FILE – Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. speaks during a news conference on the Autism report by the CDC at the Hubert Humphrey Building Auditorium in Washington, April 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana, File)

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. health officials want food manufacturers to provide more information about new additives and ingredients. Under a proposal announced Monday, food companies would have to notify the Food and Drug Administration before introducing new colors, flavorings, sweeteners and other ingredients found in processed food. The change would reverse a decades-old policy allowing companies to self-certify that new ingredients are safe. That policy has long been criticized by health advocates, who blame it for allowing thousands of additives into the U.S. food supply. Reforming the system has been a key pledge for Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and his “Make America Healthy Again” movement.

Pittsburgh, PA – The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) is announcing a shoulder restriction on eastbound (inbound) I-376 (Parkway West) in the City of Pittsburgh, Allegheny County, will occur Thursday, August 13 weather permitting.

A shoulder restriction will occur on eastbound I-376 between the on-ramp from Route 19 (Banksville Road) and the Fort Pitt Tunnel from 9:00 AM to 2:00 PM Thursday. Crews from the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy will conduct landscaping operations.

Gas prices are six cents lower in Western Pennsylvania this week at $4.191 per gallon, according to AAA East Central’s Gas Price Report.

Nationwide Trends:
The national average for a gallon of regular gasoline has fallen nine cents over the past week to $4.00. Crude oil prices are currently in the $80 per barrel range as uncertainty remains about when the Strait of Hormuz will resume normal operations. As of today, more than half of states are paying below $4 per gallon on average. Gas prices typically start going down this time of year, as many schools and universities begin fall semesters, and fewer people are taking road trips compared to earlier in the summer.

According to new data from the Energy Information Administration (EIA), gasoline demand decreased slightly last week from 9.04 million barrels per day to 9.03 million. Total domestic gasoline supply decreased from 211.3 million barrels to 209.7 million. Gasoline production also decreased, averaging 9.6 million barrels per day.

At the close of Wednesday’s formal trading session, West Texas Intermediate fell 55 cents to settle at $75.22 a barrel. The EIA reports that crude oil inventories increased by 2.5 million barrels from the previous week. At 407 million barrels, U.S. crude oil inventories are about 6% below the five-year average for this time of year.

The national average per kilowatt hour of electricity at a public EV charging station stayed the same this past week at 42 cents.

Western Pennsylvania Averages

The average price of unleaded self-serve gasoline today in various areas:      

$4.150      Altoona
$4.291      Beaver
$4.213      Bradford
$3.899      Brookville
$4.298      Butler
$3.970      Clarion
$4.104      DuBois
$4.219      Erie
$4.235      Greensburg
$4.271      Indiana
$4.220      Jeannette
$4.219      Kittanning
$4.244      Latrobe
$4.232      Meadville
$4.316      Mercer
$4.192      New Castle
$4.271      New Kensington
$4.231      Oil City
$4.247      Pittsburgh
$3.848      Sharon
$4.249      Uniontown
$4.270      Warren
$4.198      Washington
Quick Gas and Electricity Stats

Gas

The nation’s top 10 most expensive gasoline markets are California ($5.60), Hawaii ($5.45), Washington ($5.14), Alaska ($4.78), Nevada ($4.76), Oregon ($4.66), Idaho ($4.35), Arizona ($4.32), Utah ($4.30), and Illinois ($4.24).

The nation’s top 10 least expensive gasoline markets are Indiana ($3.48), South Carolina ($3.52), Texas ($3.54), Tennessee ($3.55), Oklahoma ($3.56), Kentucky ($3.57), Louisiana ($3.57), Mississippi ($3.59), Arkansas ($3.62), and Alabama ($3.62).

Electric

The nation’s top 10 most expensive states for public charging per kilowatt hour are West Virginia (52 cents), Hawaii (51 cents), Alaska (50 cents), California (47 cents), New Hampshire (47 cents), Louisiana (46 cents), New Jersey (45 cents), Illinois (45 cents), Arkansas (45 cents), and North Dakota (44 cents).

The nation’s top 10 least expensive states for public charging per kilowatt hour are Kansas (31 cents), Missouri (32 cents), Iowa (33 cents), Utah (34 cents), Maryland (34 cents), South Dakota (35 cents), Nebraska (35 cents), Vermont (36 cents), New Mexico (37 cents), and Minnesota (38 cents).

PITTSBURGH  (August 11, 2026) – With construction season at its summertime peak, Peoples Natural Gas, urge customers and contractors to recognize 811 Day and take great care with all digging and excavation practices.

Tuesday, August 11 (8-11) brings a clear reminder of the importance of a simple and safety-first call to 811, the national number to report projects involving excavation and request utilities like Peoples mark nearby lines. Data tracked by the Common Ground Alliance’s Damage Information Reporting Tool (DIRT) found that the cause of more than 1 in 5 damages to underground infrastructure is a lack of notification to 811 – the top cause of pipeline damages nationwide.

“Calling 811 is the first step in preventing damage to underground utility infrastructure, and preventing the emergencies that happen when pipelines are hit,” said Peoples Damage Prevention Manager Charles Brazier, a member of the Pennsylvania One Call Board of Directors. “As we make significant investments to upgrade infrastructure, improving safety and reliability, we encourage our customers and contractors to call ahead of every excavation project. Working together, we can keep our communities safe from the risks created by pipeline damage.”

Calling 811 before digging is free to homeowners and can prevent injuries, fines and outages in the community. The process is simple:

• Call 811, the national call-before-you-dig hotline, at least three business days before the planned start of excavation;
• Wait for the site to be marked by utility companies with paint, flags or stakes;
• Dig with care. Respect the markings and use appropriate tools while excavating. If a pipeline, line markers, locator wire or warning tape is damaged, leave the area immediately, then call 911 and notify the appropriate utility.

The American Red Cross continues to urge donors of all blood types to act now and make an appointment to give blood or platelets amid the ongoing national blood crisis. Just three additional donors at every blood drive could help further stabilize the blood supply and ensure patients continue receiving lifesaving care.

Since issuing only the second blood crisis in Red Cross history in late July, thousands of generous donors have stepped up to help save lives. At the same time, the blood supply remains under severe pressure, just as many communities transition to back-to-school schedules and people enjoy final summer plans. When fewer donors are available to give, the impact on available lifesaving blood products can be significant — especially when the blood supply is already facing a four-year summer low.

Keep up the momentum and help reverse the blood crisis. Book an appointment to give blood now by using the Blood Donor App, visiting RedCrossBlood.org or calling 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767). Those who are unable to donate can still make an impact by encouraging eligible friends, family members and colleagues to give blood. As a thank-you, all who come to give Aug. 1-31, 2026, will receive a $20 Amazon Gift Card by email. For details, visit RedCrossBlood.org/August.

• 83% of visitors reported being very satisfied with their trip
• 78% rated Pittsburgh as an excellent host city for large-scale events
• 51% said their perception of Pittsburgh improved because of their visit
• 75% of visitors said they were very likely to return to Pittsburgh within the next five years

• 8.6 billion broadcast impressions
• 55+ million viewers worldwide
• 385 hours of national broadcast coverage
• 209 million in-venue impressions
• 55+ million combined social media engagements (earned and owned)

• $1.41 billion in PR publicity value Draft week alone
• $27 million in owned and earned social media value
• $4.74 million in direct in-venue value

• Pittsburgh generated more than twice the impressions and followers of any previous Draft host
• 69% higher social post value than the three-year host average
• The Pittsburgh Steelers recorded the highest Draft-week social engagement of any NFL club

BEAVER, Pa. (August 10, 2026) — Allegheny Health Network (AHN) today announced the appointment of Duke Rupert, MBA, as president of AHN Beaver and AHN Sewickley hospitals, effective August 17, 2026. AHN has also named Keith Lorenz as the chief operating officer and Joshua Miller as chief financial officer for the hospitals.

Rupert succeeds longtime Heritage Valley president and CEO Norm Mitry, who will retire at the end of the year as part of a planned transition. Mitry has served Heritage Valley Health System for more than three decades, including the last 25 years as president and chief executive officer. During the transitional period, Mitry will continue as CEO serving in an advisory capacity to Rupert and his team.

Throughout Mitry’s tenure, Heritage Valley experienced significant growth as Beaver County’s exclusive provider of comprehensive inpatient and outpatient health services, bringing new clinical programs to the region and further advancing the health system’s mission as a community-focused and patient-centered organization.

He, along with the HVHS leadership team, played a pivotal role in making the affiliation between Heritage Valley and AHN possible, helping to stabilize and secure the system’s long-term viability as a leading source of high-quality, innovative healthcare for the populations it serves.

“Norm’s dedication to the health and wellness of the Beaver County and western Allegheny County communities has had an immeasurable impact on generations of patients, families and caregivers,” said Mark Sevco, President of AHN. “Like the entire community, we are immensely grateful for his extraordinary leadership over more than three decades and for his vision and partnership throughout the affiliation process. We look forward to carrying on the legacy of exceptional, compassionate caregiving that he has helped to embed across this system and its people.”

A seasoned healthcare executive with more than 25 years of industry experience, Rupert most recently served as chief operating officer of WVU Medicine Camden Clark Medical Center. Prior to that role, he spent more than two decades with AHN, serving in several top leadership positions, including senior vice president of operations for AHN, chief operating officer of AHN Allegheny General Hospital, and president and chief executive officer of both AHN Forbes Hospital and AHN West Penn Hospital.

In his new role, Rupert will oversee operations, strategic growth, clinical performance, and community partnerships across the entire Heritage Valley footprint, including the AHN Beaver and AHN Sewickley hospitals, and the system’s affiliated outpatient clinics and physician practices.

“Duke has an outstanding track record of developing and supporting strong clinical and operational teams, advancing population health strategies and creating cultures that prioritize the delivery of high-quality, remarkable patient experiences across the care continuum,” Sevco said. “We are excited to have him at the helm as we look to establish AHN Beaver and AHN Sewickley as the western region cornerstones of our Living Health model and focus on making care more accessible, more personable, more effective and more affordable for those we serve.”

Rupert began his healthcare career as a physical therapist and joined AHN Allegheny General Hospital in 1997 as director of the hospital’s Human Motion Center rehabilitation program.  He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Physical Therapy from Daemen College and a Master of Business Administration degree from Point Park University.

“The opportunity to help build upon Heritage Valley’s incredible history of service to its communities is a great privilege and honor, and as someone who also knows very well the equally caring and compassionate culture that exists within AHN, I can say unequivocally that these organizations are indeed stronger together and that the future has never been brighter for Heritage Valley and its caregivers,” Rupert said. “Heritage Valley has earned the trust of this community through decades of caregiving excellence, and I cannot wait to work alongside our physicians, nurses, employees, volunteers and community partners to further strengthen our reputation as both the provider and employer of choice in this region.”

Keith Lorenz most recently served as vice president of operations at UPMC Passavant, where he led key operational and facility initiatives. Josh Miller previously served as director of finance at AHN Grove City Hospital in Mercer County and brings more than 13 years of healthcare finance leadership experience, with expertise in financial stewardship, strategic planning, and organizational growth.

“With Duke, Keith, Josh and Heritage Valley’s many other outstanding clinical and business leaders, we have an extremely talented, seasoned team in place to help us achieve our goals,” Sevco said.

FILE – A penumbral lunar eclipse is seen from Lahore, Pakistan, on Feb. 11, 2017. (AP Photo/K.M. Chaudhry, File)

NEW YORK (AP) — The Perseid summer light show is back — and viewing conditions are especially promising for the Northern Hemisphere.

The meteor shower’s peak Wednesday night into Thursday morning coincides with a total solar eclipse across Spain, Iceland and Greenland and a six-planet parade — though the best time to view the fireballs will come after totality.

As many as 50 to 100 meteors per hour may be visible under ideal conditions, according to NASA. The American Meteor Society estimates 30 to 50 meteors per hour could be seen from rural regions.

Random meteors are visible in dark skies on any given night. Meteor showers tend to put on dazzling celestial shows and happen at predictable times every year when the Earth plows through trails of debris left behind by comets and, sometimes, asteroids. Those remnants collide with Earth’s atmosphere at extremely high speeds, producing streaks of light known as shooting stars.

“Comets typically have orbits that cross the orbit of the Earth. So as they get near the sun and the sun evaporates the ice, a lot of the dirt and crap that’s frozen into the comet gets released, and continues in orbit around the sun,” astrophysicist Neil DeGrasse Tyson told The Associated Press on Sunday.

The Perseids are debris from comet 109P/Swift-Tuttle, an icy ball that orbits the sun every 133 years and isn’t scheduled for a return visit until 2125. Observations of this meteor shower date back over 2,000 years.

The Perseids are a perennial favorite because they tend to produce brilliant fireballs. Summer temperatures also make this shower popular.

“We don’t have to suffer through a cold winter night to get a good view of meteors,” said astronomer Zach Vanderbosch with McDonald Observatory in Texas.

The moon will be in its new moon phase during the Perseids’ peak, making viewing conditions even better.

“The moon is beautiful, but it’s such a diva,” said astronomer Aparna Venkatesan with the University of San Francisco. “New moon means we don’t have moonlight flooding the sky, and you tend to see way more meteors as a result.”

To spot the meteors, go outside after dark, away from clouds and city lights. Venkatesan plans to drive to the Sierra Nevada.

The best views will be between midnight and dawn when the constellation Perseus is high in the northern sky. The meteors will appear to radiate from that constellation.

Look up and give your eyes a half hour to adjust to the darkness. Vanderbosch recommends picking a patch of sky to focus on until a quick, bright streak passes by — even in your peripheral vision — and to avoid looking at your phone.

“There’s just something magical about it,” Vanderbosch said.

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Associated Press journalist Julie Walker contributed to this story from New York. The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.