May 7, 2025 5:01 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump plans to announce next week that the U.S. will refer to the Persian Gulf as the Arabian Gulf or the Gulf of Arabia. That’s according to two U.S. officials who spoke to The Associated Press on Tuesday on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive matters. Trump is traveling to Saudi Arabia next week. Arab nations have pushed for a change to the geographic name of the body of water off the southern coast of Iran, while Iran has maintained its historic ties to the gulf. The White House and National Security Council didn’t immediately respond to messages seeking comment.
May 7, 2025 4:59 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — Top U.S. officials are set to meet with a high-level Chinese delegation this weekend in Switzerland. The administration on Tuesday announced the first major talks between the two nations since President Donald Trump sparked a trade war with stiff tariffs on imports. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer will meet with their counterparts in Geneva in the most-senior known conversations between the two countries in months. The Chinese Commerce Ministry confirmed the meeting, saying they agreed to have contact “after fully considering global expectations, Chinese interests and calls from U.S. businesses and consumers.” It comes amid growing U.S. market worry over the impact of the tariffs.
May 7, 2025 4:57 am
VATICAN CITY (AP) — Black smoke is again pouring out of the Sistine Chapel chimney. That indicates no pope was elected on second or third ballots of the conclave to choose a new leader of the Catholic Church. The smoke billowed out at 11:50 a.m. on Thursday after the morning voting session to elect a successor to Pope Francis to lead the 1.4 billion-member church. No one has secured the necessary two-thirds majority or 89 votes. That means the 133 cardinals will return to the Vatican residences where they are being sequestered. They will have lunch and then return to the Sistine Chapel for the afternoon voting session. Two more votes are possible Thursday.
May 7, 2025 4:46 am
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — A barrier described as an “anti-climb fence” to bolster security is in the works for the Pennsylvania governor’s official residence. The leader of the Pennsylvania State Police mentioned the new fence in a letter to state legislative leaders on Tuesday. It’s been less than a month since a late-night intruder jumped the existing fence, broke into the home and started a damaging fire inside the Harrisburg home of Gov. Josh Shapiro and his family. The man who allegedly broke into the home faces charges that include attempted homicide and arson for the fire on April 13.
May 7, 2025 4:44 am
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Pennsylvania’s state Senate is backing a bill to ban transgender athletes from competing in women’s and girls’ sports at the collegiate and K-12 levels. However, the Republican-penned bill that passed Tuesday is unlikely to get a vote in the state’s Democratic-controlled House of Representatives. The bill passed, 32-18, marking the second time the GOP-controlled Senate has passed it. An earlier attempt, with a Republican-controlled House, met then-Gov. Tom Wolf’s veto in 2022. The bill applies to participation in girls’ and women’s sports that are sponsored by public schools, public universities and publicly chartered community colleges. This bill comes after President Donald Trump declared his intent to “keep men out of women’s sports.”
May 7, 2025 4:43 am
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — REAL ID requirements for those flying within the United States begin after more than 20 years of delays. Starting Wednesday, travelers taking a domestic flight and using a state-issued ID to get through security must have one that meets federal REAL ID requirements. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem assured people Tuesday they will be able to fly after clearing additional identity checks. The Transportation Security Administration warned people who don’t have identification that complies with REAL ID requirements to show up early and be prepared for advanced screening to avoid causing delays.
May 7, 2025 2:16 am
PennDot has announced several bridge preservation projects in Washington County and virtual displays of the projects are available. PennDot is also requesting feedback on the projects. A link to view the virtual presentation of the projects and offer feedback is contained here in this link. Bridge rehabilitation will be divided into three categories. Three bridges will receive a latex overlay with expansion dam repairs. Those are the Barrett Hill Road Bridge over I-79 in Amwell Township, the Paris Colliers Road Bridge over Route 22 and the Laurel Road Bridge over Route 22, both in Hanover Township. A new asphalt overlay with joint repair will be done on the Old Brick Road Bridge over I-70 in Donegal Township. Epoxy overlays and joint repairs will be done on the Piersol Avenue Bridge crossing over Pigeon Creek in Bentleyville, the Main Street Bridge over I-70 in Donegal Township and on the Route 19 Bridge over Route 519 in North Strabane Township. Exact details of the work, timelines of the projects and any traffic disruptions or detours are detailed in the virtual display. Work is anticipated to begin in late August and continue through early November. Public feedback is invited through May 15.
May 6, 2025 3:28 pm
WASHINGTON (AP) — The head of Homeland Security says travelers who aren’t REAL ID compliant by the upcoming deadline this week will still be able to fly but should be prepared for extra scrutiny. Kristi Noem told a congressional panel that 81% of travelers already have IDs that comply with the REAL ID requirements. She says security checkpoints will also be accepting passports and tribal identification when the deadline hits Wednesday. She says those who still lack an identification that complies with the REAL ID law “may be diverted to a different line, have an extra step.” But they will still be allowed to fly. (Photo: AP)
May 6, 2025 3:25 pm
VATICAN CITY (AP) — Cardinals have wrapped up their pre-conclave meetings before they enter the conclave to elect a new pope. They are trying to identify someone who could follow Pope Francis and make the 2,000-year-old Catholic Church credible and relevant today, especially to young people. The cardinals held their last day of pre-conclave meetings Tuesday morning during which Francis’ fisherman’s ring and his official seal were destroyed in one of the final formal rites of the transition of his pontificate to the next. (Photo: AP)
May 6, 2025 3:21 pm
WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. President Donald Trump and new Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney faced off in the Oval Office on Tuesday and showed no signs of retreating from their gaping differences in an ongoing trade war that has shattered decades of trust between the two countries. The two kept it civil, but as for Trump’s calls to make Canada the 51st state, Carney insisted his nation was “not for sale” and Trump shot back, “time will tell.” Asked by a reporter if there was anything Carney could tell him to lift his tariffs of as much as 25% on Canada, Trump bluntly said: “No.” The U.S. president added for emphasis, “Just the way it is.” (Photo: AP)
