June 29, 2026 5:03 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court says Federal Reserve governor Lisa Cook can remain in her job for now, a rebuke to President Donald Trump’s bid to wrest control of the nation’s central bank. At the same time, the justices on Monday dramatically expanded presidential power, upholding the Republican president’s firings of the heads of other independent federal agencies. The court rejected a Trump administration plea to immediately remove Cook from the Fed based on allegations she committed mortgage fraud, which she denies. Cook was nominated to the Fed’s Board of Governors by then-President Joe Biden, a Democrat.
June 29, 2026 5:01 am
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — President Donald Trump says on social media that Iran had requested a meeting with U.S. counterparts, though Iranian officials said no such meeting was scheduled. The U.S. president has tried to preserve an increasingly fragile interim deal as hostilities have mounted in recent days in the Strait of Hormuz, a vital waterway for energy supplies. Monday marked the first time both sides appeared to pause after four days of trading attacks. Iran’s president says $6 billion in frozen Iranian assets would be released by Qatar, remarks apparently aimed at selling the Iranian public on the interim deal. So far, U.S. officials say no frozen Iranian assets have been released.
June 29, 2026 3:53 pm
NEW YORK (AP) — Comcast is planning to split itself into two separate publicly traded companies by spinning off NBCUniversal and Sky. The company said Monday that its board and management team think each company will be better positioned to pursue its own strategic priorities, invest for growth and create long-term shareholder value as independent entities. Media and entertainment company NBCUniversal includes a theme parks division, Universal film and television studios, NBC and Telemundo networks, Peacock, and Bravo. Its portfolio will now include European media business Sky.
June 29, 2026 4:47 am
Emergency crews conducted a water rescue in Fayette County on Sunday. According to the Everson Volunteer Fire Co., crews were called to the Yough River in Upper Tyrone Township for a kayak that had reportedly overturned, leaving three people in the water. The three people were found on the riverbank, but the terrain made them inaccessible, officials say. Morrell Volunteer Fire Co. crews kept an eye on the people and made contact with them over the phone. New Haven Hose Co. launched a boat from the Dunbar Township side of the river and rescued the three people. All of them declined care from medics.
June 29, 2026 4:51 am
WASHINGTON, Pa. — A chain steakhouse restaurant has closed its doors here in Washington County. A spokesperson for Bloomin’ Brands confirms that the Outback Steakhouse location on Washington Road in Washington closed on June 22, ahead of its lease expiring. Some of the restaurant’s employees will be able to transfer to a nearby restaurant and will receive a transition bonus. The restaurant has served the Washington Community for 20 years. The only remaining Outback Steakhouse location in Western Pennsylvania is in Coraopolis. The McCandless location closed in 2024, as part of Bloomin’ Brands’ decision to shutter underperforming locations.
June 29, 2026 4:58 am
PARIS (AP) — A record-breaking heat wave has overwhelmed mortuaries in Paris, leaving funeral directors struggling to find space for bodies. Zouhaeir Hertelli, a mortuary owner, says he receives hundreds of calls daily but has no room left. France is counting the human cost of the heat wave, which began in mid-June. Public Health France reports a surge in deaths, particularly among older people. Last week, deaths exceeded 1,200 on Wednesday and rose to over 1,400 on Thursday and Friday. The agency expects these numbers to rise as more death certificates are processed.
June 28, 2026 7:36 am
BEAVER, Utah (AP) — Three firefighters have died and two were injured while battling fires on the Colorado-Utah border. The U.S. Wildland Fire Service says they were responding to the Knowles and Gore fires on Saturday. Wildfire activity has intensified across the western U.S. due to hot, dry, and windy weather. The largest blaze, the Cottonwood Fire, has grown to over 144 square miles in southwest Utah. Utah’s governor declared an emergency earlier this week, and Colorado’s governor on Saturday followed suit and authorized the National Guard to help. Conditions have been critical, with record-low snowpack and extreme drought fueling the fires.
June 28, 2026 7:35 am
LA GUAIRA, Venezuela (AP) — Tensions are high in Venezuela as the death toll rises to 1,430 after two powerful earthquakes struck three days ago. Families have reported that 68,900 people are missing. Many civilians are leading search efforts, frustrated by what they see as an inadequate government response. International rescue teams continue to join the effort, with 17 flights bringing over 1,600 rescue workers by Saturday. The disaster is a major challenge for acting President Delcy Rodríguez. The capital’s main airport is damaged, complicating aid delivery.
June 28, 2026 7:34 am
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukraine has intensified its drone attacks on Russia, setting fire to a major oil refinery in the south and killing at least two people, according to Russian authorities. Kyiv’s long-range strikes aim to disrupt Russian fuel supplies and military deliveries, pressuring the Kremlin to negotiate. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed the strike on the Slavyansk refinery and claimed another hit in the Yaroslavl region. Ukraine’s campaign targets Russian military industries and energy facilities to cut Moscow’s revenue and apply pressure. The attacks have stalled Moscow’s battlefield efforts, according to Western officials.
June 28, 2026 7:33 am
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard says it launched drone and missile attacks targeting Bahrain and Kuwait in response to U.S. airstrikes that hit the Islamic Republic. The statement issued Sunday also threatened a “complete halt” to negotiations to end the war if Washington continues its attacks. The new crossfire in the Persian Gulf further strains the initial deal that Iran and the United States struck in an effort to find a permanent end to the war. Renewed fighting in Lebanon, where an Israeli soldier and Lebanese civilian were killed, further tested the interim deal.
