June 18, 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 18, 2026 5:11 am
BRUSSELS (AP) — U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has criticized NATO allies for not taking more responsibility for their own security. He announced a six-month Pentagon review of American forces in Europe to ensure NATO moves toward Europe leading its own defense. Speaking in Brussels on Thursday, Hegseth calls it “shameful” that European allies denied U.S. forces access to bases for attacks on Iran. He emphasized the need for a “NATO 3.0,” urging the alliance to become a hard-line military force. The U.S. plans to invest $1.5 trillion in defense by 2027, focusing on protecting American interests and supporting NATO.
June 18, 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 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.
June 17, 2026 12:42 pm
The Washington School Board has decided to move forward with a plan to upgrade the football stadium at a cost of nearly ten-million-dollars. At their meeting on Tuesday, board members chose a plan, out of several options, that would involve demolishing the old field house and building a new one on the southwestern side of the field, beyond the end zone. In its place will be sixty new parking spaces. The plan also calls for replacing the current track and football field in order to bring it up to current athletic conference standards. Construction is expected to start in March of next year. Funding for the upgrade will come from the district’s capital reserve balance.
June 17, 2026 4:58 am
North Strabane Township Supervisors will be looking at two agenda items that concern land development and sale during their voting meeting next week. One item will be a decision on the Hidden Acres development. Developers will be applying for a conditional use application for a Conservation Subdivision that will look to have 159 homes built. The development would be located along Christy Road in an A-2 zoning district. Supervisors will also consider a bid to sell surplus township land. A 73 acre tract located adjacent to the fire station in Eighty Four is being sold. Currently Morganza Development, LLC has offered $1 million for the property. Additionally, Supervisors will look to promote a captain in the Fire Department. The voting meeting will be held on June 23 at 7:00 pm.
