August 3, 2026 2:10 am
Word has been received of the death of long-time local sports broadcaster, Bill DiFabio. DiFabio’s voice was a familiar one to area residents, having broadcast his sports reports on WJPA Radio and other local outlets, plus doing a column for the Observer Reporter Newspaper. DiFabio’s sports broadcasts went out, at one time, to more than sixty-station outlets. He also served as the Public Address Announcer for the Washington Wild Things since their inception. Funeral arrangements have not been announced.
August 3, 2026 5:00 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump says new talks with Iran are the “last chance” for Tehran to forge a deal and avoid an escalation of U.S. strikes on the country. Trump said in the Oval Office on Monday he expects to have an idea relatively soon about how negotiations to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and address the United States’ concerns about Iran’s nuclear program. The Republican president says, “The first phase is the opening of the straits. The second phase will be the denuclearization.” Trump says that ”will take a little while.”
August 4, 2026 5:01 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — Twenty-five states sued the Trump administration Monday over its latest tariffs, calling them a pretext for replacing import taxes the Supreme Court struck down in February. The United States last month imposed double-digit tariffs on 59 countries and the European Union, charging that they had not done enough to crack down on imports produced by forced labor. The new tariffs took effect just as the clock ran out on temporary tariffs President Donald Trump had turned to after the Supreme Court defeat. “After losing at the Supreme Court, the administration is once again trying to illegally raise taxes on families and businesses with a new round of tariffs,” said New York Attorney General Letitia James.
August 3, 2026 5:11 am
DETROIT (AP) — State health officials say two people have died in the cyclospora outbreak in Michigan. They are the first confirmed deaths in the U.S. related to the microscopic parasite. The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services said Monday that both had underlying health conditions that may have been impacted by the intestinal illness and dehydration. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says cyclospora is a microscopic, spherical parasite that commonly causes watery diarrhea “with frequent and sometimes explosive bowel movements,” The parasite spreads through feces. In the past, people have been infected by consuming fruits or vegetables that were exposed to contaminated irrigation water.
August 4, 2026 5:01 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche has a cleared critical hurdle in his bid to be confirmed to the post after swaying Republican holdouts on a Senate committee to advance his nomination for a floor vote. The Senate Judiciary Committee voted 12-10 along party lines Tuesday in support of the nomination of President Donald Trump’s former personal attorney. Blanche has aggressively pushed the Trump administration’s priorities since taking the reins from Pam Bondi in April. The full Senate could vote later this week on Blanche’s nomination. If all Democrats oppose him, Blanche can only afford to lose two Republican votes if Sen. Mitch McConnell, who was hospitalized after a fall, does not return before then.
August 4, 2026 4:58 am
Federal officials say a man from El Salvador has died at an immigration jail in New Jersey. The jail has been the target of months of protests over living conditions for people detained there. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement said Monday that 41-year-old Edwin Lopez-Cornejo had been held at Delaney Hall in Newark after being arrested in June. The agency says he died Saturday. The government accused Lopez-Cornejo of entering the U.S. illegally. His official cause of death has not been released. His death has prompted immediate and fierce condemnation from officials and community members. They say this showcases the inhumane conditions at the 1,000-bed facility. President Donald Trump and his deputies have defended the center’s operations.
August 3, 2026 5:11 am
NEW YORK (AP) — Investors in Elon Musk’s space company get a chance to question him Tuesday in his first quarterly earnings call since an initial public offering. Stock in SpaceX is down by half from its June peak as investors worry Musk had oversold investors on its future prospects and brace for possible insider selling as a lockup for trading their shares expires later this week. Musk is likely to be asked about when he expects to finish testing SpaceX’s giant Starship rockets, plans for its satellite network and the prospects of putting football-field sized datacenters in orbit.
August 4, 2026 4:56 am
SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) — Authorities say they’ve arrested a 37-year-old man suspected of intentionally starting one of the devastating wildfires burning around Spokane, Washington. The Spokane County Sheriff’s Office said Monday they arrested Aaron F. Farinacci for arson. He’s accused of starting the Old Trails Fire. It’s one of three fires that are burning in the area, which have destroyed at least 700 structures and forced more than 60,000 people to evacuate. The Old Trails Fire sparked on Saturday. Farinacci will make his first court appearance on Tuesday.
August 3, 2026 3:28 pm
Pennsylvania’s senators are working to stop the spread of lanternflies. Sen. John Fetterman and Sen. Dave McCormick joined two colleagues last week to introduce the Spotted Lanternfly Research and Development Act. The bipartisan bill would designate the invasive insect as a high-priority research initiative for the National Institute of Food and Agriculture. The legislation comes as the species continues to threaten the national agricultural economy, with a particular impact on Pennsylvania, where the insect was first found in 2014. Studies estimate the spotted lanternfly could cost the state $324 million annually if the population is not contained. “Spotted lanternflies have ravaged crops that are critical to Pennsylvania’s economy including grapevines, apples, peaches, hops and more,” Fetterman said. “For over a decade, they have cost the Commonwealth millions of dollars and thousands of jobs. I’m proud to lead this bipartisan bill to combat this invasive species and protect our farmers.” McCormick said the research investment is necessary to safeguard the work of local producers. “Pennsylvania’s farmers work hard to produce some of the best agricultural products in the world and it’s concerning that their hard work is at risk of being eaten away by pests,” McCormick said. “By investing in research to combat spotted lanternflies, this bill will help protect our farms, strengthen our agricultural economy and better control this invasive species.”
August 3, 2026 1:54 pm
(AP) – State health officials say two people have died in the cyclospora outbreak in Michigan. They are the first confirmed deaths in the U.S. related to the microscopic parasite. The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services said Monday that both had underlying health conditions that may have been impacted by the intestinal illness and dehydration. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says cyclospora is a microscopic, spherical parasite that commonly causes watery diarrhea “with frequent and sometimes explosive bowel movements,” The parasite spreads through feces. In the past, people have been infected by consuming fruits or vegetables that were exposed to contaminated irrigation water. (Photo: AP)
