This undated photo taken through a microscope provided by the CDC shows Cyclospora cayetanensis oocysts found in a fresh stool sample which had been prepared with a formalin solution and stained with safranin. (CDC via AP)

By SAVANNAH PETERS Associated Press352 words

(File Photo by Frank Sparks)

Pittsburgh, PA – The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) is announcing inspection work on the bridge that carries Route 18 (Seventh Avenue) over the Beaver River in New Brighton Borough and the City of Beaver Falls, Beaver County, will occur Monday, July 20 weather permitting.

Single-lane restrictions will occur on the Route 18 bridge in the northbound direction between Fourth Avenue in New Brighton Borough and Third Street in Beaver Falls from 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM Monday.

Crews from Michael Baker International will conduct the inspection activities.

Please use caution if traveling through the area. Work zone safety is everyone’s responsibility.

Travelers can check conditions on major roads by visiting www.511PA.com. 511PA, which is free and available 24 hours a day, provides traffic delay warnings, weather forecasts, traffic speed information and access to more than 1,200 traffic cameras. 511PA is also available through a smartphone application for iPhone and Android devices, by calling 5-1-1, or by following regional X alerts.

Find PennDOT’s planned and active construction projects at www.pa.gov/DOTprojects. Subscribe to PennDOT news and find transportation results in Allegheny, Beaver, and Lawrence counties at www.pa.gov/DOTdistrict11.

(File Photo of the Beaver Falls Library that will be receiving $500,000 to perform extensive repairs and renovations.)

(Beaver Falls, Pa.) State Rep. Roman Kozak (R-14) and Sen. Elder Vogel Jr. (R-47) announced $6 million in state funding has been awarded for critical improvement projects in the 14th Legislative District. This funding, provided through the Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program (RACP), is aimed at fostering growth and development in the region.

“I’m grateful to see these important local projects receive state support,” Kozak said. “This funding represents a meaningful investment in our community’s future, strengthening our institutions, supporting economic growth and preserving valued spaces. I appreciate the commitment to advancing projects that will benefit residents, bolster opportunity and contribute to long-term stability and success across our region.”

“I am pleased to have worked alongside Rep. Kozak to help get state funding for these crucial community projects,” Vogel said. “It’s projects like these that make it possible for our area to remain successful and sustainable for future generations.”

The funding will be distributed as follows:

• Carnegie Free Library of Beaver Falls: $500,000 to perform extensive repairs and renovations.
• Geneva College: $1.5 million to update Geneva’s Old Main.
• Mitsubishi Electric Power Products: $4 million to construct a new advanced switchgear factory.

The RACP is a Commonwealth grant program administered by the Office of the Budget for the design, acquisition and construction of regional economic, cultural, civic, recreational and historical improvement projects.

A Taco Bell fast food restaurant is shown Tuesday, July 14, 2026, in Taylor, Mich. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

ATLANTA (AP) — Federal health officials have identified lettuce from Mexico served at Taco Bell locations across five U.S. states as a source of the widespread outbreak of diarrhea-causing parasite cyclospora.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention late Thursday warned consumers not to eat shredded iceberg lettuce from Taco Bell restaurants in Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio and West Virginia. A record number of cyclospora cases have been reported in more than 30 states, and experts have said not every recent U.S. illness might be caused by a single source.

A Food and Drug Administration investigation identified a single supplier of the lettuce. The federal warnings to consumers did not identify the company, but a federal official who was briefed on the investigation and not authorized to discuss it told The Associated Press it was Taylor Farms of Salinas, California.

Taylor Farms, which has been tied to foodborne outbreaks in the past, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

“FDA is working with the supplier of iceberg lettuce to determine if potentially contaminated shredded iceberg lettuce remains on the market,” including in other states, the CDC said. “Taco Bell has committed to stop using any lettuce from the supplier identified by FDA’s traceback investigation.”

In a statement, federal health officials stressed that other “brands, restaurants, retailers, or distribution channels” could be identified as the investigation continues.

CDC, FDA and public health officials in several states have been investigating a multistate outbreak of cyclospora infections.

More than 30 states have reported infections this year, and current data from them shows the number of infections surpassing the record U.S. mark of about 4,700 set in 2019. The illness is not usually life threatening and is typically treated with antibiotics.

On Tuesday, ahead of the federal government’s confirmation, Taco Bell issued a statement saying it had “voluntarily and temporarily removed limited ingredients at select restaurants as a precautionary measure. We will continue to closely monitor the situation and follow the guidance of public health authorities.”

Cyclospora is a microscopic, spherical parasite that commonly causes watery diarrhea “with frequent and sometimes explosive bowel movements,” according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Outbreaks tend to occur most often in the late spring and summer.

The heat-loving parasite infects the bowels and spreads through feces. In the past, people have been infected by consuming fruits or vegetables that were exposed to feces-contaminated irrigation water.

The illness, called cyclosporiasis, is less common than foodborne illnesses caused by other germs, including salmonella and E. coli. Many cases are never linked to a specific food or other source and, for years, few U.S. cyclospora outbreaks were reported. But the number started rising about a decade ago, with a particularly notable spike in 2018 and 2019.

Experts say it’s likely that cyclospora cases historically were underreported, in part because some common tests used to check for food poisoning have not been geared to detect cyclospora. They attribute the increasing trend in cases to climate change and better detection.

Taylor Farms also was tied to a 2013 cyclosporiasis outbreak linked to salad mix and a 2024 E. coli outbreak tied to onions served at McDonald’s.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt speaks with reporters in the James Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House, Thursday, July 16, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)

ATLANTA (AP) — President Donald Trump’s teleprompter operator is on unpaid leave after reports that he used his inside knowledge to make bets about the president’s speeches on the online prediction market Kalshi, the White House said Thursday.

The firm’s enforcement chief said Kalshi contacted federal regulators about bets allegedly made about what the president would say in public addresses.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the president is aware of the situation, which she described as “unfortunate” and “a disgrace.”

“The White House has extremely strict ethical guidelines with respect to issues like this,” Leavitt told reporters, saying the aide is on unpaid leave.

ABC News reported Thursday that Gabriel Perez, who has been operating Trump’s teleprompter since 2016, used his inside knowledge to win more than $100,000 betting on what the president would say in big speeches, including the State of the Union address earlier this year.

Robert Denault, Kalshi’s lawyer and head of enforcement, said on X that the “Kalshi surveillance team promptly flagged, investigated and referred these trades” to the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission that has regulatory authority over such matters.

His statement did not name Perez.

“We have been assisting regulators on this matter and provided all evidence that we collected, as we do with any referral,” Denault added.

ABC based its report on multiple sources who have knowledge of the matter but spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the details.

The ABC report described suspicious activity on Kalshi’s “Mentions” market, in which users can place bets on what phrases and specific words might be used in public speeches. Kalshi recently began requiring users to disclose their place of employment, and the platform’s policy prohibits betting based on information that users gain because of their job.

Attention on members of the administration profiting from the presidency has reached all the way to Trump himself.

On Thursday, his media company announced it would charge for special high-speed access to Truth Social posts, including possibly his own affecting national security and financial markets.

In his most recent financial disclosures, Trump reported making $1.2 billion from his crypto businesses in 2025, raking in profits while his investors suffered losses in marketplaces that Trump has sought to shield from tighter federal regulation.

Trump got more than $500 million from his World Liberty Financial business selling new crypto products, including “governance tokens,” according to the required annual disclosure report with the Office of Government Ethics. It also showed another crypto business, CIC Digital LLC, took in more than $600 million from sales of souvenir-type “meme” coins stamped with his face. Both the tokens and the coins have plunged in value since the sales.

The president has also profited from merchandising deals and high-dollar political and official events at his properties, significantly increasing his net worth since returning to power.

Trump’s aides have stood by his personal and family business practices.

“The president is abiding by all conflict-of-interest laws that are applicable to the president,” Leavitt said earlier this year. It’s “absurd for anyone to insinuate that this president is profiting off of the presidency.”

Harrisburg, PA – The Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry (L&I) today released its preliminary employment situation report for June 2026.

Pennsylvania’s unemployment rate was down one-tenth of a percentage point over the month to 4.1 percent in June. The PA rate remained one-tenth of a percentage point below the U.S. unemployment rate of 4.2 percent, which was also down a tenth of a point over the month.

The Commonwealth’s unemployment rate declined by two-tenths of a point from its June 2025 level of 4.3 percent. The United States’ rate was up one-tenth over the past 12 months.

Pennsylvania’s civilian labor force — the estimated number of residents working or looking for work — was up 17,000 over the month to a record high 6,643,000 in June. Employment rose to a record high while unemployment fell 6,000 over the month.

Pennsylvania’s total nonfarm jobs were up 1,000 over the month to a record high of 6,209,600 in June. Jobs increased in seven of the 11 industry supersectors. The largest volume gain was in leisure & hospitality while the largest decline was in professional & business services. Education & health services rose to a record high level. Over the year, jobs were up 34,500 with gains in six of the 11 supersectors. The largest volume gain from last June was in education & health services (+28,400).