June 18, 2026 4:09 pm
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — A federal appeals court panel says the Trump administration can replace a slavery exhibit at George Washington’s home in Philadelphia. A three-judge panel of the 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals on Thursday struck down a lower court’s injunction that required the National Park Service to reinstall the interpretive panels. The unanimous ruling by the panel said a lower court judge wrongly interpreted Philadelphia’s contract claims involving Independence National Historical Park. The ruling comes a week after a Massachusetts federal judge ordered the Trump administration to restore sites changed under an executive order. It’s not clear how that ruling would affect the Philadelphia site.
June 17, 2026 2:17 am
A Western Pennsylvania man was among the twelve people killed when a plane carrying a pilot and 11 skydivers crashed in western Missouri on Sunday. The fiery crash happened shortly after the plane took off from Butler Memorial Airport, about 65 miles south of Kansas City, around 11:30 a.m. Officials said during a news conference that the turboprop aircraft was unable to get to full power. Kurt John Roy, 69, of Winder, Somerset County, was among those killed, according to the Bate’s County Coroner Jerret J Reno. The coroner’s office said it continues to work with local, state and federal agencies to investigate the crash.
June 17, 2026 5:13 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — Vice President JD Vance has embraced the role of being the chief defender of the agreement he and President Donald Trump signed with Iran over the weekend. It’s a striking transformation for a politician that was known for his skepticism of foreign military interventions and who seemed reluctant to speak on the conflict when Trump launched it in late February. The vice president is poised to yoke himself further to the conflict’s outcome on Friday, when he’s expected to travel to Switzerland to kick off a new phase of negotiations with Tehran after Trump signed the agreement Wednesday.
June 17, 2026 5:15 am
Parents of kids with disabilities say they have waited months for the Education Department to address complaints of bullying or discrimination. Now, the department is offloading civil rights enforcement and special education, raising concerns about further chaos. On Tuesday, the Trump administration said the Department of Justice would take over civil rights enforcement in schools. The Department of Health and Human Services will oversee special education. Some advocates argue special education doesn’t belong in a health department. The Education Department’s civil rights office has been a last resort for parents whose kids have experienced discrimination, but under President Donald Trump, case backlogs have grown. Many families are now seeking justice elsewhere.
June 18, 2026 5:45 pm
WASHINGTON (AP) — A new kind of flu vaccine is moving a step closer to the U.S. market. Federal health advisers on Thursday recommended approval of a shot made with the same mRNA technology that was key to ending the pandemic. Moderna is seeking Food and Drug Administration approval for mFlusiva as an option for people 50 and older. There already are numerous types of flu vaccines to choose from, but experts say adding an mRNA option could be useful. Moderna is seeking full approval for people ages 50 to 64 and authorization for use in those 65 and older while it conducts additional testing.
June 17, 2026 5:05 am
NEW YORK (AP) — Luigi Mangione will assert a psychiatric defense at his state murder trial in the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, a judge said Wednesday. Judge Gregory Carro said Mangione’s lawyers have informed him they will attempt to show that he was suffering from “extreme emotional disturbance at the time of the occurrence.” By asserting a psychiatric defense, Mangione would effectively be admitting that he killed Thompson but did so because of mitigating circumstances. If a jury finds that Mangione was emotionally disturbed at the time of the killing, it could convict him of manslaughter instead of murder, meaning he’d be sentenced to less time in prison. It is not the same as a not guilty by reason of insanity defense, which would allow a defendant to go to a psychiatric facility instead of prison. Carro’s ruling came two weeks after he held a secret hearing on the matter at the request of the defense. He said he will unseal records pertaining to the hearing and the defense’s move for a psychiatric defense. Mangione, 28, has pleaded not guilty to state and federal charges in the Dec. 4, 2024, killing. His federal trial, which involves stalking charges, is set to begin on Oct. 13. He could spend his life in prison if convicted in either case.
June 17, 2026 5:50 pm
MIAMI (AP) — Tropical Storm Arthur is the first of the Atlantic season and threatens the southern United States with dangerous flash flooding. The National Hurricane Center announced the storm Wednesday and said Arthur would skirt over the Gulf Coast with heavy rain through Friday. The storm loomed over a World Cup match in Houston between Portugal and the Democratic Republic of Congo. It also formed amid days of heavy rain that has been drenching southern Texas. Authorities near Houston said a teenager appears to have drowned in a retention pond Tuesday following a period of heavy rain earlier in the week.
June 17, 2026 5:48 pm
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Federal Reserve kept its key rate unchanged Wednesday yet nearly half the central bank’s policymakers said they could support a rate hike later this year, an unexpectedly aggressive outcome that would disappoint President Trump and suggests heightened concerns about persistent inflation. In an unusually short statement after their two-day meeting, Fed officials dropped language that had suggested their next move would be to cut their key rate. The brief statement reflects the influence of new chair Kevin Warsh, appointed by Trump, who has previously criticized the Fed for commenting too broadly on the economy.
June 17, 2026 5:52 pm
NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks dropped on speculation the Federal Reserve may raise interest rates this year to keep a lid on inflation. The S&P 500 slumped 1.2% Wednesday after the Fed released projections showing nearly half its policymakers foresee at least one increase to its main interest rate in 2026. The Dow Jones Industrial Average went from a gain of 0.5% in the morning to a drop of 1%, while the Nasdaq composite sank 1.3%. Treasury yields climbed on rising expectations for a hike to rates. Higher rates can tap the brakes on inflation, but they also slow the economy and hurt prices for investments.
June 17, 2026 2:58 pm
WASHINGTON (AP) — A draft agreement by the United States and Iran calls for Tehran to, at a minimum, dilute its stockpile of highly enriched uranium. The deal would also waive but not permanently end sanctions on the country. That’s according to U.S. officials who read the language of the memorandum on ending the war to journalists on Wednesday. The agreement would also open the Strait of Hormuz toll-free for two months and affirm a commitment to Lebanon’s territorial integrity in the face of Israel’s invasion against the Hezbollah militant group. U.S. officials dictated the language to journalists Wednesday after days of secrecy.
