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Investigators look at why a plane was allowed to take off as Trump’s helicopter approached

National News

WASHINGTON (AP) — It’s not clear why a plane was allowed to take off as President Donald Trump’s helicopter was approaching Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport on Tuesday afternoon in an apparent violation of safety procedures put in place after last year’s midair collision near the busy airport. Both the National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration said Wednesday they were investigating what happened when a commercial jet took off just as Marine One left the White House for Andrews Air Force Base with the president aboard for the first leg ...

US stocks hold near records on hopes of an agreement with Iran

Business

NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks meandered to a mixed finish on Wall Street Wednesday and remained close to their records, while oil prices held steady. The uncertain trading on Wall Street followed two days of big gains that gave the week and August a strong start. Several big technology companies slumped, though, ultimately weighing down the market. The S&P 500 fell 12.97 points, or 0.2%, to close at 7,723.55. The index spent most of the day higher after surging to a record on Tuesday. “The coiled spring investors have been waiting for has finally released, with the S&P 500 Index ...

Iran, US say a Strait of Hormuz deal is close

National News

CAIRO (AP) — Iran said Wednesday it is in the “final stage” of drafting an agreement with Oman over the Strait of Hormuz, and U.S. President Donald Trump has said a deal could be announced this week. That could potentially reopen the critical waterway, ease pressure on the world economy and help bring an end to the war. But the agreement is likely to be contingent on the U.S. lifting its blockade on Iran’s ports. The Trump administration has previously ruled out any deal that would cement Iran’s grip over the strait, which would amount to a major loss for the U.S. and a break ...

Russian barrage in Ukraine kills 17 as air defenses fall short

National News

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russian attacks on Kyiv and its surrounding region killed 17 people and wounded dozens, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Wednesday, as Ukraine’s depleted air defenses failed to stop any of Moscow’s incoming missiles overnight. The barrage, which lasted about two hours, was the latest in a series of large-scale Russian missile strikes that have become almost routine this summer. Moscow is exploiting Ukraine’s critical shortage of interceptors for the U.S.-made Patriot systems, the sole air defense weapon in its arsenal able to shoot down ballistic ...

Summer campers run car wash

Local News

Staff photo / R. Michael Semple Campers who attend the summer camp at the Jewish Community Center in Youngstown wash a car during the annual car wash fundraiser Wednesday afternoon. The money raised from the car wash helps pay for scholarships for children to attend the camp, which wraps up ...

Firefighters get a handle on Spokane wildfires

National News

SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) — Firefighters have taken advantage of cooler weather to begin getting a handle on wildfires that have displaced tens of thousands of people around Washington state’s second-largest city, but hotter, drier and breezier days lie ahead. Officials reported Wednesday that firefighters had established containment lines around the perimeters of all three fires affecting Spokane and that they were focused on reinforcing those lines. Temperatures were expected to climb from the 80s the past two days into the upper 90s, with less humidity, late this week. The fires — ...