Some journalists wonder if their profession is tweet-crazy
NEW YORK — If Twitter is the town square for journalists, some are ready to step away. That’s happening this week at the online news site Insider — by order of the boss. Reporters have been told to take a week off from tweeting at work and to keep TweetDeck...
North Allegheny student grows massive cabbage, earns $1,000 scholarship
If she were so inclined, Lily Ries could probably use the cabbage she grew in 2018 to make a life-sized version of pigs-in-a-blanket — with actual pigs. Ries, 9, now a fourth-grader at Peebles Elementary School in the North Allegheny School District, earned a $1,000 scholarship as the Pennsylvania winner...
Baltimore will longer prosecute marijuana possession cases
BALTIMORE — The state’s attorney in Baltimore says her office will no longer prosecute any marijuana possession cases, regardless of the quantity of the drug or an individual’s prior criminal record. Marilyn Mosby says pot possession cases have no public safety value, waste money, and disproportionately impact communities of color....
Trump friend Roger Stone pleads not guilty in Russia probe case
WASHINGTON — Roger Stone, a longtime adviser and confidant of President Donald Trump, pleaded not guilty Tuesday to charges in the Russia investigation after a publicity-filled few days spent torching the probe as politically motivated. The political operative and self-proclaimed dirty trickster appeared for his arraignment at the federal courthouse...
Pittsburgh area jobless rate remains at 4.2 percent
The Pittsburgh region’s unemployment rate remained at 4.2 percent in December, a drop of .7 percent from a year ago as the region added 9,600 nonfarm jobs compared to December 2017. Among the seven counties in the Pittsburgh region, Allegheny County’s jobless rate held steady at 4.2 percent, while Westmoreland...
AP-NORC poll: President Trump’s marks on the economy slip
WASHINGTON — The public continues to give President Donald Trump his best ratings on the economy, but a new poll finds the share who approve of how he’s handling that issue has slipped since last fall. And as his promise of a U.S.-Mexico border wall brought a stalemate over funding...
Hazardous sub-zero wind chills to cripple Pittsburgh region through early Friday
Southwestern Pennsylvania residents who have to venture outside Wednesday or Thursday will need to bundle up to protect against bitter cold and strong winds that can quickly lead to frost bite on exposed skin. Wind chills dipping as low as minus 20 degrees are expected between 5 a.m. Wednesday and...
New air quality monitor added in Clairton
The first of two new air quality monitors in Clairton is operational this week. Located at the Clairton Education Center, the new monitor will also measure sulfur dioxide, or SO2, emissions, according to an update provided by the Allegheny County Department of Health. Residents have been calling for increased monitoring...
Spy agencies doubt North Korea will give up nuclear weapons
WASHINGTON — In an assessment casting doubt on President Donald Trump’s goal of a nuclear-disarmed North Korea, U.S. intelligence agencies told Congress on Tuesday that the North is unlikely to entirely dismantle its nuclear arsenal. Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats, in testimony before the Senate Intelligence Committee, noted that...
Poll: Most Americans see nation on the wrong track
PAWTUCKET, R.I. — The state of the union is dark. A large majority of Americans say they are pessimistic about the state of the country and few expect things will get better in the year ahead, according to a poll released Tuesday by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs...
Commission recommends Pennsylvania security measures for elections
Pennsylvania lawmakers and county leaders must move quickly to secure the state’s election infrastructure in advance of the 2020 presidential election, an independent bipartisan commission said Tuesday. The Blue Ribbon Commission on Pennsylvania’s Election Security recommended that the state and federal government provide money to help underwrite the costs for...
Report outlines ways to make Pennsylvania voting more secure
HARRISBURG, Pa. — A report issued Tuesday says Pennsylvania should adopt changes to make its elections more secure — encouraging the replacement of older voting machines, enhanced security of voter rolls and better contingency planning for cyberattacks and other technological challenges. The Blue Ribbon Commission on Pennsylvania’s Election Security report...
National Zoo, Smithsonian museums reopening after shutdown
WASHINGTON — There was no line of people waiting to rush the gates Tuesday at the National Zoo, the institution’s first day back after a partial government shutdown left the gates locked for more than three weeks. But the regulars were back, and the animals were happy to have them....
Trump dismisses tell-all book ‘Team of Vipers’ as ‘made up stories’
WASHINGTON — President Trump is dismissing — and potentially bolstering sales — of a new tell-all book by a former White House aide, calling it “made up stories and fiction.” The book by Cliff Sims, called “Team of Vipers,” is the latest in a series of insider accounts by journalists...
These places will be surprisingly warmer than Pittsburgh this week
Yes, Pittsburgh, it’s going to be cold mid-week. But there are plenty of cities elsewhere in the world that will make Western Pennsylvania look like a frozen tundra Wednesday and Thursday. The National Weather Service predicts the high temperature Wednesday will be 7 degrees with wind chills as low as...
Cops: Pa. man handcuffed wife in car due to infidelity concerns
BETHLEHEM — Authorities say a Pennsylvania man shackled his wife inside his vehicle numerous times while he went to work because he was concerned she was cheating on him. John VanHorn is charged with false imprisonment. Bethlehem police found the woman Wednesday when they responded to reports of a woman...
911 dispatcher helps boy with his fractions homework
LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Police dispatchers are trained to deal with a number of situations, and a dispatcher in Indiana had to know her numbers when a boy called 911 seeking help with his homework. Lafayette Police dispatcher Antonia Bundy answered the call from the boy, who said he had “a...
2 Leechburg residents accused of trying to pick lock at Armstrong methadone clinic
Two Leechburg residents are behind bars after, state police say, they tried to break into a Parks Township methadone clinic Saturday morning. Richard Samuel Thomas, 37, and Natalie Nicole Milanak, 36, face felony charges of burglary and attempted burglary, and misdemeanor charges of trespassing and criminal mischief. They remained at...
McCandless appoints lieutenant to serve as acting police chief
McCandless council on Monday appointed a lieutenant to lead the police department until Chief David DiSanti agrees to a corrective action plan being developed to address accusations of sexual misconduct against him. Council appointed Lt. Ryan Hawk to serve as acting police chief. The agenda for council’s Jan. 28 meeting...
Extreme cold calls for precautions indoors and out
The arctic blast predicted for this week, with wind chills well below zero, will not be fit for man nor beast — nor exterior wall plumbing. Emergency room doctors and veterinarians alike are urging residents to stay indoors with their pets and limit time outside to no more than 15...
4 tips on teaching emotional, social skills through craft
Teaching kids social and emotional skills is getting renewed attention, and arts and crafts are a good way to do that, at home as well as at school. “Anxiety and depression are on the rise for young people,” says Melissa Schlinger, a vice president at the Chicago-based Collaborative for Academic,...
Madison wife, mother, PNC employee enjoyed bringing family together
Lynn Rich caught the eye of her future husband while working as a teller at a PNC Bank branch in Mt. Pleasant. She was stunning, Ronald Rich Sr. said. “I saw her there and I asked her for a date, and she said, ‘I really don’t know you,’ ” he...
Go Red For Women highlights women’s heart health
Putting the focus on women’s heart health is the goal of the annual National Wear Red Day on Feb. 1. This day is a major campaign for the Go Red for Women initiative of the American Heart Association. It’s a comprehensive platform designed to increase women’s heart health awareness and...
At a standstill with a wellness goal? Consider exercise equivalents
It’s almost a month into the new year, and you’ve stuck with your fitness routine but haven’t seen the scale budge. It may be time to look at calories in and calories out — and whether you have a realistic view of that equation. Weight loss is a result of...
Fight dry winter skin with these 3 nutrition tips
If you’re suffering from seasonal scaliness, you’re not alone. Dry skin is a common side effect of winter. As temperatures plunge, so does the humidity in the air, creating an environment that essentially sucks the moisture out of our body’s protective outer layer, resulting in that uncomfortable tightening, itchiness and...
