Top Local and National News Stories category
All eyes on Pittsburgh as NFL Draft week takes over the city
The stage is set, the city is ready — and the eyes of the football world will soon turn squarely on Pittsburgh. It’s NFL Draft week, at long last. The three-day event begins Thursday, transforming the North Shore and Downtown Pittsburgh into a sprawling festival of football, music and fanfare...
Arts Landing highlights Downtown revitalization efforts ahead of NFL Draft
Arts Landing — the 4-acre, outdoor civic space located at Eighth Street and Penn Avenue in the Cultural District — is open on time ahead of next week’s NFL Draft. The $31 million project’s completion after 22 months contributes to what elected officials and civic leaders called a generational, arts-driven...
Iran says it has closed Hormuz again over U.S. blockade
CAIRO — The standoff over the Strait of Hormuz quickly escalated again Saturday as Iran reversed its reopening of the crucial waterway and fired on ships attempting to pass, in retaliation after the United States pressed ahead with its blockade choking off Iranian ports. Confusion over the strait, through which...
8 people shot, 2 fatally, in 3 shootings in Pittsburgh and Braddock
Police in Pittsburgh and Allegheny County say eight people were shot, two fatally, in at least three separate incidents in Saturday’s early hours. Braddock The first shooting, in Braddock, was reported just after 2 a.m. That was followed by a shooting just before 2:30 a.m. in Pittsburgh’s Bedford Dwellings neighborhood...
Joe Starkey: Thankfully, Pittsburgh sports in much better shape as NFL Draft spotlight falls upon city
We’re not quite the City of Champions again, but we’re not the City of Chumps, either. Not anymore, and thankfully not this coming week, as the eyes of the sports world descend upon Pittsburgh for the NFL Draft. It’s easier to be a good host when you’re not wearing a...
Allegheny County Area Agency on Aging cuts back as budget falls short
Allegheny County’s Area Agency on Aging is facing a projected shortfall of more than $5 million in its roughly $50 million budget — a gap officials say will mean longer wait times, new service limits and reduced access for older adults seeking help. On Friday, officials said the agency, part...
Pittsburgh controller questions $608 catering bill charged to taxpayers for funeral reception
The Pittsburgh City Controller’s Office is questioning a $608 city credit card charge last month that paid for food to be sent to a funeral reception for the father of Councilman Khari Mosley. City Council President R. Daniel Lavelle authorized the expenditure of taxpayer money. “Our office is empathetic to...
$1.3B UPMC Presbyterian Hospital tower construction enters home stretch
Sunlight streams in from almost every angle of UPMC’s new glass-paneled hospital tower in Pittsburgh’s Oakland neighborhood. Each of the 636 patient rooms has floor-to-ceiling windows, incorporating research showing the therapeutic effects of a connection with nature. The respite areas for workers to collect their thoughts during tough days follow...
Pittsburgh rental market underwhelms as NFL Draft nearsVideo
With one week before thousands of people descend on Pittsburgh for the 2026 NFL Draft, some who hoped to cash in by listing rental properties may be disappointed. While most city hotels were fully booked more than a month ago — with a handful of rooms expected to fetch around...
Pittsburgh cop punched handcuffed woman in face after she bit, scratched him, court papers say
A Pittsburgh police officer punched a handcuffed woman, bloodying her nose, after she bit and scratched him while resisting arrest on a drug charge, according to court papers filed Thursday. Officer Ronald Postell “delivered a closed-fist strike” to the face of Angel Bradford, 28, during the arrest Wednesday evening in...
Organizer of Draft Bash event on North Side forges ahead while awaiting permit
Even though Pittsburgh event producer William “B” Marshall is still waiting for full permit approval with one week to go before the 2026 NFL Draft, he’s moving ahead with plans to bring 40 largely minority-owned art, food and merchandise vendors to the southwest corner of Allegheny Commons Park West throughout...
Westmoreland man indicted on federal child exploitation charges following FBI arrest
A Westmoreland County man was arrested Thursday by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and an indictment against him was unsealed, according to court records. James William Martin Jr., 43, was taken into custody in the Greensburg area, according to Bradford Arick, public affairs specialist with FBI Pittsburgh. U.S. Attorney’s Office...
New phase of road closures set for NFL Draft
Another phase of road closures for the NFL Draft on Pittsburgh’s North Shore begins Wednesday — a day before the draft. The following roads will be closed from Wednesday through Saturday:Sproat WayNorth Shore Drive (from Chuck Noll Way to Mazeroski Way)Mazeroski WayWest General Robinson StreetLacock StreetFederal StreetI-279 Southbound Exit 1B...
Mark Madden: Penguins-Flyers will be fast, physical, unforgiving and more series thoughts
As you prepare for the Pennsylvania derby, gird your loins via refreshing Penguins notes and keep your head on a swivel. It’s going to be that kind of series. • Philadelphia coach Rick Tocchet said his Flyers will “go after” Sidney Crosby, Kris Letang and Evgeni Malkin. Some interpret that...
Human papillomavirus-related throat cancer skyrocketing in men over 50
Kevin Shields thought nothing of an unusual but persistent sensation in his throat. A public address announcer for the Fox Chapel Area School District baseball, softball and flag football teams, Shields also is the man behind the mic for the Carnegie Mellon University Tartans teams. He chalked up the sensation...
Woman charged after posing as mother, taking child from Steel Valley school, police say
Steel Valley School District officials released an 8-year-old student to a woman now charged with kidnapping after she pretended to be the child’s mother, Homestead police said. Jamya Jones-Houston, 25, of Pittsburgh’s East Liberty neighborhood is charged with felony kidnapping and interference with the custody of children for the incident...
Diocese of Greensburg bishop joins clergy nationwide weighing in on Trump, Pope Leo XIV discourseVideo
Diocese of Greensburg Bishop Larry Kulick said Thursday that Pope Leo XIV is “speaking from his rightful position” in criticism of President Donald Trump and the Iran war. The polarizing debate between the president and the pope has pushed onlookers to opposing sides. But Kulick views Leo’s continued calls for...
Pittsburgh-area students design human-centered AI models to tackle education issues
Diego Jofre Lieva remembers some of the language barriers he faced when he came to West Allegheny High School from Chile at the end of his freshman year. “We took language assessments, and a lot of my peers really struggled,” said Jofre Lieva, now a senior at West Allegheny. “I...
Trump and Iranian foreign minister say Strait of Hormuz is fully open
BEIRUT — U.S. President Donald Trump and Iran’s foreign minister said Friday that the Strait of Hormuz is now fully open to commercial vessels, as a 10-day truce in Lebanon appeared to hold. The truce offered a pause in fighting between Israel and the Hezbollah militant group and could clear...
As clock ticks down, NFL Draft site takes shape on North ShoreVideo
With one week to go before the NFL Draft begins on Pittsburgh’s North Shore, construction crews remain busy on site. Steve Farago, the NFL’s director of event operations, said Thursday that work on the North Shore and Point State Park sites is progressing as planned and remains on time. “This...
Parks Township nuclear waste cleanup expected to take 6 to 8 yearsVideo
To residents, cleanup at a Parks Township nuclear waste dump will look like a few trucks leaving the site every week, said Nicholas Melin, commander of the Pittsburgh District of the Army Corps of Engineers. Behind the site’s electric fence, 10 trenches containing about 33,000 cubic yards of materials will...
Battle of Pennsylvania playoff rivalry runs deep for Penguins, Flyers
Some call it the Battle of Pennsylvania or Keystone State rivalry or Pennsylvania Cold War. Penguins vs. Flyers is a matchup that dates to the 1960s and has grown in intensity since. While they have had hundreds of head-to-head meetings in the regular season, this rivalry takes on new life...
Voters to decide on placing term limits on Allegheny County officials
Allegheny County Council voted this week to let voters decide whether to place term limits on the county executive, members of council and row officers including the district attorney, sheriff, controller and treasurer. County Executive Sara Innamorato plans to sign the legislation, according to a spokeswoman. That would clear the...
Western Pa. congressional incumbents have upper hand over challengers in campaign cash
Congressional incumbents seeking reelection in Western Pennsylvania have significantly more cash to fuel their campaigns than their challengers, new filings show. U.S. Rep. Chris Deluzio, D-Fox Chapel, has the biggest money advantage, according to the latest filings with the Federal Election Commission, which were due Wednesday. His campaign raised $2.1...
Allegheny Valley School Board to discuss daylong phone ban for students
Allegheny Valley students are already barred from using their cellphones during classes, but the school board plans to discuss a new policy that would ban phone use throughout the whole school day. Students would not be allowed to access their phones at lunch, between classes or during study halls. The...
