January 29, 2025 2:55 am
Health care workers at UPMC Washington may be going on strike. Union officials are calling on UPMC to fulfill its promises to invest in their hospital and are decrying a proposed 1% yearly raise and severe cuts while healthcare executives, they say, have received huge payouts. The union contract for the 300 hospital workers expires January 31st and they will be holding a vote on February 3rd to authorize a strike, if necessary. The union says that with starting wage rates as low as $16 an hour, Washington already has serious difficulties with recruitment and retention and UPMC’s proposals would aggravate those staffing problems. The workers say UPMC epitomizes larger problems throughout the country – the erosion of the American Dream for working people struggling with the increased cost of living and the prioritization of healthcare executive pay over patient care. Union officials say that when UPMC completed its takeover of Washington on June 1st of last year, it promised to “invest in its employees and improve benefits offerings” and “invest a minimum of $300 million in WHS” and $40 million in The Washington Foundation. It also vowed to engage in “good faith bargaining” with workers and their union. The union says they have failed to follow through on those promises. Should a strike occur, the union says it would affect many positions that keep the hospital running, like certified surgical technicians, care partners, physical therapy assistants, carpenters, licensed maintenance workers, dietary aides, medical records clerks, housekeepers, unit secretaries, master plumbers, cooks, engineers, patient transporters and others. Officials say if workers do decided to walk off their jobs, they will provide a 10-day notice to management to ensure patient safety and continuity of care.
January 28, 2025 4:47 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal judge has temporarily blocked a push from President Donald Trump to pause federal funding while his administration conducts an across-the-board ideological review to uproot progressive initiatives. The order Tuesday capped the most chaotic day for the U.S. government since Trump returned to office, with uncertainty over a crucial financial lifeline causing panic and confusion among states, schools and organizations that rely on trillions of dollars from Washington. U.S. District Judge Loren L. AliKhan blocked the funding freeze only minutes before it was scheduled to take effect. The administrative stay, prompted by a lawsuit brought by nonprofit groups that receive federal money, lasts until Monday afternoon.
January 29, 2025 4:53 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration says it is offering buyouts to all federal employees who opt to leave their jobs by next week — an unprecedented move to shrink the U.S. government at breakneck speed. A memo Tuesday from the Office of Personnel Management, the government’s human resources agency, says it will begin subjecting all federal employees to “enhanced standards of suitability and conduct” and ominously warns of future downsizing. The email sent to employees says those who leave their posts voluntarily will receive about eight months of salary, but they have to chose to do so by Feb 6.
January 28, 2025 4:52 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump plans to sign the Laken Riley Act into law as his administration’s first piece of legislation. Trump will sign the immigrant detention measure on Wednesday. It mandates the detention and potential deportation of people in the U.S. illegally who are accused of theft and violent crimes before they have actually been convicted. The Laken Riley Act was named for a Georgia nursing student who was killed in 2024 while out for a run by a Venezuelan national in the U.S. illegally. The measure swiftly passed the Republican-controlled Congress with some Democratic support. Immigrant advocates say it could trigger mass roundups over offenses as minor as shoplifting.
January 29, 2025 4:54 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Federal Reserve left its key interest rate unchanged Wednesday after cutting it three times in a row last year, a sign of a more cautious approach as the Fed seeks to gauge where inflation is headed and what policies President Donald Trump may pursue. A key reason for the earlier reductions was that hiring weakened in the summer and fall. In its statement Wednesday, the Fed upgraded its assessment of the job market, calling it “solid.” The Fed also appeared to toughen its assessment of inflation, saying that it “remains somewhat elevated.” At a press conference, Fed Chair Jerome Powell decline to address Trump’s recent comments calling for lower rates.
January 29, 2025 4:50 am
LOS ANGELES (AP) — When disaster strikes, government emergency alert systems offer a simple promise: Residents will get information about nearby dangers and instructions to help them stay safe. As the deadly LA wildfires and other major disasters have shown, alerts rely on a complicated chain of communication between first responders, government administrators, third-party companies and the public. Sometimes, the chain breaks. In this month’s wind-driven wildfires in Southern California, evacuation alerts for some neighborhoods came long after homes were aflame. That included the part of Altadena where most of the deaths occurred. County officials have approved an outside review of its role in the Eaton Fire and Palisades Fire alerts at the urging of residents.
January 28, 2025 5:39 pm
WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal judge has temporarily blocked a Trump administration freeze on federal grants and loans that could total trillions of dollars. U.S. District Judge Loren L. AliKhan blocked the action Tuesday afternoon, minutes before it was set to go into effect. The administrative stay pauses the freeze until Monday. The White House had planned to start the pause as they begin an across-the-board ideological review of federal spending. The plan sparked confusion and panic among organizations that rely on Washington for their financial lifeline. Administration officials have said federal assistance to individuals would not be affected, including Social Security, Medicare, food stamps, student loans and scholarships. (Photo: AP)
January 28, 2025 2:22 pm
South Strabane Police and fire crews were called out just after nine o’clock Tuesday morning for a head-on crash near the intersection of East Beau Street and Floral Hill Drive. Authorities say they found one individual trapped in their vehicle but were able to extricate them. Two people were taken from the scene to area hospitals. There’s been no word on how serious the injuries are or how the crash occurred. (Photo courtesy of South Strabane Fire Department)
January 28, 2025 10:17 am
(WPXI) – The cause of a fire in Donora this morning is under investigation. Firefighters battled a house fire in Donora Tuesday morning. Washington County dispatchers say that calls came in for a reported structure fire in the 1200 block of McKean Avenue around 5:30. A woman and her sister told our news partners at Channel 11 – that they were inside the home when the fire broke out. “I smelled something burning, opened up my bedroom door, our whole house is full of smoke, so I got my sister. We got out, and the whole back of my house was on fire,” said homeowner Bobbie Fygolah. Several trucks lined 13th Street as crews searched the top floor for hot spots. Street crews had to salt and monitor the roads to keep firefighters safe, as ice formed in several areas. There were no injuries but Donora’s fire chief believes the house is a total loss.
January 28, 2025 6:43 am
Washington County Commissioners are set to hold a forum this week to discuss the new public safety radio system approved back in September. Invitations were sent out to emergency responders and municipal leaders throughout the County. It will be held Wednesday evening from 6:30 a.m. to 8 p.m at the South Franklin VFD social hall. According to the invitation, representatives from Motorola will provide an overview of the new, nearly $25 million system.
