April 15, 2026 5:05 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Justice Department has asked a federal appeals court to throw out the seditious conspiracy convictions of Proud Boys and Oath Keepers leaders who were sentenced to prison terms for leading members of the far-right extremist groups in attacking the U.S. Capitol over five years ago. Trump commuted the prison sentences of several Proud Boys and Oath Keepers leaders last January in a sweeping act of clemency for all 1,500-plus defendants charged in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack. Tuesday’s requests by the Justice Department would go a step further and erase the convictions for the extremist group leaders, including Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes.
April 15, 2026 5:00 am
NEW YORK (AP) — Many Americans are turning to artificial intelligence tools such as ChatGPT for health advice. A Gallup poll out Wednesday found that about 1 in 4 U.S. adults had used AI for health information in the past month. The poll comes on the heels of at least three other surveys with similar findings. Gallup found that people often use AI chatbots for quick answers, additional information or research before or after seeing a doctor. However, concerns about accuracy and privacy persist. Experts warn that AI chatbots can sometimes provide false information and emphasize the need for caution.
April 15, 2026 4:59 am
ATLANTA (AP) — A long-lasting weather pattern is blasting hot air across the eastern U.S. and threatening to shatter record highs starting Wednesday. Cities like New York, Philadelphia, and Atlanta are experiencing unusual April heat. Forecasters say the near-record temperatures could last into the weekend. The heat follows severe storms in Kansas, Minnesota, and Wisconsin on Monday, with more storms expected in the Plains and Midwest. Experts note the duration of this heat wave is rare for April. The heat can be stressful on the human body, especially since many have not yet acclimated to higher temperatures.
April 14, 2026 2:31 am
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette will no longer cease publishing in May because it is being acquired by a nonprofit media group. On Tuesday, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette announced that Block Communications Inc., the current owner of the paper, is selling it to the Venetoulis Institute for Local Journalism, publisher of the Pulitzer Prize-winning Baltimore Banner. The sale goes into effect May 4, the day after the paper was supposed to publish its final edition. “For nearly a century, the Block family has been dedicated to public service in Pittsburgh,” said Stewart Bainum Jr., founder of the Venetoulis Institute. “We are honored that they trust us to continue this work.” Block Communications has operated the publication since 1927, but announced back in January that the 240-year-old newspaper would cease operations on May 3rd. The Post-Gazette will be the second news organization operated by Venetoulis. The new owners say the newsroom and local business leadership will remain in Pittsburgh, while other functions will be combined with Venetoulis Institute. The Post-Gazette name will also remain unchanged. (Photo: AP)
April 14, 2026 2:49 pm
Pennsylvania Turnpike officials say they will soon start sending out text messages to drivers who have unpaid tolls. The Turnpike Commission says this is part of a pilot program to crack down on drivers who aren’t paying their bills and to let them know before they are sent to a collections agency. The issue though, is scams. There has been no shortage of scams involving text messages that appear to come from the turnpike. Officials, though, say they have $240 million in unpaid tolls from 2025 that they want to recoup – so – in June or July, they will be pushing out text messages to drivers with unpaid tolls as part of a six-month pilot program. They say they are still working on the exact wording, but before text messages are sent out, they will clearly show what the text message will say; when the texts will go out and the phone number from which the messages will come.
April 14, 2026 2:28 am
The Fayette County Coroner says authorities are investigating a fatal accident Monday evening on Route 40 in Uniontown. Few details have been released but Dr. Bob Baker says the accident occurred when a motorcycle and a car collided, killing 34-year-old Kevin Glover of Uniontown. Glover was operating the motorcycle.
April 13, 2026 2:11 am
Gas prices are a penny higher in Western Pennsylvania this week at $4.185 per gallon, according to AAA East Central’s Gas Price Report. The national average for a gallon of regular gasoline has been falling over the past few days and is now a penny more than last week at $4.12. The last time the national average was over $4 per gallon was in early August of 2022. Crude oil prices remain high, even as they’ve fluctuated in recent days following the announcement of a 2-week ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran. The price for a barrel of crude dropped below $100 but then rose again, highlighting the volatility of oil markets and fluidity of geopolitical events. Today’s national average is 50 cents more than a month ago and 94 cents more than a year ago. In Washington the average price for a gallon of gas is four-dollars and fourteen-cents a gallon
April 14, 2026 4:51 am
ISLAMABAD (AP) — The standoff between the United States and Iran is deepening as the U.S. has declared it has blockaded the Strait of Hormuz. Iran has threatened to strike targets across the region. Pakistan says it is racing to bring the sides together for more talks. Last week’s ceasefire appeared to hold on Tuesday. But the standoff set up an extraordinary showdown that risked reigniting hostilities. Talks aimed at permanently ending the conflict failed to produce an agreement last weekend. But Pakistani officials told The Associated Press that they had proposed a second round in the coming days.
April 14, 2026 4:52 am
The House Clerk read letters of resignation from both Congressman Eric Swalwell and Tony Gonzales on the House floor Tuesday afternoon. Republican Tony Gonzales of Texas acknowledged an affair with a former staffer who later died by suicide. Democrat Eric Swalwell of California is accused of sexual assault and harassment. Both are effective immediately and that is key because there were Republicans and even some Democrats who were musing about possibly calling expulsion votes for Swalwell and potentially even Gonzales if their resignations were not effective right away, if they had decided to stay on then their resignations would be effective some weeks, some months from now but both of those efforts won’t happen because both of those members will be leaving the House of Representatives.
April 13, 2026 2:12 am
ABOARD THE PAPAL PLANE (AP) — Pope Leo XIV has responded to President Donald Trump’s criticism over the U.S.-Israel war in Iran, saying the Vatican’s peace appeals are rooted in the Gospel. Speaking Monday, Leo emphasized that his message is not a direct attack on Trump but a call for peace. Trump criticized Leo on social media and to reporters, accusing him of being too liberal. Leo suggested over the weekend that a “delusion of omnipotence” is fueling the U.S.-Israel war in Iran. In a social media post, Trump accused Leo of being weak on crime and foreign policy. He also criticized Leo for opposing the U.S. attack on Venezuela. President Trump said he will not apologize for his criticism of Pope Leo and he doubled down on his view that the Pope should not be speaking out on issues of policy, including the US war with Iran. As for a picture he posted on his Truth Social Site, appearing to depict himself as Jesus Christ, Trump says, “I did post it and I thought it was me as a doctor and had to do with Red Cross, as a Red Cross worker there, which we support, and only the fake news could come up with that one.” The post has since been deleted as Catholics and others around the world expressed their unhappiness with the post. (Photo: Truth Social)
