May 14, 2026 4:55 am
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The British military says a ship anchored off the east coast of the United Arab Emirates has been seized and is heading toward Iranian territorial waters. The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center said it received reports that the vessel was taken by unauthorized personnel while anchored northeast of the UAE port of Fujairah, near the Strait of Hormuz. UKMTO did not name the ship and said it is investigating. Fujairah is an important oil export terminal and the UAE’s main port outside of the Persian Gulf. It has been repeatedly attacked during the war with Iran.
May 14, 2026 12:35 pm
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) — The U.S. Postal Service is releasing special edition stamps featuring the bald eagle for America’s 250th birthday. The stamps issued Thursday depict the eagle across five life stages, from hatchling to adult. The eagle has long symbolized American values like strength, freedom and independence, but the bird is also considered a major conservation success story. In the mid-1900s, eagles nearly vanished due to pesticide poisoning. A 1972 ban on the chemical helped their recovery. The artist behind the collection spent nearly a year on the illustrations and hopes the stamps inspire appreciation for the natural world. (Photo: AP)
May 14, 2026 5:22 pm
Close to 3,000 acres of land once owned by George Washington is being recognized with a historical plaque along the Montour Trail Thursday.The plaque dedication was a collaborative effort between five organizations as part of the celebration of America’s upcoming 250th birthday. The organizations involved included the Montour Trail Council, Montour Railroad Historical Society, Historic Fort Cherry Association, Rails to Trails Conservancy, and the William G. Pomeroy Foundation.The idea for the plaque came after a member of the Montour Trail Council discovered that part of the trail runs through land once owned by Washington, something many within the council were unaware of. Organizers decided to use the opportunity to commemorate the historical connection with a permanent marker.Vice Chair of the Washington County Board of Commissioners, Electra Janis, along with other community members, gathered at the trail to learn about the history of the land and witness the unveiling of the plaque. Washington received the land in 1774 in recognition of his service to the British during the French and Indian War. You can find the plaque at mile marker 20.5 on the trail in Mount Pleasant Township and near the intersection of Southview Road and Antil Road.
May 14, 2026 4:48 am
ARDMORE, Pa. (AP) — Parents across the country who are worried about excessive screen time in schools are lobbying educators to go back to pencils and paper. In places like Pennsylvania’s Lower Merion School District, some families are taking it even further. Over 600 people have signed a petition asking to preserve parents’ ability to opt their children out of digital devices, setting off a clash with the school district. At a meeting Monday night, school board members said it’s not feasible to let hundreds of students opt out of technology that is essential to the curriculum.
May 13, 2026 4:17 pm
COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — Alex Murdaugh’s murder convictions and life sentence for the deaths of his wife and son have been overturned by the South Carolina Supreme Court because the court clerk at his trial suggested he was guilty. But the disgraced lawyer won’t be leaving prison anytime soon. Prosecutors say they plan to retry Murdaugh, which likely means there will be another lengthy trial for the case that because of the combination of money, power, Southern accents and treachery has become a true crime sensation with several streaming miniseries, best selling books and dozens of true crime podcasts. Murdaugh will remain in prison. He pleaded guilty to stealing around $12 million from his clients and currently is serving a 40-year federal sentence
May 13, 2026 2:16 pm
Police were called to Walmart in the Bethel Park Shopping Center at 5049 Library road just before nine Wednesday morning for a bomb threat. Police say they shut the mall down for more than two hours while they swept Walmart and the adjoining Giant Eagle. Everyone was evacuated out of an abundance of caution and no one was hurt. Authorities say Explosives Ordinance Device Dogs were brought in from other law enforcement agencies, but there were no explosives or suspicious devices found and the stores were allowed to reopen. Police say there is no threat to the community and their investigation continues.
May 13, 2026 5:03 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. wholesale inflation came in hot last month. Producer prices rose 6% from a year earlier, most since December 2022, as the 10-week Iran war pushed up energy prices and put pressure on companies to pass along higher costs to consumers. The Labor Department reported Wednesday that its producer price index — which tracks inflation before it hits consumers — shot up 1.4% in April, biggest monthly gain since March 2022. The numbers were much higher than economists had forecast.
May 13, 2026 5:00 am
BEIJING (AP) — The welcoming ceremony for U.S. President Donald Trump as he arrived in Beijing for a summit with Chinese leader Xi Jinping has included a military honor guard, a military band and hundreds of Chinese youths waving flags and chanting, “Warm welcome!” The youth greeters Wednesday were decked out in white and robin’s egg blue outfits that matched the paint job of the iconic presidential plane. The meat of the summit doesn’t start until Thursday, when Trump and Xi hold bilateral talks, visit the Temple of Heaven and take part in a formal banquet. The talks are expected to focus on the Iran war, trade and U.S. arms sales to Taiwan.
May 13, 2026 5:52 am
The Washington School District is considering a major, multi-million dollar upgrade to its football stadium. Superintendent Alisa King says representative from HHSDR Architects Engineers’ in Pittsburgh proposed three options that range from $7.1 million to $8.9 million. The first would renovate and expand the current field house along Tyler Avenue. The second would replace the current building, and the third would construct a new field house on the opposite side of the football field from the current structure. The first option would cost approximately $7.1 million, the second is $8.1 million and the third would be just over $8.9 million. There are also options to replace the track at the stadium and add more than 120 new parking spaces. Track replacement would add another $3.5 million and parking expansion another $1 million. The entire project would reportedly take about one year to complete and King says, would likely not begin until at least March of 2027. School District Business Manager Emily DiNardo says funding would come from capital reserves and would not affect taxpayers in the district. The school board plans to discuss the project once more at their meeting on June 15th.
May 13, 2026 4:57 am
PITTSBURGH — Members of law enforcement joined community members and advocates for a forum on Downtown Pittsburgh safety on Tuesday. The forum was pre-planned, but it came just a day after a 19-year-old was shot and killed near the Chipotle in Market Square. Market Square itself has been the topic of controversy. Since reopening following a $15 million renovation, a new chaperone policy has been in place. Teens under 18 are required to have an adult over 21 with them Thursday through Sunday. That policy was the subject of criticism by some at the forum. “Where are they supposed to go? What fun activities do we have throughout Pittsburgh where my kid can leave my home and feel comfortable?” a mother of teenagers said. Leaders spoke about the need for it. “It’s a known fact that we have increased activity in and around Market Square,” Pittsburgh Public Safety Director Sheldon Williams said. “Because some of the behavior we see is with juveniles, there is an added level of complexity.” They also asked for clarity regarding the chaperone policy and argued that Pittsburgh is criminalizing all youth for the actions of some.
