April 11, 2025 5:05 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate has confirmed President Donald Trump’s nominee to become the next chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, retired Air Force Lt. Gen. Dan “Razin” Caine, before heading home for a two-week recess. Caine was nominated in February after Trump abruptly fired Gen. CQ Brown Jr. as part of his administration’s campaign to rid the military of leaders who support diversity and equity in the ranks. Caine is a decorated F-16 combat pilot who served in leadership in multiple special operations commands, in some of the Pentagon’s most classified programs and in the CIA.
April 11, 2025 5:02 am
BEIJING (AP) — China has announced countermeasures by raising tariffs on U.S. goods from 84% to 125% starting Saturday. The U.S. and China have escalated trade war by raising tariffs even as U.S. President Donald Trump hit a pause on tariffs for other countries. Trump’s universal tariffs on China total 145%. When Trump announced Wednesday that China faced 125% tariffs, he did not include a 20% tariff on China tied to its role in fentanyl production. The rates have climbed, in a back and forth with no end in sight.
April 11, 2025 4:58 am
Public officials in 16 states and the District of Columbia are suing the Trump administration to restore access to federal pandemic relief funding for schools. A coalition led by New York Attorney General Letitia James says the Education Department’s decision to abruptly halt hundreds of millions of dollars of promised aid will force cuts to vital services. The lawsuit was filed Thursday in federal court in Manhattan by 16 Democratic attorneys general and the governor of Pennsylvania. It claims the Trump administration’s action violates federal law because it reversed a prior decision to allow states to access the money through March 2026.
April 11, 2025 4:56 am
A Vermont firm is recalling more than 1,700 pounds of butter because it may be contaminated with coliform, a type of bacteria found in fecal matter. Agri-Mark Inc. of Waitsfield, Vermont, recalled 189 cases of Cabot Creamery 8-ounce premium butter made with sea salt. The butter was sold in seven states. The recall was announced on March 26 and is ongoing, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. It’s classified as the lowest level of recall and is not likely to cause health problems in people. Agri-Mark officials said they recovered nearly all of the product and addressed the problem.
April 11, 2025 4:54 am
Canon-McMillan School Board members and administrators confirmed that excavation and construction for the new Wylandville Elementary School will officially begin next month once the Pennsylvania’s Department of Environmental Protection approves the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit application from the district. Director of Facilities and Transportation, Jurdon Maier, said that preparation work can still be done such as setting fencing and clearing foliage while waiting for the permit’s approval. Alongside the new elementary school, the high school refresh project is set to pick up again this summer. Maier noted that the ongoing renovations will include infrastructure updates aimed at improving the outdated building. Another project mentioned during the meeting was the installation of a new air conditioning system at Hills-Hendersonville Elementary School—a major improvement for the building, which previously lacked any air conditioning. The project, which began last summer, was completed recently, providing an upgrade for students and staff. The board also discussed new developments in curriculum, particularly in technology education. Dr. Ken Crowley, Assistant Superintendent for Grades 7–12, spoke about the district’s exploration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) courses for high school students.The district aims to equip students with foundational AI skills while maintaining a strong emphasis on teacher-led learning. In a shift aimed at minimizing classroom disruption, the Keystone Exams will now be administered in-person while students not taking the exams will learn asynchronously. This change condenses the testing schedule from six days to three, giving teachers more time for instruction.
April 11, 2025 4:23 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump is betting that a beleaguered Iran is so vulnerable following a tumultuous 18 months in the Middle East that it might finally be ready to abandon its nuclear program. The renewed push to solve one of the most delicate foreign policy issues facing the White House and the Mideast will begin in earnest Saturday. That’s when Trump’s Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi gather in the Middle East sultanate of Oman. Trump says he prefers a diplomatic solution, even as he warns Iran it will face “great danger” if talks don’t go well. He says, “They can’t have a nuclear weapon.”
April 10, 2025 5:25 pm
WASHINGTON (AP) — House Republicans have narrowly approved their budget framework. The 216-214 tally was a turnaround for Speaker Mike Johnson after abruptly postponing Wednesday’s vote. Johnson worked into the night to satisfy conservative lawmakers who had refused to support the plan. He and Senate Majority Leader John Thune assured conservatives they were on track seeking at least $1.5 trillion in cuts. President Donald Trump had admonished the holdouts to “stop grandstanding.” The bill is central to Trump’s agenda of tax breaks, spending cuts and mass deportations. There are still more votes ahead as lawmakers draft a final package in the weeks to come.
April 10, 2025 5:23 pm
NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks surrendered a chunk of their historic gains from the day before as President Donald Trump’s trade war continues to threaten the economy. The S&P 500 fell 3.5% Thursday. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 2.5%, and the Nasdaq composite sank 4.3%. China announced more countermeasures against the United States, and losses for stocks accelerated after the White House clarified that it will tax Chinese imports at 145%, not the 125% rate Trump had earlier written about. The swings also hit the bond market despite a better-than-expected report on inflation. (Photo: AP)
April 10, 2025 4:24 pm
(AP) – A Vermont firm has recalled more than 1,700 pounds of butter because it may be contaminated with coliform, a type of bacteria found in fecal matter. Agri-Mark Inc., of Waitsfield, Vermont, recalled 189 cases of Cabot Creamery 8-ounce premium butter made with sea salt, according to a notice from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The butter was distributed in Arkansas, Connecticut, Maine, New Hampshire, New York, Pennsylvania and Vermont. The recall was issued on March 26 and is ongoing, according to the FDA. It is classified as the lowest level of recall, Class III, which means it’s not likely to cause health problems in people. Consumers should not eat or use the recalled butter, which has a best-by date of Sept. 9. It is identified as lot 090925-055, item 2038.
April 10, 2025 4:14 pm
NEW YORK (AP) — A helicopter broke apart in midair and crashed upside-down into the Hudson River between Manhattan and the New Jersey waterfront, killing all six people aboard. That’s according to witnesses and a law enforcement official who spoke to The Associated Press. It was the latest high-profile aviation disaster in the U.S. The New York Fire Department said it received a report of the crash at 3:17 p.m. Thursday. Witness Bruce Wall said he saw the helicopter falling apart in midair, with the tail and propeller coming off. He said the propeller was still spinning without the aircraft as it fell.
