February 25, 2026 4:04 am
BEIJING (AP) — China and Germany have pledged to deepen ties despite differences over Russia’s war in Ukraine. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz held talks with Chinese leader Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang on Wednesday in Beijing. Xi says that the more turbulent and complex the world becomes, the more China and Germany should strengthen strategic communication and enhance strategic mutual trust. Merz, on a two-day visit to China, says Europe wants a partnership with China that is balanced, reliable and fair. He also says global crises, including the war in Ukraine, cannot be tackled without Beijing.
February 25, 2026 5:58 pm
At least one person was taken to a hospital following a house fire in Fayette County on Wednesday. Smoke and flames were reportedly pouring from the home when firefighters arrived. A Fayette County 911 supervisor says emergency crews were called to the 1100 block of Bute Road in Dunbar Township just after noon. No further information has been released
February 25, 2026 5:49 pm
HAVANA (AP) — Cuban soldiers have killed four people aboard a speed boat registered in Florida that opened fire on officers in Cuban waters. Cuba’s Interior Ministry issued a statement that provided few details about the shooting, but noted the boat was roughly one mile northeast of Cayo Falcones, off Cuba’s north coast. It was unclear if any U.S. citizens were aboard. The government provided the boat’s registration number, but The Associated Press was unable to verify details of the boat because boat registrations are not public in the state of Florida. Officials said one Cuban officer was injured, four suspects killed and six others injured
February 25, 2026 4:42 am
South Strabane Township Supervisors reopened and approved a new 2026 budget only to have to revert back to the original budget approved in December. With that, supervisors went after that budget with cuts that they planned for the new budget. A large but rather silent crowd watched as the Parks and Recreation Department was eliminated. The biggest item was the layoff of the Administrative Assistant/Public Safety Specialist. Both of those actions passed 3-2 with supervisors Bob Weber and Russell Grego voting against. Supervisors George Rowand, Jeff Bull and Zack Morgan voting to approve. Fire Chief Jordan Cramer said that the layoff will have lasting effects on his overworked staff and on residents as well. Supervisor Jeff Bull says that the responsibilities of that person are outlined as part of the job of Fire Chief. Former supervisor Rich Luketich asked supervisors why they, according to documentation he received from township records, spent nearly $6,000 reopening the budget when they could have just made cuts to the old budget like they are doing. Supervisor George Rowand said that the reopening was necessary to find out just where the gaps in the budget existed. Other items addressed by supervisors were actions to rescind the Diversity Policy that passed 4-1 and the rescinding of the Workplace Bullying Policy that passed 3-2. A last minute agenda item added at the end of the meeting resolved the issue of Tax Collector Susan Koehler gaining access to her office. At issue was Koehler having building keys to have access to the whole building. Supervisor Grego explained that the keys to the tax collector’s office are different than those that access the rest of the municipal building thus she has no access to the main building. Koehler will now have keys to be able to work as she sees necessary. A drop box will be installed at the front of the municipal building for residents to drop off taxes outside of normal business hours. Koehler will need to supply her own phone number.
February 25, 2026 4:55 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump sought in his first State of the Union address to sell Americans on the idea of a booming economy, falling prices, and soaring jobs, yet he faces a skeptical public with a much gloomier view. Barely 12 hours before his speech, in fact, The Conference Board, a business research group, released its latest consumer confidence report. It showed that overall confidence in the economy remains historically low, and is barely above the level it plunged to in the depths of the COVID recession. Other polling has yielded similar results: Only 39% of Americans approve of Trump’s economic leadership, according to the latest Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research survey.
February 25, 2026 1:50 pm
(AP) – Former U.S. Treasury Secretary Larry Summers will resign from teaching at Harvard University amid a campus review of his ties to Jeffrey Epstein, the university announced Wednesday. Summers, who has been on leave since November and whose name appeared hundreds of times in newly released Epstein files, will leave at the end of the school year, according to a statement from Harvard spokesperson Jason Newton. In a statement, Summers said it was a difficult decision and expressed gratitude to students and colleagues he has worked with over 50 years.
February 24, 2026 2:35 am
State, County and Local officials gathered at the Crossroads Building to begin the celebration of the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States. The America 250 PA organization celebrated with a remembrance of the great role Washington County played in the Revolutionary War and after when events like the Whiskey Rebellion tested the Constitution of the United States was tested only three years after it was officially ratified. Washington City Councilman Joe DeThomas welcomed visitors to the city. Commissioner Nick Sherman commented on how Revolutionary War history runs through Washington County. Commissioner Larry Maggi backed that up by telling how, conceivably, the last battle of the Revolutionary War was fought near Dutch Fork Lake. State Senator Camera Bartolotta described her Choctaw and Cherokee Indian heritage along with three relatives that fought for the young nation in the Revolutionary War. State Representative Tim O’Neal reflected on how divisive feelings of the early colonists may be similar to today’s citizens. He expressed faith in the Constitution and its strength to survive any attack. The America 250 PA celebration takes place across the commonwealth. Events are planned throughout the year. A schedule of events may be found at www.america250pa.org.
February 25, 2026 4:47 am
NEW YORK (AP) — The gigantic snowstorm this week across the Northeast United States has dropped piles of snow from Maryland to Maine. Cities were scrambling Wednesday to clear towering snow heaps that were not showing signs of melting anytime soon. By Tuesday evening, New York City had spread 143 million pounds of salt, while snowplows cleared the way for ambulances and fire trucks in Rhode Island. But with another storm expected Wednesday, there is plenty more work left to do, especially for the many people with disabilities. A spokesperson for the Center for Independence of the Disabled, New York, described parts of the city as impassable islands.
February 24, 2026 4:57 am
“Today” show host Savannah Guthrie says her family is now offering a $1 million reward for information leading to the recovery of her mother. It has been three weeks since Nancy Guthrie went missing from her Arizona home. Savannah Guthrie said Tuesday that her family is still holding out for a miracle and hopes her mother will be found alive. But she also acknowledged that they realize it might be too late. She said in the video that her mom may be dancing in heaven. Savannah Guthrie said while announcing the $1 million reward that her family needs to know where Nancy Guthrie is no matter what happened.
February 24, 2026 4:58 am
Legislation to require all aircraft flying around busy airports to have key locator systems to prevent midair collisions failed to win approval in the House on Tuesday. The head of the National Transportation Safety Board said the system that her agency has been recommending since 2008 would have prevented last year’s midair collision near Washington, D.C., that killed 67 people. The bill passed the Senate and had the backing of the victims’ families and key unions. It would require all aircraft to be equipped with a system that can receive data about the locations of other aircraft. The complementary system that broadcasts an aircraft’s location is already required.
