Mark Z. Barabak: Democrats are on a roll. So why not fight one another?
Democrats are starting the new year on a high. A series of 2025 victories, in red and blue states alike, was marked by a striking improvement over the party’s 2024 showing. That over-performance, to use the political term of art, means candidates — including even some who lost — received...
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette announces closure
Owners of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette announced Wednesday they will cease operations May 3, shuttering one of the oldest metropolitan newspapers in the country. Jodi Miehls, president of Block Communications, informed staff of the decision during a pre-recorded, 2½-minute Zoom call Wednesday afternoon. Block Communications, which has owned the Post-Gazette since...
Photos from around the world to our backyard
From the rolling hills of Western Pennsylvania to far-flung corners of the globe, TribLive’s gallery captures the world in motion — one frame at a time. Shot by photographers near and far, these images tell stories of place, connection and the quiet beauty of everyday life. More than a look...
Iran’s president tells security forces not to target protesters
Iran’s president ordered security forces not to target peaceful protesters, a bid to defuse violent unrest that activists say has left at least 36 people dead. “No security action should be taken” against those protesting economic hardship as long as they don’t compromise national security, President Masoud Pezeshkian’s deputy Mohammad...
Letter to the editor: Trump must prove that Venezuela action justified
Last time I checked, kidnappings by military force were contrary to international law. Can anyone credibly say that this wreckless unilateral action reflects anything more than presidential ego? That America’s reputation and world trust are improved by it? The Senate must demand proof from President Trump that this action in...
Letter to the editor: 2025 was a success
The Dec. 30 political cartoon stated that the year 2025 was “defective.” Well, our border was finally put in control (after four years of basically ignoring American laws and allowing chaos). The two years of “major” conflict in Gaza has ceased. The amount of illicit drugs smuggled into our country...
Editorial: Health insurance costs drive benefit cut in Westmoreland County
The rising cost of health insurance — and how to pay for it — is a question many families are debating around kitchen tables, strained checkbooks close at hand. Westmoreland County leaders are confronting that same reality. The county salary board, composed of the three commissioners and Controller Jeffrey Balzer,...
The Stroller, Jan. 7, 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. Bingo bash planned by...
Letter to the editor: Vulgarities unfortunately now the norm
When my grandma would hear words she thought to be inappropriate for the age of the speaker, she would always say, “They don’t suck that out of their thumbs.” To her it mattered not whether it was profanity, a racial slur or a lie, nor who said it. Grandma wouldn’t...
High school scores, summaries and schedules for Jan. 6, 2026
High schools Basketball Boys Tuesday’s results Class 6A Section 1 North Hills 63, Fox Chapel 57 Butler 48, Seneca Valley 44 Woodland Hills 50, North Allegheny 37 Section 2 Central Catholic 57, Norwin 30 Hempfield 57, Canon-McMillan 55 Mt. Lebanon 83, Connellsville 36 Upper St. Clair 66, Imani Christian 47...
High school roundup for Jan. 6, 2026: Wild night in WPIAL hoops includes 40-point scorers, 1,000-point milestones and a shooter hitting 11 treys
Carter Gould hit 11 3-pointers and finished with 37 points to lead Mt. Lebanon to an 83-36 victory over Connellsville in Section 2-6A boys basketball Tuesday night. Liam Sheely had 18 points with four 3-pointers while Jacob Zaber scored 11 for the Blue Devils (9-3, 3-2). Christian Thomas scored 13...
WPIAL Penn State defender Anthony Speca transferring
Penn State redshirt freshman linebacker Anthony Speca has a new home. Speca, who entered the transfer portal a few days ago, is headed to Purdue, per On3. He will have three years of eligibility left. The 6-foot-1, 225-pound Speca, a standout at Central Catholic, redshirted in 2024. Speca appeared in...
Trump says Venezuela will ‘turn over’ up to 50 million barrels of oil to U.S.
President Donald Trump said Tuesday evening that Venezuela’s interim authorities have agreed to turn over between 30 million and 50 million barrels of oil to the United States, an unexpected sign of the rapidly evolving relationship between Washington and the Caracas socialist leadership. It was not immediately clear which Venezuelan...
Critic slams Jason Lando’s fitness for police chief in email to Pittsburgh council members
A Maryland man who claims he was harassed by Pittsburgh Mayor Corey O’Connor’s pick for police chief sent a lengthy email last week to City Council members that cast aspersions on Jason Lando in an effort to derail his nomination. The Dec. 30 email from Daniel Sullivan, a retired police...
Gospel singer Donnie McClurkin, who rebuked homosexuality, sued for sexual abuse by male assistant
Donnie McClurkin, the Grammy-winning gospel singer and minister who has publicly denounced homosexuality, has been sued for sexually abusing his former male personal assistant. McClurkin, 66, faces allegations of sexual assault, sexual battery and more in the civil lawsuit filed Friday in New York County Supreme Court. The singer’s accuser,...
Weekend could bring record-high temperatures
It’s supposed to be the dead of winter, but the Pittsburgh region could be on pace to break a record high temperature this weekend. “We’ll be above average on Wednesday with highs forecast in the mid-40s, and this weekend we’ll be approaching some record highs,” said National Weather Service Meteorologist...
Volunteers place wreaths to honor generations of Jeannette veterans
David Holtz and his 7-year-old daughter, Nyla, saluted as they laid a wreath before the headstone of World War II Army veteran Richard H. Irwin at Jeannette Memorial Park. It was the Jeannette girl’s first year as a Cub Scout and her first time taking part in an annual December...
Peter Morici: New Year’s resolutions for Washington policymakers
President Trump is the most activist president since Franklin D.
Roosevelt. No institution is safe from his scrutiny, but entering his final three years, we should consider the global challenges that confront the nation, no matter who controls Washington. Regardless of its origins, climate change is here. Whether Americans employ...
1 injured in Lower Burrell rollover crash
Leechburg Road in Lower Burrell from Chester Drive to Craigdell Road was closed for about an hour Tuesday afternoon following a three-vehicle crash in which one car rolled over. About 11:30 a.m., a car exiting Michigan Avenue hit another car traveling west on Leechburg Road, Lower Burrell police Chief John...
Photos from around the world to our backyard
From the rolling hills of Western Pennsylvania to far-flung corners of the globe, TribLive’s gallery captures the world in motion — one frame at a time. Shot by photographers near and far, these images tell stories of place, connection and the quiet beauty of everyday life. More than a look...
As Pa. energy prices rise, advocates skeptical that lawmakers will put aside partisan differences
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 — Democrats and Republicans who lead the Pennsylvania legislature have singled out increasing energy production as a goal...
HBO hosts free coffee truck for AGH employees ahead of ‘The Pitt’ season 2
Fans of “The Pitt” are excitedly awaiting the season two premiere of HBO Max series, which will return at 9 p.m. on Thursday after an Emmy Award-winning first season. But no group is looking forward to the next installment more than the people who work at Allegheny General Hospital. The...
Letter to the editor: Moving the A-K Valley forward
As 2026 begins, the Alle-Kiski Valley faces a choice. We can continue managing aging systems, stretching them, patching them and hoping they hold, or we can decide, deliberately, what kind of region we want to be going forward. For generations, our communities carried the weight of industry and adapted when...
The Stroller, Jan. 6, 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. Fund aids animals with...
Children’s book inspired by Alle-Kiski Valley mother’s love for her son
As a little boy, Conor Sammartin was hesitant if he had to face something new. He often replied to his mother, Barbara Bedner, with the phrase, “Yeah, but…” in an attempt to avoid unfamiliar things. Bedner, who was born in New Kensington and grew up in Springdale, would encourage her...
