July 10, 2026 7:42 am
NEW YORK (AP) — The New York Times, the Daily News and other media outlets are asking a federal judge to impose sanctions on OpenAI, escalating a legal fight over artificial intelligence and copyright that could shape the future of a struggling news industry. The newspapers allege the ChatGPT maker is hiding evidence important to what could be a landmark copyright infringement trial over how OpenAI and its business partner Microsoft built their AI technologies using millions of news articles. At issue is whether AI chatbots are unfairly competing as an information source, siphoning off web traffic without doing the journalistic work it took to gather the news.
July 10, 2026 7:47 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — A new AP-NORC poll finds that many Jewish Americans feel unsafe in the United States, with a majority saying they feel less safe than they did before Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel. The findings highlight the vulnerability that many Jewish adults in the U.S. feel as bipartisan support for Israel erodes and significant divides emerge within the Jewish community about what constitutes antisemitism — particularly when it comes to protesting Israel. About 3 in 10 say they or members of their household have experienced physical assault, verbal assault, online harassment or damaged property because of their Jewish background in the last year.
July 9, 2026 6:09 pm
WASHINGTON (AP) — The number of Americans filing for unemployment benefits dipped slightly last week as layoffs in the U.S. remain historically low. U.S. applications for jobless aid in the week ending July 4 ticked down by 2,000 to 215,000, the Labor Department reported Thursday. Analysts surveyed by the data firm FactSet forecast 220,000 new applications. Weekly filings for unemployment benefits are considered a proxy for layoffs and are close to a real-time indicator of the health of the U.S. job market. The total number of Americans filing for unemployment benefits for the previous week ending June 27 rose by 8,000 by to 1.81 million, also historically low.
July 9, 2026 5:51 pm
WASHINGTON (AP) — A former Olympic canoe racer has pleaded not guilty to deliberately damaging the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. David Hearn, who competed in three Summer Olympics, entered the plea on Thursday in D.C. Superior Court. Hearn, 67, from Bethesda, Maryland, faces a felony count of property destruction. President Donald Trump ordered a multimillion-dollar renovation of the pool, but the project has faced issues. U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro said six others were arrested on related charges. Hearn’s attorneys argue the charges are based on a “concocted narrative” and criticize the administration’s handling of the situation.
July 9, 2026 7:50 am
State Police have charged a Bentleyville man with sexually assaulting a 15 year girl in Butler County. According to police, 22 year old William Leach took an Uber to the girl’s home and engaged in sexual acts inside the home. He then hid inside when family members returned but took the girl for a walk. Police say the girl’s mother realized she was missing around 1 a.m. and called police. Police say he provided the victim with alcohol and marijuana. An initial search failed to locate Leach but officers returned later and were able to take him into custody. The criminal complaint says Leach faces charges that include; two-counts each of Involuntary Deviate Sexual Intercourse and Statutory Sexual Assault. Police say they found items including knives, razor blades and drug paraphernalia and that Leach told the girl he would kill her and her entire family if she told anyone.
July 8, 2026 2:49 am
The Washington County Coroner’s Office has been searched again, this time, by the Westmoreland County District Attorney’s Office. They say they assisted Monessen Police in executing the search warrant to obtain documents needed for an investigation. “This is uncharted territory for our office. As a law enforcement agency, the Monessen Police Department is entitled to material pursuant to a criminal investigation and prosecution. Pursuing justice and accountability shouldn’t come at a cost to the victim, the victim’s family, or public safety,” Westmoreland County District Attorney Nicole W. Ziccarelli said. In a statement provided to WJPA News, the coroner’s office offered this response; “This matter involves a Westmoreland County criminal investigation into a drug-related death in which the victim died at Mon Valley Hospital in Washington County, after which the Washington County Coroner performed an autopsy. Some weeks ago, the Westmoreland County District Attorney’s Office requested the autopsy report and toxicology reports for its investigation. The Coroner’s Statute provides that the Coroner has the authority to assess fees when services or reports are requested from another county. The established fees for the requested reports amounted to $600, which would operate to offset our approximate out-of-pocket costs of $2,500.00. The Westmoreland District Attorney took the position that it did not have to pay these fees, and that they would not pay these fees. So, they raided the Coroner’s Office and took them through the force of a search warrant. It is the position of Washington County Coroner Tim Warco that the taxpayers of Washington County should not be responsible for the funding of matters in other counties when there is a mechanism for the recovery of those funds”. This is the second time the office was searched. Last November, a search warrant was executed amid a dispute over access to autopsy reports. The Washington County District Attorney’s Office, Pennsylvania State Police, Washington City Police and Canonsburg Police all searched for autopsy reports connected to five cases. Officials said investigators and the DA’s office had repeatedly requested the documents and were denied. The DA’s office said it was told three reports were available but would only be released for a fee of about $700 each. District Attorney Jason Walsh said those reports were essential to prosecuting crimes and serving victims. Coroner Tim Warco at the time, said he had decided to charge fees because his office wasn’t receiving police reports needed to complete autopsies and related records.
July 9, 2026 2:27 am
South Strabane Township is in the market for a new fire chief. Jordan Cramer, Chief of Fire and Emergency Services and Emergency Management Coordinator tells WJPA News that he tendered his resignation on Wednesday to take on a new position as the Director of Fire Services in Ross Township. Cramer said that his final day will be September 11. He will be at the annual September 11 memorial. He said he looks forward to working through the transition period and serving South Strabane residents. Cramer came to South Strabane Township in 2022 from Peters Township. Ross Township commissioners voted to hire Cramer at their meeting Monday. According to reports, his salary will start at $108,000. Ross does have a residency requirement meaning that he will have to move to the Township. Ross has eight volunteer fire companies. (PHOTO: Jordan Cramer)
July 9, 2026 2:46 am
PennDOT announced on Wednesday that landslide repairs are scheduled to begin on Locust Avenue between Hudack Hill and the Interstate 79 Interchange in South Strabane Township, on Monday, July 13th. On March 27th, the roadway was closed to traffic due to a landslide. There was no word on how long the repairs will take, but officials say the existing detour utilizing Country Club Road and Locust Avenue will remain in place until mid-October.
July 9, 2026 3:42 pm
The beach at Raccoon State Park in Beaver County is closed for swimming due to an elevated coliform count. Swimming is prohibited in Racoon Lake until further notice. The park said re-test results are expected on Monday. If those results show acceptable levels, the beach will reopen. The beach remains open for picnicking and other land-based activities. For more information, you can call the park office at 724-899-2200 between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m.
July 8, 2026 4:57 am
The U.S. Postal Service is once again raising postage rates. The price of a Forever stamp will go up from 78 cents to 82 cents, or an increase of 4 cents, on July 12, USA Today reported. The USPS announced its intent to raise raites in April, with the Postal Regulatory Commission approving the increase in May. The USPS said the increase was needed to offset rising costs and other challenges. “In the midst of the severe financial crisis facing the Postal Service and continued rising operational costs, the Postal Service is using all available tools, including available regulatory pricing authority, to ensure we can continue to fulfill our universal service obligation and serve the American public,” the agency said. The Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act of 2006, passed by Congress, also required the post office to prepay retirees’ health care benefits, according to reports. The Postal Regulatory Commission found that the post office incurred a $2.7 billion net loss for the fiscal year ending Sept. 30, 2025, and that it has operated at a loss for the past decade, according to the report. The last time the USPS increased the price of a Forever stamp was in July 2025, when it went from 73 cents to its current rate. Forever stamps were introduced in 2007 and cost 41 cents each. They were good as their name indicates, forever, no matter what a person paid for them at the time of purchase The stamps are not the only rates that are changing this weekend. Here is the breakdown:
- Domestic postcards – 65 cents, up from 61 cents
- Letters (metered 1 ounce) – 78 cents, up from 74 cents
- Letters (1 ounce) – 82 cents, up from 78 cents
- International postcards – $1.75, up from $1.70
- International letter (1 ounce) – $1.75, up from $1.70
