April 22, 2026 4:52 am
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Iran has fired on three ships in the Strait of Hormuz and seized two of them. The intensification of Iran’s assault on shipping in a waterway crucial to global energy supplies comes a day after U.S. President Donald Trump extended a ceasefire but pressed on with an American blockade of Iranian ports. The White House says the seizures didn’t violate ceasefire terms but the latest salvos complicate efforts to bring the United States and Iran together for talks to end the war. The effective closure of the strait has already sent gas prices skyrocketing worldwide and raised the cost of food and a wide array of other products.
April 22, 2026 5:47 pm
NEW YORK (AP) — The Iran war’s most tangible and immediate effect for many people outside the Middle East has been spiking gasoline prices. But crude oil isn’t just refined as fuel. Petrochemicals derived from oil and natural gas go into making more than 6,000 consumer products. A list produced by the U.S. Department of Energy includes everyday items ranging from computer keyboards, lipstick, tennis rackets and chewing gum to aspirin, umbrellas and nylon guitar strings. Petroleum derivatives also are used in a lot of product packaging. Shoe and apparel trade groups and companies that sell stuffed animals, home products and medical supplies are looking at price increases or other ways to offset higher materials costs.
April 22, 2026 5:48 pm
ATLANTA (AP) — Georgia’s Democratic congressman David Scott has died at age 80. Scott was the first Black chairman of the House Agriculture Committee and was seeking his 13th term in Congress despite challenges from within his party. Scott was the Democrats’ ranking member on the Agriculture Committee, despite most recently representing a metro Atlanta district. The congressman was once a leading voice for Democrats on farm aid policy and food aid for consumers and a prominent Black member of the moderate Blue Dog caucus. But Scott faced criticism and concerns in recent years because of declining health. Scott was born in South Carolina and graduated from Florida A&M University and the University of Pennsylvania.
April 22, 2026 3:36 pm
INSTITUTE, W.Va. (AP) — A chemical leak at a West Virginia plant killed two people and sent 19 others to the hospital, authorities said. The leak occurred at the Catalyst Refiners plant, a silver recovery business in Institute, as workers were preparing to shut down at least part of the facility, Kanawha County Commission Emergency Management Director C.W. Sigman said. A chemical gas reaction occurred at the plant involving nitric acid and another substance, Sigman said. The reaction caused “a violent reaction of the chemicals and it instantaneously overreacted,” Sigman added. Among the injured were seven ambulance workers responding to the leak, officials said.
April 21, 2026 2:15 am
Two more people are now charged in the death of a 9-year-old girl. Renesmay Eutsey was found dead in September 2025, partially submerged in the Youghiogheny River. Two women, Kourtney Malinda Eutsey, 31, and Sarah Ann Shipley, 35, were initially charged in Renesmay’s death. Fayette County District Attorney Mike Aubele on Tuesday issued a press release announcing charges against two more people: Theresa Marie Shipley, 63, and Sandra Lynn Umensetter, 51. Aubele identifies the women as Renesmay’s grandmother and a friend of the family, respectively. Per Aubele, both women are facing charges of endangering the welfare of children and recklessly endangering another person. Theresa also faces an additional count of persons required to report suspected child abuse. These new charges come after the Aubele’s office got an autopsy report and other documents from the Westmoreland County Coroner’s Office. Aubele says the coroner’s office findings confirmed Renesmay died of malnourishment, neglect and blunt force trauma injuries. The primary cause of death is said to mirror the alleged injuries to a seven-year-old victim who was hospitalized but survived. Both women are expected to be arraigned on Tuesday afternoon.
April 22, 2026 2:14 am
There have been some administrative changes in the Peters Township School District. At their regular meeting this month, school board members named Dr. Michael Fisher as the new Deputy Superintendent for the school district, to replace Dr. Jennifer Murphy, who will be moving into her new role as the superintendent, following the retirement of Dr. Jeannine French. Dr. Fisher will continue his role focusing on curriculum for grades K-5, overseeing assessments and the District’s safety and security efforts. Dr. Fisher has been a member of the District’s central leadership team since 2016, and was previously the Principal at Pleasant Valley Elementary School. Also at Monday’s meeting, Mr. Adam Sikorski was named Assistant to the Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction, with a focus on the secondary level. Sikorski makes the move to District’s central administration team following 12 years as the Principal at Peters Township Middle School. In addition to his role in Peters Township, Sikorski is currently an Adjunct Professor at Point Park University.
April 22, 2026 4:49 am
A Washington County man accused of stealing loyalty program points settled his case. Paul Kostanich, 19 of Peters Township pleaded guilty to one misdemeanor charge of theft by unlawful taking. Fifty seven other counts of unauthorized use of an access device, identity theft and receiving stolen property were dropped by the District Attorney. Kostanich will serve three years of probation and pay restitution of $677 to Giant Eagle. Additionally, he will be prohibited from using a computer outside of school and for his job as a delivery driver. Police accused Kostanich in February of 2025 of accessing victim’s Get Go Fuel Perks loyalty point information by purchasing it on the dark web. He then used the information to purchase fuel for his car and gift cards. In all, there were 19 victims in Pennsylvania and Ohio.
April 21, 2026 5:01 am
ISLAMABAD (AP) — President Donald Trump says the United States is indefinitely extending its ceasefire with Iran at Pakistan’s request as he waits for a unified proposal from the Islamic Republic. The announcement came as last-minute ceasefire talks between the U.S. and Iran looked uncertain and a two-week truce was set to expire. Earlier, the White House put on hold Vice President JD Vance’s expected trip to Islamabad for a second round of talks as Tehran — at least for the time-being — has balked at further talks. Pakistan’s information minister says Iran has not formally confirmed whether it will participate. The ceasefire had been set to expire on Wednesday.
April 22, 2026 5:02 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — A new AP-NORC poll finds that President Donald Trump’s approval rating on the economy has slumped over the past month as the Iran war drives prices higher. Trump’s approval rating on the economy dropped to 30% in April from 38% in a March AP-NORC poll. A similarly low share of U.S. adults, 32%, approve of the president’s leadership on Iran, which is unchanged since last month. Even Republicans are showing less faith in his leadership, according to the poll, which shows a president who is struggling with unfulfilled promises to tame inflation and testing Americans’ patience with a conflict in the Middle East that has dragged on longer than expected.
April 22, 2026 4:59 am
(AP) – Virginia voters have approved a congressional redistricting plan that could help Democrats win up to four additional U.S. House seats in this year’s midterm elections. Voters passed a constitutional amendment authorizing the unusual mid-decade redistricting. But their vote may not be the final say because the question still faces legal challenges, including before the state Supreme Court. The Virginia referendum is the latest development in a national redistricting battle that began after President Donald Trump urged Texas Republicans to pass a map more favorable to the GOP. Virginia is the second Democratic-led state to back redistricting, after California voters approved a new map last November.
