September 27, 2026 7:29 am
NEW YORK (AP) — The 2026 MTV Video Music Awards are here and Taylor Swift is set to make history. It was announced Monday that Swift will receive the inaugural Artist Director Honors, making her the most awarded artist in VMA history. She is currently tied with Beyoncé, each having 30 awards. The new honor will bring her total to 31. Snoop Dogg, a three-time VMA winner, will host the event. The show will broadcast live on CBS from the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles on Sunday night. Madonna leads the nominations with 11, followed by Swift with nine. Performers include Madonna, Raye and others. (Photo: AP)
September 27, 2026 6:47 am
CRANBERRY TOWNSHIP, Pa. — Police arrested a Cranberry Township man after police say he sent sexually explicit messages to who he believed to be a 13-year-old boy. According to the criminal complaint, someone with the group named ‘Predator Poacher’ which works to catch child predators, posed as a 13-year-old who Eric Zachary Trylko reportedly messaged. Police say Trylko sent images of himself and asked the person who was posing as a 13-year-old for images of themself doing sexual acts. According to the criminal complaint, Trylko wrote, “At least three have tried it. Two boys, one girl.” Trylko worked as a state auditor. The Pennsylvania State Office of Administration wrote, “Criminal conduct by Commonwealth employees is unacceptable and Eric Trylko has been suspended pending the disposition of the felony charges. Depending on the resolution in a case of this nature, an employee could face disciplinary action up to and including termination of employment.” Trylko was unable to post bond and is in the Butler County Prison. His preliminary hearing is scheduled for November 6.
September 26, 2026 2:49 am
The 10th Annual Washington Italian Festival is Saturday, September 26 from 12:00-7:00 PM. Held at the Community Pavilion on Main Street in Downtown Washington, the festival will feature music and dance performances, Italian food and beverages, and local vendors. The lineup of performers includes Allegro Dance Company, New Vintage Big Band, Washington Jazz Orchestra, Street Players, and more. Rebecca Robertson plays a big role in bringing everything for the festival together. She says this is a beloved event, and everyone is looking forward to celebrating Italian heritage. An honoree ceremony will recognize Italian American veterans, active-duty U.S. Military members, and the families of deceased Italian American veterans. Washington County Commissioner Larry Maggi, a U.S. Marines veteran, will emcee the ceremony. The festival will have experiences for all ages, and admission is free!
September 26, 2026 4:03 am
While a few local fall festivals have been cancelled due to recent heavy rain and flooding, Cecil Township will have their annual fall festival this weekend. Held at Cecil Park on Millers Run Road, the festival will feature vendors, live music, activities for children, and more. The festival is open to the public Saturday from 10:00 AM until 7:00 PM and Sunday from 10:00 AM until 6:00 PM. Admission is free.
September 26, 2026 3:46 am
PennDOT has announced a speed reduction in both directions of Interstate 79 from Exit 14 (Masontown/Waynesburg) to Exit 23 (Marianna) in Franklin and Washington townships, Greene County. Beginning Tuesday, September 29 at 8:00 PM until Thursday, October 1 at 12:00 PM, traffic will be slowed by pace cars after the placement of latex overlay on the bridge over Route 221. The 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. Drivers are asked to exercise caution driving through the work zone.
September 26, 2026 4:05 am
HILO, Hawaii (AP) — Residents on Hawaii’s Big Island are bracing for potentially life-threatening and catastrophic flooding from Hurricane Nolo. The U.S. National Weather Service said Nolo was about 145 miles south of the Big Island on Friday evening. Tropical storm conditions are expected to begin on land Friday evening. Forecasters are warning the island could see 10 to 15 inches of rain and 50-mph wind gusts. Meanwhile, Hurricane Polo is churning off Mexico’s western coast as a Category 5 hurricane. It is expected to turn toward the Baja California peninsula. Storm conditions there are expected to begin late Sunday into Monday.
September 26, 2026 7:27 am
BANGKOK (AP) — China and the U.S. have agreed to set up a channel for handling AI-related incidents and accelerate work on military crisis communications. This follows a three-day summit between their leaders in Washington. The two sides will also work on a Board of Trade for selected bilateral trade issues. They plan to sign a memorandum to strengthen crisis communications between their militaries, China’s Foreign Ministry announced on Saturday. An AI-specific dialogue is scheduled for November. The leaders agreed to extend a trade truce by two months and will meet at upcoming international summits.
September 26, 2026 4:08 am
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Supreme Court has turned away an attempt to use a new Missouri congressional map backed by President Donald Trump. Friday’s decision puts an end to a long-running legal dispute as absentee voting is underway in the midterm elections. The justices halted a last-minute revival of the Republican-friendly map by lower-court judges. The decision leaves in place a Missouri Supreme Court ruling requiring the state to hold the November election using a map adopted in 2022. A new map passed last year was aimed at helping Republicans gain an additional U.S. House seat. It was used in the August primary. But Missouri’s top court later ruled that it can’t take effect unless approved in a statewide referendum.
September 26, 2026 8:23 am
DERA ISMAIL KHAN, Pakistan (AP) — A suicide bomber has detonated an explosives-laden vehicle at a police checkpoint in northwestern Pakistan, killing at least 11 people and wounding about 30 others. The attack occurred Saturday in Dera Ismail Khan, a district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, according to police and rescue officials. The Pakistani Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack. Pakistan has experienced a surge in militant attacks in recent years, many claimed by the TTP and the Baloch Liberation Army. The TTP is separate from but allied with the Afghan Taliban.
September 26, 2026 4:06 am
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — OpenAI has disclosed its artificial intelligence models have interacted with U.S. government websites in unexpected ways. The AI giant says its models accessed public information on sites like SEC.gov and the U.S. Census Bureau. OpenAI says it has not found any misuse of credentials or data breaches. A spokesperson says the lab is reviewing what it calls misaligned model activity, where AI behaves unexpectedly. Most activity involved routine research tasks. An independent investigation found a failed hacking attempt on a Department of Education website. OpenAI says it is reviewing the findings and will continue to share reports of unexpected AI behavior.
