March 15, 2026 8:29 am
(AP) – Black rain fell in Iran’s capital after airstrikes on oil facilities sent up dark clouds of toxic smoke. Health officials warned of serious risks to anyone who breathes or comes into contact with it. Soot, toxic chemicals and acidic gases combined with water droplets in the atmosphere, then fell back to Earth when it rained. Experts say microscopic soot particles can lodge deep in the lungs and enter the bloodstream, causing breathing and heart problems that can lead to premature death. Some toxic substances can increase cancer risk.
March 15, 2026 8:45 am
BEIJING (AP) — China’s official news agency Xinhua reports that representatives from Beijing and Washington have begun their economic and trade talks in Paris. Sunday’s meetings, led by U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng, are expected to pave the way for U.S. President Donald Trump’s state visit to Beijing to meet Chinese leader Xi Jinping in about two weeks. The White House has said that Trump will travel to China from March 31 to April 2, though Beijing has not officially confirmed it. Last week, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said it would be a “big year” for China-U.S. relations.
March 15, 2026 8:31 am
NEW YORK (AP) — More than 30 states will resume their antitrust trial against Live Nation and Ticketmaster on Monday after negotiations this week failed to result in many states joining a tentative settlement reached by the Justice Department. Federal Judge Arun Subramanian said at a hearing in Manhattan on Friday that the states had dropped their request to restart the trial in coming weeks with a different jury. Lawyers told the judge that Arkansas, Iowa, Mississippi, Nebraska, Oklahoma, South Carolina and South Dakota were joining the Justice Department in settling.
March 15, 2026 8:25 am
Both West Penn Power and Duquesne Light officials say their crews have been out in communities in Washington and Allegheny counties that were hit hard by Friday’s wind storm that brought gusty winds to area for several hours. In Washington County, West Penn is reporting that there are still more than twenty-eight-hundred customers without power. The outages are widely scattered, but large clusters of those outages are in Amwell, Buffalo, Mt. Pleasant, Smith and Jefferson Townships. According to the First Energy Website, the estimated restoration time has now been pushed ahead to Monday around eleven-thirty p.m. Duquesne Light Company shared an update saying their crews had restored power to more than 65,000 customers. More than 500 extra crews have been called in to help DLC. That included crews from Maine, Maryland, Florida, Georgia, Tennessee and Alabama. They are also working with Pittsburgh’s Office of Emergency Management & Homeland Security to bring in crews from Canada. Power outages peaked at 163,000, DLC said. WJPA Radio has received no reports of any major injuries, but motorists are urged to use caution when driving, due to tree branches and possible downed power lines.
March 15, 2026 7:00 am
An investigation is underway into the death of a sixteen-year-old boy Friday night in the areas of Highland Drive and Hill Street in California. Authorities say the teen was driving a dirt bike around eight-thirty when he reportedly slammed into a tree. He was taken to Mon Valley Hospital and then later transferred to a Pittsburgh hospital where he died. In a letter posted on the California Borough School District Facebook page, by the superintendent, the school will be offering a wide variety of support services all day on Monday, including licensed professionals, counselors and the district’s Therapy Dog Support team.
March 15, 2026 8:36 am
A person was shot inside a Pittsburgh Regional Transit bus on Saturday. PRT officials say the shooting happened just before 5 p.m. in a P1 bus near the Homewood Station along the East Busway. The victim was taken to a local hospital in critical condition. Police are searching for two juveniles believed to be involved in the shooting, officials say. Both of the juveniles got off the bus and fled the scene. No other injuries were reported.
March 15, 2026 8:42 am
(WPXI) – Thousands of spectators gathered for the annual Pittsburgh St. Patrick’s Day Parade on Saturday morning. The parade routinely attracts several hundred thousand people to Downtown, and is recognized as one of the largest of its kind in the U.S. Local residents wore green as they watched a variety of bands, organizations and other entities participate in the procession. Pittsburgh Mayor Corey O’Connor participated in the parade in his latest role as the city’s leader. O’Connor has a long history with the event, having marched in it for many years and previously serving as a member of the City Council. “It’s special. I think, walking in this parade for so many years, then being on council and now as the mayor, it’s a fun day and family and everyone’s enjoying it,” O’Connor said. The city mobilized a full complement of police, EMS, fire and emergency management personnel to ensure that parade attendees were safe.
March 14, 2026 4:22 am
Residents are continuing to deal with the aftermath of Friday’s high winds. Washington County Dispatchers report there were many high wind-related issues Friday afternoon into the evening; however, conditions have calmed down. Route 40 in the 3000 Block of East Maiden Street was closed for a while and crews dealt downed trees and poles in the area of Interstate 79 North and Kopper Kettle Road. According to the National Weather Service, gusts of 55-60 mph were expected throughout western Pennsylvania. West Penn Power reports that the wind reached 60-70 miles per hour in some areas and it caused significant damage. Crews encouraged broken poles, fallen trees, downed wires and more. In Pittsburgh, roofs were blown off of at least three homes during the weather incident. As of mid morning, First Energy is reporting fewer than 100,000 customers are still without power this morning. Duquesne Light reports that 117,000 are still without electricity today, with about 105,000 of those in Allegheny County. Cross Creek Township, Green Hills Borough, Independence Borough, Mt. Pleasant, West Middletown and West Brownsville were among the hardest hit during the high winds. As of this morning, about 1,200 Washington City customers were without power. First Energy reported that they were ready for the winds.
March 14, 2026 9:31 am
Jefferson Hills, PA [WPXI] One A person is dead after a house fire in Jefferson Hills. Members of the Pleasant Hills Volunteer Fire Company said the fire broke out at 3:10 a.m. on the 100 block of Frontier Avenue. They confirmed a person died during that fire. Firefighters said they struggled with water supply issues while fighting the flames. Flames burned a large hole through the roof of the house. The Allegheny County Fire Marshall is investigating.
March 14, 2026 9:20 am
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — A Russian missile and drone strike hit the Kyiv region and killed at least four people, Ukrainian officials said. Regional chief Mykola Kalashnyk said at least 15 people were hurt, of whom three are in critical condition. He said the attack hit four districts and damaged homes, schools, businesses and critical infrastructure. Overnight into Saturday, Ukrainian drones hit an oil refinery and port in Russia’s southern Krasnodar region, local Russian officials reported. The U.S. postponed planned peace talks this week, citing the war in the Middle East, and announced a 30-day waiver on Russian oil sanctions.
