Top Stories category, Page 1362
Justice Department push into Trump defamation lawsuit could prompt dismissalVideo
WASHINGTON — Attorney General William Barr on Wednesday defended the Justice Department’s move to intervene in a defamation lawsuit against President Donald Trump, even as experts were skeptical of the federal government’s effort to protect the president in a seemingly private dispute. The Justice Department’s action is “a normal application...
VP Mike Pence: ‘The road to victory goes straight through Pennsylvania’Video
Vice President Mike Pence said Wednesday afternoon he chose to visit a Beaver County natural gas well for one reason: “Pennsylvania and America need four more years of President Donald Trump in the White House.” “I’m here to roll up my sleeves because the road to victory goes straight through...
W&J College sends 26 students home for violating covid-19 guidelines
Washington & Jefferson College has sent more than two dozen students home for violating covid-19 guidelines since the fall semester began, the institution said Wednesday. The semester began Aug. 24. In the past two weeks, 26 students have been asked to return home to continue their studies remotely, according to...
Weekend fracas in Downtown Pittsburgh viewed by some as isolated; others waryVideo
The actions of protesters Saturday on Penn Avenue in Downtown Pittsburgh were “an isolated incident,” Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership President Jeremy Waldrup said Wednesday. “We welcome protests, and we understand the needs for folks to get out during these times and demand change,” he said, while adding the public conflicts Saturday...
VP Mike Pence stops in Westmoreland, rallies pro-life voters at Murrysville church
Anti-abortion activists from across the region gathered Wednesday at Cornerstone Ministries in Murrysville as Vice President Mike Pence addressed the kick-off of the Susan B. Anthony List’s campaign to engage pro-life voters in Pennsylvania. The visit to the large, nondenominational church marked Pence’s third appearance with the group. Long a...
Experts weigh in on best time to get a flu vaccine
When is the best time to get the flu vaccine? Most medical experts say as soon as possible — and certainly by the end of October. “With the potential for flu and covid-19 co-occurring, we need everyone to take steps to prevent overrunning our health systems,” said state Department of...
Bob Woodward book: Trump said of coronavirus, ‘I wanted to always play it down’Video
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump talked privately about the severity of the coronavirus threat even as he was telling the nation that the virus was no worse than the seasonal flu and insisting that the U.S. government had it totally under control, according to a new book by journalist Bob...
Apollo-Ridge teacher wins state award for teaching real-world applications of geography
A Vandergrift woman who teaches at Apollo-Ridge High School won a state award for teaching how knowledge of geography could be applied to real jobs. Jessica Johns, a social studies teacher, received the 2020 Pennsylvania Geographical Society John J. Katana K-12 Distinguished Teaching Award. “I am very humbled and very...
U.S. withdrawing thousands of troops from Iraq, Afghanistan
WASHINGTON — The United States will pull thousands of troops out of Iraq and Afghanistan by November, the top American commander for the Middle East said Wednesday, as President Donald Trump tries to make good on his campaign promise to get America out of “endless wars.” During a visit to...
Pennsylvania adds 931 new coronavirus cases, with large number stemming from Centre County
The Pennsylvania Department of Health reported 931 new positive coronavirus cases on Wednesday, with a large number stemming from Centre County, the home of Penn State’s main campus. Centre County added 184 new cases on Wednesday, with that one-day total accounting for more than 21 percent of the county’s total...
Pittsburgh principal drops rap video encouraging students during pandemic
The principal of Pittsburgh Miller Pre-K is encouraging students to excel during remote learning — with song. In a video posted Tuesday morning, the school district tweeted a video of Margaret Starkes, “the Rapping Principal,” dropping a few bars of reassurance for students on their first day of school. All...
Allegheny County reports 68 new coronavirus cases, 9 deaths
Allegheny County on Wednesday added 68 coronavirus cases and nine deaths to its totals. The additional cases bring the county’s totals to 10,915 positive covid-19 cases and 358 deaths, according to the county’s health department. The 68 new cases (62 confirmed and six probable) come from 663 tests, with the...
WTAE-TV hires Jeff Verszyla as weekend meteorologist
Former KDKA-TV chief meteorologist Jeff Verszyla has been hired on staff at WTAE-TV as weekend evening meteorologist beginning Oct. 1. Verszyla, who was let go by KDKA in December 2018 after 23 years at the station, has been a fill-in, freelance forecaster for Channel 4 over the summer. The Sewickley...
Trump nominated for Nobel Peace Prize by Norwegian lawmaker
COPENHAGEN, Denmark — A far-right Norwegian lawmaker said Wednesday that he has nominated President Donald Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts in the Middle East. Christian Tybring-Gjedde, a member of the Norwegian Parliament for the far-right Progress Party, said Trump should be considered because of his work...
Police: Derry Township man assaulted woman, tried to set her on fire
A Derry Township man was ordered held in the county jail without bond on charges he assaulted a woman and then attempted to set her on fire during an argument Tuesday. State police charged Paul Staschak, 44, with aggravated assault, harassment, indecent assault, reckless endangerment, simple assault, making terroristic threats...
California wildfire explodes, burning across 25 miles in dayVideo
SHAVER LAKE, Calif. — A Northern California wildfire burning for more than three weeks roared to life after being stoked by high winds, spreading at a ferocious rate across an estimated 25 miles of mountainous terrain and parched foothills and destroying an untold number of homes. As thick smoke choked...
Flight 93 memorial service to be closed to public; park to reopen afterward
Friday’s remembrance ceremony at Flight 93 National Memorial will be closed to the public, the National Park Service announced Wednesday. The annual ceremony, which is abbreviated this year because of the coronavirus pandemic, will be livestreamed at nps.gov/flni by EarthCam. The Somerset County memorial will be open to the public...
Woman faces DUI charges after crashing into Jimmy Wan’s restaurant in Cranberry
A woman is facing charges of driving under the influence after she crashed her car through the front of a restaurant in Cranberry late Tuesday night causing thousands of dollars in damage to the building. The vehicle crashed into Jimmy Wan’s restaurant along Route 228 shortly after 11:30 p.m., according...
Shotspotter alerts lead Pittsburgh police to shootings in East Liberty, Spring Hill
Pittsburgh police are investigating a pair of shootings on Tuesday night that occurred within an hour of each other. Officers from the Zone 5 station responded to a Shotspotter alert and 911 calls in the 6400 block of Station Street in East Liberty at around 8:30 p.m., according to police....
Trump plans to announce new troop reductions in Iraq
WASHINGTON — President Trump plans to announce further U.S. troop reductions in Iraq on Wednesday, an administration official said late Tuesday night. It was not immediately clear how many military personnel would be affected and when their withdrawal might begin. About 5,200 U.S. troops remain in the country. After sending...
5 questions that will help decide the presidential race in Pennsylvania
PHILADELPHIA — When a major Democratic political group presented a chart last week projecting each party’s path to victory in the presidential race, Pennsylvania sat dead center: the state most likely to decide the winner, and one of the most competitive. It’s so closely balanced it’s impossible to name just...
City to review arrest of man who questioned Pittsburgh cop’s ‘Thin Blue Line’ mask at farmers market
Pittsburgh’s municipal investigating arm is examining the arrest Sunday of a man by an off-duty police officer at a Squirrel Hill farmers market after videos of the incident surfaced on social media and spurred backlash from police accountability activists, officials said Tuesday. The incident started with a Squirrel Hill man...
Novice drummers find their rhythm in Greensburg parkVideo
About 20 people got an outdoor drum lesson Tuesday at an unorthodox “drum circle” in Greensburg’s St. Clair Park. “This isn’t really a drum circle, it’s more of a weird drum line, semicircle kind of thing,” said Matt Mikeska, who led the event. Participants were seated on the park’s bleachers...
McConnell sets up vote on Republican relief plan Pelosi rejectsVideo
WASHINGTON — Congressional leaders hardened their battle lines on additional fiscal stimulus on Tuesday, with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi labeling Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s proposal for a slimmed-down package “fraudulent.” The Republican bill, featuring some of the aspects of a $1 trillion proposal they put forth a month...
Beer garden with social distancing coming to Pittsburgh’s South Side
In the waning days of summer, people often find themselves trying desperately to hang on to the things that go with the warm season. Kenny Gould is no different. Gould — an entrepreneur, beer lover, writer and founder of Hop Culture Magazine — had been dreaming about doing a pop-up...
