March 15, 2026 5:18 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — The United States’ war with Iran is entering its third week, but Congress has yet to publicly test the Trump administration’s case for the conflict. Republicans in Congress have so far side-stepped public debate over the war. But Senate Democrats are reaching for every tool at their disposal to demand hearings with Trump administration officials. Some Democrats are threatening this week to force a series of votes on the war, hoping that the efforts to gum up the Senate’s voting schedule will prod Republicans to action.
March 16, 2026 1:45 pm
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Paul Thomas Anderson’s “One Battle After Another” has been crowned best picture at the 98th Academy Awards. Jessie Buckley won best actress and Michael B. Jordan won best actor at the 98th Academy Awards. After a lionized career stretching back three decades, Paul Thomas Anderson won his first Oscar for best director, a long-in-coming coronation for the “One Battle After Another” filmmaker. “Sinners” cinematographer Autumn Durald Arkapaw has made Oscar history, becoming the first female director of photography to win the award in the 98 year history of the Academy Awards. Paul Thomas Anderson and Ryan Coogler won their first Oscars and moving tributes were paid to Robert Redford, Diane Keaton and Rob Reiner at the 98th Academy Awards. (Photo: AP)
March 16, 2026 5:12 am
PITTSBURGH — The head clergyman at Trinity Episcopal Cathedral in Downtown Pittsburgh has resigned amid allegations of retail theft. Ketlen Solak, bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Pittsburgh, issued a letter to the Trinity Cathedral community over the weekend. In the letter, Solak said she’d accepted the resignation of Dean Aidan Smith. He was charged with theft and receiving stolen property charges after police say he tried to steal $1,000 worth of baseball cards from the Walmart in Economy. Smith had been on administrative leave since January. In Saturday’s letter, Bishop Solak said Smith’s leave was “prompted by an ongoing investigation into questions we received at the end of December and beginning of January suggesting that he may have failed to safeguard the property of the church.” Procedures within the Episcopal Church for handling clergy misconduct began soon after his leave began, Solak said.
March 16, 2026 4:16 pm
(WPXI) – The University of Pittsburgh announced that Pitt Football’s 2026 Blue-Gold Spring Game at Acrisure Stadium is closed to the public this year. A university spokesperson added its necessary because of the ongoing preparations for the 2026 NFL Draft taking place in and around the stadium on the North Shore. Fans will instead have the opportunity to celebrate the team during the Pitt Block Party at Arts Landing. The free three-day fan event will take place in Downtown Pittsburgh’s Cultural District from April 23-25 to coincide with the draft. The three-day celebration will feature an immersive Pitt Football museum and a dedicated draft showcase. Attendees will have access to live entertainment, food trucks and interactive activities at Arts Landing. The event is designed to highlight the program’s history and its NFL legacy. Highlights and updates from the Blue-Gold Spring Game will be shared across the official Pitt Football digital platforms and social media channels. The Pitt Block Party is scheduled to run from April 23-25. Highlights from the spring game will be released on official team platforms as they become available.
March 15, 2026 8:20 am
CAIRO (AP) — Gulf Arab states are reporting new missile and drone attacks after Tehran threatened to widen its campaign and called for the evacuation of three major ports in the United Arab Emirates. The war, which started on Feb. 28 with the U.S. and Israel attacking Iran, is now in its third week. Iran said the U.S. had attacked Kharg Island, crucial to Iran’s oil sector, from the UAE, which denied the accusation. U.S. President Donald Trump has said the U.S. destroyed military sites on Kharg Island and warned that its oil infrastructure could be next. Trump has said he hopes other countries send warships to keep the Strait of Hormuz “open and safe.”
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.
