July 18, 2025 4:39 am
Community people, union leaders, and advocates gathered on the steps of the Washington County Courthouse for the “Good Trouble Lives On” demonstration, part of a global day of action to defend democracy and workers’ rights. A few days ago, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a decision allowing the Trump administration to proceed with large-scale layoffs in the U.S. Department of Education. The Washington and Greene Counties Central Labor Council organized the rally, which was part of a national coordinated movement against President Donald Trump’s policies and inspired by the legacy of civil rights icon Congressman John Lewis. His encouragement to generate “good trouble” in the face of injustice was mirrored in speeches and signs carried by attendees. The event drew a diverse crowd of labor activists, including teachers, health care workers, tradesmen, and retirees. Speakers highlighted what they regarded as escalating challenges to civil freedoms, attacks on working families, and moves to weaken protections for public employees. In addition to remembering John Lewis’ life, the demonstration served as a reminder of the strength of organized labor and grassroots activism. Participants encouraged continuing participation through voting, public advocacy, and union solidarity.
July 17, 2025 5:23 pm
WASHINGTON (AP) — The White House says President Donald Trump had a recent medical checkup after he noticed “mild swelling” in his lower legs. Press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Thursday that tests by the White House medical unit showed that Trump has chronic venous insufficiency. It’s a relatively common condition in older adults that occurs when little valves inside the veins that normally help move blood against gravity gradually lose the ability to work properly. Leavitt also addressed bruising on Trump’s hand, saying it’s “consistent” with irritation from his “frequent handshaking and the use of aspirin.” Leavitt’s announcement was notable given the president has routinely kept basic facts about his health shrouded in secrecy.
July 17, 2025 3:58 pm
WASHINGTON (AP) — Federal health officials will allow Juul to keep selling its electronic cigarettes. The Food and Drug Administration said Thursday that Juul’s benefits as a less harmful alternative for adult smokers outweigh the risks of teen use. “This is an important milestone for the company and I think we made a scientifically sound case for the role that menthol can play in e-vapor,” Juul CEO K.C. Crosthwaite told The Associated Press. Parents, politicians and anti-tobacco advocates wanted a ban on the devices that many blame for the recent spike in underage vaping. “It is a big step in the wrong direction to authorize sales of the product that was responsible for this public health crisis in the first place,” said Yolonda Richardson, CEO of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids in a statement. The FDA decision applies to both tobacco and menthol-flavored versions of the reusable product.
July 17, 2025 3:29 pm
(WPXI) PITTSBURGH — The Andy Warhol Bridge in Pittsburgh will close for routine inspections from July 21 to July 25 and again from July 28 to August 1, according to the Allegheny County Department of Public Works. The closures will occur from 6 a.m. on Monday to 3 p.m. on Friday during both periods, allowing crews to safely conduct inspection activities. During the closures, traffic will be detoured using Fort Duquesne Boulevard, the Rachel Carson Bridge and Isabella Street. The Andy Warhol Bridge, which spans 1,061 feet, carries an average of 4,549 vehicles daily over the Allegheny River between Downtown Pittsburgh and the North Shore. The bridge, originally opened in 1926, underwent a $25.6 million rehabilitation project from 2016 to 2017. During its last inspection on May 5, 2023, the bridge received a condition rating of 5 out of 9, indicating fair condition, based on National Bridge Inspection Standards.
July 17, 2025 2:35 pm
(AP) – The Steve Miller Band has canceled its U.S. tour, citing extreme weather as a safety concern for fans and crew. The tour was scheduled to begin in August with stops across the U.S., including New York, Tennessee, Florida, and California. Severe heat and unpredictable flooding have disrupted a number other music events this year. In June, Bonnaroo was cut short due to heavy rain. Last week, heat illnesses affected hundreds at the Rock the Country music festival in Kentucky. Scientists say climate change is fueling extreme weather events, which is making outdoor summer events increasingly difficult to plan safely.
July 17, 2025 8:48 am
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Connie Francis, the wholesome pop star of the 1950s and 1960s whose hits include “Pretty Little Baby” and who would later serve as an ironic title for a personal life filled with heartbreak and tragedy, has died at age 87. Her death was announced Thursday by her friend and publicist, Ron Roberts, who didn’t immediately provide additional details. Francis was a top performer of the pre-Beatles era, rarely off the charts from 1957-64. Able to appeal to both young people and adults, she had more than a dozen top 20 hits, starting with “Who’s Sorry Now?” and including the No. 1 songs “Don’t Break the Heart That Loves You” and “The Heart Has a Mind of Its Own.”
July 17, 2025 5:25 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump is granting two years of regulatory relief to coal-fired power plants, chemical manufacturers and other industries as he seeks to reverse Biden-era regulations he considers overly burdensome. Trump issued a series of proclamations late Thursday exempting a range of polluting industries that he calls vital to national security. The proclamations cover coal-fired power plants, taconite iron ore processing facilities used to make steel, and chemical manufacturers that help produce semiconductors and medical device sterilizers. The proclamations allow the facilities to comply with Environmental Protection Agency standards that were in place before rules imposed in recent years by the Biden administration, the White House says.
July 17, 2025 5:20 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — The White House says President Donald Trump had a recent medical checkup after he noticed “mild swelling” in his lower legs. Press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Thursday that tests by the White House medical unit showed that Trump has chronic venous insufficiency. It’s a relatively common condition in older adults that occurs when little valves inside the veins that normally help move blood against gravity gradually lose the ability to work properly. Leavitt also addressed bruising on Trump’s hand, saying it’s “consistent” with irritation from his “frequent handshaking and the use of aspirin.” Leavitt’s announcement was notable given the president has routinely kept basic facts about his health shrouded in secrecy.
July 17, 2025 5:18 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — The controversy over President Donald Trump’s handling of records from the Jeffrey Epstein investigation entered a new dimension Thursday as his administration struggles to make good on its promises to release details on the sex trafficking case involving a one-time friend of the now-president. Trump threatened a lawsuit after The Wall Street Journal on Thursday described a sexually suggestive letter that the newspaper says bore Trump’s name and was included in a 2003 album for Epstein’s 50th birthday. Trump denied writing the letter. Trump in recent days has berated supporters vying for more records from the Epstein probe, after years of courting political support from those who have stoked claims of a coverup in the case.
July 17, 2025 4:59 am
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — Communities along a 700-mile stretch of Alaska’s southern coast ordered their residents to higher ground after a powerful earthquake, but officials quickly downgraded and then canceled a tsunami warning in the area. There were no immediate reports of significant damage. Officials said the earthquake, with a preliminary magnitude of 7.3, struck at 12:37 p.m. local time south of Sand Point. The first waves were projected to land there, but the state’s emergency management division said an hour after the quake that it had received no reports of damage. The earthquake was reportedly felt as far away as Anchorage, almost 600 miles to the northeast.
