September 17, 2026 4:52 am
BENGALURU, India (AP) — Human-caused global warming resulting in the Himalayan permafrost thawing was, in part, responsible for the catastrophic glacier and boulder collapse last month. The sudden floods killed thousands and resulted in billions of dollars in damages in Nepal, a report released Thursday found. The World Weather Attribution group said planet heating has pushed the freezing threshold in mountains upward by roughly 100 meters per decade. This has led to glacial thinning and thawing of permafrost that held the mountains together. Already destabilized mountains as a result of the 2015 Nepal earthquake combined with climate-related factors are likely the primary causes of last month’s disaster.
September 16, 2026 2:50 am
PennDOT has announced a scheduled closure of southbound Interstate 79 from Exit 19 (Ruff Creek/Jefferson) in Washington Township to Exit 14 (Masontown/Waynesburg) in Franklin Township, Greene County. All work depends on weather and operations. The full roadway closure of southbound Interstate 79 will occur Thursday, September 17 from 6:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m. Detour: Exit I-79 at southbound Exit 19 (Ruff Creek/Jefferson), southbound Route 221, eastbound Route 188, southbound Route 88, westbound Route 21, enter southbound I-79 via Exit 14 (Masontown/Waynesburg). The closure will allow crews to repair guiderail damaged from a crash over the weekend. The Pennsylvania State Police will also be onsite to assist with traffic control This work is part of the I-79 Waynesburg to Marianna Project, a $45.9 million infrastructure investment, which will make improvements to approximately 11 miles of I-79, extending through Franklin and Washington townships in Greene County and Amwell Township in Washington County. Lindy Paving, Inc., is the prime contractor.
September 16, 2026 4:56 pm
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Federal Reserve raised its benchmark interest rate Wednesday for the first time since 2023 in an effort to quell stubbornly-high inflation, a move that could spur a sharp response from the White House. The quarter-point increase lifts the Fed’s key rate to about 3.9% and, over time, could result in higher borrowing costs for mortgages, auto loans, and credit cards. The move comes as Americans are already struggling with high costs for groceries, gas, and housing. Affordability has taken on a leading role in the upcoming midterm elections, just seven weeks away.
September 16, 2026 5:49 pm
WASHINGTON (AP) — The House has approved a resolution holding billionaire Leon Black in contempt of Congress after he defied the Oversight Committee’s subpoenas in its investigation into disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein. The swift action, without a formal roll call vote, refers the matter to the Justice Department to decide whether to seek criminal prosecution. The Oversight Committee had subpoenaed Black with a request to appear and to turn over any potential nondisclosure agreements involving the investigation into Epstein. Black’s lawyers have denounced the Oversight Committee’s pursuit of the former head of a private equity firm as an abuse of congressional power.
September 16, 2026 4:53 pm
LOS ANGELES (AP) — A motorist was arrested on murder charges after authorities say she slammed her SUV into a city bus in Los Angeles, killing at least two people and injuring six others in a prelude to a second deadly tragedy: the fiery crash of a TV news helicopter used by NBC and Telemundo that was covering the collision. Police say 36-year-old Bailee Lynn Rios was arrested Tuesday night and is being held at a Los Angeles jail with bail set at $4 million. Information on a lawyer who could speak on her behalf wasn’t immediately available. NBC4 Los Angeles identified the two on the helicopter as reporter Eliana Moreno and pilot George Marciniw.
September 16, 2026 1:53 pm
Pennsylvania’s Secretary of the Commonwealth Al Schmidt held his second virtual update on the November 3 general election on Tuesday afternoon. In a seven-minute video, he touched on a variety of topics, like September 15th’s National Voter Registration Day, the in mail-in balloting decision made by the U.S. Supreme Court, whether the state uses AI technology in the election process, and prediction market platforms. On behalf of the Shapiro administration, he called the U.S. Postal Service’s proposed changes to mail-in balloting “unlawful” and “an overreach” and called the Supreme Court’s decision a “win” for Pennsylvania voters. Schmidt said “Nothing has changed for voters” in the Keystone State and eligible voters should continue to have confidence that they can vote securely and safely. He said that some ballots have already been sent out to voters who asked for them. He also touted a new public relations dashboard that residents can check up on their voter registration, trends and up to date information at Vote.pa.gov. Schmidt also added that A.I. tools are not used in elections, and that workers pledge an oath against prediction markets and other wagering. Schmidt will be back again Tuesday with another video.
September 16, 2026 1:34 pm
WASHINGTON (AP) — Fencing has gone up around the main Kennedy Center building, a day after the Trump-aligned board voted to close most of the performing arts center for repairs. That vote came after a federal judge blocked the institution from returning President Donald Trump’s name to the building. The Republican had said in social media post that the closure was needed for safety repairs. But he said the repairs, which Congress has allocated $257 million to cover, would only happen if the board was permitted to move forward with plans to add his name to the building.
September 16, 2026 8:53 am
NEW YORK (AP) — Consumers stepped up their spending at a better-than-expected pace in August after an unexpectedly sharp pullback in July. Retail sales rose 1.2% last month after recording a revised 0.5% dip in July, according to Commerce Department data released Wednesday. The decline in July was notable because there had been few signs of fatigue from U.S. consumers. Americans spent heavily during the World Cup and Amazon Prime Day sales this summer. That followed heavy retail traffic in April and May as Americans dipped into their government tax refunds. Excluding gas prices, retail sales rose 1.1% in August. The government figures aren’t adjusted for inflation.
September 15, 2026 2:38 am
During the agenda meeting for Washington County Commissioners, County Solicitor Gary Sweat alerted officials of closer monitoring of county data information. Sweat stated that pension office staff were able to access pension information from another county. Immediately, the organization responsible for county pension information, Pension Technology Group was notified. They are currently monitoring and working on the internal issue. In a second instance, the county C-Track system was compromised. The C-Track system monitors all of the information regarding the court system, not only in Washington County but throughout the Commonwealth. Thompson-Reuters is the organization that performs that service and they alerted the county to a data breach within their system. According to Sweat, both companies have been notified to keep the county informed of any changes in status. He says that he has been assured by both companies that no sensitive information for employees or citizens has been accessed. Sweat credits the county information technology staff for their efforts in these instances. Sweat says IT security has been significantly improved since a 2024 data breach to the county that held them hostage for several weeks.
September 16, 2026 4:41 am
North Strabane Township Supervisors will be finalizing a project that will hopefully keep car speeds down on two area roads and increase public safety. The DeMar Avenue and McDowell Lane Safety Device project will be voted on next week. The project is a traffic calming effort using flashing speed signs and pavement rumble strips to alert drivers that are travelling too fast on the roads. Supervisors are also developing a data center ordinance. Supervisors will look to alert the public on its availability to be reviewed and a public hearing will be scheduled. Supervisors will vote on the issues on September 22 at 7:00 pm in the municipal building.
