June 18, 2025 5:02 am
Officials in West Virginia have now recovered an eighth victim from Saturday’s flooding. An unidentified male was recovered but his identity is not being released pending notification of next of kin. One person is still presumed missing. Samaritan’s Purse, a faith-based humanitarian aid organization is to begin helping residents recover today. Led by Franklin Graham, son of the Rev. Billy Graham, Samaritan’s Purse travels to globe to crisis areas to provide spiritual and physical aid to those in need. According to the organization’s website, Disaster Relief Unit 3 – a tractor-trailer filled with relief supplies and equipment – is en route to West Virginia. Volunteers will start working in the community starting Thursday, helping homeowners remove waterlogged walls and flooring and salvage personal belongings.
June 18, 2025 4:54 am
Today is Juneteenth. The federal holiday commemorates the end of slavery in the United States, marking when enslaved people in Texas received news of the Emancipation Proclamation. The proclamation was issued on Sept. 22, 1862, and enacted on Jan. 1, 1863, but because of the Civil War and the delays in messages getting to Texas, it didn’t get to Texas until June 19, 1865, just months before the 13th Amendment was ratified. Texas was the first state to declare the day a state holiday, but it was made a federal holiday by former President Joe Biden in 2021. Because it is a state and federal holiday there will be closures. They include; no regular mail delivery, no trading on Wall Street, banks, some state government offices and federal offices.
June 18, 2025 4:53 am
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass is lifting a curfew in downtown Los Angeles. Her announcement Tuesday comes after she first imposed the curfew June 10 in response to clashes with police, looting and vandalism amid protests against President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown in the city. Bass, a Democrat, says she is lifting the curfew following “successful crime prevention and suppression efforts.” On Monday she trimmed back the hours after a drop in arrests during evening demonstrations. She says the curfew protected stores, restaurants, businesses and residents from people engaging in vandalism and looting.
June 18, 2025 4:52 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump will sign an executive order this week to extend a deadline for TikTok’s Chinese owner to divest the popular video sharing app. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt announced Trump’s intention after Trump indicated earlier Tuesday he would “probably” make the move. Leavitt said in a statement Tuesday evening that “Trump does not want TikTok to go dark.” The extension will last for 90 days. Trump had signed an order in early April to keep TikTok running for an additional 75 days after a potential deal to sell the app to American owners was put on ice.
June 18, 2025 4:51 am
KANANASKIS, Alberta (AP) — Six of the Group of Seven leaders discussed Russia’s war in Ukraine and the Israel-Iran conflict but failed to reach major agreements on those and many other top issues — wrapping up a summit that was forced to try and show how the wealthy nations’ club might still shape global policy despite the early departure of U.S. President Donald Trump. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and his counterparts from the U.K., France, Germany, Italy and Japan were joined during Tuesday’s final sessions by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and NATO chief Mark Rutte. But the gathered leaders adjourned without offering a joint statement on Ukraine and only released a modest one on Iran-Israel.
June 18, 2025 4:50 am
KHAN YOUNIS, Gaza Strip (AP) — At least 51 Palestinians were killed and over 200 wounded in the Gaza Strip while waiting for U.N. and commercial trucks to enter the territory with desperately needed food, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry and a local hospital. Palestinian witnesses told The Associated Press that Israeli forces had fired on the crowds. The military said it was looking into reports that its forces had fired toward the crowd, causing several casualties. It did not appear to be related to a new Israeli- and U.S.-supported aid delivery network that rolled out last month and has been marred by controversy and violence.
June 18, 2025 4:48 am
Iran’s supreme leader warns US that joining Israeli strikes will ‘result in irreparable damage for them’ Iran’s supreme leader has warned the United States that joining the Israeli strikes targeting the Islamic Republic will “result in irreparable damage for them.” The comments by 86-year-old Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei came in a statement read out by a state television anchor against a still image of the leader. “Any military involvement by the U.S. in this field will undoubtedly result in irreparable damage for them,” the statement said. In the message, Khamenei also urged officials to “continue their work with strength and trust in God.” “God will certainly and surely make the Iranian nation … victorious,” he said. State television said that a video of Khamenei giving the same address would be aired later.
June 18, 2025 4:46 am
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Nippon Steel and U.S. Steel say they’ve finalized their “historic partnership,” a year-and-a-half after the Japanese company first proposed its deal to buy the iconic American steelmaker for nearly $15 billion. The bid by Nippon Steel was buffeted by national security concerns and presidential politics, delaying the transaction for more than a year after U.S. Steel shareholders approved it. It also forced Nippon Steel to expand the deal, including giving the federal government a say in some matters. The combined company will become the world’s fourth-largest steelmaker, and bring what analysts say is Nippon Steel’s top-notch technology to U.S. Steel. In exchange, Nippon Steel gets access to a robust U.S. steel market.
June 18, 2025 2:52 am
Pittsburgh legend, singer-song writer Lou Christie has died. He was eighty-two. Born Lugee Alfredo Giovanni Sacco, Christie was a graduate of Moon Area High School, who went on to be a big success soon after that. Christie had two, top ten hits in 1963, “Two Faces Have I” and “The Gypsy Cried”. He hit #1 with “Lightnin’ Strikes” in 1965. Christie performed until 2023 and one of his last shows was at the Palace Theater in Greensburg in 2021. (Photo: Lou Christie Facebook)
June 18, 2025 2:38 am
Washington County Commissioners will vote on a measure to bring the demolition of the Washington Mall one step closer to reality. On their agenda for Thursday, commissioners will vote on a cooperation agreement between the county, The Redevelopment Authority of Washington County and Chapman Properties to complete the demolition. The Redevelopment Authority will be administering a $5.9 million contribution from the county’s Blight Mitigation and Demolition Fund to offset some of the demolition costs. Commissioner Chairman Nick Sherman is pleased that the project is moving one step closer to reality. Commissioner Larry Maggi, stated that he is certainly in favor of the project but wishes that the county had some sort of covenants that guided the types of businesses that could be located on the property. He pointed to the covenants in place at Southpointe I and II as examples. Maggi’s concern is that appropriate enterprises locate to the new project. He does not want to see any business move in that would deter other businesses from locating at the new development. Discussion during the meeting indicated use of the property would be up to South Strabane Township. The purchase of the property is scheduled to close on Wednesday.
