April 4, 2025 5:01 am
BRUSSELS (AP) — Britain and France are accusing Russian President Vladimir Putin of dragging his feet over Ukraine ceasefire talks and ramped up pressure on Moscow by insisting that he owes the United States an immediate answer. Russia has effectively rejected a U.S. proposal for a full and immediate 30-day halt in the fighting. The Kremlin says that Moscow views efforts to end its three-year war with Ukraine as “a drawn-out process.” British Foreign Secretary David Lammy said Friday that “Putin continues to obfuscate, continues to drag his feet.” His French counterpart, Jean-Noel Barrot, said Ukraine accepted ceasefire terms three weeks ago, and that now Russia “owes an answer to the United States.”
April 4, 2025 2:10 am
Opening Day at Kennywood is a little over a week away. The 127-year-old amusement park will open on April 12 and remain open until early 2026. That’s the West Mifflin park’s longest season ever. There’s an all-new Kennywood Junction themed area modeled after a small steel town neighborhood. There’s Tuft’s a 6-foot rabbit character, a new celebration room that people can rent out for special events, a retail store and more focused on an “Eggcellent” Celebration. Plus, General Manager Ricky Spicuzza says the Steel Curtain will re-open again sometime this year. There are also other surprises planned that officials weren’t quite ready to announce. There are some new food options on various menus, but one thing won’t change. Even though Kennywood has a new owner, there will always be Kennywood fries.
April 3, 2025 2:39 pm
NEW YORK (AP) — Financial markets around the world are reeling following President Donald Trump’s latest and most severe volley of tariffs, and the U.S. stock market is taking the worst of it so far. The S&P 500 fell 4.2% Thursday, more than other major stock markets. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 1,394 points, and the Nasdaq composite sank 5.3%. Little was spared as fear flared globally about the potentially toxic mix of higher inflation and weakening economic growth that tariffs can create. Everything from crude oil to Big Tech stocks to the value of the U.S. dollar against other currencies fell. Even gold pulled lower. (Photo: AP)
April 2, 2025 4:44 am
PITTSBURGH — You will need back up plans for any outdoor activities over the next several days. Rain will be ongoing for much of the area much of the morning with some stronger storms possible. Gusty winds and hail will be possible with the strongest storms Thursday morning. There will be some dry hours before the next wave of rain moves in late in the day and Thursday night. The heaviest rain Thursday night will be south of Pittsburgh. Rain will taper off Friday morning giving us several dry hours Friday afternoon. The next wave of rain moves in Friday night with on and off showers and storms Saturday. Many areas this weekend will pick up an additional one to two inches of rain.
April 3, 2025 5:03 am
(AP) – Sweeping new tariffs announced by President Donald Trump have provoked dismay, threats of countermeasures and calls for further negotiations to make trade rules fairer. But responses are measured, highlighting a lack of appetite among key trading partners for an outright trade war with the world’s biggest economy. Trump said the import taxes, ranging from 10% to 49%, would do to U.S. trading partners what they have long done to the U.S. European Commission President Ursula Von Der Leyen says they are a “major blow to the world economy.”
April 3, 2025 4:48 am
BETHEL PARK, Pa. — (WPXI) – A man is in custody after a stand-off in Bethel Park Wednesday. A Bethel Park Police Department official said officers responded to the 1300 block of Stoltz Road around 5 p.m. for a domestic disturbance. Court documents say a man reported to 911 dispatchers his brother, Daniel Lipford, was intoxicated and his girlfriend was covered in bruises. When police arrived, he told them Lipford physically assaulted his girlfriend and was inside the house with her 2-year-old, refusing to come outside. He also reportedly had access to a shotgun. Lipford’s girlfriend came outside, but her son was inside and police could not get Lipford to come out. Officers surrounded the home and requested help from SWAT and other area police departments. Part of Stoltz Road, as well as Beverly Court, Falla Drive and Claytonia Drive, were closed while first responders were negotiating with the man. By 9:15 p.m., police say the man, identified through court records as Daniel Lipford, released the child. He was taken into custody on an arrest warrant for simple assault, terroristic threats and strangulation. All roads reopened just before 10 p.m.
April 3, 2025 5:43 pm
WASHINGTON (AP) — Former heart surgeon and TV pitchman Dr. Mehmet Oz was confirmed Thursday to lead the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Oz became the agency’s administrator in a party line 53-45 vote. The 64-year-old will manage health insurance programs for roughly half the country, with oversight of Medicare, Medicaid or Affordable Care Act coverage. He steps into the new role as Congress is debating cuts to the Medicaid program, which provides coverage to millions of poor and disabled Americans.
April 3, 2025 5:05 am
Violent storms have cut through a wide swath of the South and Midwest, spawning tornadoes and killing at least one person, knocking down power lines and trees and ripping roofs off homes. Dozens of tornado and severe thunderstorm warnings were posted in several states as violent storms hit the region Wednesday. At least one tornado emergency was issued in Arkansas. Forecasters say it is the opening act for a week of wild weather as daytime heating combines with an unstable atmosphere, strong wind shear and abundant moisture streaming in from the Gulf.
April 3, 2025 4:55 am
PITTSBURGH — (WPXI) – An Ohio man without a concealed carry permit is accused of trying to bring a gun through the Pittsburgh International Airport. The Allegheny County police Department says TSA officers spotted the handgun within a passenger’s backpack at the main security checkpoint around 2 p.m. Monday. TSA officials say the gun was loaded, with one bullet in the chamber. Since the passenger, identified as Christopher Wells Jr., 30, didn’t have a valid concealed carry permit, he’s facing a felony charge on top of a possible federal fine for bringing the gun to a checkpoint. Passengers can travel with guns only in checked baggage if unloaded and packed in a hard-sided locked case. Then, the locked case should be taken to the airline check-in counter to be declared. TSA has details on how to properly travel with a firearm on its website.
April 3, 2025 5:10 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — Amazon has put in a bid to purchase TikTok. A Trump administration confirmed the eleventh-hour pitch as a U.S. ban on the platform is set to go into effect Saturday. The official wasn’t authorized to comment publicly and spoke on the condition of anonymity. The official says the offer came in a letter to Vice President JD Vance and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick. The existence of an Amazon bid surfaced as Trump was scheduled on Wednesday to meet with senior officials to discuss the coming deadline for a TikTok sale.
