Notre Dame Club to visit Greensburg synagogue for special Shabbat service
In the days after the Tree of Life Congregation shooting, Monsignor Roger Statnick thought about ways he and his fellow Catholics could show support for the Jewish community in Pittsburgh and Greensburg. Then he met Rabbi Stacy Petersohn of Congregation Emanu-El Israel in Greensburg. The introduction turned into an opportunity...
FBI’s investigation of Trump included counterintelligence inquiry
WASHINGTON — The FBI investigation into President Trump that was opened almost immediately after he fired then-director James Comey also included a counterintelligence component to determine if the president was seeking to help Russia and if so, why, according to people familiar with the matter. The decision by then-acting FBI...
Greensburg woman was active in Scouting, loved working with children
William Vaglia remembers his mom donning the Cub Scouts uniform and taking him to his meetings, a uniform she recently dusted off for her young nephew. “Not a lot of 70-year-old grandmothers get into uniforms and do the Cub Scouts thing,” Vaglia said. But Patricia McDonald always strived to go...
Pittsburgh’s mascots take to the ice to mingle with their fansVideo
More than 40 costumed characters overtook the ice at Schenley Park’s outdoor skating rink Saturday afternoon. There were no triple axels or flying camels. But there were smiles, high-fives and pictures. “(I’m) happy because I’m excited,” skater Ruby Masterson said. Six-year-old Ruby was one of several dozen people who had...
Stephen King complaint spurs newspaper subscription drive
PORTLAND, Maine — A Maine newspaper that horrified author Stephen King by dropping its local book review coverage used his complaint to boost digital subscriptions. King, who lives in Bangor, complained Friday about the Portland Press Herald’s decision to stop publishing freelance-written reviews of books about Maine or written by...
‘Pete the Groin Crusher’ lauded for crushing 10,000 patients
PHILADELPHIA — Nobody ever warns the patients at Pennsylvania Hospital about Pete Schiavo, “The Groin Crusher.” The first time most people meet Schiavo, they’ve just come out of a coronary procedure and he’s explaining that after the catheters are pulled out of their femoral artery, he’s going to apply pressure...
GOP rejected Obama’s executive reach, but accepts Trump’s
WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama stunned Republicans when he bypassed Congress and — relying on what he called his pen and his phone — used executive powers to enact his agenda, including protecting millions of young immigrants from deportation. Now, with President Donald Trump proposing an even more dramatic end-run...
In states, Democrats start delivering on health care pledges
SEATTLE — Riding the momentum from November’s elections, Democratic leaders in the states are wasting no time delivering on their biggest campaign promise — to expand access to health care and make it more affordable. The first full week of state legislative sessions and swearings-in for governors saw a flurry...
Bare-handed surgeries as Zimbabwe’s health system collapses
HARARE, Zimbabwe — A doctors’ strike in Zimbabwe has crippled a health system that was already in intensive care from neglect. It mirrors the state of affairs in a country that was full of promise a year ago with the departure of longtime leader Robert Mugabe but now faces economic...
Former Obama housing chief Julian Castro joins 2020 campaign
SAN ANTONIO — Assailing President Donald Trump for “a crisis of leadership,” former Obama Cabinet member Julian Castro joined the 2020 presidential race Saturday as the rush of Democrats making early moves to challenge the incumbent accelerates, while anticipation grows around bigger names still considering a White House run. Castro,...
Pittsburgh man tweets at DiGiorno, gets free pizza as part of promotion
This was an interesting pizza delivery. Lou Corsaro saw a Twitter post on Thursday to tweet DiGiorno Pizza to receive a free pie. “So, I was curious and thought I’d give it a shot,” said Corsaro, of Brighton Heights, on Friday. “I tweeted at them and almost immediately I received...
‘Blurted’ comment about Rose prompted failed contempt charge against Rosfeld attorney
Prosecutors failed in an attempt to have the attorney defending the former East Pittsburgh police officer charged in the shooting death of Antwon Rose II held in contempt of court, unsuccessfully arguing that the attorney violated a court gag order by “blurting” out information about Rose at a Dec. 20...
After Wisconsin girl’s safe return, question is: Why?
BARRON, Wis. — The grandfather of a northwestern Wisconsin girl who was abducted during a home invasion that left her parents dead said Saturday that the family has no connection to the suspect and doesn’t understand why he targeted her, deepening a mystery that has captivated the state for months....
Ex-kidnapping victims: Jayme Closs needs space, time to heal
CHICAGO — Katie Beers’ joy quickly turned to deep concern when she learned 13-year-old Jayme Closs had been found alive in rural Wisconsin nearly three months after police say a man shot and killed her parents then abducted the girl from their home. “She is going to have to grieve...
Kemp prepares to lead Georgia after rough, partisan campaign
ATLANTA — Georgia’s new governor campaigned as a self-described “politically incorrect conservative” who sealed support among fellow Republicans with an endorsement from President Donald Trump and eked out a close November victory after lobbing a last-minute accusation that the state Democratic Party tried to hack the election. Now the question...
Man recovering after rescue from third floor of burning Lawrenceville home
Firefighters were able to rescue a man who became trapped inside a burning Lawrenceville home on Saturday morning, Pittsburgh fire Chief Darryl Jones said. The victim is recovering at a local hospital, Jones said. Firefighters were called to the home at 3933 Liberty Ave. shortly before 11 a.m. When they...
Hempfield Cub Scouts host Pinewood Derby races involving nearly 70 handmade cars
Cub Scout Pack 418 of Hempfield hosted their annual Pinewood Derby race on Saturday in the Maxwell Elementary School cafeteria. Along with neighboring Cub Scout Pack 211 of Delmont there were nearly 70 handmade wooden cars created by the scouts, who ranged in age from kindergarten through fifth grade. This...
Armstrong County commissioners chairman, Pat Fabian, seeking re-election
Pat Fabian has announced that he will seek re-election for Armstrong County Commissioner. “I feel I am a proven leader, have made the tough decisions and am confident in my ability to produce positive results for the tax payers of Armstrong County,” said Fabian, 42, of Manor Township. “I come...
Shutdown becomes longest federal closure in U.S. history
WASHINGTON — The partial government shutdown became the longest closure in U.S. history when the clock ticked past midnight into early Saturday as President Trump and nervous Republicans scrambled to find a way out of the mess. A solution couldn’t come soon enough for federal workers who got pay statements...
North Huntingdon sky diving gold medalist champions sport for family, othersVideo
Some might say Randy Persi is fearless for making parachuting his passion and hobby. Others might consider him a little crazy for tempting fate almost 2,000 times by diving out of planes. But, all of them can call the North Huntingdon man a champion, as the 51-year-old father of two...
WCCC professor brought out best in students
Duane Molnar taught thousands of college students how to be more effective communicators and left a legacy in the textbook “Effective Speaking: Take Flight … Into Your Future.” Mr. Molnar taught English and effective speech at Westmoreland County Community College for
35 years, affecting the lives and careers of numerous...
Florida pardons 4 black men accused of 1949 rape
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — After a dramatic, hourlong meeting that recalled events from nearly seven decades ago, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and the state’s three-member Cabinet granted posthumous pardons Friday to four African-American men accused of raping a white woman in a 1949 case now seen as a racial injustice. The...
27 indicted on federal drug and money laundering crimes
A federal grand jury in Pittsburgh has indicted 27 people in U.S. District Court on multiple counts of drug possession with intent to distribute heroin, cocaine and fentanyl and other crimes. Court papers indicate the eight-count indictment was under seal Tuesday, Jan. 8 and unsealed Friday, Jan. 11. The defendants...
Avalanches, accidents bring Europe’s winter death toll to 21
BELGRADE, Serbia — Heavy snow paralyzed much of Europe for yet another day, cutting off mountain villages, sparking avalanches like one that crashed into a Swiss hotel and killing at least four more people Friday. Workers at the Hotel Saentis in eastern Switzerland spent Friday shoveling out hip-deep snow after...
US starts withdrawing supplies, but not troops, from Syria
WASHINGTON — The U.S. military said Friday it has started pulling equipment, but not troops, out of Syria as a first step in meeting President Trump’s demand for a complete military withdrawal. The announcement fueled concern about how quickly the United States will abandon its Kurdish allies, amid contradictory statements...
