May 12, 2026 2:39 am
Gas prices are 20 cents higher in Western Pennsylvania this week at $4.851 per gallon, according to AAA East Central’s Gas Price Report. Even though the national average has been decreasing over the past few days, this week’s average is still seven cents more than a week ago at $4.52. Pump prices are 39 cents more than a month ago and $1.39 higher than they were a year ago. Prices have not been this high since summer of 2022. While crude oil prices dipped below $100 per barrel amid ongoing negotiations to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, gasoline prices continue to face pressure from global supply concerns. According to new data from the Energy Information Administration (EIA), gasoline demand decreased last week from 9.10 million barrels per day to 8.81 million. Total domestic gasoline supply decreased from 222.3 million barrels to 219.8 million. Gasoline production decreased last week, averaging 9.6 million barrels per day.
May 12, 2026 4:57 am
A Pennsylvania lawmaker has been nominated to serve as the United States Ambassador to Slovakia. Doug Mastriano, a Republican, currently serves in the State Senate. He has represented Franklin and Adams counties since 2019. “I am deeply honored and humbled by President Trump’s nomination to serve as United States Ambassador to the Slovak Republic. Upon Senate confirmation, I look forward to representing our nation abroad, strengthening the friendship between our two countries, and advancing the interests of the American people,” Mastriano said. Mastriano will need to be confirmed by the United States Senate. Mastriano was a candidate for Pennsylvania governor, but lost to Josh Shapiro in 2022.
May 11, 2026 5:00 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump is moving to suspend the federal tax on gasoline to help Americans shoulder surging fuel prices caused by the Iran war. The president can’t suspend the federal tax on his own. Congress would have to approve the move. Lawmakers from both parties have pushed for a gas-tax suspension, saying it would provide much-needed relief for families and businesses that rely on their cars and trucks to get to work and school and run everyday errands. The federal tax is currently set at 18.4 cents per gallon on gasoline and 24.4 cents per gallon on diesel fuel. That does not include state taxes, which often are higher. As of Monday, the average national gas price was $4.52 a gallon, according to the AAA motor club, 50% higher than before the war.
May 11, 2026 5:02 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump is set to leave for Beijing for high-stakes talks with President Xi Jinping. The U.S. has been trying to persuade China to use its influence over Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. China, a major buyer of Iranian oil, insists it wants the war to end even as the U.S. accuses Chinese firms of aiding Iran’s military. The White House has set low expectations for Trump’s visit to change China’s stance. Instead, the focus is on keep trade relations stable. Both nations want to avoid further straining their relationship and risk further roiling global markets.
May 12, 2026 5:04 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. Supreme Court has set the stage for Alabama to get rid of one of two largely Black congressional districts before this year’s midterm elections. The decision Monday comes after the court in April struck down a majority-Black U.S. House district in Louisiana as an illegal racial gerrymander. Alabama has been under a court order to use two largely Black districts but asked the court to reconsider that in light of the Louisiana ruling. The high court overturned that order and directed a lower court to reconsider the case. Alabama wants to instead use a map passed in 2023 by the Republican-led legislature that has one majority-Black district.
May 11, 2026 5:06 am
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — The last remaining passengers on a cruise ship hit by a deadly hantavirus outbreak have disembarked and boarded flights to more than 20 countries to enter quarantine. A French woman was the latest to be confirmed as infected, while an American is suspected of infection after initial testing. France’s prime minister said Monday that the French woman who tested positive is in intensive care but stable at a Paris hospital. U.S. health officials said the patient who initially tested positive is not showing any symptoms and will be tested again. The World Health Organization recommended close monitoring of the former passengers, and many countries quarantined them.
May 11, 2026 3:37 pm
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — U.S. President Donald Trump says the Iran ceasefire is on “life support” after he rejected Tehran’s latest proposal to end the war. Officials said the proposal included some concessions on Iran’s disputed nuclear program, but on Monday Trump dismissed it as “garbage.” The stalled diplomacy and recent exchanges of fire could tip the Middle East back into open warfare and prolong the worldwide energy crisis sparked by the conflict. Iran’s chokehold on the Strait of Hormuz and America’s blockade of Iranian ports are still in place. Trump said he would suspend the federal tax on gasoline to help Americans shoulder higher fuel prices caused by the war.
May 11, 2026 5:12 am
HONG KONG (AP) — Asian stocks are mixed after Wall Street set more records. Oil prices have surged more than 3% following U.S. President Donald Trump’s rejection of Tehran’s response to the latest U.S. proposal on ending the war in Iran. U.S. futures edged lower. Markets in South Korea and Japan hit an intraday high. With Brent crude trading at nearly $105 a barrel, analysts say resolving supply chain disruptions around the Strait of Hormuz remains the key. The Iran war is also set to be part of the discussion when Trump meets Chinese leader Xi Jinping in Beijing later this week.
May 11, 2026 4:58 am
CHARTIERS TOWNSHIP, Pa. – A child is among two people hospitalized after a crash in Chartiers Township Sunday night. Washington County 911 says emergency crews were called to the 1500 block of Henderson Avenue around 8:45 p.m. One vehicle reportedly hit a pole and rolled over. The child was flown to a Pittsburgh hospital while the driver was taken by ambulance to a Pittsburgh hospital. Henderson Avenue was briefly closed in the area while first responders were on scene.
May 11, 2026 5:06 am
SMITH TOWNSHIP, Pa. — Law enforcement officials are asking residents in two communities for help with an ongoing investigation. The Smith Township Police Department says that shortly after midnight on Sunday, officers were dispatched to multiple residences in Burgettstown and Langeloth for reports of burglary, vehicle break-ins, thefts and suspicious activity. Now, police are asking residents and businesses to check their vehicles and property, then report missing, stolen or damaged items to 911. Those with surveillance cameras are also asked to check their feeds for footage of suspicious persons or vehicles. Any footage can be shared with Patrolman Tyler Evans via email — tevans@smithtownship.org.
