JERUSALEM (AP) — The U.S. and the international community are planning to engage with the Palestinians to revive peace efforts, after weeks of unrest and a devastating 11-day war in Gaza. But when U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken visits on Tuesday, he will meet with unelected leaders who were sidelined by the protests and outmaneuvered by Gaza’s militant Hamas rulers. The Palestinian Authority is deeply unpopular and has no presence in Gaza, or even most of the occupied West Bank. However, it maintains close security ties with Israel and is seen as key to any two-state solution, even though there have been no substantive peace talks in more than a decade.

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. health officials say that most fully vaccinated Americans can skip testing for COVID-19, even if they were exposed to someone infected. That new guidance was announced last week but was all but eclipsed by the new, more relaxed guidelines on masks. Experts say the waning importance of testing reflects a new phase of the pandemic. People who are fully vaccinated face little risk of developing serious illness or passing the infection onto others. Experts now say that aggressively testing vaccinated people can lead to unnecessary worry and disruption at work and school.

WASHINGTON (AP) — National Guard troops are set to leave the U.S. Capitol and turn over security of the area to Capitol Police. Guard troops were deployed nearly five months ago when rioters broke into the Capitol and invaded the House and Senate chambers in an effort to stop Democrat Joe Biden from becoming president. The Guard mission is ending Sunday, and a person familiar with the plan tells The Associated Press that troops are expected to be leaving on Monday. The Pentagon announced earlier in the week that an extension of the Guard presence — 2,149 troops — had not been requested.

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Pennsylvania’s unemployment rate and payrolls remained virtually the same in April. State figures released Friday show Pennsylvania’s unemployment rate rose one-tenth of a percentage point to 7.4%. That was more than a whole point above the national rate of 6.1% in April. In a survey of households, the labor force remained virtually the same, at just below 6.34 million. The state hit a record high labor force of almost 6.6 million just before the pandemic. In a separate survey of employers, payrolls in Pennsylvania slid in April by 4,400, to below 5.67 million. Pennsylvania has regained about 60% of the 1.1 million jobs lost in the pandemic.

PITTSBURGH (AP) — A Michigan man has pleaded guilty to hacking a University of Pittsburgh Medical Center employee database, stealing the personal information of more than 65,000 people and then selling the information online. The Tribune-Review reports that Justin Johnson is being held at Butler County Prison and will be sentenced in four months. Johnson pleaded guilty Thursday to one count of conspiracy and one count of aggravated identity theft. According to Assistant U.S. Attorney Greg Melucci, investigators found that Johnson used his expertise in the PeopleSoft software to gain access to the database. He then sold the information on the dark web. Johnson was arrested last year in Detroit.

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Stephen Zappala Sr., a former chief justice of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court being remembered for his distinguished legal career and public service, has died. He was 88. The William Slater II Funeral Service of Pittsburgh said Zappala Sr., died Friday. He served in the Army and attained the rank of first lieutenant before returning to Pittsburgh to begin private law practice. Zappala Sr. then became Allegheny County’s planning director and solicitor before winning a Common Pleas court seat. In 1981, he was elected to the state Supreme Court and became chief justice in 2001 before retiring in December 2002. Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald said he was “saddened” to hear of Zappala Sr.’s passing. A funeral service is scheduled Saturday.

(Story by Beaver County Radio News Correspondents Curtis Walsh and Sandy Giordano)

(Darlington, PA) Firefighters are reportedly battling a fire at a Church on Market street in Darlington. Beaver County 9-1-1 received a  call after 5 a.m. for crews to respond to a  fire at the Presbyterian Church on Market Street in Darlington. There are currently no reported injuries.  Several departments remain on scene , and no cause has been determined.

Chris Shovlin, former Beaver County Radio alum and current Executive Director For Development at Lincoln Park Performing Arts Charter School (among other things) will join Matt Drzik to talk about the recent grant for the new Midland Innovation & Technology Charter School. The interview will follow the 8:30 news and be presented through video feed on Facebook Live.

Per the Hookstown Fire Department, US Route 30 is closed from the PA/WV state line to Route 168 due to a fatal vehicle crash.  The closure is expected to last several hours.

The detour is as follows:

PA Route 168 North to Midland, from Midland take PA Route 68 East to the Ohio State line, once in Ohio, follow OH Route 39 until it meets back up with Route 30 in East Liverpool where you can then get back on Route 30 heading east or west.

The Pennsylvania State Police Beaver Barracks is the investigating agency should there be any further inquiries.

Stay tuned to Beaver County Radio for developing information.

NEW YORK (AP) — First lady Jill Biden has told young immigrants who were brought to the U.S. illegally as children that she feels “inspired” by them because they didn’t just receive a college education, they “fought for it.” The first lady delivered the keynote speech Thursday at a ceremony organized by TheDream.US, a scholarship providing organization for young immigrants often described as “dreamers.” Her speech took place nearly a week after president Joe Biden met in the Oval Office with six young immigrants who benefited from an Obama-era program that protected those brought to the U.S. illegally as children.