February 11, 2025 4:51 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump could sign an order as soon as Wednesday to require that U.S. tariffs on imports match the tax rates charged by other countries. It’s a bet that his economic ideas can eventually deliver meaningful results for voters, even if by Trump’s own admission the import taxes could involve some financial pain in the form of inflation and economic disruptions. For all of Trump’s talk, the impact will likely depend on the details of the tariffs and how other nations respond. The tariffs could set off retaliatory measures that could roil growth around the globe and reset where the United States stands with allies and rivals alike.
February 11, 2025 4:47 am
PITTSBURGH — (WPXI) – UPMC announced via social media that starting Wednesday, masking at all hospitals and outpatient areas is mandatory. From RSV to the flu, to COVID-19, respiratory illnesses and the rate at which they’re infecting people have taken center stage. “We keep hearing about things called the tripledemic because we have these three pretty nasty viruses that can all cause significant disease and lead to hospitalization,” said Doctor Todd Wolynn. He says the viruses tend to hit the elderly, immunocompromised and kids under the age of one the hardest. UPMC says it closely monitors the spread of respiratory illness in healthcare settings, and is why the healthcare provider decided to make masking mandatory again. Allegheny Health Network says it hasn’t issued a mask mandate but that they are strongly encouraged in AHN facilities.
February 11, 2025 4:38 am
Canonsburg Borough Council has approved several measures aimed at improving safety and community services. One of the key measures voted on by the board was the appointment of Scott Moore as the new Emergency Management Coordinator for Canonsburg. Moore’s appointment was approved unanimously. In another key decision, the council approved the installation of four new lights along Jefferson Avenue. The addition of these lights seeks to improve both pedestrian and vehicular safety in this section of Canonsburg. The cost of the new lights will be $1,200.The council also approved the Canonsburg Fire and Police Department’s use of the Main Pavilion in Town Park for the borough’s annual Easter Egg Hunt. The event is scheduled for April 19th from 8am-1pm. Additionally, the council approved a resolution to advertise a proposal for prohibited parking at all times on the east side of Summit Avenue between Morgan Street and Taylor Alley. The initiative is intended to address traffic flow and safety concerns in the area.
February 11, 2025 2:24 am
It may be February but road resurfacing is on the mind of Peters Township Engineer Mark Zemaitis. He previewed the road resurfacing campaign for Council on Monday night. Zemaitis says that between 5 and 6 miles of road will be paved this year. The average age of roads in this year’s program is 21 years of age. Roads are determined by road surface condition, age and traffic volume. Proximity to other roads also is considered to save money on relocation costs for equipment. Residents whose roads will be paved will be notified by mail. Road preparation and drainage work is expected to begin in mid May. Milling work should begin in June. The township works to have pavement programs completed during the school summer vacation season so to not disrupt bus service. One paving project out of the township’s control is Route 19. Zemaitis did say that PennDot has alerted them that a road milling and resurfacing project is scheduled for the stretch of road between the Upper St. Clair township line south to Donaldson’s Crossroads. No date has been given for that work to be completed.
February 10, 2025 5:58 am
SAEGERTOWN, Pa. — Several people were hurt in a fire and explosion at a manufacturing plant near Erie in Northern Pennsylvania. In a press conference, Saegertown Fire Chief BJ Fleischer said firefighters were sent to Parker LORD Corporation’s facility in Saegertown just after 10:30 a.m. when an automatic fire alarm went off at the plant. This facility is located about an hour and a half from Pittsburgh. Firefighters were met with heavy smoke upon arrival and shortly thereafter there was an explosion. Chuck Lawrence with Saegertown Borough Emergency Management said 13 firefighters and plant personnel were sent to area hospitals with minor injuries or out of precaution for evaluation. A spokesperson for LORD Corporation said four employees were taken to hospitals out of precaution for evaluation. One fireman was hurt from the explosion and is being treated. Firefighters were already inside the building at the time of the blast.
February 10, 2025 5:09 am
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has again rejected a U.S. proposal to relocate Palestinians from Gaza and says Israel should pay for the damage it caused there and for reconstruction to begin. Erdogan, during a visit to Malaysia on Monday, said, “We do not consider the proposal to exile the Palestinians from the lands they have lived in for thousands of years as something to be taken seriously.” The Turkish president is on a four-day tour of Malaysia, Indonesia and Pakistan. He said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government should look for funds to “compensate” for what he said was damage amounting to $100 billion “instead of looking for a place for the people of Gaza.”
February 10, 2025 5:08 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump will need the Supreme Court, with three justices he appointed, to enable the most aggressive of the many actions he has taken in just the first few weeks of his second White House term. But even a conservative majority with a robust view of presidential power might balk at some of what the president wants to do. The court gave Trump major victories last year that helped clear away potential obstacles to his reelection, postponing his criminal trial in Washington, D.C., then affording immunity from prosecution for official actions. But Trump’s first term was marked by significant defeats — as well as some wins — at the court.
February 10, 2025 5:06 am
WASHINGTON — (AP) — President Donald Trump said he will announce today that the United States will impose 25% tariffs on all steel and aluminum imports, including from Canada and Mexico, as well as other import duties later in the week. “Any steel coming into the United States is going to have a 25% tariff,” he told reporters Sunday on Air Force One as he flew from Florida to New Orleans to attend the Super Bowl. When asked about aluminum, he responded, “aluminum, too” will be subject to the trade penalties. Trump also reaffirmed that he would announce “reciprocal tariffs” — “probably Tuesday or Wednesday” — meaning that the U.S. would impose import duties on products in cases where another country has levied duties on U.S. goods. Trump on Sunday did not offer any details about the steel and aluminum duties, or the reciprocal tariffs. Trump previously threatened 25% import taxes on all goods from Canada and Mexico, though he paused them for 30 days barely a week ago. At the same time, he proceeded to add 10% duties on imports from China.
February 10, 2025 5:02 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump said he is serious about wanting Canada to become the 51st state in an interview that aired Sunday during the Super Bowl preshow. “Yeah it is,” Trump told Fox News Channel’s Bret Baier when asked whether his talk of annexing Canada is “a real thing” — as Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau recently warned. In the interview, Trump also said he has not seen enough action from Canada and Mexico to stave off the tariffs he has threatened to impose. “No, it’s not good enough,” he said of the United States’ two largest trading partners. “Something has to happen. It’s not sustainable. And I’m changing it.”
February 10, 2025 4:59 am
The U.S. winter virus season is in full force, and by one measure is the most intense in 15 years. One indicator of flu activity is the percentage of doctor’s office visits driven by flu-like symptoms. Last week, that number was clearly higher than the peak of any winter flu season since 2009-2010, when a swine flu pandemic hit the nation, according to data posted Friday morning by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Of course, other viral infections can be mistaken for flu. But COVID-19 appears to be on the decline, according to hospital data and to CDC modeling projections. Available data also suggests another respiratory illness, RSV, has been fading nationally. The flu has forced schools to shut down in some states. So far this season, the CDC estimates, there have been at least 24 million flu illnesses, 310,000 hospitalizations and 13,000 deaths — including at least 57 children. Traditionally, flu season peaks around February. Overall, 43 states reported high or very high flu activity last week. Flu was most intense in the South, Southwest and western states.
