September 16, 2026 2:30 am
PITTSBURGH — A hearing in federal court for a Butler County man who authorities say was planning an ISIS-inspired terrorist attack was waived on Wednesday. Twenty-one-year-old Jonathan Kramer was arrested on Saturday at the Cranberry Park Hotel. Investigators said he had a semi-automatic rifle and 190 rounds of ammunition, with the alleged intent to commit terrorism. “He armed himself to carry out a mass attack against the American people and was doing so right here in the suburbs of Pittsburgh,” FBI Special Agent in Charge Richard Evanchec said. He had been on the FBI’s radar since 2023 when he was charged with having child porn and his role in a “plot to commit a mass casualty” event. A future court date has not yet been decided.
September 17, 2026 4:50 am
STRASBOURG, France (AP) — Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney will address the European Parliament on Thursday after President Donald Trump suggested allowing Canada to become an associate EU member could be a “hostile act” and threatened additional tariffs on Europe. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen proposed making Canada the bloc’s first associate member as Trump’s tariffs, demands for economic concessions and repeated talk of making Canada the 51st state drive Ottawa closer to Europe. Carney has urged middle powers to reduce their dependence on dominant powers, warning at the World Economic Forum in Davos in January that economic integration can become a source of coercion. Canada and the EU are also deepening ties on defense, energy and critical minerals.
September 16, 2026 4:51 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump is blasting Federal Reserve governors after the board raised its benchmark interest rate Wednesday for the first time since 2023 in an effort to quell stubbornly high inflation. The central bank also signaled another rate hike could occur later this year. Trump called the governors politicians and said they’re trying to hurt him politically. 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 17, 2026 4:46 am
OpenAI has disclosed six reports on unexpected or concerning behavior in artificial-intelligence models. The company is introducing a new framework to track and disclose instances of what it called “misalignment.” This includes models acting without authorization or evading oversight. The announcement comes as U.S. AI leaders call for a slowdown in development over safety concerns. One case involved a research model inserting jailbreak-like instructions. Another saw an AI agent upload files to the internet without user permission. OpenAI emphasizes the need for a broader consensus on AI alignment research. These cases follow previous disclosures of rogue AI behavior in July.
September 17, 2026 5:51 pm
GRAND CANYON NATIONAL PARK, Ariz. (AP) — Human remains found in the Grand Canyon this week have been identified as Timothy Allen Smith, the last person missing after the deadly flash flooding in late August. His wife confirmed the discovery Thursday. The flooding, which devastated the Phantom Ranch area, brought the death toll to three. Smith, a pilot from Wyoming, was on a hiking trip with two companions when the flooding hit. Their remains were found earlier. The flooding began Aug. 29 and damaged a crucial water pipeline. Many hiking trails and lodging areas remain closed as repairs continue.
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.
