January 1, 2026 5:07 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — Chief Justice John Roberts says that the Constitution remains a sturdy pillar for the country, a message that comes after a tumultuous year in the nation’s judicial system with pivotal Supreme Court decisions on the horizon. Roberts released his annual letter to the judiciary on Wednesday and said the nation’s founding documents remain firm and unshaken, a reference to a century-old quote from President Calvin Coolidge. It comes after a year in which some raised fears of a possible constitutional crisis amid legal pushback to President Donald Trump’s agenda. The Republican administration has scored wins at the Supreme Court, though major rulings on birthright citizenship and tariffs are yet to come.
January 1, 2026 5:04 am
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — U.S. President Donald Trump and a top Iranian security official have exchanged dueling threats as widening economic protests swept across parts of the Islamic Republic. Trump initially wrote on his Truth Social platform, warning Iran that if it “violently kills peaceful protesters,” the United States “will come to their rescue.” At least seven people have been killed so far in violence surrounding demonstrations. Trump wrote that “We are locked and loaded and ready to go.” Shortly after, Ali Larijani, the secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, said U.S. intervention will lead to “chaos in the entire region and the destruction of the U.S. interests.”
January 1, 2026 5:04 am
The Trump administration has frozen child care funds to all states after allegations of fraud at Minnesota day care centers run by Somali residents. A Department of Health and Human Services spokesperson said states will have to provide more verification for the child care centers that receive funds from the Child Care and Development Fund. In addition, Minnesota will have to provide additional verification on top of the new requirements for centers that are suspected of fraud. Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz has accused President Donald Trump of weaponizing the allegations for political gains. Trump has targeted the Somali diaspora in the state.
January 1, 2026 5:01 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — Former special counsel Jack Smith told lawmakers that the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol “does not happen” without President Donald Trump. That’s according to a transcript released Wednesday of Smith’s closed-door interview with the House Judiciary Committee. Smith also described the Republican president as the “most culpable and most responsible person” in the criminal conspiracy to overturn the results of the 2020 election. The Dec. 17 deposition was held privately despite Smith’s request to testify publicly. The release of the transcript and video of the interview adds to the public understanding of the decision-making behind two of the most consequential Justice Department investigations in recent history.
January 1, 2026 4:59 am
NEW YORK (AP) — From Sydney to Paris to New York City, crowds have rung in the new year with exuberant celebrations filled with thunderous fireworks, while others have taken a more subdued approach. A countdown to midnight was projected onto the Arc de Triomphe in Paris and Russians celebrated in snowy Moscow. A light show with somersaulting jet skis twinkled in Dubai and in Japan, temple bells rang. Events were more subdued in Hong Kong, Australia and Indonesia after recent mass shootings or disasters. Palestinians wished for an end to war. There was disaster in the Swiss resort town of Crans-Montana, where a fire at a bar in the early hours of the new year killed multiple people.
January 1, 2026 4:47 am
A winter weather advisory was allowed to expire at 10 a.m. New Year’s Day for Washington County and surrounding areas in Western Pennsylvania. Additional snowfall of 1-3 inches is expected Thursday for total snowfall accumulations of 3-5 inches. The Weather Service warned that bridges and overpasses could still be slick and hazardous. The speed limit was reduced from 55 mph to 45 on interstates 79 and 70 in Washington, Greene and Westmoreland counties until about 7 a.m. Crews are treating roads with salt, but motorists are urged to avoid unnecessary travel and use caution.
January 1, 2026 4:37 am
About two dozen accidents were reported between 7 p.m. New Year’s Eve and 3 a.m. this morning as Washington County ran in the New Year with additional snowfall. A Washington County 911 supervisor said no serious injuries were reported, but that the challenging conditions wreaked havoc on motorists. There were reports of overturned cars, he added.
January 1, 2026 4:23 am
Firefighters from multiple departments spent several hours battling a blaze that engulfed a trailer home Thursday night in Canton Township, Washington County 911 reported. No one was home when the fire started, and no injuries were reported. Firefighters responded from Canton Township, Chartiers Township and the City of Washington at 7:49 p.m. Thursday, according to a 911 supervisor. The homeowner arrived at the scene shortly thereafter.
December 31, 2025 5:08 am
The Kennedy Center is ending the year with a new round of artists saying they are canceling scheduled performances after President Donald Trump’s name was added to the facility. The institution’s president is accusing the performers of making their decisions because of politics. The Cookers, a jazz supergroup, announced their withdrawal from “A Jazz New Year’s Eve” on their website. Doug Varone and Dancers, a dance group based in New York, said they would pull out of a performance slated for April, saying they “can no longer permit ourselves nor ask our audiences to step inside this once great institution.” Musician Chuck Redd canceled a Christmas Eve performance last week.
December 31, 2025 5:06 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — Some Federal Reserve officials who supported cutting a key interest rate earlier this month could have instead backed keeping the rate unchanged, minutes released Tuesday show, underscoring the divisions and uncertainty permeating the central bank. At their December 9-10 meeting Fed officials agreed to cut their key interest rate by a quarter point for the third time this year, to about 3.6%, the lowest in nearly three years. The minutes underscored the deep split on the 19-member policymaking committee over what constitutes the biggest threat to the economy: weak hiring or stubbornly-elevated inflation.
