April 10, 2026 2:57 am
As demand for new data centers surges across Pennsylvania, lawmakers are responding to concerns about rising utility costs. A bill is now being considered by a Senate committee in which data centers would have to contribute to an enhancement fund for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program. In Pennsylvania, about 300,000 households rely on the program each year to help cover heating costs. Jennifer Quinn, legislative and political director for the Pennsylvania chapter of the Sierra Club, said oversight is overdue. She says data centers use large amounts of electricity, water and land, and communities are worried. She stressed the measure would shield consumers from the extra costs associated with new proposals.
April 10, 2026 2:37 pm
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Philadelphia Flyers fan Mike Culin took a unique approach to support his team by gifting Pope Leo XIV a customized Flyers jersey during a family trip to Italy. Culin, along with his family, attended a papal audience at St. Peter’s Square, hoping to catch the Pope’s attention. They succeeded, and a security team member passed the jersey to a man in the popemobile. The Flyers then started a winning streak, which some fans attribute to divine intervention. The jersey was handstitched with the pope’s name and Leo is an avowed sports fan
April 10, 2026 4:53 am
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Negotiators from Iran and the United States prepared Friday for high-level talks planned to start a day later in Islamabad, seeking to steady a ceasefire teetering over Israel and Hezbollah exchanging fire and Tehran’s chokehold over the Strait of Hormuz. Vice President JD Vance was set to take off from Washington, with Iran still remaining mum over its team as it tried to pressure Washington to halt Israeli attacks in Lebanon. The semiofficial Tasnim news agency, close to Iran’s Revolutionary Guard, claimed that talks would “remain suspended” otherwise. Meanwhile, Kuwait said it faced a drone attack Thursday night it blamed on Iran and its militia allies in the region. Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard denies launching any assault.
April 10, 2026 4:52 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump’s efforts to exit the war in Iran are causing tension within the Republican Party. His approach, marked by threats followed by a shaky ceasefire, has sparked criticism from some conservatives. Laura Loomer, a conservative activist, opposes negotiating with Iran, while former Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene has called for Trump’s removal. Despite social media backlash, Republican leaders in Congress remain mostly silent. The GOP faces uncertainty as midterm elections approach, with concerns about Trump’s handling of the situation and its impact on voters. Rising gas prices and potential military involvement add to the challenges.
April 10, 2026 4:56 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal judge has ruled that the Defense Department is violating his earlier order to restore access to the Pentagon for reporters. U.S. District Judge Paul Friedman sided with The New York Times earlier this month in deciding that the Pentagon’s new credential policy violated journalists’ constitutional rights to free speech and due process. He sided again with the Times in saying that the Pentagon had tried to evade his ruling by putting in new rules that expel all reporters from the building unless guided by escorts. Friedman had ordered Pentagon officials to reinstate the press credentials of seven Times reporters and stressed that his decision applies to “all regulated parties.”
April 10, 2026 2:40 pm
NEW YORK (AP) — Former Vice President Kamala Harris says she’s actively considering another presidential bid. She made the comments on Friday during the National Action Network’s annual convention, where more than a half-dozen Democratic 2028 presidential prospects appeared hoping to make inroads among Black voters. Host Al Sharpton asked Harris directly if she was gong to run again for president in 2028. Harris responded, “I might. I’m thinking about it.” The Democrats’ next presidential primary season won’t really begin until after November’s midterm elections, but this week’s conference is showcasing a collection of Democrats already jockeying for position in what should be a crowded competition. Harris drew a standing ovation and the largest crowd of any other 2028 prospect at this week’s convention. (Photo: AP)
April 9, 2026 2:44 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — First lady Melania Trump has delivered a statement at White House denying ties to Jeffrey Epstein and knowledge of his crimes. In an extraordinary statement on Thursday, the first lady denied any association with Epstein and called the online accusations that she was involved in Epstein’s crimes “baseless lies.” The extraordinary and seemingly out-of-the-blue message came as her husband, President Donald Trump, and his administration had finally seemed to move past more than a year of controversy surrounding Epstein, especially as the Iran war had become all-consuming in Washington. The first lady asserted that she was not friends with Epstein or his former girlfriend, Ghislaine Maxwell, but that they were in overlapping social circles. (Photo: AP)
April 9, 2026 2:36 pm
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he authorized direct negotiations with Lebanon aimed at disarming Iranian-backed Hezbollah militants and establishing relations between the neighbors. The two countries have technically been at war since Israel was established in 1948. The announcement Thursday offered a potential boost to ceasefire efforts in the region. There was no immediate response from Lebanese authorities. The tentative ceasefire in the Iran war has staggered under the weight of Israel’s bombardment of Beirut and Tehran’s continued chokehold on the Strait of Hormuz. Netanyahu made the announcement amid disagreement over whether the ceasefire deal included a pause in fighting between Israel and Hezbollah.
April 9, 2026 2:37 pm
(AP) – Air travelers are facing a new reality of higher fees, fewer flights and tough choices about whether a trip is worth the cost. The culprit is volatile oil and jet fuel prices that have been swinging since the war in the Middle East started and fighting near the Strait of Hormuz disrupted global oil shipments. Airlines around the world are responding by trimming schedules and raising fees and fares. Experts say budget carriers and the customers who rely on them will feel the pinch first, but even business travelers and front-cabin passengers won’t escape higher costs. Relief may not come quickly even if oil prices start to drop, experts warn, because airlines can take months to adjust fares while they wait for energy markets to stabilize. (Photo: AP)
April 9, 2026 9:27 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — A key measure of inflation stayed high in February, before the war in Iran spiked gas prices, a sign that everyday costs were elevated even before the conflict began. Thursday’s report is largely a warm-up for the more important inflation data to be released Friday, when the government will publish the higher-profile consumer price index for March. The Friday report will be the first to reflect the impact of the gas price spike from the Iran war. Economists forecast it will show a big increase of 0.9% just in March from February, and a 3.4% gain from a year earlier.
