September 16, 2026 4:50 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — Barely four months into the job, Federal Reserve Chair Kevin Warsh is stuck between two strong but opposing forces: Financial markets that anticipate the central bank will raise interest rates, and President Donald Trump, who wants the Fed to cut them or leave them unchanged. Economists expect that on Wednesday, Warsh and his fellow policymakers will side with the markets. Warsh, many Fed-watchers say, has largely boxed himself into a rate hike after delivering a high-profile speech last month warning that inflation remains too far above the Fed’s 2% target and might require higher borrowing costs to bring it down.
September 16, 2026 4:57 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — FBI Director Kash Patel is defending the bureau’s loosening of hiring requirements regarding prostitution and bestiality, saying the changes were meant to enable victims of those acts to apply for employment without fear of automatic disqualification. The subject arose during a contentious Senate Judiciary Committee hearing in which Patel clashed with Democrats over his firing of agents who participated in investigations of President Donald Trump, a spate of media leak probes, and whether employees would be dispatched to the polls on Election Day in light of the bureau’s ongoing election-related investigations and Trump’s repeated and false claims about the existence of pervasive voter fraud.
September 16, 2026 4:58 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — Senate Democrats have blocked legislation to create a new regulatory framework for cryptocurrency. In doing so, they are stalling an industry-backed effort to place new guardrails around digital assets after demanding more limits on President Donald Trump’s investments. Tuesday’s vote was a pivotal election-year test for the $2.3 trillion cryptocurrency market and came as Trump has amassed significant crypto wealth while in office. While some Democrats are friendly toward the industry and support the idea of regulation, they have been adamant that the bill include strong ethics safeguards to prevent Trump and his family from enriching themselves in office.
September 16, 2026 4:52 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration is planning to deliver powerful 2,000-pound bombs to Israel as part of an upcoming arms deal. The $2.8 billion package includes 40,000 of the bombs, made up of 20,000 Mk84s and 20,000 BLU-117s. That’s according to two U.S. officials and a person familiar with the plan who spoke Tuesday on condition of anonymity to discuss the package, which is not yet final. Such weapons prompted such concerns about the possibility of mass casualties in Gaza that the Biden administration paused their delivery two years ago. Congress has been informally notified about the pending deal.
September 16, 2026 4:50 am
NEW YORK (AP) — Small business owners in the United States and Canada say a trade war between their countries is hurting sales while they are also dealing with rising expenses from higher fuel costs. Canada imposed reciprocal tariffs on about $20 billion worth of U.S. goods last week after President Donald Trump placed import taxes on Canadian goods worth the same amount. Trump said the U.S. also would ban imports of wine, whiskey, selected motorcycles and the cheese-derived protein additive whey from Canada. The conflict between the economically entwined neighbors affects only about 5% of total exports and imports, but it is having a big impact on small businesses that depend on cross-border sales.
September 16, 2026 4:49 am
Leading voices in AI, including Anthropic’s Dario Amodei and OpenAI’s Sam Altman, agree that AI development needs to slow down. This consensus follows a former researcher’s warning about AI’s threats to humanity. But implementing a slowdown faces challenges like global competition, profit motives and pushback from the Trump administration. Amodei suggests independent evaluators for safety monitoring and calls for government regulation. Critics question the feasibility of these measures. President Donald Trump opposes limiting AI, viewing regulation as an obstacle for progress and beating China in the AI race. Industry experts are hopeful but uncertain about achieving a more safety-focused approach.
September 15, 2026 2:38 am
The Commonwealth Financing Authority’s Local Share Account (LSA) Program has awarded nearly eight-million-dollars in state grants to communities across the 46th Senatorial District. The funding will support 26 projects across Beaver, Greene and Washington counties, including improvements to public safety, infrastructure, recreation, municipal services, stormwater management, transportation, broadband access and community facilities. The LSA Program uses gaming revenue to support projects that advance community improvement, public interest, and economic development. In Washington County, many communities will receive financial assistance:
- Canonsburg Borough: $104,025 to install three ADA-compliant concrete restroom facilities at Canonsburg Town Park, replacing temporary portable restrooms.
- Carroll Township: $140,735 to stabilize the slope along Columbia Road following significant landslide damage and restore the affected roadway.
- East Finley Township: $270,872 to purchase a new mower for maintaining rural road shoulders, drainage ditches and steep embankments.
- Fallowfield Township: $122,000 to expand and improve its Veterans and Fire Fighters Honor Roll, including new memorials, walkways, lighting, landscaping, benches and flagpoles.
- Greene County Industrial Developments, Inc.: $90,993 for the Blueprints Foster Transportation Initiative to purchase two vehicles providing reliable transportation for children and youth in foster care and independent living programs.
- Houston Borough: $983,665 to construct a new municipal building, replacing its flood-prone facility and allowing borough operations to continue during future flooding.
- Houston Borough: $120,691 to replace an aging work truck used for borough maintenance and public services.
- Independence Township: $147,000 to replace the failing #408 Bridge with a permanent prefabricated aluminum box culvert, improving safety and access for vehicular traffic.
- Morris Township: $116,450 to construct a new sports court with pickleball and basketball amenities, expanding recreational opportunities for residents of all ages.
- Mount Pleasant Township, on behalf of the Northern Washington County Regional Police Department: $399,569 to purchase and equip six new police vehicles to support 24/7 regional patrol services.
- North Franklin Township: $200,000 for stormwater improvements along Hazelwood Drive, including a detention pond to help address recurring flooding.
- North Franklin Township: $38,000 to purchase a utility vehicle for its 90-acre Waterside Park, assisting with trail maintenance, debris removal and snow and ice clearing.
- North Strabane Township: $300,000 for the first phase of Alexander Park improvements, including ADA-accessible parking and walking surfaces, a renovated basketball court, three pickleball courts, new fencing and updated playground equipment.
- Peters Creek Sanitary Authority: $450,000 to extend public sewer service to 43 properties along Church Hill Road and eliminate the Old Trail Lift Station.
- Peters Township: $1 million to replace the existing soccer field at Peterswood Park with a high-performance turf system supporting soccer, football and lacrosse.
- Redevelopment Authority of the County of Fayette, on behalf of Food Helpers: $92,000 to pave the receiving area and parking lot at the Greater Washington County Food Bank in Centerville Borough, improving access for food deliveries.
- Smith Township: $200,000 for Phase I of a new community park, including parking, a pavilion, recreational amenities, utilities and landscaping.
- Somerset Township: $600,000 to extend public water service along Hixon Road and surrounding roads, providing reliable water to residents, agricultural operations and a business currently relying on wells, cisterns and hauled water.
- Union Township: $200,000 to purchase equipment for its Public Works Department, improving efficiency and reducing the need to rent equipment for township projects.
- Washington City: $254,875 for the Tyler Avenue Drainage Project, including new stormwater infrastructure to address recurring flooding and erosion affecting residential properties.
- Washington County Redevelopment Authority: $37,100 to reseal the Century Plaza parking lot and replace deteriorated sidewalks, improving safety and accessibility for its residents age 62 and older.
September 16, 2026 4:59 am
(AP) – Ed Sheeran’s tour has been thrown into turmoil by all of his supporting acts quitting after the rapper Macklemore was dropped as an opener due to pro-Palestinian comments he made onstage. Sheeran says the decision to drop Macklemore made by the promoter, not him. But the ouster led to Finneas, Lukas Graham, Aaron Rowe, and Beoga all leaving as well, citing artistic freedom and opposition to financial influence. That’s an apparent reference to billionaire Robert Kraft’s role in Macklemore’s ouster. Sheeran hasn’t commented since the other supporting acts left. His next performance is in Philadelphia on Saturday.
September 15, 2026 3:50 pm
PennDOT has announced a scheduled closure of southbound Interstate 79 from Exit 19 (Ruff Creek/Jefferson) in Washington Township to Exit 14 (Masontown/Waynesburg) in Franklin Township, Greene County. All work depends on weather and operations. The full roadway closure of southbound Interstate 79 will occur Thursday, September 17 from 6:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m. Detour: Exit I-79 at southbound Exit 19 (Ruff Creek/Jefferson), southbound Route 221, eastbound Route 188, southbound Route 88, westbound Route 21, enter southbound I-79 via Exit 14 (Masontown/Waynesburg). The closure will allow crews to repair guiderail damaged from a crash over the weekend. The Pennsylvania State Police will also be onsite to assist with traffic control This work is part of the I-79 Waynesburg to Marianna Project, a $45.9 million infrastructure investment, which will make improvements to approximately 11 miles of I-79, extending through Franklin and Washington townships in Greene County and Amwell Township in Washington County. Lindy Paving, Inc., is the prime contractor.
September 15, 2026 3:43 pm
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Prosecutors in California say they won’t pursue the death penalty for Rob Reiner’s son Nick in the killings of his parents. Nick Reiner was charged Dec. 16 with first-degree murder in the stunning killings of the couple, ages 78 and 70. The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office said Tuesday it was deferring the death penalty decision. Nick Reiner has twice pleaded not guilty in the case. His former attorney said that under the laws of California, he is not guilty of murder. The district attorney said the maximum sentence Reiner will be eligible to receive if convicted will be life without the possibility of parole.
