March 20, 2026 3:12 pm
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — The first of five high school protesters detained for days in Pennsylvania after a scuffle with a man who turned out to be the police chief entered a probationary program designed to spare him a criminal record. Three other Quakertown teens delayed their juvenile court hearings Friday, while a lawyer for the fifth wants the assault charges dropped entirely. That lawyer, Ettore “Ed” Angelo, calls the treatment of the teenagers “shameful.” They spent four to eight days in detention after the Feb. 20 protest and the past month on house arrest. The police chief remains on medical leave and under investigation.
March 20, 2026 4:59 am
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Iran has threatened recreational and tourist sites worldwide and insisted it is still building missiles. Its supreme leader issued another defiant statement on Friday. The United States was meanwhile deploying more warships and another 2,500 Marines three weeks into the war it launched alongside Israel. Iran fired on Israel and energy sites in neighboring Gulf Arab states. With little information coming out of Iran, it was not clear how much damage its forces have suffered in the punishing U.S. and Israeli strikes that began Feb. 28 — or even who was truly in charge of the country. But Iran’s attacks are still choking off oil supplies and denting the global economy.
March 19, 2026 5:01 am
HONG KONG (AP) — Asian shares have been mostly lower following losses on Wall Street, and oil prices have pared earlier gains on the intensifying Iran war, falling back to around $108 per barrel after briefly surging to about $119 a barrel on Thursday. U.S. futures are higher. Japan’s Nikkei 225 is closed on Friday on a holiday. The war in Iran, which is in its third week, has sent oil and gas prices soaring and is fueling global inflation worries. On Thursday, the S&P 500 was down 0.3%. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 0.4%. The Nasdaq composite lost 0.3%. Gold and silver prices gained, recovering from earlier losses.
March 19, 2026 5:04 am
With U.S.-brokered Ukraine peace talks on hold due to the war in the Middle East, Russian President Vladimir Putin is expected to try to expand his military gains via new offensives against his southern neighbor that will put even more pressure on Kyiv. Windfall revenues from surging global oil prices are filling Moscow’s war coffers and U.S. air defense assets are being drained quickly by Iranian attacks across the Gulf, leaving little available for Ukraine in the fifth year of Russia’s full-scale invasion. Ukraine’s European allies have promised to maintain their steadfast support, but bickering over a major 90 billion euro ($106 billion) EU loan to cover Kyiv’s military and economic needs for two years has reflected the mounting challenges.
March 20, 2026 5:03 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. Education Department is handing off a portion of its student loan portfolio to the Treasury Department. It’s a first step toward shedding management of all student loans as Trump administration officials dismantle the federal education agency. Under an agreement announced Thursday, the Treasury Department will take over management of student loans whose borrowers are in default, meaning they are months behind on payments. Those loans add up to about $180 billion, or 11% of the government’s $1.7 trillion student loan portfolio. A second phase with no timeframe says Treasury will “assume operational responsibility” over non-defaulted loans, “to the extent practicable.”
March 19, 2026 9:51 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — A senior administration official says the Pentagon is seeking $200 billion in additional funds for the Iran war. The department sent the request to the White House, according to the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the private information. It’s an extraordinarily high number and comes on top of extra funding the Defense Department already received last year in President Donald Trump’s big tax cuts bill. Asked about the figure at a press conference Thursday, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth did not directly confirm the amount, saying it could change. Congress is bracing for a new spending request but it is unclear it would have support. Trump says it’s a small price to pay for security.
March 20, 2026 3:16 pm
HONOLULU (AP) — Muddy floodwaters from severe rains have inundated streets, swallowed vehicles and prompted evacuation orders for more than 4,000 people in towns north of Honolulu. Officials are warning about the possible failure of a a 120-year-old dam. Emergency sirens blared early Friday morning along Oahu’s famed North Shore, where rising waters damaged some homes and vehicles. Officials have been watching dam levels since a storm last week dumped heavy rain across the state, which led to catastrophic flooding that washed away roads and homes. Most of the state was under a flood watch, with northern Oahu under a flash flood warning, according to the National Weather Service, which reported “widespread life-threatening flash flooding.”
March 20, 2026 3:20 pm
NEW YORK (AP) — CBS News says it’s shutting down its radio news service after nearly a century of operation as part of a round of layoffs at the company. When it began operation in September 1927, the radio service was a precursor to the entire CBS network. It gave young executive William S. Paley his start and was the home of legendary broadcaster Edward Murrow’s reports from London during World War II. Today it is primarily known for its top-of-the-hour news roundups delivered to about 700 stations across the country. CBS News editor-in-chief Bari Weiss said it will stop operating in May. (Photo: AP)
March 20, 2026 10:25 am
The martial arts grandmaster and action star Chuck Norris has died. His roles in “Walker, Texas Ranger” and other television shows and movies made him an iconic tough guy, sparking internet parodies and adoration from presidents. He was 86. Norris died Thursday, in what his family described as a “sudden passing.” They didn’t release details about his death. Before he would become a star in movies and on TV, Norris was wildly successful in competitive martial arts. His toughman image became the stuff of legend, sparking “Chuck Norris Facts” memes. He was also outspoken about his Christian beliefs and his support for gun rights, and backed political candidates for years.
March 19, 2026 4:48 am
The State Police Fire Marshal has been called in to investigate a fire late Thursday night in the City of Washington. Washington County 911 says fire crews were called to the 100-block of Buttonwood Avenue just before midnight. The home appeared to be vacant and no injuries were reported.
