February 13, 2026 3:37 pm
NORWICH, Conn. (AP) — The State Department has ordered nonprofit public libraries to stop taking passport applications, cutting off a popular local service. In late fall, the agency started sending cease and desist orders, which take effect on Feb. 13. It says these libraries cannot collect and keep passport processing fees under federal rules. Librarians say the service has worked for years and residents still call every day. Members of Congress from several states pushed back in a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio. They call the change abrupt. Pennsylvania members of Congress have proposed a bill that keeps eligible nonprofit libraries in the program.
February 13, 2026 12:55 pm
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Politicians from President Donald Trump to local lawmakers agree that tech companies should cover the power costs of artificial intelligence data centers. But they still fight over what “fair share” means. The debate ties directly to cost-of-living pressure ahead of the midterm elections. Data centers keep spreading fast, and some use as much electricity as a small city. Utilities often spread new power plant and grid costs across all customers. States have started writing rules that require long-term contracts and big upfront payments. Consumer advocates warn the short-term squeeze still pushes up bills.
February 13, 2026 9:23 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — A key measure of inflation fell to nearly a five-year low last month as apartment rental price growth slowed and gas prices fell, offering some relief to Americans still grappling with the sharp increase in costs of the past five years. Friday’s report suggests inflation could be cooling, but it comes after the cost of food, gas, and apartment rents have soared since the pandemic, with consumer prices about 25% higher than they were five years ago. The increase in such a broad range of costs has become a high-profile political issue under the rubric of “affordability.”
February 13, 2026 4:48 am
Two people were flown to area hospitals after a two-vehicle crash along Interstate 70 westbound in North Franklin Township. It happened between the Chestnut Street and Taylorstown exits around 8 p.m. and closed both westbound lanes forcing traffic to detour using Route 40. According to reports, a car and a dump truck were involved. At this time, no other information is available including the identity and condition of those injured. The interstate reopened about an hour later.
February 13, 2026 4:59 am
Canonsburg has named an interim Borough Manager. Finance Director Jennifer Foster will take over those responsibilities while a search for a permanent replacement continues. Council, this week, accepted the resignation of Angela Senay. She stepped down January 30 after serving just four-months in the position. According to the Observer-Reporter, council will soon discuss the next steps for the position.
February 13, 2026 5:04 am
PITTSBURGH — Chrome Federal Credit Union now has a brick-and-mortar presence inside the city of Pittsburgh. According to the Pittsburgh Business Times, it follows completion of its merger with Alcoa Federal Credit Union at its Isabella Street location on Pittsburgh’s North Shore. “We are thrilled to not only offer expanded services and locations to Alcoa’s members, but also to establish a strategic presence on the North Shore,” Broc Sleek, Chrome’s new president and CEO, said via email. “For our Chrome members who live, work and visit downtown, this new branch is a convenient addition to meet their banking needs. Chrome can now reach even more individuals and businesses and show them why members love being part of our credit union.”
February 13, 2026 5:12 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — A shutdown for the Department of Homeland Security appears certain. Lawmakers in the House and Senate are set to leave Washington for a 10-day break, while negotiations with the White House over Democrats’ demands for new restrictions have stalled. The White House and Democrats have traded offers in recent days. Democrats have said they want curbs on President Donald Trump’s broad campaign of immigration enforcement. They’ve demanded better identification for Immigration and Customs Enforcement and other federal law enforcement officers, a new code of conduct for those agencies and more use of judicial warrants, among their requests.
February 13, 2026 5:09 am
More than 4,000 calls came into an Arizona sheriff’s department within 24 hours after the release of videos of a masked person on Nancy Guthrie’s porch. Many will be worthless. Others could have merit. Experts say one thing’s certain: The tips can’t be ignored. Images of a mysterious person have been the most significant clues shared with the public during Guthrie’s disappearance in the Tucson area. She is the mother of NBC “Today” co-anchor Savannah Guthrie. Roberto Villaseñor, a former Tucson police chief, says processing tips is a tremendous amount of work. The FBI says it has collected more than 13,000 tips since Feb. 1., and the sheriff’s office says it’s received at least 18,000.
February 13, 2026 5:08 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump says he’s amassed a collection of campaign funds exceeding $1.5 billion, an unprecedented sum for a lame-duck president. He claims to have raked in that much just between Election Day 2024 and last August, though details on the exact figure are unclear. The funds could play a huge role in influencing this November’s midterms and even the 2028 race to succeed Trump. But it’s also possible the mountain of cash could benefit Trump’s own business interests. In the past, Trump has spent little to support political causes beyond his own — raising questions about the political funds’ true purpose and potential impact on future races.
February 13, 2026 5:07 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — The world’s largest aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald R. Ford, has been ordered to sail from the Caribbean Sea to the Middle East. That’s according to a person familiar with the matter who spoke Thursday on condition of anonymity. It comes as U.S. President Donald Trump considers whether to take possible military action against Iran. The move, first reported by The New York Times, will put two carriers and their accompanying warships in the region as Trump increases pressure on Iran to make a deal over its nuclear program.
