- KLEINFELTERSVILLE, Pa. (AP) — A few dozen birdwatchers gathered in the predawn darkness to wait for the moment when thousands of migrating snow geese stopped honking and preening to suddenly take flight from a Pennsylvania reservoir. The mesmerizing display, about an hour after sunrise, was over almost as soon as it began. The birds circled […]
- DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Iran launched multiple attacks early Friday on Gulf Arab states, including dozens of drones at Saudi Arabia, following warnings from its new supreme leader about hosting American bases, and U.S. President Donald Trump threatened major new retaliation. “Watch what happens to these deranged scumbags today,” Trump wrote in a […]
- SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — The U.S. military says a KC-135 refueling aircraft supporting operations against Iran crashed in western Iraq, killing four of its six crew members. The U.S. Central Command, which oversees the Middle East, said the crash followed an unspecified incident involving two aircraft in “friendly airspace,” and that the other plane […]
- By Tom Polansek CHICAGO, March 13 (Reuters) – U.S. grain prices have surged since the Iran war began, triggering a flurry of corn and soybean sales by farmers who squirreled away last year’s harvests due to weak prices. Since the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran, farmers across the Midwest have capitalized on climbing prices by […]
- By Emily Schmall CHICAGO, March 13 (Reuters) – The leading three Democratic contenders facing off for Illinois’ open Senate seat on Tuesday have vowed to extensively reform or eliminate U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, a reflection of how the killings of two U.S. citizens in Minnesota earlier this year have elevated immigration as a top […]
- Residents of Tehran tell AP of rising fear and isolation as bombs strike without warning
on March 13, 2026 at 12:18 pmCAIRO (AP) — An engineer crouches under a park bench as fighter jets roar overhead. An athlete wracked by anxiety can’t sleep as explosions go off. With the internet shut down, families and friends rely on each other for news about the war and the latest damage caused by airstrikes. Fierce U.S.-Israeli bombardment of Iran’s capital, Tehran, now at the end of its second week, has left residents in a state of shock. From central historic quarters to upscale northern areas, bombs are shaking the city day and night, with no sirens or warning systems to alert the public. “The psychological pressure is real,” said the athlete, who lives in a northern area of the capital. He was among a half dozen Tehran residents reached by The Associated Press, all of whom spoke on condition of anonymity out of fear for their safety. Widely respected national symbols have been threatened. The monumental archway of Azadi Square, often seen as the capital’s modern emblem, was enveloped by smoke after strikes nearby, while the 19th-century Golestan Palace, a landmark of historic pride, had its windows blasted out. At the same time, security forces have increased their presence in the streets to prevent any shows of dissent. Israeli strikes on oil depots in Tehran last weekend had a particularly profound impact on residents’ psyches. After the blasts, giant fires raged, and toxic, black smoke filled the air — partially eased by rains in the following days. “I could barely breathe and had to go buy an inhaler,” a 54-year-old Tehran resident who is a human-rights activist said. “People are worried it will affect their drinking water.” As she spoke to AP, a blast went off in the background. In a later voice note on Tuesday, the activist said, “Last night the situation was really bad. Fighters as well as drones had taken over the whole sky. East, west, they hit everywhere they could. Today you see a lot of residential places that were damaged. It’s really painful.” The war is fraying nerves across the region, as Iran fires waves of missiles and drones at Israel, U.S. military bases and its Persian Gulf neighbors. The U.S.-Israeli air campaign has struck thousands of sites across Iran, most belonging to the military and the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard. The Iranian Red Crescent says thousands of civilian sites have been damaged, including hospitals, schools, universities and homes. Iran has not publicly updated its death toll from the over 1,200 previously reported. A 33-year-old engineer described the aftermath of the oil depot strikes as an “end-of-times scene.” Iranians are finding it difficult to follow news of the war, he said, with internet access largely shut down since the first strikes on Feb. 28. Only a sliver of the public has limited access with virtual private networks, the engineer estimated. He said he phones friends for news of where bombs are landing. Other residents said family and friends trade reports of strikes at anxious gatherings in homes and cafes. Almost total Israeli and U.S. air superiority has opened up the capital to attack at any moment. The engineer said he was on his street when he heard fighter jets, then a strike nearby. He ducked under a park bench. A university student said fear of attacks is rising even among those who do not live near clearly marked government and military targets. “Every moment, without any warning sirens or announcement, some part of the city is under attack,” he said, describing some streets as full of broken glass from surrounding buildings. Normally a vibrant city of over 9 million people, Tehran’s streets — in between airstrikes — are now eerily quiet. Many shops and supermarkets are open. But the traditional bazaar is closed, and many streets are empty as people hunker down at home. Families tape windows to prevent flying glass and they shelter in interior rooms when they hear the roar of strikes. A teacher who lives in the northern Tehran district of Vanak said the home of a friend in eastern Tehran was damaged by a nearby strike that blew windows out of the frames, broke the sink and wrenched the door of the building’s garage out of place. When the friend called to tell her the news, “I was in a very bad shock,” the teacher said. The teacher said she spends most of her time at home, hosting family members who fled another part of Tehran because they live near positions of the Basij, the feared all-volunteer wing of the Guard. She paces and spends a lot of time trying to get on the internet. “I try to keep myself calm and tell myself, ‘This is the price we have to pay for getting rid of the Islamic Republic,’” she said. U.S.-Israeli strikes have heavily targeted positions of the Guard, Basij and police forces, the main enforcers of the Islamic Republic that suppressed protests earlier this year, killing thousands and arresting tens of thousands. This week, strikes turned to roadblocks and checkpoints set up by the Basij, with at least 18 hit on Wednesday, mostly in Tehran, according to Armed Conflict Location and Event Data, a U.S.-based monitoring group. On Friday, a large explosion hit a main Tehran square as government supporters held a large demonstration there. So far, authorities appear to have been able to maintain their grip. Residents described a heightened presence of security forces and Basij on the streets One resident sent the AP video she took of a procession of Basij on motorcycles and cars waving flags on her street in a northern Tehran neighborhood. Mosques blared pro-government slogans, she said. On state TV Monday night, Ahmad-Reza Radan, the commander-in-chief of the Islamic Republic’s security forces, warned that anyone taking to the streets in protests will be seen “as enemies, and we will deal with them as we would with the enemy. All our guys are ready to fire.” The government has also encouraged its supporters to gather in street demonstrations, especially following the announcement of the new supreme leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei. He succeeds his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed by Israel’s opening strikes in the war. The younger Khamenei’s selection is widely seen as a further sign that hard-liners are keeping a close grip on power. He issued his first statement Thursday, but has not appeared in public. As the war rages, many Iranians are still reeling from the crackdown after the massive anti-government protests in January. A 27-year-old nurse said the surgery unit where she works in a Tehran hospital was still treating protesters with serious wounds. She described the U.S. and Israeli targeting of Iran’s leadership and security forces as “revenge” for the killings of protesters and said she was happy to see the security forces hit. But the damage from the air campaign is worrying some of those who want to see the Islamic Republic fall. “It’s no longer about weakening the government. It’s gone toward weakening the people of Iran,” said the activist, who has been imprisoned in the past. “Do you really want to turn us into a scorched country, something the Islamic Republic couldn’t do itself?” __ El Deeb reported from Beirut. Associated Press writer Shirin Hakim in New York City contributed to this report. Brought to you by www.srnnews.com
- Cuban president says talks were recently held with the US to resolve differences
on March 13, 2026 at 12:18 pmHAVANA (AP) — Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel said Friday that his government has held recent talks with the U.S., marking the first time the Caribbean country confirms such speculation. He said the talks “were aimed at finding solutions through dialogue to the bilateral differences between our two nations. International factors facilitated these exchanges.” He did not elaborate on those factors. Díaz-Canel said no petroleum shipments have arrived on the island in the past three months, which he blamed on a U.S. energy blockade. Cuba ’s western region was hit by a massive blackout last week, leaving millions without power. He said that Cuba, which produces 40% of its petroleum, has been generating its own power but that it hasn’t been sufficient to meet demand. He said the lack of power has affected communications, education and transportation, and that the government has had to postpone surgeries for tens of thousands of people as a result. “The impact is tremendous,” he said. Díaz-Canel said that the purpose of the talks was to identify “bilateral problems that require solutions based on their severity and impact” and find solutions to them. The president added that the aim was “to determine the willingness of both parties to take concrete actions for the benefit of the people of both countries. And in addition, to identify areas of cooperation to confront threats and guarantee the security and peace of both nations, as well as in the region.” Díaz-Canel called it a “highly sensitive process” because it affects bilateral relations of both countries and “demands enormous and significant efforts to find solutions and create spaces for understanding that will allow us to move away from confrontation.” He noted that Cuba is willing to carry out the process on the basis of equality and respect for the countries’ political systems and for Cuba’s “sovereignty and self-determination.” Critical oil shipments from Venezuela were halted after the U.S. attacked the South American country and arrested its leader. ___ Coto reported form San José, Costa Rica. Brought to you by www.srnnews.com
- Photos show the dramatic dawn flight of migrating snow geese
on March 13, 2026 at 12:18 pmKLEINFELTERSVILLE, Pa. (AP) — Birdwatchers gather before dawn at Middle Creek in Pennsylvania to witness thousands of migrating snow geese lifting off from the reservoir in a swirling mass. The display lasts only minutes before the birds fan out to nearby farm fields to feed as they continue their annual spring migration north toward New York and Quebec. For a few short weeks each year, the migration draws crowds of nature lovers to the refuge, which was created decades ago to attract waterfowl and now welcomes about 150,000 visitors annually. ___ This is a photo gallery curated by AP photo editors. Read the full story here. Brought to you by www.srnnews.com
- US consumer spending, core PCE inflation firmer in January
on March 13, 2026 at 11:43 amWASHINGTON, March 13 (Reuters) – U.S. consumer spending increased slightly more than expected in January, which together with continued strength in underlying inflation and the dragging war in the Middle East bolstered economists’ views that the Federal Reserve would not resume cutting interest rates for some time. Consumer spending, which accounts for more than two-thirds of economic activity, rose 0.4% after increasing by the same margin in December, the Commerce Department’s Bureau of Economic Analysis said on Friday. Economists polled by Reuters had forecast consumer spending advancing 0.3% after a previously reported 0.4% increase in December. The BEA is still catching up on data releases following delays caused by last year’s government shutdown. Consumption could take a hit from the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran, which has boosted oil prices. Retail gasoline prices have soared more than 20% to $3.60 per gallon since the conflict started, data from motorist advocacy group AAA showed. The war is also causing volatility on the stock market, with economists warning of wealth reduction among higher-income households that could force some to cut back on spending. High-income households are the main drivers of consumer spending and the overall economy. Lower-income households have already scaled back as tariffs on imports raised prices for goods. Economists expected the drag on the economy would be felt in the second quarter. “Gasoline prices in the U.S. are poised to rise to around $3.75 per gallon nationally in the coming weeks, and it could take much of the year to trend back to pre-conflict prices near $3 per gallon,” said Kathy Bostjancic, chief economist at Nationwide. “The spike in diesel fuel prices will feed into higher transportation costs and could lift price pressures across the supply chain. Further, the disruption of agricultural fertilizer shipments will place upward pressure on food prices.” Inflation was already elevated before the war. The Personal Consumption Expenditures price index increased 0.3% in January after rising 0.4% in December, the BEA said. In the 12 months through January, PCE inflation advanced 2.8% after rising 2.9% in December. Excluding the volatile food and energy components, the PCE price index rose 0.4% after a similar gain in December. Economists had forecast the so-called core PCE inflation increasing 0.4% in January. Core PCE inflation climbed 3.1% year-on-year after rising 3.0% in December. The U.S. central bank tracks the PCE inflation measures for its 2% target. The Fed is expected to keep its benchmark overnight interest rate in the 3.50%-3.75% range next Wednesday. Economists see the window for rate cuts closing, with financial markets anticipating a single reduction this year in September. (Reporting by Lucia Mutikani; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama) Brought to you by www.srnnews.com
- Snow geese take off for the Arctic in mesmerizing sunrise display
on March 13, 2026 at 11:18 amKLEINFELTERSVILLE, Pa. (AP) — A few dozen birdwatchers gathered in the predawn darkness to wait for the moment when thousands of migrating snow geese stopped honking and preening to suddenly take flight from a Pennsylvania reservoir. The mesmerizing display, about an hour after sunrise, was over almost as soon as it began. The birds circled a few times and then headed out to neighboring farm fields, seeking unharvested grains and other sustenance on their epic annual spring flight northward into New York state and Quebec. The Pennsylvania reservoir was built a half-century ago to attract waterfowl and over the years the gaggle has grown. Pennsylvania Game Commission environmental education specialist Payton Miller described it as a raucous bird tornado that lifts off the water. “All it takes is for me to come out here on a really nice morning where there’s a huge morning flight and I’m kind of reminded how awesome it is to see such a large number of such a beautiful bird,” Miller said. “I never get sick of it.” Among those taking it all in was Adrian Binns, a safari guide from Paoli, Pennsylvania, who went to the Middle Creek Wildlife Management Area for “the whole enjoyment of seeing something you don’t see every day.” Snow geese have been arriving in growing numbers at the 6,300-acre (25 square kilometers) Middle Creek property since the late 1990s. At this time of year, they have just spent months along the Atlantic coast, from New Jersey south to the Carolinas, with many of them overwintering on the Delmarva Peninsula that forms the Chesapeake Bay. ___ See the full AP photo gallery by photographer Robert F. Bukaty of snow geese at Middle Creek here. ___ They don’t stay long at Middle Creek — it’s just a way station on their journey to summer breeding grounds in the Canadian Arctic and western Greenland. But for a few short weeks they are the main attraction at Middle Creek, which draws about 150,000 visitors annually — including about a thousand hunters. The Pennsylvania Game Commission, which owns Middle Creek, says about 100,000 snow geese were roosting there on the busiest day last year, on par with recent peak activity but below the single-day record of about 200,000 on Feb. 21, 2018. Snow geese are doing well, but their large numbers have come with a cost. According to a 2017 study published by Springer Nature, greater snow geese grew in population from about 3,000 in the early 20th century to some 700,000 by the 1990s. By some estimates, there are about a million of the birds now — along with maybe 10 million of lesser snow geese, which are smaller — that also breed in the Arctic. The number of migrating tundra swans at Middle Creek, while far lower, has also increased over time, from a dozen or so in the mid-1970s to 5,000 or more in recent years. Middle Creek birders have also identified more than 280 bird species on the site, among them bald eagles, northern harriers, ospreys and owls. As snow geese numbers have boomed in recent decades, wildlife officials in the U.S. and Canada have navigated a balancing act involving hunting regulations, concerns about crop damage, shifts in snow geese migration and changes to overwintering patterns. Environmental damage from overgrazing in the Arctic has led experts to conclude the birds are overabundant. David M. Bird, a McGill University wildlife biology professor, described the population as “probably one of the biggest conservation problems facing wildlife biologists in North America today.” Snow geese feed by pulling up plants by the roots, which damages habitats for themselves, various birds and other kinds of wildlife. The Pennsylvania Game Commission reported recently that avian influenza viruses, present in the state since 2022, continue to circulate among the state’s wild birds. The game agency asked for the public’s help in reporting sick or dead wild birds and reported that about 2,000 wild bird carcasses — mostly snow geese — had to be removed from a quarry a few miles north of Bethlehem in December and January. Bird said that for nature lovers, snow geese can be a delight but for farmers, they’re a pest. For hunters, they’re food but for animal rights advocates, they’re a species that needs protection, he said. “But if you are a paid professional wildlife manager at a municipal, state or federal level whose challenging job is to try to please all of the aforementioned parties, then you will undoubtedly experience many sleepless nights in the fall when the geese arrive,” Bird said. Brought to you by www.srnnews.com
Recent Comments