February 26, 2025 5:01 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — More than 20 civil service employees resigned Tuesday from billionaire Trump adviser Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency, saying they were refusing to use their technical expertise to “dismantle critical public services.” “We swore to serve the American people and uphold our oath to the Constitution across presidential administrations,” the 21 staffers wrote in a joint resignation letter, a copy of which was obtained by The Associated Press. “However, it has become clear that we can no longer honor those commitments.” The employees also warned that many of those enlisted by Musk to help him slash the size of the federal government under President Donald Trump’s administration were political ideologues who did not have the necessary skills or experience for the task ahead of them. The mass resignation of engineers, data scientists, designers and product managers is a temporary setback for Musk and the Republican president’s tech-driven purge of the federal workforce. It comes amid a flurry of court challenges that have sought to stall, stop or unwind their efforts to fire or coerce thousands of government workers out of jobs.
February 26, 2025 4:57 am
CHICAGO (AP) — Pilots on a Southwest Airlines flight attempting to land at Chicago’s Midway Airport were forced to climb back into the sky to avoid another aircraft crossing the runway. Airport webcam video posted to X shows the Southwest plane approaching a runway just before 9 a.m. Tuesday before its nose abruptly pulls up. A smaller jet is seen crossing the runway that the passenger plane was set to use. Southwest Airlines says Flight 2504 from Omaha, Nebraska, safely landed after the crew performed a precautionary go-around to avoid a possible conflict with another aircraft that entered the runway. The Federal Aviation Administration says the second plane, a business jet, entered the runway without authorization.
February 26, 2025 4:55 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — House Republicans have muscled their budget blueprint to passage, with a push from President Donald Trump. The vote late Tuesday evening is a crucial step toward delivering what he’s called his “big, beautiful bill,” with $4.5 trillion in tax breaks and $2 trillion in spending cuts. It kickstarts a weeks-long process to draft the details and merge it with the Senate’s package. The vote was 217-215 with all Democrats opposed. But even some Republicans are uneasy. As Elon Musk is tearing through the federal government, Republicans are being hammered at town halls back home. It’s a familiar GOP problem that slashing federal spending is easier said than done, as constituents rely on Medicaid and other programs and services.
February 26, 2025 4:49 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 26, 2025 4:45 am
BUTLER COUNTY, Pa. — (WPXI) – A case of bird flu was detected in Butler County last week, and it has local farmers concerned. “It’s concerning because that’s my livelihood,” said David Jones, the owner of Jones Farm in Cabot. Jones said he’s taking every precaution to keep his flock safe from the viral infection. Pennsylvania’s Department of Agriculture confirmed an infection at a backyard flock in Butler County on Feb. 20, with 610 birds affected. It’s not a commercial farm and the location has not been released. This is the first confirmed bird flu case in Butler County since early 2022. So far in 2025, seven commercial folks and eight backyard folks have been affected in nine counties across the state. Agriculture officials say 2,345,170 birds were lost to the virus. For now, Jones is keeping his 275 hens indoors. He plans to do the same thing when he gets 150 more hens next month and 5,000 turkeys in April. Jones is allowing a few workers to have access to his flock and they will continue to wear clean sanitized boots and other protective gear. He also may have a new protocol in place for customers purchasing eggs at his farm.
February 26, 2025 4:15 am
South Strabane Township Supervisors have approved a preliminary land development proposal from Epi-Center LLC for the construction of a Active Recreation Sports Complex at 2200 Tanger Boulevard. The proposed plan includes fifteen indoor pickleball courts, several outdoor pickleball courts, and eight basketball courts, which can also serve as volleyball courts. The facility will also feature a restaurant and bar, entertainment spaces and other areas for recreation. Construction is planned to be completed this year with an anticipated opening date at the end of 2025. In other action, the board also approved a Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources grant worth approximately $85,000 for a new dog park at Community Park.The decision passed with a 3-2 vote, with Supervisors Bull and Rowand dissenting. Bull says that he voted against the dog park for the safety of the residents and the children using the parks due to dogs being able to acquire illnesses. Michelle Wrubelski, Chairperson of the Parks and Recreation Committee, said that the grant will fund the development of a dog park that will be open to everyone, include separate sections for small and large dogs, shade trees, benches, watering stations, and play toys. According to Wrubelski, the township’s estimated cost for constructing the park is between $65,000 and $70,000. South Strabane resident Emily Minor voiced her opposition stating that she is not interested in liability insurance or dog park maintenance, and does not want her taxes to fund a facility where others may come to exercise their dogs.
February 26, 2025 2:47 am
Earlier this year the Southwestern Pennsylvania Area on Aging had to cancel a food program that was born out of the COVID 19 pandemic but remained popular with senior citizens. According to Mary Harris, Executive Director of the Southwestern Pennsylvania Area on Aging, the Grab and Go program was eliminated due to funds being exhausted and no new funding was put in place to keep the program. Harris says that is only a portion of the problem facing agencies on aging across Pennsylvania. Harris says that funding has remained flat for many years causing programs to cease or be put on hold. She is hopeful that Pennsylvania’s congress will pass the additional $20 million that Governor Josh Shapiro has requested for the 2025-2026 budget, but she says the actual need for these agencies is about $105 million more in spending allocations. Harris says these agencies help older Pennsylvanians with personal care, home care support and care giver support, essentially anything that will help a senior age in place in their home. Appoximately 500 senior centers operate across Pennslyvania administering about 100 programs. Harris says that state and federal funding is critical to keep these centers open. Forty of those senior centers could close without additional funding. She says that the best way to help in the funding push, is for seniors, and family members and care givers to reach out to state representatives and senators to let them know how vital the funding is to them. They should also reach out to federal representatives to ask them to support the Older Americans Act.
February 26, 2025 2:33 am
A defense attorney and prosecutors were surprised by a revelation that a suspect was released from the Washington County Jail in error. Samuel Valle, 20 of Monessen, was to appear as an incarcerated defendant at a plea court hearing on Wednesday. Valle’s defense attorney found out the day before from relatives that the Washington County Jail released him after a hearing he had in Westmoreland County back in December. Valle faces attempted homicide and aggravated assault and burglary charges among others in two cases in Washington County. Court documents reflect that Valle was free on $10,000 bail in May 2024, but had that bail revoked in July 2024. Valle is accused of being involved in a gunfight in Charleroi in September of 2024. Calls for comment placed to the Washington County Jail were not returned. A bench warrant has been issued for Valle’s arrest.
February 25, 2025 3:25 pm
(WPXI) – A man was hit and killed along Route 28 in Etna after police said he jumped out of a moving car. Allegheny County Police said they were called to the scene at 6:49 a.m. Tuesday for a pedestrian hit near the Etna exit. First responders found the victim, later identified as Connell Nihei, 50, of Pittsburgh, dead when they arrived. Police said preliminary information shows that Nihei jumped from a moving vehicle before he was hit. Everyone involved in the crash remained on scene and is cooperating with the investigation, according to Allegheny County Police. The northbound lanes were shut down between the Etna and Sharpsburg exits for nearly 4 hours. Detectives continue to investigate.
February 25, 2025 10:29 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. consumer confidence plummeted in February, the biggest monthly decline in more than four years, a business research group said Tuesday. The Conference Board reported that its consumer confidence index sank this month to 98.3 from 105.3 in January. That’s well below economists’ projections for a reading of 103. The seven-point drop was the biggest month-to-month decline since August of 2021. Markets on Wall Street immediately tumbled on the news. The S&P 500 fell 0.5%, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average slid 1.7%. Consumer spending accounts for about two-thirds of U.S. economic activity and is closely watched by economists for signs about how the American consumer is feeling.
