July 22, 2026 5:06 am
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The U.S. military says it completed the 11th night of strikes on Iran as attacks across the Middle East overshadowed diplomatic efforts to salvage an interim ceasefire deal that has collapsed. U.S. Central Command said the targets of the strikes into Wednesday morning included aircraft hangars and drone storage sites. The barrage came after President Donald Trump telegraphed that strikes would be intensifying. Before the strikes, Iranian Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni visited Pakistan, a key mediator in the conflict. But it was unclear what new arrangement might be reached to end the war, which has become a battle for control over the Strait of Hormuz. Trump said the U.S. had no interest in talks.
July 22, 2026 5:00 am
MANILA, Philippines (AP) — Secretary of State Marco Rubio has warned Asian leaders that Iran’s demand to control the Strait of Hormuz threatens the global economy and freedom of navigation. He was speaking Wednesday at an ASEAN meeting in the Philippine capital, Manila, with Southeast Asian leaders concerned about the impact of the war in Iran on their economies. Despite the U.S. focus on the war, Rubio reassured ASEAN countries of continued support and emphasized the danger of allowing a nation to control an international waterway. Rubio also met with Quad partners, where they reaffirmed their commitment to maritime security initiatives that seek to counter China’s growing influence in the region.
July 21, 2026 5:08 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the U.S. war against Iran has cost $37.5 billion so far. Hegseth faced fiery questions and protests over the U.S. war against Iran at a Senate hearing Tuesday. Hegseth and other officials appeared as Republicans push a $95 billion budget package to fund the military, along with aid to farmers and voting law changes that are top White House priorities. Their appearance came after it was announced that three more American service members have died in the conflict, bringing the death toll to 17. The Pentagon also disclosed that more than 100 have been injured since early July.
July 22, 2026 5:09 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — The House has moved to head-off a potential government shutdown before this fall’s critical midterm elections. Republicans on Tuesday muscled through a bill to fund the federal government through Dec. 4. The deadline for action is more than two months away. But House GOP leaders are not leaving to chance a possible shutdown souring the mood of voters shortly before they go to the polls. Republicans said work on annual spending bills would continue, but that funding the government temporarily would help lawmakers avoid a repeat of the past year, when the country experienced two government shutdowns of record length. Democrats overwhelmingly opposed the measure, saying Republicans took a go-it-alone approach.
July 22, 2026 5:05 am
VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) — Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney says he and U.S. President Donald Trump have agreed to intensify trade negotiations between Canada, the U.S., and Mexico. Carney’s comments come a day after Trump announces the U.S. will impose 50% tariffs on most Canadian goods, citing unfair treatment of American products. The tariffs are set to take effect in 30 days. Carney plans to meet with Canadian premiers to discuss the situation. British Columbia Premier David Eby criticized Trump’s approach, while Ontario Premier Doug Ford urged Canada to stand firm. The new tariffs exclude energy products but include many other goods, affecting around 5% of Canada’s exports.
July 21, 2026 5:02 am
PHOENIX (AP) — U.S. Rep. Andy Biggs has won the Republican nomination for Arizona governor. Biggs is a fierce ally of President Donald Trump and former head of the House Freedom Caucus. He will take on Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs in the fall. Biggs was endorsed by Trump and aims to unite the party. Both parties had contested primaries Tuesday for the 1st Congressional District, a battleground for congressional control. Former Arizona Cardinals kicker Jay Feely was endorsed by Trump and won the Republican primary. The Democratic Party backed Marlene Galán-Woods in her contest against Amish Shah.
July 22, 2026 5:53 pm
BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — The man who was convicted of trying to kill Salman Rushdie is on trial again. Prosecutors and defense lawyers gave opening statements Wednesday in Hadi Matar’s federal terrorism trial in Buffalo, New York. The Booker Prize-winning Rushdie is expected to testify later this week. He was stabbed on a lecture stage in 2022. The 28-year-old Matar has pleaded not guilty. He is serving a 25-year prison sentence on an attempted murder conviction. The federal case is expected to delve more into questions of motive. Prosecutors argue that Matar was acting out of loyalty to Iran’s theocratic government and the Iran-backed Hezbollah militant group. Iran’s late Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini called for Rushdie’s death following his 1988 novel “The Satanic Verses.”
July 22, 2026 5:03 am
OpenAI has disclosed an “unprecedented cyber incident” where its AI system allegedly hacked into another AI company. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman stated that the incident occurred during model evaluations. Last week, AI startup Hugging Face detected an intrusion into its data processing systems. Hugging Face co-founder Clément Delangue confirmed the attack was from an AI agent, noting it was mind-blowing that it happened autonomously. Delangue emphasized there was no malicious intent from OpenAI. The intrusion involved OpenAI’s GPT‑5.6 Sol and another model still in testing. This might be the first incident of its kind.
July 21, 2026 6:32 pm
WASHINGTON (AP) — Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the U.S. war against Iran has cost $37.5 billion so far. Hegseth is facing questions and protests at a Senate hearing Tuesday over the U.S. war against Iran. Hegseth and other officials are appearing as Republicans push a $95 billion budget package to fund the military, along with aid to farmers and voting law changes that are top White House priorities. Their appearance comes after it was announced that three more American service members have died in the conflict, bringing the death toll to 17. The Pentagon also disclosed that more than 100 have been injured.
July 21, 2026 6:30 pm
Severe storms moved through the Washington County area Tuesday afternoon. The storms, for the most part, did not cause a lot of damage, but there were reports of some flooded roadways. Emergency responders though, did have a busy late afternoon, responding to accident calls. In South Strabane township, multiple fire departments and the Washington County Department of Public Safety were called out after a tractor-trailer crash in the southbound lanes near the Racetrack Road exit. Authorities say the truck went over a hillside and two of tires traveled into the northbound lanes. Both lanes were shutdown for a short time. There was no word on whether anyone was hurt. Crews were also called out for reports of an an accident on Murtland Avenue near Budd Baer. No details were available on that crash. As for power outages, West Penn reported just a few, mostly in Amwell Township and service was expected to be back on before the end of the day. Things are getting better though. The remainder of the week promises to be sunny and pleasant with highs in the mid to upper 70’s. (Photo courtesy of South Strabane)
