June 25, 2026 5:07 am
LA GUAIRA, Venezuela (AP) — Venezuelans searched for survivors beneath collapsed buildings and rescue teams raced to northern areas rocked by a pair of powerful earthquakes that officials say killed at least 188 people and trapped more than 200. The 7.2- and 7.5-magnitude earthquakes that hit Wednesday evening were among the strongest in Venezuela in more than a century, and could be felt throughout the region. Acting President Delcy Rodríguez said authorities were shifting rescue teams from other parts of the country to La Guaira, north of the capital, Caracas. The natural disaster is just the latest challenge for Rodríguez, who took office in January after the U.S. seized then-president Nicolas Maduro in a surprise military operation.
June 24, 2026 5:05 am
LOS ANGELES (AP) — A sprawling legislative package aimed at lowering the cost of housing and spurring more home construction won broad bipartisan approval from Congress this week, but it’s hit a major roadblock in becoming law. Although the White House supported the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, President Donald Trump canceled the housing bill signing ceremony on Wednesday. He says he won’t sign the measure until Congress passes separate election reform legislation. The delay could impact aspiring homeowners and renters at a time when many Americans are burdened by the cost of housing.
June 24, 2026 5:09 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — Senate Republicans who were berated by President Donald Trump over opposition to his war in Iran have reversed course, holding a late-night vote to try to appease him. They rejected a war powers resolution Wednesday night, a day after a similar measure passed. Trump harangued GOP senators face to face earlier in the day for allowing a vote to block his war in Iran on Tuesday, further escalating a feud that has diverted GOP efforts to focus on election-year affordability issues. Trump exchanged particularly harsh words with Louisiana Sen. Bill Cassidy, one of four Republicans who had voted with Democrats on the measure. Cassidy later changed his position after he received a White House briefing on the war.
June 24, 2026 5:10 am
NEW YORK (AP) — New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has stepped into the national spotlight this week as a surging political force within the Democratic Party. Democratic leaders aren’t so sure that’s a good thing. Some of the most powerful Democrats in Washington downplayed the impact of Mamdani’s victories on Tuesday, when the 34-year-old democratic socialist mayor’s slate of congressional candidates defeated three establishment favorites — including two incumbents — in primary contests. He had even more victories in state legislative races, where he successfully backed five other candidates. Mamdani now hopes to export his policies and politics to other states, and he’s demanding major changes across the Democratic Party.
June 25, 2026 2:33 am
NEW YORK (AP) — David Clayton-Thomas, the lead singer of Blood, Sweat & Tears whose husky, high-strung tenor on “Spinning Wheel,” “And When I Die” and other hits helped make the so-called “brass rock” band among the most popular acts of the late 1960s, has died at age 84. He was a stocky, onetime street fighter and petty thief in Canada who briefly became a rock superstar, the front man of a nine-member group that sold millions of records and won two Grammys for its self-titled second album. Backed by horns, keyboards and percussion, his urgent shout was a signature voice of the era. A spokesman says Clayton-Thomas died Wednesday in Toronto.
June 24, 2026 5:41 pm
Harrisburg, PA – On Wednesday, the Pennsylvania House of Representatives passed HB 2650 in an overwhelmingly bipartisan vote. The bill would codify Governor Josh Shapiro’s Responsible Infrastructure Development (GRID) Standards in law and require data center developers seeking Commonwealth support protect energy affordability, engage local communities, create family-sustaining jobs, and meet strong environmental standards. The bill would replace the current exemption from paying sales tax with a new GRID certification framework built around strict accountability standards, transparency, and ongoing compliance requirements. Requirements would include protecting energy affordability, promoting transparency, engaging local communities, supporting workforce development, and strengthening environmental protection. Under the legislation, projects with a GRID certification would be required to demonstrate ongoing compliance through annual reporting and verification requirements. “I’ve heard directly from Pennsylvanians who are concerned about what data center development could mean for their communities, and I share those concerns. My GRID Standards establish strong, enforceable requirements for any project seeking Commonwealth support — requiring developers to bring their own power, engage with local communities transparently, support Pennsylvania workers, and protect our environment.
June 24, 2026 1:51 pm
Just when you thought it couldn’t happen again, the National Weather Service has confirmed that the storms that ripped through Southwestern Pennsylvania and nearby states on Monday spurred two tornadoes. NWS teams say that through surveys and aerial imagery, they were able to confirm one tornado south of Vanderbilt in Fayette County. It was rated an EF-1 with a maximum wind gust of ninety mph. Surveyors also confirmed another tornado east of Fairmont, West Virginia. That one was rated an EF-0 with maximum wind speeds of 80 mph. Details on the paths and damage surveyed from both tornadoes will be revealed at a later time.
June 24, 2026 12:52 pm
(AP) – Forty mayors from around the world have signed onto a new pact to try to shape how urban data centers are built and operated. It’s their vision for how urban data center development can be done in a sustainable way, and not at the expense of their cities’ natural resources, energy prices or climate targets. C40 Cities is an alliance of nearly a hundred cities seeking to impact climate change that launched the pact Tuesday during London Climate Action Week. Mayors of cities ranging from Phoenix, Arizona, to Melbourne, Australia, have led the effort.
June 24, 2026 12:25 pm
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump abruptly canceled a planned signing ceremony on Capitol Hill for a housing bill. It was supposed to happen before he met with Republican senators for a lunch. Instead, Trump is pressuring senators to focus on his proof-of-citizenship voting bill even though it doesn’t have the votes to pass. Senators have grown increasingly frustrated with his efforts to divert their agenda. The had said ahead of the meeting that they hoped to focus on unity, not disagreements.
June 24, 2026 5:06 am
Two people were transported to UPMC Washington Hospital following a crash overnight along Interstate 79. Washington County 911 says it happened near the Racetrack Road exit just before midnight. Two or three vehicles were involved. There is no word on the identity or condition of those injured.
