February 28, 2025 4:58 am
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — A federal judge in San Francisco finds the mass firings of probationary employees were likely unlawful. Thursday’s decision grants temporary relief to a coalition of labor unions and organizations that has sued to stop the Trump administration’s dismantling of the federal workforce. U.S. District Judge William Alsup ordered the Office of Personnel Management to inform certain federal agencies that it had no authority to order the firings of probationary employees, including the Department of Defense. Lawyers for the personnel office say individual agencies made the decision to fire employees and that it had no role in ordering the firings.
February 28, 2025 4:51 am
(AP) – A police officer who was shot to death while responding to an armed man with hostages inside a Pennsylvania hospital intensive care unit was remembered Friday as a dedicated public servant who did not hesitate to run toward danger and died a hero. Hundreds of fellow officers and others filled the Living Word Community Church in Red Lion for the funeral of West York Police Officer Andrew W. Duarte. West York Police Chief Matthew Millsaps said Duarte, 30, realized he had just been shot Saturday and made it to the safety of cover when he saw that a fellow officer was down and in what Millsaps described as a compromised position. “Andrew’s last physical act on the face of this earth was to run back towards the threat area,” dragging the other officer to safety and holding his hand in comfort, Millsaps said, speaking in front of Duarte’s flag-draped coffin. “When they made it to cover, Andrew collapsed and died.” Duarte was a graduate of PennWest California here in Washington County.
February 28, 2025 2:53 am
Pennsylvania American Water has lifted a mandatory water conservation order for around 70,000 customers in parts of Allegheny, Beaver and Washington counties. PAWC said the mandatory conservation notice was necessary to maintain adequate water supply and pressure while the company worked to fix an unexpected electrical issue at the Aldrich Water Treatment Plant in Elrama. Customers were being asked to temporarily limit their water use to essential purposes only, with a targeted reduction of 10-15% until further notice. Pennsylvania American Water says it notified affected customers through its automated emergency notification system. In Washington County, the following communities were affected: Amwell; Buffalo; Burgettstown; Canonsburg; Canton; Carroll; Cecil; Chartiers; City of Washington; Claysville; Cross Creek; Donegal; East Finley; East Washington; Fallowfield; Hanover; Hopewell; Houston; Independence; Jefferson; McDonald; Midway; Monongahela; Morris; Mt. Pleasant; New Eagle; North Franklin; North Strabane; Nottingham; Peters; Robinson; Smith; Somerset; South Franklin; South Strabane and West Middletown. The mandatory conservation order also affected the communities of Bethel Park; Clairton; Jefferson Borough; South Fayette and South Park in Allegheny County and Frankfort springs and Hanover in Beaver County. The order was lifted around three-thirty Thursday afternoon.
February 28, 2025 2:28 am
More than 60 people packed a Washington County courtroom to hear the plea agreement for a Peters Township man who brutally attacked a woman with a hammer in July of 2023. William Oberschelp, 29, of McMurray pleaded guilty to attempted homicide and received a 16.5 to 33 year prison sentence for beating his ex-girlfriend Jennifer Pardini with a hammer and kicking her until she was unconscious. Several victim impact statements were read by family members accompanied by several pictures of Jennifer, depicting her skull fracture and broken jaw, while she was in the hospital. Jennifer’s father Ronald Pardini called Oberschelp a coward, fraud and a psychopath; predicting that he “will rot in hell.” Jennifer Pardini (pictured) thanked everyone for their support. She derided a voicemail that Oberschelp left her after the attack that asked her “please don’t be mad.” Pardini was proud to say that she could do all the things that doctors said may not come back. On the stand she reflected on how she can walk, she can talk and she can recall all that he did to her that night. She closed by describing a tattoo she got saying “and still I rise” and triumphantly exclaiming “I am a survivor.” In addition to his prison term, Oberschelp did express remorse for his attack. He said he was endlessly sorry for the injuries he caused her and her family and blamed his alcoholism, drug addiction and a psychotic crisis at the time. Oberschelp was also sentenced to a concurrent 20 years of probation for burglary. He also must make restitution in the amount of $27,959.07.
February 27, 2025 5:49 pm
ROME (AP) — The Vatican says that Pope Francis continues to improve from double pneumonia Thursday, though doctors say he needs more days of “clinical stability” before they revise their guarded prognosis. The 88-year-old pope was able to begin alternating high-flow supplemental oxygen, delivered by a nasal tube, with a mask in a sign of his improved respiratory condition, the Vatican said in a late update. For the second day in a row, doctors did not say Francis was in critical condition. But they said that given the complexity of his lung infection, “further days of clinical stability are needed” before they declare he is out of danger. Francis has been in Rome’s Gemelli hospital since Feb. 14.
February 27, 2025 5:47 pm
NEW YORK (AP) — A grassroots organization is encouraging U.S. residents not to spend any money on Friday. The People’s Union USA describes it as an act of “economic resistance” to protest what the group’s founder sees as the malign influence of billionaires, big corporations and both major political parties on the lives of working Americans. The group calls the 24 hours of spending abstinence set to start at midnight an “economic blackout,” a term that has since been shared and debated on social media. Other activists and faith-based leaders are organizing boycotts to protest companies that have scaled back their diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, and to oppose President Donald Trump’s moves to abolish all federal DEI programs and policies.
February 27, 2025 10:16 am
(AP) – President Donald Trump says he plans to impose tariffs on Canada and Mexico starting next Tuesday, in addition to doubling the 10% universal tariff charged on imports from China. Meanwhile, federal agencies must develop plans to eliminate employee positions, according to a memo distributed by Trump’s administration. Thousands of probationary employees have already been fired, and now his administration is turning its attention to career officials with civil service protection.
February 27, 2025 5:12 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump’s administration says federal agencies should begin planning to eliminate employee positions. The process is known as a reduction in force. Agency leaders must submit their plans by March 13. Trump is setting the stage for what could become a dramatic realignment of the federal government. He’s already downsized the workforce by laying off probationary employees. Now the administration is turning its attention to career officials with civil service protection. Trump foreshadowed this goal in an executive order that he signed with Elon Musk, the billionaire entrepreneur who’s advising the Republican president on overhauling the government.
February 27, 2025 5:09 am
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Three senior Ukrainian officials say that Ukraine and the U.S. have reached an agreement on a framework for a broad economic deal that would include access to Ukraine’s rare earth minerals. The officials, who were familiar with the matter, spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly. One of them said that Kyiv hopes that signing the agreement will ensure the continued flow of U.S. military support that the country urgently needs. President Trump called it “a very big deal,” adding that it could be worth a trillion dollars.
February 27, 2025 5:08 am
KHAN YOUNIS, Gaza Strip (AP) — An Israeli official says the military will not withdraw from a strategic corridor in the Gaza Strip. The pullout was part of the ceasefire, and Israel’s refusal could spark a crisis with Hamas and key mediator Egypt at a sensitive moment for the fragile truce. The official says Israeli forces needed to remain in the so-called Philadelphi corridor, on the Gaza side of the border with Egypt, to prevent weapons smuggling. The official spoke hours after Hamas released the remains of four hostages in exchange for over 600 Palestinian prisoners, the last planned exchange of the ceasefire’s first phase, which ends this weekend.
