March 25, 2026 4:56 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — The jump in gas prices stemming from the war in Iran has had another impact that may also affect many Americans’ finances: Higher interest rates. Longer-term interest rates have risen quickly since the war began Feb. 28, pushing up the cost of mortgage loans, auto loans, and business borrowing. And with inflation measures likely to rise in the coming months, the prospect of interest rate cuts this year by the Federal Reserve is fading. Wall Street investors instead see the odds rising of an actual rate hike instead.
March 25, 2026 5:49 pm
LOS ANGELES (AP) — A jury has found Meta and YouTube liable in a first-of-its-kind lawsuit that aimed to hold social media platforms responsible for harm to children using their services. The decision Wednesday came after more than 40 hours of deliberation across nine days and more than a month since jurors heard opening statements in the trial. The plaintiff is a 20-year-old woman identified as KGM in documents and her lawyers called her Kaley during the trial. She says she became addicted to social media as a child and that this addiction exacerbated her mental health struggles. The companies must pay her a total $6 million in damages.
March 24, 2026 4:55 am
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — A New Mexico jury finds that social media conglomerate Meta is harmful to children’s mental health and in violation of state consumer protection law. The jury announced its verdict Tuesday as another jury deliberates a similar case in California against Meta, which owns Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp. State prosecutors said Meta prioritized profits over safety in violation of the state’s Unfair Practices Act and failed to adequately monitor the platforms for child sexual exploitation. Attorneys for Meta say company discloses risks and makes efforts to weed out harmful content and experiences, but that some bad material gets through its safety net. A Meta spokesperson says the company will appeal.
March 24, 2026 2:48 am
A Fayette County high school teacher is facing criminal charges, accused of having inappropriate contact with a minor. State Police said in a release that an investigation began Monday when troopers received a report about inappropriate contact between an adult and a minor. During the investigation, troopers identified the accused adult as Daniel Cervone of Monongahela served as a Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (JROTC) instructor at Laurel Highlands High School. Cervone was taken into custody on Tuesday and charged with institutional sexual assault, corruption of minors and unlawful contact with a minor. The complaint states the victim told police she had a sexual relationship with Cervone in 2020 and claimed she spent “copious amounts of time” in his office on a “regular weekly basis” and had sex inside the high school once. The complaint goes on to say that after Cervone was taken into custody, he “confessed to the allegations which were made against him,” including having sex with a student on school property. Cervone’s arrest comes days after a different Laurel Highlands School District teacher was charged with attempted sexual assault, unlawful contact with minors and corruption of minors. (Photo: Fayette County DA Office)
March 24, 2026 1:33 pm
(AP) – The U.S. Supreme Court is considering whether mail ballots that arrive after Election Day should be counted. If the justices decide they should not be, it would leave little time for election officials and voters to adapt. Some election officials said some material related to November’s midterm elections has already been printed. Others said informing voters of the change would be the biggest hurdle, to ensure they are not disenfranchised. In 14 states, all mail ballots will be counted if sent by Election Day and received within a certain period of days. Another 15 states have grace periods for military and overseas ballots. (Photo: AP)
March 24, 2026 1:20 pm
(AP) – President Trump has cast another mail ballot in Florida as he continues to publicly bash the voting method as a source of fraud and push Congress to curtail the practice. Palm Beach County voter records show the president voted by mail in a Tuesday special election for state legislative seats and that his ballot has been counted. Early in-person voting in the contest ran through Sunday, when Trump was still at his south Florida estate. The White House did not immediately return a request for comment. Aides have said Trump’s ire is directed at states using universal mail-in voting, not individual voters who may not be able to get to a polling place.
March 24, 2026 4:46 am
NORTH FRANKLIN TOWNSHIP, Pa. — A worker who fell from the roof of the former Washington Crown Center Mall Monday afternoon suffered broken bones and was flown to a Pittsburgh hospital. North Franklin Township Supervisor Chairman Bob Sabot tells WJPA News that it could have been worse if not for the quick response by the township’s fire department. Sabot says they were called to the 1500 block of West Chestnut Street just before 4 p.m. and arrived within minutes. Sabot says there will most likely be an investigation into the incident by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. The man was employed by DesignPro Roofing of Pittsburgh and Naples, Florida.
March 24, 2026 2:51 am
Spring has begun, and prices at the pump have continued to climb. Today’s national average ($3.95) is 24 cents higher than last week and $1.02 higher than last month. The impact from the Iran situation combined with seasonal increases are main contributors of the price increases. According to new data from the Energy Information Administration (EIA), gasoline demand decreased last week from 9.24 million b/d to 8.72 million. Gasoline production decreased last week, averaging 9.4 million barrels per day. At the close of Wednesday’s formal trading session, West Texas Intermediate rose 11 cents to settle at $96.32 a barrel. The EIA reports that crude oil inventories increased by 6.2 million barrels from the previous week. At 449.3 million barrels, U.S. crude oil inventories are about 1% below the five-year average for this time of year. The national average per kilowatt hour of electricity at a public EV charging station remained the same this past week at 41 cents. (Photo: AP)
March 23, 2026 2:42 am
Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents were deployed to Pittsburgh International Airport on Monday. Airport spokesperson Bob Kerlik said agents trained at the airport terminal on Monday morning and are expected to assist the Transportation Security Administration starting Tuesday. Over the weekend, President Donald Trump said Federal immigration officers could start helping with airport security if a bill is not agreed on to fund the Department of Homeland Security. Hundreds of thousands of homeland security workers, including from the TSA, U.S. Secret Service and Coast Guard, have worked without pay since Congress failed to renew DHS funding last month, the Associated Press reported. “I look forward to moving ICE in on Monday, and have already told them to, ‘GET READY.’ NO MORE WAITING, NO MORE GAMES!” Trump wrote on social media.
March 23, 2026 4:56 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — Senators are discussing a proposal to end the Homeland Security budget stalemate by funding much of the department, but not ICE’s enforcement and removal operations that have been central to the standoff. The potential breakthrough comes after a group of Republican senators headed to the White House late Monday to meet with President Donald Trump. The scramble is on to end the partial government shutdown that is leading to long lines at U.S. airports as Transportation Security Administration workers are going without pay. Senate Majority Leader John Thune said talks have been productive. The deal would impose some restraints Democrats have demanded on immigration operations. Both parties expect to discuss the proposals Tuesday at their weekly caucus lunches.
