US military reaches deals with seven tech companies to use their AI on classified systems

May 2, 2026

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Pentagon said Friday that it has reached deals with seven tech companies to use their artificial intelligence in its classified computer networks, allowing the military to tap into AI-powered capabilities to help it fight wars. Google, Microsoft, Amazon Web Services, Nvidia, OpenAI, Reflection and SpaceX will provide their resources to help “augment warfighter decision-making in complex operational environments,” the Defense Department said. The Defense Department has been rapidly accelerating its use of AI in recent years. The technology can help the ...

‘The Spirit of the People’: New book by local museum celebrates 50 years of Mountaintop history

May 1, 2026

SNOW SHOE — The walls of the David House Heritage Museum hold the echoes of the past, but a new book is set to bring those stories directly into the community’s hands. The museum has announced the publication of “Mountaintop History: Memories of the Last 50 Years,” which captures ...

MH Boro talks pool renovations; Approves agreement with local business

May 1, 2026

MILL HALL — Mill Hall borough council moved forward on several major projects, including continuing pool renovations, a noise agreement tied to a local business and borough sidewalk updates, amongst other items during their April 28 meeting. Pool and bathhouse renovation plans Members of the Mill Hall Dolphins were in attendance at the meeting to work with council on ongoing discussions about renovating the Mill Hall pool and bathhouse. Council members reviewed updated testing data from CMT Labs, which confirmed structural strength despite variations in sample core ...

PennDOT sees decline in fatal crashes, traffic deaths in 2025; Reaches lowest level on record

May 1, 2026

HARRISBURG — The number of fatal crashes reported in the Commonwealth have seen a decline according to numbers reported in 2025 by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT). PennDOT released the information this week, noting the number of individuals killed in traffic crashes ...

House passes long awaited Farm Bill, Thompson issues statement

May 1, 2026

WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Rep. Glenn Thompson (PA-15) has yet to pass a Farm Bill since becoming chair of the House Agriculture Committee in 2023, but his latest attempt moved a step closer Wednesday. Thompson’s latest iteration of the Farm Bill — the Farm, Food and National Security Act of 2026 (H.R. 7567) — cleared the House in a bipartisan 224-200 vote. The measure was supported by Thompson and 208 fellow Republicans, along with 14 Democrats and one independent. Three of Thompson’s Republican colleagues joined most Democrats in opposing it. The sweeping, multiyear law ...

US House passes ‘skinny’ farm bill that keeps big GOP cuts to food assistance

May 1, 2026

The U.S. House approved, 224-200, a five-year farm bill Thursday as members of Congress attempt to update major agriculture and nutrition policy after three years of extensions. The bill would authorize subsidy and nutrition assistance programs through fiscal 2031. The nonpartisan ...