny Hathaway, “Where is the Love?”
