Top Local and National News Stories category, Page 1292
Bipartisan bill to legalize marijuana introduced in Pa. Legislature
Marijuana legalization will get another chance in the Pennsylvania Legislature thanks to a new bipartisan bill. State Sens. Dan Laughlin, R-Erie, and Sharif Street, D-Philadelphia, this week introduced a bill that would allow those over the age of 21 to buy and use marijuana. It would also expunge the convictions...
Some Pa. school district leaders frustrated with return of standardized tests during pandemic
Gennaro Piraino Jr. said his distaste for state standardized tests has only grown in the past year, despite their absence. “Given the pandemic, what we know our students need to know and be able to do has become even more evident,” said Piraino, superintendent of Franklin Regional School District. “And...
1 hurt after pickup rear ends school bus in Hempfield
A pickup truck driver was flown by medical helicopter to a hospital Friday morning after apparently rear-ending a school bus in Hempfield. Township Fire Chief Anthony Kovacic said firefighters from Grapeville, North Hempfield and Jeannette worked together for about 25 minutes to free the driver. Nine students aboard the Hempfield...
Studies suggest people with covid antibodies may only need 1 dose of vaccine
Two new studies suggest that people who have had coronavirus should still get vaccinated, but these studies also argue that one dose of a covid-19 vaccine may be enough to “supercharge” antibodies, The New York Times reported. These two studies join other recent findings that also suggest that people who...
FDA approves storing Pfizer vaccine at standard temperature
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has given approval for the Pfizer covid-19 vaccination to be kept at standard freezer temperatures, alleviating some of the storage and transportation issues and making it easier to get the vaccine in arms. “Pfizer submitted data to the FDA to support this alternative temperature...
How to buy a wedding dress during a pandemicVideo
In the showroom at MB Bride & Special Occasion, Tracey Hess holds two essential devices for bridal-wear shopping these days: An iPhone is in her right hand and an iPad in her left. She positions the electronics with precision, so the people she’s connecting with virtually can see the dress...
Pittsburgh police seek help finding missing Carrick teen
Pittsburgh police are seeking help to find a teen last seen more than a week ago. Niya Peterson, 16, of Carrick was seen at about 3:30 p.m. Feb. 18 wearing a black coat and Ugg boots. Police said Peterson, who is 5 foot 1 inch tall and has long yellow...
Man critically wounded in Wilkinsburg shooting
A man was critically wounded in a shooting Thursday night in Wilkinsburg, according to Allegheny County police. The shooting was reported shortly before 9:30 p.m. in the 1500 block of Montier Street, an Allegheny County 911 dispatch supervisor said. First responders found a man with a gunshot wound to the...
Drug bust nets federal cocaine charge for Pittsburgh woman
A Pittsburgh woman was jailed on federal drug charges after a drug bust by city police Thursday in Homewood North. Monique Mathews, 25, is charged with possession with intent to distribute cocaine, according to court documents. City detectives arrested Matthews and seized more than 800 grams of cocaine, as well...
Sen. Rand Paul criticized for comments during hearing for Rachel Levine’s confirmationVideo
Dr. Rachel Levine, the former Pennsylvania secretary of health and President Joe Biden’s nominee for assistant secretary of health, faced a line of questioning from senators on Thursday during her confirmation hearing in Washington. But it was Sen. Rand Paul’s questioning of Levine, who would be the first openly transgender...
Parliamentarian: Covid-19 bill must omit minimum wage hike
WASHINGTON — The Senate parliamentarian dealt a potentially lethal blow Thursday to Democrats’ drive to hike the minimum wage, deciding that the cherished progressive goal must fall from a massive covid-19 relief bill the party is trying to speed through Congress. The finding by Elizabeth MacDonough, the chamber’s nonpartisan arbiter...
Militia official: US strike in Syria kills 1, wounds several
WASHINGTON — A U.S. airstrike in Syria targeted facilities belonging to a powerful Iranian-backed Iraqi armed group, killing one fighter and wounding several others, an Iraqi militia official said Friday, signaling the first military action undertaken by U.S. President Joe Biden. The Pentagon said the strikes were retaliation for a...
Giant Eagle fills online appointments for Heinz Field covid vaccination clinic
All online appointments have been booked for a multi-day mass covid vaccination clinic at Heinz Field in March. Giant Eagle announced the clinic late Thursday afternoon, in partnership with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Appointments could be made starting Friday morning for the clinic days: March 2-5, with a “significant number of...
House votes to expand legal safeguards for LGBTQ people
WASHINGTON — The Democratic-led House passed a bill Thursday that would enshrine LGBTQ protections in the nation’s labor and civil rights laws, a top priority of President Joe Biden, though the legislation faces an uphill battle in the Senate. The bill passed by a vote of 224-206 with three Republicans...
Biden marks 50 million vaccine doses in first 5 weeks in officeVideo
WASHINGTON — Days after marking a solemn milestone in the pandemic, President Joe Biden is celebrating the pace of his efforts to end it. On Thursday, Biden marked the administration of the 50 millionth dose of covid-19 vaccine since his swearing-in. The moment came days after the nation reached the...
Bob Kudzma, legendary KDKA-TV meteorologist, dies at 81
Former KDKA-TV meteorologist Bob Kudzma, who retired from the station in 2002 after 34 years on the air, died from cancer Thursday at age 81. A New Hampshire native, Kudzma earned a degree in mathematics from the University of New Hampshire and entered the Air Force, which sent him to...
TV Talk: ‘Lost’ George Romero movie ‘Amusement Park’ to stream on Shudder
Streaming service Shudder will stream the “lost” George A. Romero film “The Amusement Park” this summer. Restored by the Pittsburgh-based George A. Romero Foundation, the 1973 film was commissioned by the Pittsburgh-based Lutheran Society as a PSA about being helpful to the elderly, but it was never released publicly. Romero’s...
Penn State aims to return to full in-person instruction for fall semester; here’s the plan
Penn State is planning to return to a “full on-campus learning environment” by the fall with expanded in-person classes, in another notable step toward normalcy. The university announced Wednesday that it will phase in its return by transitioning to more in-person classes over the summer, using event spaces and outdoor...
Allegheny County to administer Pfizer vaccine at Castle Shannon site
The Allegheny County Health Department will start administering the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine at its Castle Shannon distribution site next week. County officials said the health department received four trays of the Pfizer vaccine to be used for first doses. Appointments are required to receive a dose — and individuals must be...
Ex-Pitt football player says he never knew about concussion lawsuit, withdraws claim
Craig Bokor remembers talking to an attorney about seven years ago when lawsuits were being filed regarding the likeness of college football players being used in video games. “There were a handful of us who were interviewed,” he said. Bokor, a defensive lineman at Pitt from 2005-09, said afterward that...
New Kensington CVS among 6 in state getting limited covid vaccine shots
The New Kensington CVS was one of six of the pharmacy chain’s Pennsylvania locations administering covid-19 vaccinations in Pennsylvania beginning Thursday. The vaccinations were by appointment only for those eligible at this time. All six Pennsylvania stores were fully booked. Other CVS locations were in Chambersburg, Franklin County; Enola, Cumberland...
New coronavirus grants for small Pa. businesses aim for inclusivity, but can’t track success
Spotlight PA is an independent, non-partisan newsroom powered by The Philadelphia Inquirer in partnership with PennLive/The Patriot-News, TribLIVE/Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, and WITF Public Media. HARRISBURG — Applications open next month for $145 million in state grants for small hospitality businesses, with a significant change by lawmakers intended to ensure the money...
Pennsylvania adds fewer than 3,000 covid cases 7 days in a row
Pennsylvania has reported fewer than 3,000 additional cases of covid-19 each day for a week. The state on Thursday added 2,356 coronavirus cases to bring its total to 922,990 since the start of the pandemic, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Health. The seven-day average of new cases in the...
Chief: Capitol assault much bigger than intel suggested
WASHINGTON — The acting U.S. Capitol Police chief was pressed to explain Thursday why the agency hadn’t been prepared to fend off a violent mob of insurrectionists, including white supremacists, who were trying to halt the certification of the presidential election last month, even though officials had compelling advance intelligence....
Westmoreland County adds fewer than 100 daily covid cases for 3 weeks
Westmoreland County on Thursday reported fewer than 100 new covid-19 cases for the 22nd straight day. The county reported 53 additional cases to bring its case total to 26,550 since the pandemic began nearly a year ago, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Health. Of the new cases, 39 are...
