April 30, 2026 9:32 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. economy accelerated at the start of 2026, expanding at a modest 2% pace from January through March after recovering from last fall’s 43-day federal government shutdown. But the outlook is clouded by the Iran war. The Commerce Department reported Thursday that gross domestic product — the nation’s output of goods and services — rebounded from a lackluster 0.5% expansion the last three months of 2025. Growth in consumer spending slowed to 1.6% in the first quarter from 1.9% at the end of 2025. But business investment, likely driven by investments in artificial intelligence, rose at an 8.7% pace.
April 30, 2026 9:31 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — A key inflation measure jumped in March as gas prices soared, the latest sign that the Iran war is pushing up the cost of living and delaying any interest rate cuts by the Federal Reserve. The Commerce Department said Thursday an inflation gauge monitored by the Fed rose 0.7% in March from February, up slightly from the previous month. Compared with a year ago, prices rose 3.5%, the biggest increase in almost three years.
April 30, 2026 2:50 am
Police are investigating reports of a suspicious man along the Montour Trail in Bethel Park. Bethel Park police were called to the Montour Trail on Friday after a woman reported an encounter with a suspicious man around 8 p.m., near the Limestone Drive entrance. Investigators said the woman told police she was walking her dog when the man approached her, began talking to her and complimented her appearance. The report states the man then reached to touch her arm, but her dog lunged at him, causing him to run down the trail toward Peters Township. Police said a Good Samaritan witnessed the incident and stayed with the woman until they arrived. This is a popular access point for walkers, joggers, and bikers. Police said they’re still working to determine if a crime did occur and want to talk to the man involved. They said this is an active investigation and are asking anyone who saw anything along the trail around Friday at 8 p.m. to give them a call.
April 30, 2026 4:59 am
ROSTRAVER TOWNSHIP, Pa. — A student faces charges after police say they made an online threat against the Belle Vernon Area School District. An investigation began on April 20 after a person from Minnesota called Pennsylvania State Police to report that a person they had been playing online video games with had made a specific bomb threat against the district. The Rostraver Township Police Department and troopers responded to the campus. The school activated its safety protocols and implemented an emergency action plan. The threat was determined to be non-credible. “Rostraver Township Police would like to commend the online gamer for taking this threat seriously, showing initiative, and having the courage to reach out and contact our department,” Rostraver Township Police Chief Scott Sokol said. On Wednesday, the Westmoreland County District Attorney’s Office provided an update saying that police executed a search warrant at the student’s home and seized their electronic devices. District Attorney Nicole Ziccarelli said the student will be charged with terroristic threats and simple assault in juvenile court. “The prompt and proactive measures of the Rostraver Police Department and Belle Vernon Area School District to intercept this threat, credible or not, should be commended. I am thankful for the individual who reported this and that all students and staff are safe,” Ziccarelli said.
April 30, 2026 2:12 am
PennDOT announced that single-lane restrictions are scheduled to occur on Route 2001 (South Main Street) and Route 18 in the City of Washington, beginning Monday, May 4th. During this time crews from Allison Park Contractors, Inc. will perform sewer line relocation at the intersection of Route 2001 and Route 18 as part of the Route 2001/Route 18 Over Catfish Creek Bridge. Replacement Project. Drivers should remain alert and use caution when traveling through the area.
April 30, 2026 5:02 am
HONG KONG (AP) — The price of Brent crude oil briefly surged pass $126 a barrel as stalled U.S.-Iran talks raised doubts over the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and a permanent end to the Iran war. Brent crude oil to be delivered in June jumped 3.3% to $121.90 after briefly surpassing $126 per barrel. U.S. futures fell and world shares were mixed. Before the war began in late February, Brent crude was trading around $70 per barrel. There’s no clear path to ending the war, which is in its ninth week. The U.S. has continued its blockade of Iranian ports while the Strait of Hormuz is closed, pushing oil prices higher.
April 29, 2026 5:06 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court has weakened a landmark Civil Rights-era law that has increased minority representation in Congress and elsewhere. In a 6-3 ruling, the court’s conservative majority on Wednesday struck down a majority Black congressional district in Louisiana. The decision opens the door for more redistricting across the country that could aid Republican efforts to control the House. The effect of the ruling may be felt more strongly in 2028 because most filing deadlines for this year’s congressional races have passed. It’s unclear now how much is left of Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. That law is the main way to challenge racially discriminatory election practices.
April 30, 2026 5:07 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is set to face a second day of grilling from Democrats on Capitol Hill. This time, it will be from members of the Senate Armed Services Committee. They will get their first opportunity on Thursday to question the Pentagon chief about his handling of the war in Iran. Hegseth battled with Democrats during a nearly six-hour House Armed Services Committee hearing a day earlier. He faced sharp questioning over the war’s costs in dollars, lives and critical weapons. The hearings are being held on the Trump administration’s 2027 military budget proposal. It would boost defense spending to a historic $1.5 trillion.
April 29, 2026 5:04 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — Jerome Powell plans to remain on the board of the Federal Reserve after his term as chair ends next month “for an undetermined period of time,” saying the “unprecedented” legal attacks by the Trump administration have put the independence of the nation’s central bank at risk. The Fed Wednesday left its benchmark interest rate unchanged for the third straight meeting but signaled it could still cut rates in the coming months, moves that attracted the most dissents since October 1992. The Senate Banking Committee earlier approved Powell’s successor as chair, Trump appointee Kevin Warsh, on a party-line vote.
April 30, 2026 5:03 am
Outlaw country singer-songwriter David Allan Coe, who wrote the blue-collar anthem “Take This Job and Shove It” and created a singing career after a stint in prison, has died. He was 86. A statement to People said he died Wednesday. The cause was not disclosed. Coe had a cult following based on his raw, often-obscene lyrics and a checkered plus somewhat mysterious past. His hits included “You Never Even Call Me by My Name” in 1975 and “The Ride” in 1983. He was also the first country singer to record “Tennessee Whiskey,” which has since become a genre standard.
