November 16, 2025 6:21 am
U.S. immigration agents are targeting North Carolina’s largest city over objections from local leaders, prompting activists, elected officials and community groups to monitor any sweeps and support vulnerable Charlotte residents. President Donald Trump’s administration confirmed Saturday that a surge of immigration enforcement in Charlotte had begun. Agents were seen making arrests in multiple locations. It’s the latest step in the Trump administration’s strategy of putting immigration agents or the military on the streets of some of America’s largest cities run by Democrats. The push has caused fear and anxiety, especially among people who don’t have legal status in the U.S., and sparked a number of lawsuits.
November 16, 2025 6:16 am
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — A beloved figure in American roots music, Todd Snider has died at 59. His record label announced Saturday that Snider died Friday. Known for his cosmic-stoner songwriting and freewheeling tunes, Snider’s career spanned three decades. He combined folk, rock, and country, creating songs recorded by artists like Jerry Jeff Walker and Tom Jones. Snider was diagnosed with pneumonia after a violent assault led to a canceled tour. He was later arrested in Salt Lake City for threatening hospital staff. Snider’s albums showcased his unique style and humor. His last album released in October.
November 16, 2025 6:15 am
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Alice Wong, an activist and author who championed the rights of people with disabilities, has died. She was 51. Close friend Sandy Ho says Wong died of infection Friday in a hospital in San Francisco. Wong was born with muscular dystrophy. She used a power wheelchair and an assistive breathing device. Ho remembered her as a funny person and humorous writer who wanted people with disabilities to have independence and a voice for themselves.
November 16, 2025 6:13 am
CARBONDALE, Kan. (AP) — Authorities in Kansas say four law enforcement officers have shot while responding to a domestic violence call at a home in a rural area south of Topeka. The incident occurred Saturday morning outside the small town of Carbondale. Authorities say a 22-year-old male suspect died of gunshot wounds at the scene. The Kansas Bureau of Investigation says the suspect’s 77-year-old grandfather was wounded in the gunfire. He and the law enforcement officers are all expected to recover. Patrol Superintendent Erik Smith said officers had been on the scene less than 10 minutes when gunfire erupted. The wounded officers are three Osage County sheriff’s deputies and a patrol trooper.
November 16, 2025 6:11 am
LOS ANGELES (AP) — An unusually strong storm system called an atmospheric river has doused Southern California, prompting flood warnings in areas of coastal Los Angeles County that recently were ravaged by wildfires. The National Weather Service in Los Angeles and Oxnard have reported heavy rainfall Saturday at rates as heavy as an inch per hour in coastal areas that are prone to flash flooding. Off the Southern California coast, a wooden boat believed to have been ferrying migrants toward the U.S. from Mexico capsized in stormy seas. At least four people died.
November 16, 2025 1:37 am
Pennsylvania adopted their budget after more than a four month delay. It is a more than $50 billion spending plan that addresses several programs that are deficient in funding such as public education. One of the programs not addressed was public transportation. Governor Josh Shapiro proposed increasing the portion of the sales tax dedicated to public transportation by $290 million. That proposal was not included in the bill. Sheila Gombita, Executive Director of Freedom Transit in Washington County is disappointed in the lack of funding and says that it is a need that must be addressed. She says that without funding, the shared ride services provided by Freedom Transit would most heavily affected. She said that modifications in transit times, possibly a decrease in days of service and fare increases are all possible to keep the shared ride services viable. Gombita says that additional funding is needed to avoid these actions. She says that riders should contact their state representatives and tell them to fund public transportation and let them know how important it is in their lives.
November 16, 2025 1:35 am
The United States Small Business Administration paid a visit to Washington County to alert businesses and non-profits of an available loan program to help them recover from last spring’s flooding. Timothy Watson, Public Affairs Specialist with the SBA said that a Presidential Disaster Declaration has made an Economic Injury Disaster Loan available for flooding that occurred on June 14-15, 2025 in Washington County. The loan is a working capital loan for small businesses, agricultural co-ops and small businesses engaged in agriculture. It is also available to private non-profit organizations. The low interest loans carry rates of 4% for businesses and 3.625% for non-profits. Applications must be made on line at SBA.gov\disaster. The deadline to apply for the loan is April 22, 2026.
November 15, 2025 4:28 am
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Utilities are producing eye-popping forecasts about the amount of electricity they’ll need to power massive new data centers that are feeding the fast-growing AI economy. But the forecasts are setting off alarm bells about whether they can be trusted. One question is whether utilities are counting speculative data center projects that may never get built. Some worry regular ratepayers could be stuck with paying for unnecessary power plants. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission wants to know how grid operators determine that a project is viable, while states are trying to find out what’s in utilities’ forecasts and weed out speculative projects.
November 15, 2025 3:59 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump has announced the removal of U.S. tariffs on beef, coffee, tropical fruits and other commodities. This move comes amid pressure to address high consumer prices. Trump had focused on tariffs to boost domestic production and the U.S. economy. However, recent off-year elections showed economic concerns as a top issue, with Democrats gaining wins. Inflation remains a challenge despite Trump’s claims to have vanquished it. The administration insists tariffs weren’t a major factor in rising grocery prices. Democrats and industry groups argue this move acknowledges the impact of Trump’s tariffs on consumers. “We just did a little bit of a rollback on some foods like coffee,” Trump said later Friday night.
November 15, 2025 3:56 am
President Donald Trump has publicly ended his support for Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, calling her “Wacky Marjorie” and saying he would endorse a challenger against her in the next midterms “if the right person runs.” The Friday night post on Truth Social seemingly marked a final break in a dispute that has been simmering for months. Greene, once a staunch MAGA supporter, has moderated her political stance, criticizing Republican leaders and diverging from Trump on several issues, including economic affordability and the Jeffrey Epstein files. Trump accused Greene of going “Far Left” and complained about her constant criticism.
