November 12, 2025 5:04 am
The southeastern U.S. has plunged into record-low temperatures, affecting 18 million people under a freeze warning across Alabama, Florida, and Georgia. The cold spell moved from the Northern Plains and brought an abrupt transition to wintry temperatures. Some daily records were shattered, including a low of 28 degrees in Jacksonville, Florida. In Florida, temperatures led to a “falling iguana advisory” as iguanas froze into survival mode and fell from trees. Meanwhile, parts of the Great Lakes and Northeast experienced significant snowfall, causing hazardous driving conditions. Forecasters expect temperatures to rise by the end of the week.
November 12, 2025 5:02 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — The longest federal government shutdown in U.S. history appears to be nearing an end, but not without leaving a mark on an already-struggling economy. About 1.25 million federal workers missed at least one or two paychecks. Thousands of flights have been canceled. Government contract awards have slowed and some food aid recipients have seen their benefits interrupted. Most of the lost economic activity will be recovered when the government reopens, as federal workers receive back pay. But some canceled flights won’t be retaken, missed restaurant meals won’t be made up, and some postponed purchases by workers will not happen at all.
November 12, 2025 5:00 am
Some small grocery stores and neighborhood convenience stores are eager for the U.S. government shutdown to end and for their customers to start receiving federal food aid again. Late last month, the Trump administration froze funding for the SNAP benefits that about 42 million Americans use to buy groceries. The U.S. Department of Agriculture says about 74% of the assistance was spent last year at superstores like Walmart and supermarkets like Kroger. Around 14% went to smaller,stores that are more accessible to SNAP beneficiaries. A former director of the United Nations World Food Program says SNAP is not only a social safety net for families but a local economic engine that supports neighborhood businesses.
November 12, 2025 4:49 am
MONESSEN, Pa. — A teen is hospitalized after a shooting Tuesday afternoon in Monessen. Monessen Police say the 16-year-old was shot along Rostraver Street near Linden Avenue. A 911 official says first responders were sent to the area after 4 p.m. for a report of shots fired. That teen was flown to UPMC Children’s Hospital in Pittsburgh. The boy’s mother tells WPXI that he was shot in the head, but is responding to doctors. The Westmoreland County District Attorney’s Office says someone is in custody. Monessen School District Superintendent Robert Motte says the shooting took place near an elementary school. As a result, the district plans to have students learn remotely on Wednesday. “We will continue to monitor the situation closely and reassess conditions tomorrow. Updates will be shared with families as soon as possible,” Motte wrote. It wasn’t immediately clear if the teen shot is a Monessen School District student.
November 12, 2025 2:52 am
Airlines have canceled over 9,000 flights across the U.S. since the Federal Aviation Administration ordered flight cuts late last week. The cuts aim to ease demands on short-staffed control towers during the federal government shutdown. On Tuesday, another 1,200 flights were canceled as the FAA increased its target for reducing flights at major airports. Flights are expected to remain disrupted even as the shutdown nears an end, and cancellations are unlikely to ease right away. The pace of airline ticket sales for Thanksgiving travel has slowed as more travelers have reconsidered whether to fly amid all the delays and cancellations.
November 12, 2025 2:27 am
Baby formula manufacturer ByHeart recalled all of its products sold nationwide Tuesday. The move comes days after some batches were recalled amid an expanding outbreak of infant botulism. According to state and federal health officials, at least 15 babies in 12 states have been sickened in the outbreak since August, with more cases pending. All the infants were hospitalized after consuming ByHeart formula. Parents and caregivers who have the formula in their homes should immediately stop using it and dispose of the product. Babies with symptoms of infant botulism need immediate medical care.
November 11, 2025 1:32 pm
NEW YORK (AP) – The White House says it is considering a 50-year mortgage to address the home affordability crisis. Critics argue it won’t solve issues like supply shortages and high interest rates. Bill Pulte, director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, called it a “game changer” for homebuyers. He noted on X that it’s just one potential solution among others being considered. A 50-year mortgage would lower a borrower’s monthly payments but could dramatically increase their total interest paid. It would also delay equity accumulation compared to a 30-year mortgage.
November 11, 2025 5:45 am
WASHINGTON, Pa. — On this Veterans Day, there will not be an official ceremony at The National Cemetery of the Alleghenies because of the federal government shutdown. Federal employees haven’t been paid in over a month, but their work hasn’t stopped. They’re still maintaining the grounds at the national cemetery and laying 9 veterans to rest each day, Monday through Friday. This year, because of the shutdown, the Avenue of the Flags isn’t happening either. That’s when flags, which once draped caskets, line the roadway that winds through the cemetery.
November 11, 2025 4:57 am
An end to the long state budget impasse may be near. Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle say they expect a budget to be passed sometime this week. Both parties spent much of Tuesday evening caucusing, trying to iron out an agreement. “I think we’re getting close to a solution,” Republican State Senator Devlin Robinson said. Democratic State Rep. Abigail Salisbury agreed. She tells WPXI, “I am getting the impression we are moving toward a final budget. People’s patience have worn thin. We need to get this done because costs are rising and services need to be provided to people. It is my belief we are looking at a budget this week.” She says they have been vocal about lifting the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative and believe that may come to fruition. The RGGI is essentially a co-op among a number of states attempting to lower carbon emissions. Robinson calls it an unfair tax on consumers. There could be a vote as early as today.
November 11, 2025 4:56 am
The Senate has passed legislation to reopen the government, bringing the longest shutdown in history closer to an end after a small group of Democrats struck a deal with Republicans. The 41-day shutdown could last a few more days as members of the House, which has been on recess since mid-September, return to Washington to vote on the legislation. The Congressional Budget Office estimated that a six-week shutdown would reduce growth in this year’s fourth quarter by about 1.5 percentage points, and that about $11 billion in economic activity will be permanently lost.
