Gas Prices Drop

May 27, 2026 5:11 am

Gas prices are seven cents lower this week here in Western Pennsylvania.  AAA East Central’s Gas Price Report puts the average this week at $4.69 per gallon.  The national average is down four cents to an average of $4.49.  Even though the average is lower than last week, gas prices are still the highest they have been in four years.  With gas demand on the rise and prolonged closure of the Strait of Hormuz, pump prices are likely to remain elevated as the summer travel season gets underway.  This weeks national average is 40-cents more than one-month ago and $1.32 higher than one-year ago.

Paxton Dominates Cornyn In Texas Senate Runoff

May 27, 2026 5:20 am

PLANO, Texas (AP) — Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has won the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate. He defeated four-term Sen. John Cornyn. Paxton was endorsed by President Donald Trump last week. His victory in Tuesday’s runoff makes Cornyn the first Republican senator from Texas to lose the party’s nomination for reelection. Trump endorsed Paxton as part of his effort to dislodge GOP officeholders he views as less than devout in their support of him. Cornyn said in 2023 as Trump was running to return to the White House that his time “has passed him by.” Paxton will run against state Rep. James Talarico in November.

Billionaire Steyer’s Ad Spending Breaks Records

May 27, 2026 5:24 am

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Win or lose, billionaire Democrat Tom Steyer will leave a mark in the history books in his bid to become California’s next governor. He’s running the most expensive political advertising campaign in the country this year. Data from ad tracker AdImpact shows Steyer has spent or booked over $195 million in ads for broadcast TV, cable and radio, with the tally still growing. The lavish spending has lifted the former hedge fund manager turned liberal activist into contention in the crowded race. But he’s not breaking away from the field. Still, the cash advantage could give him an edge in the race’s final days.

1 Dead; 9 Missing In Chemical Tank Implosion

May 27, 2026 5:23 am

LONGVIEW, Wash. (AP) — Authorities have confirmed that one person died and 9 others remain unaccounted for after a chemical tank imploded at a pulp and paper mill in Washington state. They say there is no hope to rescue those missing. Nine others were injured in Tuesday morning’s spill, some severely. Emergency responders plan to resume recovery efforts at Nippon Dynawave Packaging Co. in Longview on Wednesday morning. Authorities say those efforts are being hampered by the danger posed by 90,000 gallons of the dangerous liquid that remain in the unstable tank.

AP; ICE Detainees Suicides At Alarming Rate

May 27, 2026 5:16 am

Immigration and Customs Enforcement detainees are taking their own lives at a pace that’s unprecedented in the agency’s two-decade history, highlighting what experts call failures in care and oversight. An Associated Press investigation finds that at least 10 ICE detainees have died by suicide since President Donald Trump returned to office in January 2025 and ordered ICE to increase arrests and deportations. That includes seven deaths since October, already the most in one fiscal year with several months remaining. The increased pace of suicides exceeds the growth in ICE’s detainee population. The deaths happened at detention facilities operated by private contractors and local jails run by sheriffs. All were men, and most were Hispanic.

Multiple Fatalities In Chemical Tank Implosion

May 26, 2026 5:43 pm

LONGVIEW, Wash. (AP) — Authorities have confirmed that 10 people — including a responding firefighter — were injured after a chemical tank imploded at a pulp and paper mill in Washington state. But they declined to immediately say how many workers had been killed or remained missing. In a joint statement, Nippon Dynawave Packaging Co. and local law enforcement said Tuesday that the tank’s rupture caused “multiple critical injuries” as well as fatalities. Authorities said some victims had suffered burns or inhalation injuries. There was no immediate threat to the public. The statement, issued more than four hours after the tank imploded at 7:15 a.m., said crews were continuing recovery operations and that no identifying information would be released about victims pending notification of relatives.

Two Charged After Interstate 70 Police Chase

May 26, 2026 4:56 am

SOUTH STRABANE TOWNSHIP, Pa. — Two people are facing charges after a police chase happened on I-70 back on May 22. According to State Police, Troopers reported a 2008 Chevrolet Cobalt failed to yield on I-70 westbound near mile marker 23.7 in South Strabane Township, prompting a pursuit. The chase continued until the vehicle crashed near Exit 21. That’s when, police say, Terrence Boyd, 38, of Washington, took off on foot. Troopers caught up with him and took him into custody. He faces charges of fleeing and eluding, flight to avoid apprehension, evading arrest on foot, DUI and other traffic-related offenses. Nikki Lash, 41, of Bentleyville, was also charged. Police said she gave them a false ID.  Boyd and Lash were taken to the Washington County Jail.

Police Seek Help In Hanover Township UTV Crash

May 26, 2026 2:23 am

HANOVER TOWNSHIP, Pa. —(WPXI)- Troopers are asking for help after a woman was seriously injured in a UTV crash in Washington County on Saturday night. According to a Pennsylvania State Police report, troopers were called to a crash in Kings Creek off of Clydes Road in Hanover Township around 8:30 p.m. The victim, only identified in the report as a 44-year-old woman, was first taken to a West Virginia hospital, then transferred to UPMC Presbyterian Hospital. She was last listed in critical condition. Information gathered so far leads troopers to think that there were witnesses to this crash. Anyone with information is asked to contact PSP Pittsburgh at 412-299-1607.

Schools Face Backlash Over Digital Devices

May 26, 2026 4:49 am

Schools across the U.S. are starting to rethink the abundance of digital devices in classrooms. After pouring billions of dollars into laptops, tablets and learning apps, a growing number of schools say it is time to scale back. The Los Angeles public school system announced it will stop giving its youngest students devices, as part of a sweeping new screen policy in the nation’s second-largest school district. Concerned parents are driving the reforms. As one mother says: Her daughter came home from school “with a screen addiction in her backpack.”

Iran Denounces U.S. Strikes As Bad Faith

May 26, 2026 5:03 am

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Iran has denounced the most recent U.S. strikes as a sign of bad faith as negotiations press on toward a possible deal to end the war. Meanwhile, the Islamic Republic began restoring internet access after a monthslong national shutdown. The U.S. military characterized Monday’s strikes in southern Iran as defensive, saying targets included missile launch sites and minelaying boats. American military officials said the U.S. acted with restraint in light of the weekslong ceasefire. On Tuesday, Iran’s foreign ministry called the strikes a ceasefire violation and warned that Washington would bear responsibility for all consequences, without elaborating.