Catholic bishops to begin prayer retreat on sexual abuse
DETROIT — U.S.-based Roman Catholic bishops will gather Wednesday for a weeklong retreat near Chicago on the church sexual abuse scandal that organizers say will focus on prayer and spiritual reflection and not formulating policy. The retreat begins a day after The Associated Press reported that the Vatican blocked U.S....
Amid shutdown over wall funding, Trump to meet Hill leaders
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump is convening a border security briefing Wednesday for Democratic and Republican congressional leaders as a partial government shutdown over his demand for border wall funding entered its 12th day. The president “wants an agreement that reopens the government AND keeps Americans safe,” the White House...
6 sickened on Frontier Airlines flight after drinking from fountains at Cleveland airport
TAMPA, Fla. — Officials say six passengers fell ill on a Frontier Airlines flight from Cleveland to Tampa. WFLA-TV reports health officials boarded the plane when it landed at Tampa International Airport on Tuesday afternoon and the sick passengers were removed. Officials say they are being held for observation. The...
Stabbed man drives into SUV, killing 3 in Philadelphia, including Mummer’s Parade musicians
PHILADELPHIA — Police say a man suffering from multiple stab wounds was driving in Philadelphia when he struck a car, killing two members of a Mummer’s string band and a third person. Police said the 29-year-old man drove his car into an SUV with four people inside about 1:45 a.m....
Jeannette considering creating historic district on Clay Avenue
Jeannette wants to create a downtown historic district to preserve the look of buildings and open up funding opportunities. Council could vote next week on an ordinance defining the district and its requirements. “It gives us the ability to research for grants that might apply for that area,” city clerk...
Super Dave Osborne actor Bob Einstein dead at 76
Emmy-winning actor, comedian and writer Bob Einstein, creator of the bumbling stunt man Super Dave Osborne, died today at age 76. Deadline was the first to report the news on Einstein’s death in Indian Wells, Calif. The outlet reported that Einstein had recently been diagnosed with cancer. Einstein also played...
Westmoreland sheriff logistics officer gets ARD, probation in DUI case
A corporal in the Westmoreland County Sheriff’s Department will serve one year on probation for a drunken-driving arrest in May, making her the fourth office employee charged with a crime past year. In court Wednesday, Caitlyn Kralovic, 27, of Rillton, Sewickley Township, was admitted to the Accelerated Rehabilitative Disposition Program...
A year after Route 28 crash in O’Hara, parents seek answers in son’s death
It’s been more than a year since Joseph and Deborah Wilkoski lost their son to injuries he suffered in a Route 28 crash. Yet, they’re still seeking an explanation as the crash remains under investigation. “I don’t think it’s fair to any family to have to wait a year to...
Vatican letter undermines U.S. cardinal on clergy sex abuse
VATICAN CITY — The Vatican blocked U.S. bishops from taking measures to address the clergy sex abuse scandal because U.S. church leaders didn’t discuss the legally problematic proposals with the Holy See enough beforehand, according to a letter obtained by The Associated Press. The Nov. 11 letter from the Vatican’s...
Family of American arrested in Russia on spy charges fears for his safety
MOSCOW — The family of an American arrested in Russia on espionage charges said Tuesday that he is innocent and that they fear for his safety. Paul Whelan, a 48-year-old retired Marine, was detained last week by Russia’s domestic security services while he was in Moscow for what they described...
‘Hamilton’ opens in Pittsburgh to sold-out crowd
Sarah Owen pounced on the chance to see “Hamilton” when a co-worker told her she had an extra pair of tickets a day before Tuesday’s opening night performance in Pittsburgh. Never mind that Owen, a 27-year-old White Oak native, who lives in San Francisco and was preparing to celebrate New...
U.S. fires tear gas across Mexico border to stop migrants
TIJUANA, Mexico — U.S. authorities fired tear gas into Mexico during the early hours of the new year to repel about 150 migrants who tried to breach the border fence in Tijuana. U.S. Customs and Border Protection said in a statement that about 45 migrants got through the first layer...
Low carb? Low fat? What the latest dieting studies tell us
NEW YORK — Bacon and black coffee for breakfast, or oatmeal and bananas? If you’re planning to try to lose weight in 2019, you’re sure to find a fierce debate online and among friends and family about how best to do it. It seems like everyone has an opinion, and...
South Carolina post office could be named for lynched black postmaster
LAKE CITY, S.C. — South Carolina’s congressional delegation wants a post office to be named in honor of a 19th-century postmaster who was lynched because he was black and refused to resign. The state’s entire Washington delegation co-sponsored a bill to name Lake City’s post office after Frazier B. Baker,...
No foul play suspected in Munhall deaths, officials say
Allegheny County authorities reported no foul play is suspected in the case of two Munhall residents who were found dead early New Year’s Day. The county Medical Examiner Office reported Paulette Joyce and Randy Scafuri, both 49 of Munhall, were found dead at a Vine Street residence just after 3...
5 ways 2019 will be Pittsburgh’s best year yet
This past year had its ups and downs, but as we roll into 2019, we’re focusing on the ups to come. Pittsburgh is set to have a stellar 2019. Here are just a few of the things we can’t wait for. 1. The Mister Rogers movie filmed in Pittsburgh The...
Police: Homicides in Chicago down by nearly 100 in 2018
CHICAGO — Preliminary numbers indicate that homicides in Chicago fell by about 100 last year compared to 2017, though the total again eclipses the number of homicides in Los Angeles and New York combined, according to data released Tuesday. Police in Chicago, the nation’s third largest city, report that 561...
Trump tells America to chill out and ‘ENJOY THE RIDE’ in 2019
WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump got 2019 off to a whipsaw start Tuesday, using Twitter to insult a retired U.S. commander in Afghanistan as a dumb loudmouth, sing the praises of an ultranationalist former aide and tell America to chill and “ENJOY THE RIDE.” Trump’s cheery tone in an all-caps...
U.S. military tweets, deletes, New Year’s Eve joke about dropping bombs
The U.S. military command responsible for the nation’s nuclear weapons tweeted a New Year’s Eve message Monday afternoon: It is always ready to “drop something much, much bigger” than Manhattan’s iconic Time Square ball. The post and accompanying video went live as the country readied to ring in the new...
DA: Man, 49, beaten to death in Aliquippa in what appears to be self-defense
A man who was stabbed in Beaver County early Tuesday killed the man who attacked him in what appears to be self-defense, officials said. Anthony N. Ingram, 49, died in the incident, Coroner David J. Gabauer said. Cause and manner of death were not available late Tuesday, pending further investigation,...
About 600 take part in 15th annual Connellsville Polar Bear Plunge
Rick Grimaldi couldn’t get over what a difference a year made for the Connellsville Polar Bear Plunge, held annually on New Year’s Day in Yough River Park. “This is more like spring break compared to 2018, when it was about 4 degrees and they had to cut a hole in...
Southwestern Pa. hospitals ring in 2019 with 3 newborns within an hour of the New Year
Southwestern Pennsylvania was blessed with three New’s Year’s babies within an hour of ringing in 2019. The first baby, Miles Everett Bartko, arrived at 12:37 a.m. at Excela Health Westmoreland Hospital in Greensburg. He is the son of Jaclyn and Christopher Bartko of North Irwin. He weighed 7 pounds 5...
Dakota Access pipeline developer slow to replace some trees
BISMARCK, N.D. — The developer of the Dakota Access oil pipeline missed a year-end deadline to plant thousands of trees along the pipeline corridor in North Dakota, but the company said it was still complying with a settlement of allegations it violated state rules during construction. Texas-based Energy Transfer Partners,...
130th Rose Parade boasts floral floats, singer Chaka Khan
PASADENA, Calif. — Floral floats and marching bands took to the streets under a sunny California sky as the 130th Rose Parade drew hundreds of thousands of spectators on New Year’s Day and millions more watched on TV. Among the fanciful floats was an award-winning entry from the UPS Store...
Power restored in New Kensington after driver slams into utility pole
More than 2,100 people in New Kensington lost power early Tuesday morning after a truck crashed into a utility pole on Freeport Road. Tribune-Review news partner WPXI reports the unidentified driver hit several parked cars around 2:40 a.m. Authorities told WPXI the driver attempted to flee the scene but was...
