High school roundup for Feb. 25, 2026: Central Valley boys, Burgettstown girls punch PIAA tickets
Angelo Conti scored 15 points to lead No. 6 Central Valley to a 58-51 victory over No. 5 Hopewell in the Class 4A boys basketball fifth-place game Wednesday night, earning the WPIAL’s final berth in the PIAA playoffs in the classification. Wyatt Clark added 13 points and Adam Shroads had...
Pam Bondi denounced by graduates of Stetson Law amid Epstein file revelations
As revelations emerged this week that the U.S. Department of Justice withheld key materials relating to allegations against President Donald Trump in its release of Jeffrey Epstein files, Stetson University College of Law graduates demanded action from the U.S. attorney general’s alma mater. Pam Bondi earned her law degree from...
Kristi Noem brings back threat to suspend TSA PreCheck amid shutdown
The federal government may stop TSA PreCheck during the ongoing partial shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security, Secretary Kristi Noem said Wednesday. Noem previously said the department would suspend PreCheck operations last weekend but quickly reversed course and kept the faster, prescreened security lanes open. However, she put the...
Pawan Dhingra: How the 9/11 terrorist attacks shaped ICE’s immigration strategy
Stephen Miller’s January 2026 announcement to Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers — telling them that they have “immunity to perform your duties” and that no “illegal alien, no leftist agitator or domestic insurrectionist” can stop them — may seem like an extreme statement outside the political mainstream. And when ICE...
Rich Harwood: As America turns 250, it’s time to begin again
I know many people are approaching America’s 250th anniversary with a sense of trepidation, even dread. Is there really anything to celebrate given the recent chaos and uncertainty we’ve been experiencing? Is productively reckoning with our history a possibility these days? And how hopeful will we allow ourselves to be...
Jason Lias: No politics, just love of country, at Olympics
There was something almost shocking about Jack Hughes after Team USA won Olympic gold. Not the overtime goal. Not the missing teeth. Not even beating a top-tier opponent — which in some circles counts as international diplomacy. Nope. The jaw-dropper was this: “I love the USA. I’m so proud to...
Gallery: Near or far, the world in focus on Feb. 25, 2026
The world is always moving — and TribLive’s gallery is there to catch it. From the rolling hills of Western Pennsylvania to far-flung corners of the globe, photographers near and far capture moments of place, connection and the quiet beauty of everyday life. More than a snapshot of Western Pennsylvania,...
Viktor Orban’s support crumbles weeks ahead of Hungarian elections
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s support crumbled less than seven weeks before a parliamentary election, a poll showed, raising the prospect of a landslide victory for an opposition that’s pledged to reverse the country’s slide toward authoritarianism. The opposition Tisza party of former ruling elite insider Peter Magyar widened its...
Letter to the editor: ICE in Westmoreland a travesty
Recently the Trib listed a number of Western Pennsylvania communities that have signed agreements of cooperation with ICE. The Westmoreland County sheriff’s office was on that list. Perhaps if Sheriff James Albert had taken time out from his longstanding squabbles about prison transportation to think before signing this shameful document,...
Letter to the editor: Clinton’s ploy to produce new voters
I believe that in 1996, President Clinton knew if the lurid details of the Monica Lewinsky affair were made public, his bid for reelection would be jeopardized — and little did he know that a letter dropped on his desk would change all of that. Father Miguel Vega, a member...
The Stroller, Feb. 25, 2026: Events in the Alle-Kiski Valley
Publicize your non-profit’s community events, fundraisers and club meetings for free in The Stroller. Send information at least two weeks in advance to vndnews@triblive.com or The Stroller, 210 Wood St., Tarentum PA 15084. Please include a daytime telephone number. Follow the Stroller on X at @VNDStroller. Cornhole tournament planned by...
Coding for a cure: Sewickley Academy student’s research reveals key differences in genetic mutations
Being invited to present research at an international academic conference is an honor for any seasoned professional. But for 16-year-old Lucas Wang, it was an opportunity to kick start what he hopes will be a lifelong career in the field of bioinformatics. A sophomore at Sewickley Academy, Wang recently presented...
Letter to the editor: Finland, Norway more attractive than U.S.
I’ve often heard President Trump lament that so many of our immigrants are Latinos. “Why not Norway, or Sweden?” he complains. Perhaps the better question is, “Why would anyone want to move here from Norway?” These democratic socialist countries have so much more to offer their people, while here we...
Editorial: Supreme Court tariff ruling spotlights local government limbo
Tariffs have created economic confusion over the past year. Some don’t really understand what they are or how they impact prices in the U.S. Some support them as an American trade policy even if they do have an impact at home. For many — including government agencies — they have...
High school scores, summaries and schedules for Feb. 24, 2026
High schools Basketball Boys WPIAL playoffs Class 6A Championship Friday’s schedule Upper St. Clair (23-1) vs. New Castle (23-1) at Petersen Events Center, 9 p.m. Third place Wednesday’s schedule Seneca Valley (14-10) vs. Central Catholic (21-3) at Shaler, 5:30 p.m. Class 5A Semifinals Tuesday’s results Chartiers Valley 39, Moon 37...
High school roundup for Feb. 24, 2026: Neshannock, Winchester Thurston reach Class 2A finals
DaShae Cochran scored 22 points and Jasmine Hollins added 21 to lead No. 2 Winchester Thurston to a 51-36 victory over No. 3 Chartiers-Houston in the WPIAL Class 2A girls basketball semifinals Tuesday night. The Bears (21-3), who took control with a 12-6 advantage in the second quarter, will meet...
Trump’s DOJ losing court fights over DOGE, Elon Musk secrecy
WASHINGTON — U.S. courts are foiling efforts by the Trump administration to keep under wraps information about the Department of Government Efficiency and the role that Elon Musk, the world’s richest person, played in it during his whirlwind stint with the White House last year. A New York federal judge...
Tiger Woods nearing decisions on whether to play in the Masters and be Ryder Cup captain
LOS ANGELES — Tiger Woods is on the clock. Woods kept everyone guessing — a favorite hobby of his — with one word and a smug grin last week at Riviera when he was asked if playing in the Masters was off the table. “No,” he replied. The grin indicated...
Democrat says DOJ withheld Epstein files on Trump abuse claim
WASHINGTON — The Department of Justice appears to have withheld from disclosure files on disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein related to a claim that President Donald Trump sexually abused a minor, a top Democratic lawmaker said Tuesday. “Oversight Democrats can confirm that the DOJ appears to have illegally withheld FBI interviews...
Officials warn ICE detention centers in Pa. could overwhelm sewer, other critical services
This story was produced by the Berks County bureau of Spotlight PA, an independent, nonpartisan newsroom. Sign up for Good Day, Berks, a daily dose of essential local stories at spotlightpa.org/newsletters/gooddayberks. UPPER BERN — Not enough clean water. Hundreds of thousands of gallons of sewage dumped into systems designed to...
A-K Valley high school basketball playoff preview capsules for Feb. 25, 2026
WPIAL basketball playoffs Girls Class A Fifth-place consolation 7-Sewickley Academy (15-10) at 5-St. Joseph (14-10) 7 p.m. Wednesday Winner plays: District 10 champion in PIAA first round March 7 (time, site TBD) Loser plays: District 9 champion in PIAA first round March 7 (time, site TBD) Players to watch: Kasey...
P. Daniel Patterson: After a 32-hour shift in Pittsburgh, I realized EMTs should be napping on the job
At 7 a.m., roughly an hour before the end of my shift as a paramedic in Pittsburgh, my colleague and I were dispatched to a patient who was violently vomiting and not alert. We arrived within 10 minutes, grabbed our gear and approached the front door. While walking up the...
Westminster football coach Scott Benzel leaving to join Manny Diaz’s staff at Duke
Westminster football coach Scott Benzel accepted a position on the coaching staff at Duke, director of athletics Jason Lener said Monday. Benzel led the Titans for the past 12 seasons since becoming head coach in January 2014. He guided the team to two Presidents’ Athletic Conference titles, and his 85...
J. Byron Fleck: Pitt must stop using students, taxpayers as piggy bank for athletics
For years, the University of Pittsburgh has quietly shifted a staggering financial burden onto the backs of its students, their families and Pennsylvania taxpayers. Now, thanks to Pitt’s filings with the commonwealth, the truth is finally undeniable: Pitt has been using tuition, mandatory student fees and state appropriations to cover...
Gallery: Near or far, the world in focus on Feb. 24, 2026
The world is always moving — and TribLive’s gallery is there to catch it. From the rolling hills of Western Pennsylvania to far-flung corners of the globe, photographers near and far capture moments of place, connection and the quiet beauty of everyday life. More than a snapshot of Western Pennsylvania,...
