August 18, 2026 4:40 am
Authorities say 13 former or current Penn State University students participated in a cocaine-trafficking ring that involved two fraternities. Authorities say the cocaine was packaged mainly at two off-campus fraternity houses and distributed primarily to students. Pennsylvania’s top prosecutor says fraternity brothers packaged the cocaine and that authorities found a pattern of some pledges being indoctrinated through cutting and bagging cocaine. Penn State University said in a news release that the university is placing Delta Upsilon on interim suspension while the college investigates the incident. Sigma Chi is not recognized and operates outside of Penn State’s oversight.
August 18, 2026 5:17 am
Hayden Panettiere has died at age 36. The actor starred in television series including “Heroes” and “Nashville.” Police in Greenville, South Carolina, say Panettiere was found unresponsive at an apartment complex on Sunday. They say an autopsy found no signs of trauma and her death remains under investigation. Panettiere’s father announced the actor’s death in a statement provided to ABC News. Panettiere had a prolific career dating to 1996. She appeared in “Remember the Titans” and voiced Dot in the Disney animated movie “A Bug’s Life.” Her role as a superpowered cheerleader in “Heroes” propelled her to fame two decades ago.
August 17, 2026 5:46 pm
HONOLULU (AP) — Tropical Storm Lala has left behind a muddy mess from intense rainfall and flooding as it moved past Hawaii’s main islands. The storm weakened from a hurricane on Sunday without making landfall. Cleanup efforts are expected to begin Monday. But, the National Hurricane Center says life-threatening surf and rip currents remain. Heavy rainfall could still cause landslides, though winds are no longer a threat. Laupahoehoe on the Big Island recorded the heaviest rainfall at 43.54 inches. The storm caused serious flooding that swept about 100 homes from their foundations.
August 17, 2026 5:45 pm
NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. kindergarten vaccination rates have declined again, with exemptions reaching a record high. Federal data released Monday shows 4.2% of children are exempted from vaccine requirements, up from 3.6% the previous year. This marks the fourth consecutive year of rising exemption rates, mostly due to nonmedical reasons. Experts blame confusion in vaccination recommendations. The CDC reports a slight drop in measles-mumps-rubella shots, and that vaccination rates for polio and other diseases also are falling. The U.S. is experiencing its worst measles year since 1991. Some state health officials are urging parents to vaccinate their children as schools can be hot spots for outbreaks.
August 17, 2026 5:43 pm
(AP) – The 60-day deadline for an agreement to end the Iran war and resolve the dispute over its nuclear program is expiring. An interim agreement reached in June has collapsed, and Washington and Tehran are even further apart than they were then. Talks appear to be mostly indirect through mediators and have focused on reopening the Strait of Hormuz. The crucial waterway for global energy has been largely closed by Iranian attacks on shipping. Iran has issued far-reaching demands for opening it, while the U.S. appears to be banking on economic pressure to get Tehran to back down. Fighting flared in July and could resume at any time.
August 17, 2026 5:41 pm
HARRISBURG – Attorney General Dave Sunday announced that a former Western Pennsylvania-based Ukrainian Catholic priest is charged with theft and financial exploitation regarding more than $740,000 stolen from three churches, church affiliates, and the priest’s own mother. Gregory Allen Madeya, 69, is charged with felony dealing in proceeds of unlawful activities, theft by unlawful taking, theft by failure to make required disposition of funds, financial exploitation of an older adult or care-dependent person, and access device fraud. Madeya, now residing in Florida, was arrested Friday in Vero Beach, and is awaiting extradition back to Pennsylvania. According to the investigation, Madeya is charged with thefts dating back to 2018. He stole from churches and the Knights of Columbus, and nearly $250,000 from his mother, who was of the age when she could not manage her own finances. “It is unconscionable to see a supposed man of God exploiting not only the churches he served, but his own mother,” Attorney General Sunday said. “This defendant abused the trust of those around him, and left them to recover from mammoth financial losses.” These charges stem from a multi-year, exhaustive investigation into Madeya’s conduct. On Madeya’s electronic devices, investigators found messages and photos related to narcotics as well as photographs of debit cards and bank documents related to his church, St. John the Baptist. In Madeya’s trash, agents found several church-offering collection envelopes.
August 17, 2026 3:46 pm
LATROBE, Pa. (AP) — Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike McCarthy’s first training camp with the team ended a day early after storms disrupted the practice schedule. Bumpy weather in western Pennsylvania over the last few weeks forced the Steelers to modify their practice plans, but McCarthy says he doesn’t intend to suggest the team stop making its annual trek to the small college about an hour east of Pittsburgh. McCarthy said the intimate environment at Saint Vincent is an invaluable part of the team-building process.
August 17, 2026 4:49 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump has ordered the Pentagon to scale back annual joint military exercises with South Korea. He explained the decision by saying South Korea had declined to help with the “denuclearization” of Iran and he cited his good relationship with North Korea’s leader. Trump said in a social media post on Sunday that the exercises are costly and “send a signal that is totally inappropriate and hostile” to North Korea, which he said “has been unthreatening and respectful” during his time in the White House. The 11 days of exercises involving 18,000 South Korean soldiers began Monday and were designed to beef up readiness against North Korean threats.
August 17, 2026 4:46 am
ETTRICK, Va. (AP) — Authorities are seeking additional people who fired weapons during a weekend shooting at Virginia State University that left five people wounded. A 19-year-old suspect remained in custody on Sunday. Investigators are trying to determine if others who fired weapons did so in self-defense or if they were aggressors. The shooting just after 1:30 a.m. Saturday came as students were getting ready for the new school year. The suspect is not a student but was found hiding in a dormitory closet Saturday afternoon. He faces four counts of malicious wounding and four counts of using a firearm during a felony. Only one of the victims is a student.
August 17, 2026 4:44 am
BOGOTÁ, Colombia (AP) — Colombia’s President Abelardo de la Espriella has asked U.S. President Donald Trump to suspend tariffs to help Colombia recover from a devastating earthquake. The 7.4 magnitude quake struck Monday, killing at least 289 people and injuring nearly 4,000. De la Espriella, who took office earlier this month, emphasized his connections with Trump, thanking him for $26.5 million in U.S. aid. The quake destroyed thousands of homes, including in western cities like Pereira and Cali. The government declared it a natural disaster, with at least143 people missing and extensive damage reported. Rescue efforts continue despite the challenging conditions.
