March 18, 2025 5:05 am
The Pentagon says internet pages honoring a Black Medal of Honor winner and Japanese American service members were mistakenly taken down. But it is staunchly defending its overall campaign to strip out content singling out the contributions by women and minority groups, which the Trump administration considers “DEI.” A Defense Department website honoring Black Medal of Honor recipient Army Maj. Gen. Charles Calvin Rogers was taken down last week. Another page that was removed featured the World War II Japanese American 442nd Regimental Combat Team. Both were back online Monday, but thousands of pages have been taken down in efforts to delete material promoting diversity, equity and inclusion.
March 18, 2025 5:01 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — The White House says President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin have agreed on an immediate ceasefire for energy and infrastructure targets in the Russia-Ukraine war. Ukraine hasn’t responded yet. The White House described the move Tuesday as the first step in a “movement to peace” that it hopes will eventually include a maritime ceasefire in the Black Sea and a full and lasting end to the fighting. The White House said negotiations would begin immediately on those steps. Trump and Putin held a call for more than an hour. There’s no indication Putin has backed away from his previous conditions, fiercely opposed by Kiev, to consider a broader ceasefire.
March 18, 2025 4:58 am
DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Israel has launched airstrikes across the Gaza Strip that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says are “only the beginning” and “a necessary condition for freeing hostages.” The territory’s Health Ministry said the airstrikes killed at least 400 Palestinians, mostly women and children. Tuesday’s surprise bombardment shattered a ceasefire in place since January and threatened to fully reignite the 17-month-old war. Netanyahu ordered the strikes after Hamas refused Israeli demands to change the ceasefire agreement. The White House said it had been consulted and voiced support for Israel’s actions. A senior Hamas official said Netanyahu’s decision to return to war amounts to a “death sentence” for the remaining hostages.
March 18, 2025 4:55 am
PUNTA CANA, Dominican Republic (AP) — The search for a U.S. college student who went missing in the Dominican Republic intensified on Monday after a man questioned by authorities visited the beach where she was last seen and spoke with officials. The 20-year-old Sudiksha Konanki vanished before dawn on March 6 in the resort town of Punta Cana. Her parents are now asking officials in the Dominican Republic to officially declare her dead. Sources say the parents sent a letter to police acknowledging there is no evidence of foul play. Authorities are scouring waters in case she drowned. Minnesota student Joshua Riibe has not been named as a suspect but is believed to be the last person to see her. Konanki is an Indian citizen.
March 18, 2025 4:53 am
The National Weather Service has issued an Elevated Fire Weather threat for Wednesday. As a result, fire chiefs from Amwell, Bentleyville, Canton, Carroll, Cecil, Chartiers, Fallowfield, North Franklin, McDonald, Mount Pleasant, North Strabane, South Strabane and the City of Washington are urging residents to refrain from burning. The combination of dry conditions, low humidity and breezy winds will result in favorable conditions for rapid spread of fires. Residents are urged to avoid open burning, properly dispose of smoking materials, grill with caution and be mindful of sparks. If you see an uncontrolled fire you are asked to call 911 immediately.
March 18, 2025 4:51 am
SMITH TOWNSHIP, Pa. — (WPXI) – An Ohio man was flown to a hospital after he was hit by a car while changing a flat tire in Smith Township. A Pennsylvania State Police report says the incident happened on Monday just after 3 p.m. on U.S. Highway 22, just west of the Bavington Exit. Troopers say a man from Jacobsburg Ohio was on the shoulder trying to change his vehicle’s flat tire when he was hit by a Volkswagen Jetta driven by a West Virginia woman. The man was taken to an area hospital by helicopter. There’s no word on his current condition. The crash remains under investigation.
March 18, 2025 4:48 am
North Franklin Township residents can soon expect a new dining option as the Zoning Hearing Board has approved the construction of a Long John Silver’s restaurant. The new restaurant will be located next to the Burger King on West Chestnut Street. According to Barry Blose, Chairman of the North Franklin Township Zoning Board, the vacant lot will soon be transformed into a state-of-the-art facility. The restaurant will offer a modern drive-thru, a seating area for approximately 25 people, and restroom facilities.The new eatery will provide the community with a fast food option that includes all the familiar offerings of Long John Silver’s, while also enhancing the area with a modern design. Long John Silver’s also has reached an agreement with the neighboring Burger King to share their parking lot if their lot has reached capacity. Construction is expected to begin this summer.
March 18, 2025 4:47 am
Peters Township School Directors held a straight forward meeting disposing of day to day business items and approving a draft format for the school calendar two years from now. The draft of the 2026-2027 school year calendar is now available for public comment on the school district’s website. Prior to approval, Director Alex O’Neill suggested that the public’s attention be brought to the calendar, specifically regarding the length of spring break. In two years, the break will only be for 4 school days. By comparison, this year and in the 2025-2026 school year, spring break is scheduled for 6 school days. Directors asked staff to make sure parents are alerted by email to study the change.
March 17, 2025 5:42 pm
PLANTERSVILLE, Ala. (AP) — Residents and work crews in the South and Midwest are beginning to clean up and survey the destruction from a three-day outbreak of severe weather. The storms started Friday. They kicked up wildfires, tornadoes and dust storms. The severe weather barreled across eight states and left at least 41 people dead. Wind-driven wildfires across Oklahoma destroyed more than 400 homes. Four deaths were blamed on the fires or high winds. In North Carolina, two boys were killed when a 3-foot-wide tree fell on their home. And in Missouri, scattered twisters killed at least a dozen people.
March 17, 2025 10:15 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — US shoppers stepped up their spending a just bit in February after a sharp pullback the previous month, signaling that Americans are shopping more cautiously as concerns about the direction of the economy mount. Retail sales rose just 0.2% in February, a small rebound after a sharp drop of 1.2% in January, the Commerce Department said Monday. Sales rose at grocery stores, home and garden stores, and online retailers. Sales fell at auto dealers, restaurants, and electronics stores. The small increase suggests Americans may be growing more wary about spending as the stock market has plunged and President Donald Trump’s tariff threats and government spending cuts have led to widespread uncertainty among consumers and businesses.
