October 9, 2026 4:55 am
A Maryland man reported missing after attending the Steelers-Browns game in Cleveland was found dead. NBC affiliate WKYC reports that the body of Phoenix Philips, 24, was pulled from the Cuyahoga River Tuesday afternoon. Philips was reported missing to Cleveland police last Friday. Police had previously called Philips’ disappearance “concerning,” WKYC reports. In a social media post, Cleveland Missing said Philips was in Cleveland for last Thursday’s game. WEWS spoke with Philips’ mother, Amanda Philips, who said he was a Steelers fan and father of a 2-year-old boy.
October 8, 2026 5:16 am
MIAMI (AP) — Hurricane Isaias is packing swift winds and expected to bring a storm surge with devastating floods to the U.S. Gulf Coast. Residents on Thursday boarded up windows and stacked sandbags, vehicles clogged a highway leading away from the coast and thousands of National Guard soldiers were deploying in anticipation of Isaias. The National Hurricane Center say the storm’s maximum sustained winds have increased to 105 mph. Isaias is expected to make landfall along the northern Gulf Coast late Friday. It is most likely to strike along the Alabama-Florida state line and bring life-threatening storm surge across Pensacola Bay.
October 9, 2026 5:09 am
BEIRUT (AP) — Saudi aviation authorities say three Saudi citizens including a pilot were killed and several other people wounded in two attacks Thursday that were claimed by Iran-backed Houthi rebels. The attacks targeted King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh and a Saudia Airlines aircraft. It marked the deadliest attack in Saudi Arabia since the kingdom and allied forces in Yemen launched a major offensive against the Iran-backed Houthis last weekend. The Houthis said they targeted the airport with a ballistic missile. The Saudi statements said activities at the airport in Riyadh have returned to normal, but some airlines have suspended flights there.
October 9, 2026 5:12 am
CORONADO, Calif. (AP) — The USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier has returned home to San Diego Bay after a record-setting uninterrupted time at sea supporting the Iran war. The carrier’s extended deployment drew the nation’s attention following reports of crew stress and poor mental health, as well as supply shortages, including food and hygiene products. The Navy initially downplayed any problems, and President Donald Trump commented that the Lincoln’s lengthy deployment was “not nearly long enough.” The carrier left San Diego in November, arrived in the Middle East in January to support Iran operations, and spent 265 days at sea, a record for uninterrupted time at sea.
October 9, 2026 5:14 am
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Lawyers for Christa Pike say the Tennessee woman has begun walking and eating again at a hospital, a week after surviving the state’s attempt to execute her with lethal drugs. The 50-year-old inmate survived two doses of pentobarbital on Sept. 30. She was convicted of the 1995 beating and stabbing death of a classmate. For the first few days after the failed execution, she was unconscious and on a ventilator at a hospital. Her lawyers said Thursday that she took some limited first steps at midweek and was being helped as she walked. They also said she was eating again and regaining some mobility in her arms.
October 9, 2026 4:50 am
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has publicized the arrest of a Nigerian man for indecent exposure, including a political attack that’s drawing complaints. The department’s press release alleges the man worked for a Democratic congressional candidate in Pennsylvania. The candidate, Janelle Stelson, denies he was a campaign employee. Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington filed a complaint, calling the department’s attack a violation of the Hatch Act. The act prohibits government officials from using their positions to influence elections. Stelson’s campaign says they never heard of the man before his arrest. The Department of Homeland Security has not responded to questions about the connection.
October 8, 2026 2:28 pm
NEW YORK (AP) — A new U.S. indictment charges former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro with torture and other crimes. The indictment was unsealed Thursday in New York. Maduro was previously charged with participating in a conspiracy to send cocaine into the U.S. He and his wife, Cilia Flores, now also face allegations of human rights abuses during his reign as president of the oil-rich South American nation. On Thursday, Flores’ lawyers unsuccessfully urged a judge to free her from jail and put her under house arrest because of heart problems. Maduro and Flores have been behind bars in New York since early January when U.S. forces seized them from their Caracas home. Both have pleaded not guilty in the drug case.
October 8, 2026 2:26 pm
LOS ANGELES (AP) — The FBI has seized scanning and phishing tools used by a group of hackers that officials say is associated with the Chinese government and that is responsible for disruptive cyber operations in the United States and abroad, including against the power industry, academia and critical infrastructure. The seizure of the tools, announced Wednesday by the FBI and Justice Department, represents the latest law enforcement effort in recent years to go after a broad-based hacking campaign known to the private sector as Flax Typhoon. The tools at issue, called “Microscan” and “FishHub,” were used by the hackers to scan, phish and hack targets that included U.S. and foreign critical infrastructure.
October 8, 2026 4:45 am
Governor Josh Shapiro and State Treasurer Stacy Garrity squared off in their only debate leading up to the November election. The candidates met in Harrisburg with the Democrat Shapiro repeatedly linking the Republican Garrity to the policies of President Trump. Garrity attacked the incumbent’s record . There was also plenty of talk about data center development. Garrity has called for a pause in data center development to give communities time to develop regulations for such facilities. Shapiro says he has put in place the strictest policy and guardrails in the nation to ensure communities are protected. Garrity is trying to shift momentum in a race that has seen her trail in the polls and in fundraising.
October 8, 2026 4:51 am
Election Day is just over three weeks away and now is crunch time for Washington County Elections Director Melanie Ostrander. Ostrander says that preparations are well underway to make sure Election Day is as convenient as possible. She says that over 16,000 mail in ballots have already been sent out. Ostrander says to make sure that your ballot is enclosed in the secrecy envelope before placing it in the outside envelope. She says to make sure the outer envelope is signed on the back. Otherwise, your ballot will not be counted. Ostrander did say that if you have an email on file with the elections office, you will be notified by email if your ballot has a problem. If it lacks a signature on the outside, you will be notified immediately. If the ballot is not in the secrecy envelope, you will be notified on Election Day and you can vote by provisional ballot at your normal polling location. She said that a number of polling locations have changed as of the most recent primary election. Check VotePA.gov or the Washington County website to check your polling location. Important dates to remember, October 19 is the last day to register to vote or make changes to party affiliation. October 27 by 5:00 pm is the last day to request a mail in ballot. Mail in ballots are due in the elections office by 8:00 pm on Election Day. Polls open on Election Day, November 3 at 7:00 am. Polls close at 8:00 pm.
