Top Stories category, Page 1214

DETROIT — Former Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder, his health director and other ex-officials have been told they’re being charged after a new investigation of the Flint water scandal, which devastated the majority Black city with lead-contaminated water and was blamed for a deadly outbreak of Legionnaires’ disease in 2014-15, The...

The Pennsylvania State Police said Tuesday the department has embarked on a data collection program designed to identify patterns of racial/ethnic disparities in policing. Troopers statewide have begun documenting additional information during traffic stops, regardless of whether the encounter results in a citation or written warning. The contact data includes...

UPMC officials said Tuesday they are “absolutely prepared” to distribute more covid-19 shots now that the federal government has encouraged states not to hold back vaccines reserved for second doses and to prioritize anyone age 65 and up. “We are absolutely prepared to administer those vaccines,” Chief Quality Officer Tami...

With 227 additional covid deaths reported Tuesday in the state, Pennsylvania has set a record. The newly reported coronavirus-related deaths bring the seven-day death total to 1,534, a record for that statistic, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Health. Of the newly reported deaths, 143 are from January, 82 are...

State Sen. Jim Brewster, who will be sworn in Wednesday to the 45th District seat, said it has been a long two months of legal maneuvering as he defended his seat from court challenges raised by Republican challenger Nicole Ziccarelli. The incumbent Democrat said Tuesday — hours after a federal...

Westmoreland County reported eight new covid deaths Tuesday, tying the second largest daily total this month. The most coronavirus-related deaths thus far in January were reported Jan. 6, when 16 were reported. Eight deaths were also reported Jan. 5. Tuesday also saw 207 new covid cases reported in Westmoreland County....

After new reported covid cases decreased for three days, they went up again in Allegheny County. There were 694 new cases reported Tuesday, following 849 cases reported Saturday, 519 cases on Sunday and 368 cases on Monday. In addition to cases, there were 15 new deaths reported Tuesday in the...

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump on Tuesday took no responsibility for his part in fomenting a violent insurrection at the U.S. Capitol last week, despite his comments encouraging supporters to march on the Capitol and praise for them while they were still carrying out the assault. “People thought that what...

WASHINGTON — The U.S. House pressed swiftly forward Tuesday toward impeachment or other steps to forcibly remove President Donald Trump from office, even as Trump blamed Democratic foes and not himself for last week’s deadly attack on the Capitol. He targeted the lawmakers who are pushing for his ouster, saying...

It sometimes seems like the coronavirus pandemic devoured every other problem, leaving nothing in its wake. While it is hard to find a news story — whether health or politics, local government or education — that doesn’t have the word “covid” in it somewhere, that isn’t what happened. Instead of...

HARRISBURG — Since last week’s deadly insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, about 225 Republicans logged in to the election office in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, to change their party registration. Ethan Demme was one of them. “Ever since they started denying the election result, I kind of knew it was heading...

Sean Kertes says he first began to notice a slight tightness in his chest two days before New Year’s Day. The 34-year-old Westmoreland County commissioner tried to brush off his concerns as he went about activities in his Greensburg home, like taking down the Christmas tree and putting away decorations....

U.S. Sen. Bob Casey called Monday for the impeachment of Donald Trump and consequences for members of Congress “who led the effort to overthrow a democratic election.” “If they refuse to resign their office, then Congress should begin to explore censure or expulsion,” Casey, D-Scranton, said in a statement provided...

A multinational team including three Carnegie Museum of Natural History researchers announced a first for the world of paleontology: a dinosaur preserved sitting atop a nest of its own eggs that include fossilized babies inside. The fossil consists of an incomplete skeleton of a large, adult oviraptorid crouched in a...

The Shaler man who pleaded guilty to initiating the destruction of a Pittsburgh police car in May during riots over the death of George Floyd is asking for probation when he is sentenced later this month. The attorney for Brian Bartels said in a sentencing memorandum filed Monday that his...

The federal judge considering the challenge to Pennsylvania’s 45th District Senate seat said a ruling on the matter will come Tuesday. U.S. District Judge J. Nicholas Ranjan said over the weekend that his order on the challenge by Nicole Ziccarelli against the state and Allegheny County for counting undated mail-in...

With President Trump banned from Twitter and Facebook, he’s lost a favored platform. But the ban also brings into focus questions about how social media giants should be policed and regulated. In the statement that accompanied Twitter’s ban of Trump on Friday, the company said the bloody assault on the...

After a weeklong shutdown for defying Gov. Tom Wolf’s temporary restrictions on indoor dining during a surge in covid cases, the Tin Lizzy Tap Room and Restaurant in Youngstown will reopen 7 a.m. Tuesday. “A trooper from liquor control was in here (Monday) and gave us the OK to reopen,”...

WASHINGTON — Former House Speaker John Boehner said Monday that President Donald Trump should “consider resigning his post.” The Republican former Ohio congressman began his remarks during a webinar on health care policy by talking about Trump’s baseless claims of widespread election fraud and last week’s siege of the Capitol...

WASHINGTON — The FBI is warning of plans for armed protests at all 50 state capitals and in Washington in the days leading up to President-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration, stoking fears of more bloodshed after last week’s deadly siege at the U.S. Capitol. An internal FBI bulletin warned that, as...