TribLive stories, Page 534

Usually, you see lines of frenzied shoppers in stores in the weeks before Christmas, not immediately afterward. But the release of a special limited-release cup sold at Target has led to long lines, campouts and people reselling the items for hundreds of dollars in some cases. The limited edition Stanley...

The U.S. economy has recovered from the covid pandemic reasonably well, yet President Joe Biden is getting little credit and could even lose his job in 2024. Third-quarter GDP growth scored at 4.9%; the Federal Reserve has enjoyed considerable success pulling down inflation. Jobs are plentiful, and the misery index...

The end of the world must be near. As a lifelong Steelers fan, I never in my wildest dreams ever thought that I’d cheer for Cleveland or anyone associated with them. Having said that, I find myself rooting for them and enjoying their success. Go Browns and go Joe Flacco....

It’s good business to learn what strikes a chord with readers (customers), but never stop highlighting critical topics like election issues, the East Palestine train crash, gas drilling, etc. — the reason that many of us still read the Trib. With the water shortage out of Beaver Dam, the drilling...

I would like to offer a corrective to the “Paw Patrol” vision of global conflict in the letter “Cease-fire won’t work in Gaza” (Dec. 24, TribLive). The writer invokes the term “bad guys” multiple times, without identifying who the “bad guys” are and why they keep fighting Israel. The reason...

Laurel: To a fresh start. So many people start out Jan. 1 with the intent to be a whole new person. The only people who really accomplish that are the babies born after midnight. “New Year, new me!” actually applies to Jonathan Mrockosky and Emily Hibling’s daughter Madison, who showed...

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. Local schools competing in Paint the Plow contest Leechburg Area and...

The new year is a time to reflect on the past year and decide what to change. 2023 was the hottest year on record. Antarctic sea ice hit a record low. Historic wildfires in Canada kept Pittsburghers indoors with a code red air quality alert. Phoenix suffered a record-­shattering heat...

High schools Basketball Boys Thursday’s results Nonsection Propel Montour 54, Redeemer Lutheran 49 Summit Academy 60, Hillel Academy 55 Southwest Christian Athletic Conference Cheswick Christian Academy at First Baptist Academy, ppd. Friday’s schedule Class 6A Section 1 Butler at New Castle, 7:30 p.m. Central Catholic at Seneca Valley, 7:30 p.m....

SEATTLE — Given the stakes and the stage, Michael Penix Jr.’s masterful display in the Washington Huskies’ 37-31 College Football Playoff victory over Texas in the Sugar Bowl might rank as the No. 1 individual performance in Husky history. Washington has a proud lineage of quarterbacks, and what Penix did...

As Greensburg Central Catholic’s girls team watched its 10-point lead get shaved to five points in the fourth quarter by host Serra Catholic, the Centurions had their stars step up to say, “not so fast.” Mya Morgan scored 15 of her 26 points in the final quarter and joined with...

Emma Paul scored 45 points, hitting 10 3-pointers and breaking the school single-game scoring record, as Armstrong defeated Mars, 78-70, in Section 2-5A girls basketball Thursday night. Sarai Weaver added 18 for the River Hawks (7-4, 2-2). Grace Zatezalo and Carmella McDole scored 17 points apiece and Alexis Cashdollar had...

WASHINGTON — Donald Trump-owned hotels received at least $7.8 million in payments from foreign governments and their representatives during his presidency, according to a report from House Democrats. The 155-page report shows this money came from China, Saudi Arabia and more than 20 other countries — and that the amount...

After a holiday season filled with travel, family gatherings and relatives breathing on each other, respiratory illnesses are on the rise in Western Pennsylvania — with flu cases spiking the fastest. Area hospitals are seeing an “exponential increase” in flu diagnoses, said Dr. Graham Snyder, medical director of infection prevention...

BALTIMORE — Free agent running back Dalvin Cook is signing with the Ravens for the playoffs, his agent confirmed to The Baltimore Sun on Thursday. Cook, 28, parted ways with the Jets on Tuesday after less than a year in New York. Baltimore was one of at least two teams...

Programs at Northern Tier Regional Library, 4015 Dickey Road, Richland, include: • Take-home Crafts, Tuesdays through Feb. 6. Kids of all ages are invited to enjoy a simple take-home craft each week. Call 724-449-2665 or register online at northerntierlibrary.org to reserve a supply kit that can be picked up on...

The Pittsburgh Association of School Retirees honored Monroeville resident Susan Frazier DeLaney recently with the Volunteer of the Year Award during a luncheon at Rivers Casino. Almost 200 guests attended, over half of whom were family, friends and members of various organizations and boards on which DeLaney serves. The primary...

Clean air advocates — and those of us living in front-line oil and gas communities — have something to celebrate as we start a new year. New Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) safeguards are poised to significantly slash methane pollution from the oil and gas industry. Parents across Pennsylvania are ecstatic....

Hampton Township School District is hosting the 70th annual Allegheny Valley Honors Band Festival on Jan. 4 and 5. The festival features senior high and junior high honors bands, culminating in a 7 p.m. concert Friday in the Hampton High School Auditorium. Tickets are $5 for adults, and $3 for...

Next on the Tee host Chris Mascaro kicks off Season 11 of the podcast with guests Tom Patri, Kermit Zarley, Bob Winters and Jane Crafter. Patri, a Golf Magazine Top 100 instructor discusses the deadline that wasn’t with the Public Investment Fund and the PGA Tour. The New Year’s deadline...

The U.S. Supreme Court will chart the nation’s political future as it confronts a potentially stark choice over efforts to remove Donald Trump from this year’s presidential ballot for trying to overturn his 2020 election loss. The court’s options include putting the kibosh on challenges to Trump’s candidacy with a...

Nominees for Prime Stage Theatre’s fourth annual High School Drama Awards include students in Hampton’s fall production of “Puffs, or Seven Increasingly Eventful Years at a Certain School of Magic and Magic.” The awards event is scheduled for Jan. 29 at the New Hazlett Theater, 6 Allegheny Square East, North...

These days, it looks like the bloom is coming off the rose for remote work: Many employers are talking tougher. New research shows employees are actually less productive when they work from home full-time. And, with the tight job market starting to slacken, some predict 2024 will be the year...

Shocking that the property taxes in Westmoreland County are going up by over 30%. Yes, 30%. Nothing was said during the recent election by the incumbent commissioners who were reelected. Strange strategy or … ? They don’t seem to be as honest and forthcoming as we might want! Maybe an...