March 5, 2025 4:53 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump is granting a one-month exemption on his stiff new tariffs on imports from Mexico and Canada for U.S. automakers. Worries persist that the newly launched trade war could crush domestic manufacturing. The announcement comes after Trump spoke with leaders of the “big 3” automakers, Ford, General Motors, and Stellantis on Wednesday. Asked if 30 days was enough for the auto sector to prepare for the new taxes, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt says Trump told them: “He told them that they should get on it, start investing, start moving, shift production here to the United States of America where they will pay no tariff.”
March 6, 2025 4:54 am
Veterans who have been abruptly fired from federal jobs say they feel betrayed by the Trump administration’s dramatic downsizing of government. Nathan Hooven, who voted for Trump in November, lost his job last month as an inventory management specialist at the Salem VA Medical Center in Virginia. He says the administration didn’t take the time to think about veterans who have served their country. Hooven and other veterans also say they’re particularly angered by how they were fired: in an email that cited inadequate job performance — despite receiving positive reviews while they were working.
March 6, 2025 4:50 am
CAIRO (AP) — The Hamas militant group has brushed off President Donald Trump’s latest threat and reiterated that it will only free the remaining Israeli hostages in exchange for a lasting ceasefire in the Gaza Strip. Hamas accused Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of trying to back out of the ceasefire agreement they reached in January. The agreement calls for negotiations over a second phase in which the hostages would be released in exchange for more Palestinian prisoners, a lasting ceasefire and an Israeli withdrawal from Gaza. Negotiations on that phase were supposed to begin in early February. Only limited preparatory talks have been held so far.
March 6, 2025 4:48 am
BRUSSELS (AP) — European Union leaders are holding emergency summit talks to beef up their own military defenses and make sure Ukraine will still be properly protected by its allies. Friedrich Merz, the likely next chancellor of Germany, was conferring with summit host Antonio Costa on Thursday morning. They want to meet the challenge on a short deadline only days after Merz pushed plans to loosen the nation’s rules on running up debt to allow for higher defense spending. At the same time, the 27-nation bloc was waking up to the news from French President Emmanuel Macron would confer with EU leaders the possibility of using France’s nuclear deterrent to protect the continent from Russian threats.
March 6, 2025 4:46 am
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korean fighter jets have accidentally dropped eight bombs on a civilian area, injuring eight people on the ground. The South Korean air force says the MK-82 bombs released by the KF-16 fighter jets fell outside a firing range on Thursday morning. The air force apologized and expressed hopes for a speedy recovery of the injured. It says it will investigate the accident in Pocheon, a city close to the heavily armed border with North Korea. Pocheon’s disaster response center say six civilians and two soldiers were injured.
March 6, 2025 4:56 am
ROME (AP) — Pope Francis is resting Thursday after a peaceful night during his third week of hospital treatment for double pneumonia. The pope has been sleeping with a non-invasive mechanical mask to guarantee that his lungs expand properly overnight and help his recovery. He has been transitioning to receiving oxygen with a nasal tube during the day. The 88-year-old pope has been stable for two days after suffering two respiratory crises on Monday. Doctors underlined that his prognosis remained guarded.
March 5, 2025 2:52 pm
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump is granting a one-month exemption on his stiff new tariffs on imports from Mexico and Canada for U.S. automakers, amid fears that the trade war could harm U.S. manufacturers.The announcement comes after Trump spoke with leaders of the “big 3” automakers, Ford, General Motors, and Stellantis on Wednesday.“We spoke with the big three auto dealers,” Trump said in a statement read by his spokesperson. “We are going to give a one month exemption on any autos coming through USMCA,” referencing the North American free trade agreement he renegotiated in his first term.
March 5, 2025 9:36 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — A sharply divided Supreme Court on Wednesday rejected a Trump administration push to rebuke a federal judge who imposed a quick deadline to release billions of dollars in foreign aid. By a 5-4 vote, the court told U.S. District Judge Amir Ali to clarify his earlier order that required the Republican administration to release nearly $2 billion in aid for work that had already been done. Justice Samuel Alito led four conservative justices in dissent, saying Ali lacks the authority to order the payments. Alito wrote that he is stunned the court is rewarding “an act of judicial hubris.” The court’s action leaves in place Ali’s temporary restraining order that had paused the spending freeze, Ali is holding a hearing Thursday to consider a more lasting pause. The majority noted that the administration had not challenged Ali’s initial order, only the deadline. The court told Ali to “clarify what obligations the government must fulfill to ensure compliance with the temporary restraining order, with due regard for the feasibility of any compliance timelines.”
March 4, 2025 9:52 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said there might be carveouts coming to the 25% tariffs placed on Canada and Mexico by President Donald Trump. It’s a sudden backing away after Tuesday’s tax hike hurt the stock market, worried consumers and started a trade war. In a Wednesday interview with Bloomberg Television, Lutnick said that Trump would update his tariff plans with an afternoon announcements, possibly sparing sectors such as autos from the import taxes.
March 4, 2025 4:48 am
PITTSBURGH — (WPXI) – Wind, rain, and the threat for storms and snow will impact your plans over the next two days as a powerful spring storm heads our way. Rain moves in before sunrise along with wind gusts of 20 to 30 mph. A few thunderstorms may also develop, along with brief heavier downpours. The steadiest rain will gradually end, but another round of stronger storms could develop through the early evening. Damaging winds, hail and an isolated tornado will be possible. Colder air spills into the area late Wednesday into early Thursday along with scattered snow showers.
