August 20, 2026 5:00 am
Officials in the Monessen School District are considering beginning the school year with remote instruction. In a letter sent to district families, Superintendent Dr. Robert Motte says resources like teacher supplies and instructional materials inside the middle-high school building cannot be affected building cannot be accessed. He says no final decision has been made but “there’s a strong possibility” that the school year starts remotely and the district is “preparing for this possibility”. The district previously pushed back the start of classes because of mold that was found inside the building. Motte says the district is finalizing plans to distribute technology to students and staff. He calls the situation “very fluid” and says they will share additional information as plans are finalized.
August 20, 2026 5:07 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — The national debt has surpassed a record $40 trillion, highlighting the impact of defense costs, social programs, and interest on the deficit. This milestone comes just five months after hitting $39 trillion. Experts say the growing debt is already affecting Americans by raising borrowing costs and lowering wages. Advocates for a balanced budget warn of tougher fiscal tradeoffs ahead. Margaret Spellings from the Bipartisan Policy Center says the fiscal trajectory is unsustainable. The U.S. is subject to a statutory debt limit, which Congress may need to address again by 2027.
August 20, 2026 5:08 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — Canada and the United States have moved closer to finalizing a trade agreement that would avert threatened 50% U.S. tariffs. A senior Canadian official calls the emerging terms “a very good deal for Canada” while cautioning that negotiations are not complete. President Donald Trump says the agreement was “very fair” to both sides and predicts U.S. farmers and manufacturers will benefit. Prime Minister Mark Carney has asked provincial premiers to return U.S. alcohol to store shelves, according to Nova Scotia’s premier. The tariffs on about $20 billion worth of Canadian imports have been postponed until 12:01 a.m. Saturday.
August 20, 2026 5:09 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump has picked Dr. Heidi Overton to lead the Food and Drug Administration. Overton is a deputy director of the White House Domestic Policy Council and a trusted figure in Trump’s administration. Overton has worked on several of Trump’s health initiatives. But the new FDA commissioner will face challenges balancing Trump’s priorities, traditional Republican interests and Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s anti-corporate stance. Overton will need Senate confirmation and face questions from the Senate health committee. The previous FDA head, Dr. Marty Makary, resigned in May, leaving unfinished projects like work on ultra-processed foods, antidepressants and COVID-19 shots.
August 20, 2026 5:03 am
The Israeli military plans a criminal investigation into the killings of a 5-year-old Palestinian girl and her family, as well as 15 paramedics in Gaza. Wednesday’s decision follows reviews of 150 incidents of troop conduct during the Gaza war. Meanwhile, Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf is visiting neighboring Iraq for three days to meet with officials and leaders of an Iran-backed political coalition. Deadly Israeli airstrikes continue in Gaza. And France’s government has announced the expulsion of two Iranian diplomats in response to the expulsion of French diplomats from Iran earlier this week.
August 19, 2026 5:06 am
OAKLAND, California (AP) — A former engineering director at Meta who has testified before Congress about child safety on Instagram told jurors at a landmark trial that the company took a “don’t ask, don’t tell” approach on kids under 13 on its platforms. During his second day of testimony Wednesday, Arturo Béjar said Meta consistently prioritized profits over safety in designing its products. The trial that began Tuesday in federal court in Oakland, California, pits Meta against the states of California, Colorado, Kentucky and New Jersey and is expected to last about six weeks. The company has rejected the claims and said evidence at the trial will show its commitment to safety.
August 20, 2026 5:04 am
LONDON (AP) — Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan, will return to the United Kingdom, seemingly marking an end to a yearslong rift with the royal family. Britain’s Daily Telegraph newspaper reported Wednesday that the couple won’t resume their roles as working members of the royal family. But returning to Britain means King Charles III, who is being treated for an undisclosed form of cancer, will get to see more of his grandchildren. Harry and Meghan quit royal duties in 2020 and moved to the United States, alleging hostility and racist attitudes by the press and royal establishment. But in recent months, there had been signs of a thaw in the tumultuous relationship.
August 19, 2026 4:57 am
A man was flown to UPMC Presbyterian Hospital in Pittsburgh after an accident at the Washington County Fair Tuesday evening. Washington County 911 dispatchers tell WJPA News it happened just before 6 p.m. We are told the man suffered a leg fracture but it is unclear exactly what happened. There is no word on his identity or condition. The accident occurred prior to the Motocross event scheduled for 7 p.m. No other information is currently available.
August 19, 2026 2:48 am
Police are asking for the public’s help in identifying several suspects who they believe may be linked to car thefts in two Southwestern Pennsylvania counties. On Aug. 5 at around 1:42 a.m., the North Strabane Township Police Department responded to a report of a stolen vehicle on McClelland Road. Police said the three alleged actors are also believed to be linked to other stolen vehicles in Washington and Allegheny counties. They are believed to have ties to the Canonsburg, Carnegie and Verona areas. Anyone with information regarding the identity of any of these suspects is asked to contact the North Strabane Township Police Department tip line at 724-746-4090 or submit information via email at tips@nstpd.com. (Photo: WPXI)
August 18, 2026 2:38 am
The first adult charged in connection with a sextortion ring involving high school students was set to face a judge – when Aaron White, 30 that learned his case was being postponed. White was charged at the end of last month after police were investigating Zachariah Meyers’ sextortion case. Meyers was the Peters Township Senior Class president charged with running a sextortion operation that targeted his classmates. As detectives were investigating his case, they examined one of the victim’s phones, and they say they discovered disturbing messages and photos from Aaron White. At this point, it’s unclear if Meyers and White were working together. According to investigators, White was communicating with the teenage boy on Snapchat. When investigators questioned White, police say he admitted to exchanging videos and pictures with the teen. White’s preliminary hearing was rescheduled for two weeks from now. A second adult was charged as a third person connected to the sextortion scheme earlier this month.
