(File Photo: Source for Photo: President Donald Trump speaks about the Iran war from the Cross Hall of the White House on Wednesday, April 1, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, Pool)

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump said U.S. forces will “finish the job” in Iran soon as “core strategic objectives are nearing completion,” offering a full-throated defense of the war Wednesday night in his first national address since the conflict began more than a month ago.

He used his platform before a wide audience to tout the success of the U.S. operations and argue that all of Washington’s objectives have so far been met or exceeded, but said Iran would continue to face a barrage of attacks in the short term.

“We are going to hit them extremely hard over the next two to three weeks,” Trump said. “We’re going to bring them back to the Stone Ages, where they belong.”

But Trump also spent much of an address that lasted just under 20 minutes repeating many things he had already said in recent weeks and providing few new details. The speech appeared unlikely to move the needle of public sentiment at a time when polling shows many Americans feel the U.S. military has gone too far in Iran and as gas and oil prices remain high.

The effect on global financial markets was more immediate, with oil rising more than 4% and Asian stocks falling after Trump’s comments about the U.S. continuing to hit Iran hard.

“Tonight, I’m pleased to say that these core strategic objectives are nearing completion,” Trump said. He also acknowledged American service members who had been killed and added: “We are going to finish the job, and we’re going to finish it very fast. We’re getting very close.”

The president didn’t mention the possibility of sending U.S. ground troops into Iran. Nor did he reference NATO, the trans-Atlantic alliance he has railed against for not helping the U.S. secure the critical Strait of Hormuz, where a chokehold by Iran has sent energy prices soaring.

He also didn’t say anything about negotiations with Iran or bring up his April 6 deadline for Iran to reopen the waterway or face severe retaliation from the U.S.

Trump encourages other countries to take the Strait

Trump ticked through a timeline of past American involvement in conflicts and noted that the ongoing war in Iran had lasted just 32 days, seeming to appeal to the public for more time to achieve the mission.

“World War I lasted one year, seven months and five days,” he said. “World War II lasted for three years, eight months and 25 days.” Trump, who was referring to the time the U.S. was involved in those wars, also added references to Korea, Vietnam and Iraq.

He also noted that in “these past four weeks, our armed forces have delivered swift, decisive, overwhelming victories on the battlefield.” He said U.S. military action had been “so powerful, so brilliant” that “one of the most powerful countries” is “really no longer a threat” — even as Iran kept up its attacks on Israel and Persian Gulf neighbors early Thursday.

Trump also seemed to suggest he had ruled out going into Iran to get its enriched uranium.

“The nuclear sites that we obliterated with the B-2 bombers have been hit so hard that it would take months to get near the nuclear dust,” he said. “And we have it under intense satellite surveillance and control. If we see them make a move, even a move for it, we’ll hit them with missiles very hard again.”

The president encouraged countries reliant on oil through the Strait of Hormuz to “build some delayed courage” and go “take it.”

Hours before the speech, Trump said, ‘We could just take their oil’

Trump’s comments in his address were more measured than some of his previous remarks, including earlier Wednesday at a White House Easter lunch.

Of Iran, he told his assembled guests: “We could just take their oil. But you know, I’m not sure that the people in our country have the patience to do that, which is unfortunate.”

“Yeah, they want to see it end. If we stayed there, I prefer just to take the oil,” Trump said. “We could do it so easily. I would prefer that. But people in the country sort of say: ‘Just win. You’re winning so big. Just win. Come home.’ And I’m OK with that, too, because we have a lot of oil between Venezuela and our oil.”

The media was not permitted to watch the president’s remarks at the lunch, but the White House uploaded video of the speech online before taking it down. The White House did not return requests for comment from The Associated Press on the video and why it was taken down.

In the lunch — unlike in the subsequent speech — the president also reiterated some of his complaints about NATO allies for their reluctance to get involved in securing the Strait of Hormuz while suggesting that Asian countries could also step up to reopen the waterway.

“Let South Korea, you know, we only have 45,000 soldiers in harm’s way over there, right next to a nuclear force — let South Korea do it,” Trump said of efforts to reopen the strait. “Let Japan do it. They get 90% of their oil from the strait. Let China do it.”

In a social media post Wednesday morning, meanwhile, Trump also wrote that “Iran’s New Regime President” wanted a ceasefire. It wasn’t clear to whom the U.S. president was referring since Iran still has the same president. Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman, Esmail Baghaei, called Trump’s claim “false and baseless,” according to a report on Iranian state television.

Hours before Trump’s address, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian posted a lengthy letter in English on his X account appealing to U.S. citizens and stressing that his country had pursued negotiations before the U.S. withdrew from that path. “Exactly which of the American people’s interests are truly being served by this war?” he wrote.

Trump’s objectives have shifted since the war started

Since the war began on Feb. 28, Trump has offered shifting objectives and repeatedly has said it could be over soon while also threatening to widen the conflict. Thousands of additional U.S. troops are currently heading to the Middle East, and speculation abounds about why. Trump has also threatened to attack Iran’s Kharg Island oil export hub.

Adding to the confusion is what role Israel — which has been bombing Iran alongside the U.S. — might play in any of these scenarios.

Trump has been under growing pressure to end the war that has been pushing up the cost of gasoline, food and other goods. The price of Brent crude, the international standard, is up more than 40% since the start of the war.

(File Photo: Source for Photo: The Pennsylvania Judicial Center is seen in August 2020 in Harrisburg, Pa. (Kent M. Wilhelm/Spotlight PA via AP)

(Harrisburg, PA-AP) Pennsylvania’s first two years of funding indigent defense resulted in progress toward better services for criminal defendants who cannot otherwise afford their own counsel, according to reports released earlier this year.

County defender offices across the state hired new attorneys, added crucial support staff, and implemented case management systems, some for the first time.

A new body, the Indigent Defense Advisory Committee, created the commonwealth’s first standards for this kind of representation. And a massive data collection effort has provided policymakers with the first statewide picture of public defense.

“The money is a good start,” said Sara Jacobson, who spoke with Spotlight PA in her capacity as executive director of the Public Defender Association of Pennsylvania, or PDAP. Jacobson also served as chair of the advisory committee for its first two years.

But an annual $7.5 million investment split across 67 counties couldn’t fix the dire state of many public defender offices across Pennsylvania.

An analysis of indigent defense by the committee and the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency shows the state is about 400 attorneys short of what it needs to provide adequate representation for adult criminal cases. It also found that starting public defender salaries lagged that of the average attorney in the state.

In addition, defense offices are hemorrhaging staff, with counties reporting that nearly 40% of attorneys hired within the past five years have already left. Of these, most departed within two years of being hired.

Because of turnover, there are fewer full-time public defense attorneys today than in 2024, when county offices received their first round of funding from the state government.

Jacobson said the money is important and the gains made in spending on public defense would be lost without it.

“But at flat-funding, we don’t gain more,” she said. “At flat-funding, we stay where we are.”

A first step

For decades, Pennsylvania was one of only two states in the country that did not fund public defense, leaving counties to shoulder the burden of constitutionally guaranteed representation. But beyond the funding, public defense was plagued by a culture of isolation.

“Because it’s county-based there’s never been a comprehensive movement to change it, or connect it,” said Samuel Encarnacion, a veteran public defender with the Lancaster County office who left it in March 2025 after more than 30 years.

“We were all little fiefdoms,” he said.

But in recent years, three things changed, Encarnacion said.

In 2020, PDAP hired its first employee, Jacobson, and became more active in organizing training across county public defender offices and advocating for change at the state level.

Then in 2023, the state legislature and Gov. Josh Shapiro approved $7.5 million, giving most public defenders’ offices their first-ever infusion from the state. The funds recurred in 2024 and 2025, and are proposed at the same level in the 2026 budget.

And in 2024, the ACLU of Pennsylvania sued the state, arguing Pennsylvania’s county-by-county system of funding public defense has resulted in a patchwork that violates the U.S. Constitution. The case is ongoing.

It all amounts to a psychological dam breaking, Encarnacion said.

“We used to say we were the only one, or one of the only ones not funding,” Encarnacion said. “Well, now we can’t say that.”

In two rounds of funding since 2023, counties were awarded just under $13 million in grants from the state, which are noncompetitive and allocated through a formula.

Each county will receive between $184,000 and $295,000. The money is intended to supplement, not replace, support from county governments, which are still required by state law to be the primary funder of public defense.

Every county has put money toward personnel, with 76% of the grant money funds being budgeted for staff and contracted positions. Across the state, offices created 37 new attorney and support staff positions.

The legislature also created the Indigent Defense Advisory Committee to allocate the money and establish statewide standards for public defense.

Those standards were finalized in September, and submitted to the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania for approval. They mandate that attorneys providing no-cost criminal defense have sufficient knowledge of the law, continue their education, and have a reasonable understanding of relevant technology and forensic science.

The new standards also establish that effective representation includes a client-centered approach.

These new baselines are currently pending before the high court, which has referred them to the criminal and juvenile rules committees, said Ted Skaarup, assistant public defender for Northampton County. Skaarup is also the chair of the advisory committee.

But despite the forward progress, there’s still a long way to go, Encarnacion said.

“The volume of cases and the number of cases per lawyer is a cancer for effective representation,” Encarnacion said. “That’s really the illness. I think we’ve known that for years.”

In other states, and in larger counties such as Philadelphia and Allegheny, bigger, well-funded offices enable more delegation between attorneys, Encarnacion said, more time for mentorship, and more room for senior attorneys to take managerial roles.

After the COVID-19 pandemic, his office was hollowed out as traumatized and burnt-out attorneys left for better paying jobs in the private sector. The state grant funding helped make small gains, he said, and has begun a conversation he hopes will lead to bigger change.

“The question is whether we want to make it into an impossible job,” Encarnacion said. “I stayed long enough because I refused to believe it was an impossible job.”

“More to do”

The new money can have a noticeable impact for public defender offices across the state, but it can’t fix all the problems with indigent defense.

In Lebanon County, Chief Defender Megan Tidwell was able to hire a part-time attorney to handle cases involving mental health issues, as well as a part-time social services advocate to connect clients with resources that attorneys otherwise would not have time to seek out.

Indigent clients often need mental health care, substance abuse treatment, or both, Tidwell said, but sometimes lack the ability to find that help on their own.

The social services advocate is “already handling so much that she could be full-time,” Tidwell said. But the grant can’t cover that workload.

Similarly, while the grant funding is helping counties bring on more attorneys, it can’t make up for decades of underfunding.

The committee found the number of full-time public defense attorneys actually decreased from 828.5 to 820.5 over the course of the grant program, driven by aggressive turnover in the offices.

“Initial data analysis from the IDAC and others suggests that indigent defense workforce challenges have reached a crisis point, with significant turnover and recruitment challenges leading to overall staffing shortages compared to levels that would meet national standards,” the report found.

The new money also allowed some counties to implement case management systems for the first time. Public defender offices cannot accurately measure their caseloads without them, according to Jacobson.

“Without being able to track overall how many cases they’re handling it’s really hard to then — actually it’s impossible — to match their work against, say, national caseload standards,” Jacobson said.

When public defense caseloads get overwhelming, there’s less time to devote to each individual case. Attorneys can only triage cases and negotiate the best guilty plea they can, Jacobson said, which is not an effective level of defense.

An analysis of case outcomes by PDAP found this already happens. Using the indigent defense committee report and a 2021 report by the Legislative Budget and Finance Committee, PDAP found that between 2022 and 2024, 11 counties took three or fewer cases to trial and 16 counties filed two or fewer appeals.

“Indigent defense shouldn’t be like haggling over the price of a car,” Jacobson said. “There’s much more to do.”

Preliminary caseload figures are likely an undercount, Jacobson said, because the data the indigent defense committee gathered from the court system has gaps that could obscure the true amount of work public defense attorneys are handling.

In up to 20% of cases, court documents showed that the defendant had either no or “unknown” representation. It’s unclear whether these defendants truly did not have representation, or whether the court clerks just didn’t enter their attorney information into Pennsylvania’s case management system.

If people are moving through the system without the representation they’re entitled to, “It means that no one is reviewing their discovery, no one is looking to see if there are motions to suppress because police violated their constitutional rights, no one’s really making sentencing arguments for them,” Jacobson said.

Looking forward, the Indigent Defense Advisory Committee is focused on three areas for continued progress, Skaarup said.

The committee is creating a centralized, digital resource library for indigent defenders around the state, where standards and practices vary by county. It’s also continuing to engage with the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania and rules committees to produce robust standards for public defense.

But closing gaps in the data might be the most important task ahead, because an accurate picture of caseloads is “the baseline for a lot of the other work we want to do,” Skaarup said.

“We have a lot of qualitative impressions of the quality of indigent services throughout the commonwealth, but we also are working to try and get some numbers behind those,” he said.

(File Photo of the Vitalant Logo)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Beaver County, PA) This April, the nonprofit Vitalant is asking the community to give blood during National Volunteer Month to help maintain a steady and safe supply for local patients and hospitals for those that need it. Someone in the U.S. needs a blood transfusion every two seconds. Donations are essential for those that are experiencing cancer, trauma injuries, routine surgeries, and more. Most people are eligible so they can donate blood. You can learn more and make an appointment to give at vitalant.org by clciking here, download and use the Vitalant blood donor app by clicking here, or call 877-25-VITAL (877-258-4825). According to a release in Darlington yesterday from Vitalant, here are some upcoming Beaver County blood drives this month to donate blood to those that need it:

Aliquippa 

Tuesday, April 14th

B F Jones Library 

663 Franklin Ave. 

1 P.M. – 5 P.M.

  

Darlington 

Monday, April 20th

Darlington Township Building – Banquet Room 

3590 Darlington Road 

2 P.M. – 6:30 P.M.

(File Photo: Source for Photo: FILE – A worker collects shopping carts in the parking lot of a Target store on June 9, 2021, in Highlands Ranch, Colo. Target is removing certain items from its stores and making other changes to its LGBTQ merchandise nationwide ahead of Pride month, after an intense backlash from some customers including violent confrontations with its workers. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski, File)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Harrisburg, PA) According to a release in Harrisburg today from Representative Marla Brown’s office (R-Lawrence), Brown is planning to introduce legislation that would require students in grades six through twelve to participate in shop class, This would help to expand hands-on learning and better prepare students for in-demand careers. The proposal from Brown comes amid a growing concern about workforce shortages in the skilled trades and a renewed focus on practical education opportunities which connect students directly to career pathways, and she stated: “Requiring shop class is about giving students real opportunities to discover skills they may not otherwise be exposed to and putting them on a path toward meaningful, family-sustaining careers. What we heard during our workforce development hearing made it clear increasing awareness of the trades and expanding hands-on learning are essential to closing workforce gaps and strengthening Pennsylvania’s economy.” Brown also noted that the effort builds on conversations and feedback gathered during a recent House Republican Policy Committee hearing that she hosted in Lawrence County, which focused on strengthening development in the workforce in Pennsylvania’s trades. The hearing was titled, “Built in Pennsylvania: Workforce Development in the Trades,” and it brought together educators, employers and labor leaders to discuss solutions to workforce gaps and ways to increase awareness of trade careers. Participants highlighted the value of career and technical education programs while they also identified challenges in expanding access and student participation. Testifiers and lawmakers also agreed that greater exposure to hands-on learning at earlier grade levels could play a critical role in addressing those challenges. Brown expressed that employers, labor organizations and schools all play an important role in preparing the next generation of workers and that stronger collaboration between those groups will be key to long-term success.

(File Photo of the Beaver County Transit Authority)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Beaver County, PA) The Beaver County Transit Authority (BCTA) is one of the ten regional transit companies that will provide service to Pittsburgh during the weekend of the 2026 NFL Draft, which will be held from April 23rd-25th. The BCTA will utilize three different routes for the draft and this will give passengers connections to Pittsburgh’s “T” light rail system, which will be free to all riders throughout the draft. According to a report from the Beaver County Times, here are the routes that can be taken during that time:

BCTA Draft Express

• Direct route from the Expressway Travel Center (131 Pleasant Drive, Aliquippa, Pa. 15001) to Downtown Pittsburgh
• Boarding time from ETC to Downtown Pittsburgh on April 23rd-24th: 3:45-4:10 p.m.
• Departure time from ETC to Downtown Pittsburgh on April 23rd-24th: 4:15 p.m.
• Boarding Time No. 1 from Downtown Pittsburgh to ETC on April 23rd-24th: 9:45-10:10 p.m.
• Departure time from Downtown Pittsburgh to ETC on April 23rd-24th: 10:15 p.m.
• Boarding Time No. 2 from Downtown Pittsburgh to ETC on April 23rd-24th: 10:45-11:10 p.m.
• Departure time from Downtown Pittsburgh to ETC on April 23rd-24th: 11:15 p.m.
• Boarding time from ETC on April 25th: 9:15-9:40 a.m.
• Departure time from ETC on April 25th: 9:45 a.m.
• Boarding Time No. 1 from Downtown Pittsburgh to ETC on April 25th: 2:45-3:10 p.m.
• Departure time from Downtown Pittsburgh to ETC on April 25th: 3:15 p.m.
• Boarding Time No. 2 from Downtown Pittsburgh to ETC on April 25th: 4:45-5:10 p.m.
• Departure time from Downtown Pittsburgh to ETC on April 23rd-24th: 5:15 p.m.
• Riders are encouraged to download the Mobile ticketing app and arrive early to guarantee a spot is available for you.
• Riders must be present to claim their seat. Holds and reservations by another passenger are prohibited.
• Fares are $5 each way per rider. Passengers can also purchase a $10 unlimited day pass if purchased on the bus or $9 if purchased on the BCTA mobile app. The pass includes unlimited rides on all BCTA fixed route vehicles when the pass is activated.

Route 4

• The BCTA Express Route 4 will operate as normal on April 23rd-24th. However, buses may be delayed due to traffic conditions.
• The route will begin at the Center Township Park & Ride Location

Route 5

• BCTA Route 5 operates from the Ambridge Park & Ride to Downtown Pittsburgh every hour Monday-Friday
• There is no Route 5 service on Saturday
• The last Route 5 bus leaves Downtown Pittsburgh at 7 p.m. Monday-Friday. However, buses may be delayed due to traffic conditions.

Passengers are also encouraged to either download the Mobile Ticketing App to make boarding the bus smoother or download the BCTA Bus Tracker, which you can access by clicking here, or the myStop app to see bus locations with capacity information for Routes 4-5.

(File Photo of the PennDOT Logo)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Harrisburg, PA) PennDOT and Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful are inviting environmentally-conscious students from 10th through 12th grades to help preserve the natural resources of Pennsylvania through the Young Ambassadors of Pennsylvania program. This program empowers young Pennsylvanians to train and learn from leaders across Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful, the private sector, state government and local media to protect the environment of the state and build problem-solving and leadership skills. Applicants should be committed to restoring and protecting the ecological landscape of Pennsylvania through volunteerism and leadership and should be passionate about the environment. Applications are being accepted from now through June 10th, 2026. Students will be chosen through a competitive application process. Students interested in applying should visit keeppabeautiful.org and choose Programs, Education then Young Ambassadors of Pennsylvania to apply. Applicants can also call 724-836-4121, extension 114, or email kmccutcheon@keeppabeautiful.org to apply. Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful will also provide education and training to program participants on topics related to the impact of civic engagement and public policy, litter on roadways, litter prevention, social media marketing, volunteer management and waste management and recycling. Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful has also partnered with industry leaders, Columbia Gas – NiSource Charitable Foundation and Dow to provide Job Shadow Days to select ambassadors, who will serve a one-year term from September of 2026 through May of 2027 and represent and uphold the mission and values of Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful. According to a recent release from PennDOT, program requirements include:

• attending 6 mandatory virtual education sessions;
• conducting a community assessment and creating a summary presentation;
• organizing a community cleanup event through Pick Up Pennsylvania and conducting one community education event or activity.

(File Photo of Pennsylvania State Police Trooper Cars)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Harrisburg, PA) The Pennsylvania State Police (PSP) has now opened a new selection cycle for men and women who are considering a rewarding career as a state trooper.  Applications should be submitted via the Commonwealth’s employment website, which can be accessed by clicking here, by May 29, 2026. Applicants who meet all of the eligibility requirements will move on to a qualifying written examination. They must also complete a polygraph examination, background investigation, physical readiness test, medical screening, and psychological screening before training at the academy. Applicants must have either a high school diploma or a GED certificate, as well as a valid driver’s license from any state. They must be at least 20 years old at the time of application, and they must be at least 21 years old and cannot have reached age 40 upon the entry into the training academy. Training for cadets lasts approximately 28 weeks and includes formal coursework in Pennsylvania’s crimes and vehicle codes, physical fitness activities, and training in police vehicles, firearms, and equipment. Upon completion of the training academy, cadets are promoted to the rank of trooper and they will receive an increase in salary, which is currently set at $71,647 annually. Troopers can earn approximately $96,225 after five years of service. You can visit PATrooper.com by clicking here for more information on becoming a state trooper, including applicant requirements and job benefits,

(File Photo of the Beaver County Courthouse)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Beaver, PA) Several topics were discussed at the County Courthouse during the Beaver County Commissioners’ work session this morning. The main topic was during the Solicitors’ report when Beaver County Solicitor Garen Fedeles discussed a possible new agreement after a meeting that the Commissioners had yesterday with representatives from various communities that are within the county’s Emergency Services Unit (ESU) and Drug Task Force. They also met up with various police chiefs and solicitors and this agreement between the communities and the county that has been in place since 2017 regarding how officers from the local communities that serve those various task forces are paid. Fedeles confirmed that the Commissioners came out of this meeting “with the hope that we will be able to hope to implement a new agreement between the communities that would keep the Drug Task Force and the ESU members who are from communities who serve on those as employees for their local municipality; in return, the county would give a reimbursement to those municipalities as opposed to those individuals being employees of the county.” Officers of those task forces asked if they could remain employees of their local municipalities because they are county employees. Fedeles confirmed that the reason they asked this is because it helps them with certain fringe benefits that they get when they work for their local communities. Some recent and upcoming events were also brought up during the session. The first was the Pennsylvania First Day of Trout for fishing at Brady’s Run and Brush Creek Parks this Saturday mentioned by Beaver County Recreation and Tourism Director Tony Caltury during the department head report. Commissioner Jack Manning also praised the event that was held yesterday at the county courthouse to introduce the LETI program to the county, which is a program used by Pennsylvania counties to avoid giving criminal charges to individuals who may simply just need help. Manning also talked about the Envirothon event which will be held today at Brady’s Run Park where juniors and seniors in different high schools will be quizzed on different environmental topics to try to make to it the state competitions. That event is run by the Beaver County Conservation District. In other business, it was also addressed during the department head report that if anyone goes into the side doors of the county courthouse to enter or exit, an alarm will ring. If you are either an employee of the county courthouse or not, you must use the front and the back entrances of it to go inside.