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.
November 15, 2025 3:54 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. military says its 20th strike on a boat accused of transporting drugs has killed four people in the Caribbean Sea. The latest attack happened Monday, the same day Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced two strikes had been carried out the day before. The U.S. Southern Command announced Monday’s boat strike in a social media post on Friday. The Trump administration has insisted that American warships are focused on stopping the flow of drugs into the U.S. But the impending arrival of an aircraft carrier has fueled speculation that the U.S. also wants to pressure Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro to step down.
November 15, 2025 3:51 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Labor Department will release its numbers on September hiring and unemployment next Thursday, a month and a half late, marking the beginning of the end of a data drought caused by the 43-day federal government shutdown. The statistical blackout meant that the Federal Reserve, businesses, policymakers and investors have largely been in the dark about inflation, job creation, GDP growth and other measures of the U.S. economic health since late summer.
November 15, 2025 3:48 am
A Mega Millions player in Georgia has won the $980 million jackpot, overcoming abysmal odds to take the huge prize. The numbers selected Friday were 1, 8, 11, 12 and 57 with the gold Mega Ball 7. The odds of winning the Mega Millions jackpot are 1 in 290.5 million. A winner can choose an annuity or the cash option — a one-time, lump-sum payment of $452.2 million before taxes. If there are multiple jackpot winners, the prize is shared. In September, two Powerball players in Missouri and Texas won a nearly $1.8 billion jackpot, one of the largest in the U.S.
November 14, 2025 3:44 pm
Emails released by the House Oversight Committee reveal how Jeffrey Epstein maintained connections with influential figures despite his 2008 guilty plea to soliciting prostitution from an underage girl. The documents, spanning at least a decade, show Epstein’s interactions with business executives, reporters, academics, and political players. Some supported him during legal troubles, while others sought introductions or advice. The emails do not implicate his contacts in crimes but illustrate his influence. Epstein was charged with sex trafficking in 2019 and died in jail a month later.
