TribLive stories, Page 31
Gallup ending presidential approval ratings as Trump’s sinks below 40%
Gallup has scrapped its presidential approval tracking polls for good just as President Donald Trump hits rock bottom in its numbers. The venerable public opinion firm announced Wednesday that it would no longer publish any approval or favorability ratings of any political figures, but suggested the decision has nothing to...
Bud Cort, star of ‘Harold and Maude’ and ‘Brewster McCloud,’ dies at 77
LOS ANGELES — Bud Cort, whose performance as a troubled young man who finds unexpected love with a 79-year-old free spirit in “Harold and Maude” helped turn the 1971 film into an enduring cult classic, died Wednesday morning in Norwalk, Connecticut, after a long illness. He was 77. His death...
Plum bowling repeats as WPIBL boys team champion
In the first game of the stepladder semifinals of the WPIBL boys team championships Wednesday at AMF Mt. Lebanon, Plum struggled. It most definitely was not a sign of things to come. Plum bounced back from a one-game blip, won the next four games and repeated as WPIBL boys team...
Florida state official acknowledges opioid money funded anti-weed campaign
For the first time on Wednesday, the DeSantis administration acknowledged that it used opioid settlement money to campaign against a recreational marijuana amendment on the 2024 ballot. Shevaun Harris, the secretary for Florida’s Agency for Health Care Administration, made the admission during an appearance before a Senate committee as part...
Penn State hockey star Gavin McKenna won’t face school suspension after assault charges
Penn State men’s hockey star Gavin McKenna will not face a university suspension and is in line to play this weekend at No. 2 Michigan, coach Guy Gadowsky confirmed Wednesday. McKenna is charged with simple assault, harassment and disorderly conduct after he allegedly punched a 21-year-old male, resulting in a...
U.S. adds 130,000 jobs and unemployment falls after tepid 2025Video
U.S. payrolls rose in January by the most in more than a year and the unemployment rate unexpectedly fell, suggesting the labor market continued to stabilize at the start of 2026. Employers added 130,000 jobs last month and the unemployment rate declined to 4.3%, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics...
Mark Gongloff: Extreme cold is a billion-dollar problem, too
If you’re a climate-change denier in the eastern U.S., including the president, then the past few weeks have been a dream. It’s cold and snowy where I live, you might say, colder and snowier than in years. Therefore, climate change is a hoax, just as I’m always saying. Would I...
Jason Lias: 5 Democrats, 2 Republicans — is Pa. Gaming Control Board playing loose with the rules?
Pennsylvania’s Gaming Control Board is supposed to watch over the state’s $14 billion gambling industry. Think of it like the casino eye in the sky — constantly watching, making sure everyone plays fair and catching cheats before they slip by. But right now, the board itself looks like it’s bending...
Shapiro, neighbors trade lawsuits over ‘disputed area’ at governor’s private Montgomery County home
Spotlight PA is an independent, nonpartisan, and nonprofit newsroom producing investigative and public-service journalism that holds power to account and drives positive change in Pennsylvania. Sign up for our free newsletters. HARRISBURG — For the past six months, Gov. Josh Shapiro has been entangled in an intense but largely behind-the-scenes...
Sheldon Jacobson: Lessons learned from the Olympics — we must be on the same team
The 232 athletes on the U.S. Winter Olympics team are supported by the entire nation. Watching family, friends and supporters waving American flags and applauding world-class performances makes all of us feel united. Yet watching how Congress is dealing with the final appropriation bill for the Department of Homeland Security...
Gallery: Near or far, the world in focus on Feb. 11, 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,...
Letter to the editor: Don’t expect McCormick to protect Pa.
Over the past year, I have written many times to Sen. Dave McCormick about my concerns about democracy in the United States and seeing fascism arrive here. My letters to him included encouraging him to stand up for democracy and condemn political violence. He repeatedly sends me a rote letter...
Editorial: Pennsylvania is more than a political stand-in
Pennsylvania is often described as a microcosm of the nation, its blue population centers offset by wide stretches of red and its elections swinging from cycle to cycle. But that political shorthand can obscure something important: what looks tidy on a map becomes far more complicated when policy reaches real...
The Stroller, Feb. 11, 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. Designer purse bash planned...
Sharpsburg continues to rack up funding for multimillion-dollar Allegheny Shores development
Transformation of the Sharpsburg riverfront continues to chug along, with officials shoring up streetscape plans expected to improve safety and access to the site. Councilman Roman Mason believes work near the 19th Street entrance of the proposed Allegheny Shores development will “be amazing.” The project targets 19th to 21st streets...
High school scores, summaries and schedules for Feb. 10, 2026
High schools Basketball Boys Tuesday’s results Nonsection Ambridge 75, St. Joseph 57 City League Brashear 50, Perry Traditional Academy 41 Obama Academy 60, Carrick 37 Southwestern Christian Athletic Conference Harvest Baptist 54, Westmoreland Christian Academy 40 WPIAL playoffs Class 6A Monday’s schedule First round Norwin (11-11) at Fox Chapel (13-9),...
High school roundup for Feb. 10, 2026: Ambridge wins to wrap up WPIAL regular season
Jared Astorino scored 26 points to lead Ambridge to a 75-57 nonsection boys basketball victory over St. Joseph to wrap up the WPIAL regular season Tuesday night. Keldon Carr added 12 points and Shaq West had 11 for the Bridgers (5-16). Ryan McCarthy led St. Joseph (8-13) with 24 points....
Lane remains closed on Route 28 in Harmar as engineers study area
A southbound lane of Route 28 remained closed Wednesday night between the Hulton Bridge in Oakmont and Powers Run Road in O’Hara following a rock slide Tuesday evening. The closure went into effect around 10:30 p.m. Tuesday. It remained in place Wednesday night, according to the 511PA website. The closure...
U.S. Rep. Ro Khanna names 6 men in Epstein files, calls for tech elite who visited island to be investigated
Congressman Ro Khanna stood on the House floor Tuesday and revealed the names of six powerful men — most of them not widely known — he implied were implicated but improperly blacked out from newly released case files on late financier and alleged sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein. Khanna, a Silicon...
Penn State student on life support after hit-and-run crash in State College, family says
A Penn State student is in critical condition and expected to remain in an intensive care unit for at least a month after she was hit Saturday by a driver in downtown State College. Sophia Ruscillo — a 20-year-old pursuing a career in public relations and social media, according to...
Trump to direct Pentagon to buy coal in bid to revive industry
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump will introduce plans to use government funding and Pentagon contracts to sustain U.S. coal-fired power plants as he seeks to drive domestic reliance on the fossil fuel. The marquee initiative, set to be announced Wednesday, will come through an executive order, as Trump directs Defense...
Hempfield wins school’s 7th WPIAL team rifle championship
With six shooters hitting the 100 mark, Hempfield became the fifth school to win seven WPIAL team rifle championships Tuesday at the Dormont-Mt. Lebanon Sportsmen’s Club. The Spartans (798-64x) finished ahead of Butler (798-57x), West Greene (796-56x) and Armstrong (795-63x). The top four teams advance to the state championships. Trinity,...
John Dorfman: Zoom, Duolingo are balance-sheet powerhouses
Many investors focus myopically on earnings growth. One factor they often neglect is balance-sheet strength. To correct this oversight, I compile an annual list of Balance Sheet Powerhouses. It’s an honor roll, not necessarily a buy list. Some of the powerhouse stocks are priced in the ionosphere. But most years...
New Penn State coach Matt Campbell says Latrobe’s Alex Tatsch could be next great at Linebacker U
Despite being widely regarded as “Linebacker U” for a rich tradition on defense, Penn State had an obvious lack of depth at the position over the past two seasons. It was never more apparent than when Tony Rojas suffered a season-ending injury early in 2025. The Nittany Lions had no...
Peter Morici: Economy threatens House Republicans in midterms, but Trump’s legacy secure
The Trump economy is delivering growth and investment in artificial intelligence, the stock market is booming and real wages are rising, yet many voters are unhappy. If the Democrats flip the House, then President Trump will be constrained. Still, his overall economic legacy won’t be easily displaced. Democrats could subject...
