August 4, 2026 5:11 am
NEW YORK (AP) — Investors in Elon Musk’s space company get a chance to question him Tuesday in his first quarterly earnings call since an initial public offering. Stock in SpaceX is down by half from its June peak as investors worry Musk had oversold investors on its future prospects and brace for possible insider selling as a lockup for trading their shares expires later this week. Musk is likely to be asked about when he expects to finish testing SpaceX’s giant Starship rockets, plans for its satellite network and the prospects of putting football-field sized datacenters in orbit.
August 4, 2026 4:56 am
SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) — Authorities say they’ve arrested a 37-year-old man suspected of intentionally starting one of the devastating wildfires burning around Spokane, Washington. The Spokane County Sheriff’s Office said Monday they arrested Aaron F. Farinacci for arson. He’s accused of starting the Old Trails Fire. It’s one of three fires that are burning in the area, which have destroyed at least 700 structures and forced more than 60,000 people to evacuate. The Old Trails Fire sparked on Saturday. Farinacci will make his first court appearance on Tuesday.
August 3, 2026 3:28 pm
Pennsylvania’s senators are working to stop the spread of lanternflies. Sen. John Fetterman and Sen. Dave McCormick joined two colleagues last week to introduce the Spotted Lanternfly Research and Development Act. The bipartisan bill would designate the invasive insect as a high-priority research initiative for the National Institute of Food and Agriculture. The legislation comes as the species continues to threaten the national agricultural economy, with a particular impact on Pennsylvania, where the insect was first found in 2014. Studies estimate the spotted lanternfly could cost the state $324 million annually if the population is not contained. “Spotted lanternflies have ravaged crops that are critical to Pennsylvania’s economy including grapevines, apples, peaches, hops and more,” Fetterman said. “For over a decade, they have cost the Commonwealth millions of dollars and thousands of jobs. I’m proud to lead this bipartisan bill to combat this invasive species and protect our farmers.” McCormick said the research investment is necessary to safeguard the work of local producers. “Pennsylvania’s farmers work hard to produce some of the best agricultural products in the world and it’s concerning that their hard work is at risk of being eaten away by pests,” McCormick said. “By investing in research to combat spotted lanternflies, this bill will help protect our farms, strengthen our agricultural economy and better control this invasive species.”
August 3, 2026 1:54 pm
(AP) – State health officials say two people have died in the cyclospora outbreak in Michigan. They are the first confirmed deaths in the U.S. related to the microscopic parasite. The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services said Monday that both had underlying health conditions that may have been impacted by the intestinal illness and dehydration. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says cyclospora is a microscopic, spherical parasite that commonly causes watery diarrhea “with frequent and sometimes explosive bowel movements,” The parasite spreads through feces. In the past, people have been infected by consuming fruits or vegetables that were exposed to contaminated irrigation water. (Photo: AP)
August 2, 2026 2:45 am
State Police are investigating a brawl that broke out Saturday at EQT Park in North Franklin Township. According to reports, the fight, involving dozens of men and woman broke out during the Tacos and Tequila Festival. There’s been no word on what caused the fight who or started it, but videos are running on social media, posted by festival goers. You can see punches being thrown and people converging on one another. There were no reports of injuries. The festival, which occurs all across the country, is about nine hours long and features a long list of R&B and hip-hop performers.
August 3, 2026 4:59 am
SPRINGFIELD TOWNSHIP, Pa. — A woman was killed in a crash over the weekend in Fayette County. Coroner Bob Baker says it happened along Mill Run Road (Route 381) in Springfield Township Saturday night around 9:30 p.m. Three vehicles were involved in the crash. Rejeanne Menard, 65, of Youngwood, was pronounced dead at the scene. “Please remember Rejeanne’s family and friends in your thoughts and prayers as they would have been celebrating her birthday today instead of her passing,” a release from Baker’s office says.
August 3, 2026 5:06 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — Two Republican senators who threatened to block acting Attorney General Todd Blanche’s bid to lead the Justice Department say they will vote to advance his nomination. The announcement Monday ends an impasse over plans to create a fund to compensate allies of President Donald Trump. The statement from Republican Sen. John Cornyn and Thom Tillis came after Blanche issued an order late Sunday formally rescinding the $1.8 billion “Anti-Weaponization Fund” to compensate people who believe they were unfairly prosecuted by the Justice Department. Cornyn and Tillis had said they would not support Blanche’s nomination without written confirmation that the fund is dead.
August 3, 2026 5:11 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump says new talks with Iran are the “last chance” for Tehran to forge a deal and avoid an escalation of U.S. strikes on the country. Trump said in the Oval Office on Monday he expects to have an idea relatively soon about how negotiations to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and address the United States’ concerns about Iran’s nuclear program. The Republican president says, “The first phase is the opening of the straits. The second phase will be the denuclearization.” Trump says that ”will take a little while.”
August 3, 2026 5:07 am
TWIN FALLS, Idaho (AP) — The suspect in a fatal shooting at a fast-food restaurant in Idaho died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound, police said. The suspect has been identified as 24-year-old Chad Williams. Police on Sunday credited an off-duty officer and a citizen with firing shots at Williams, diverting him from the restaurant. Authorities said they are confident that Williams acted alone. In all, four people died, including the gunman, and seven were injured in the shooting at a recently opened In-N-Out Burger restaurant. Authorities say two of the injured were treated at a hospital and released, three were listed in stable condition and two were in critical condition.
August 3, 2026 5:03 am
(AP) – The Powerball jackpot is still climbing! No tickets matched all six numbers during Saturday’s drawing: 6-17-27-38-50, and the Powerball 5. There was a 3x Power Play multiplier. While no one hit the jackpot, there were some massive prizes won Saturday. One ticket in Virginia won $2 million and five tickets across the country snagged $1 million. According to the Pennsylvania Lottery, two players in the state earned $50,000 prizes. Currently, the next drawing is worth an estimated $748 million with a cash value of $325.1 million. The largest jackpot in Powerball history is $2.04 billion won by a single ticket in California on Nov. 7, 2022. According to Powerball officials, the overall odds of winning a prize are 1 in 24.9. The odds of winning the jackpot are 1 in 292.2 million.
