Top Stories category, Page 137
Western Pa. Republicans see hope, Democrats doom in passage of Trump policy bill
Republicans in Western Pennsylvania’s congressional delegation celebrated the passage of President Trump’s domestic policy package Thursday afternoon, touting measures to extend and expand tax relief enacted in 2017, secure the nation’s southern border and expand domestic production of oil, coal and natural gas. Democratic leaders warned the package will be...
Fourth revelers reminded to be mindful of neighbors with PTSD
For some veterans, the Fourth of July can be more of a struggle than a celebration. “When I first got back it took me quite a few years to really feel at ease with the fireworks,” said Cliff Warner, an Iraq Army veteran deployed from 2005-2006. Loud noises emitted by...
Furries return to Pittsburgh for 19th Anthrocon
It’s that time of year — the furries are back in Pittsburgh for Anthrocon. And this July, there’s going to be more attendees than ever before, at over 19,000. Anthrocon is the annual furry convention at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center that attracts thousands of people who don animal...
Hakeem Jeffries took his ‘sweet time’ holding the floor to delay Trump’s tax bill
WASHINGTON — There’s no filibuster in the House, but Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries essentially conducted one anyway. Jeffries held the House floor for more than eight hours Thursday, taking his “sweet time” with a marathon floor speech that delayed passage of Republicans’ massive tax and spending cuts legislation and gave...
Corroded steel prompts closure of Jacks Run Road Bridge in Ross
Allegheny County officials on Thursday announced the closure of a bridge described as a “vital link” spanning Interstate 279 in Ross after inspectors discovered corroded steel. The Department of Public Works closed Jacks Run Road Bridge No. 3, which sits between Bellevue Road/Bellpark Drive and Kane Lane in Ross. There...
Arrest made in road rage incident on Route 66 in Salem
State police on Thursday arrested a man hours after they say he rammed another vehicle in Salem on Route 66, injuring four people, including one who was taken to a hospital. Cody A. Salensky, 26, did not have a valid drivers license because it had previously been suspended for an...
‘Come early’: Pittsburgh police gird for July 4 crowds, road closures
Independence Day revelry will be moved, yet again, out of Downtown Pittsburgh and into the city’s North Shore neighborhood — and city police Thursday said they’re ready for the crowds. Construction at Point State Park is forcing event organizers, as they did last year, to stage the Fourth of July...
Dormont rally aims to alert public to proposed Allegheny County transit cuts
A rally planned for next week will bring together South Hills residents and officials united in support of long-term, sustainable funding for Pittsburgh Regional Transit in the state’s 2026 budget. The Monday rally comes in response to proposed severe service cuts and a fare increase for mass transit users in...
In wake of homicide ruling, police release few details about Troy Hill grandmother’s death
Mystery continues to surround the investigation into the death last month of a Troy Hill woman, whose homicide was acknowledged only Thursday by Pittsburgh police. Patricia Kachinko, a lifelong homemaker and grandmother of three, died June 24 from respiratory complications caused by blunt force trauma to the chest, the Allegheny...
House passes Trump’s big tax bill and sends it to him to sign
WASHINGTON — House Republicans propelled President Donald Trump’s $4.5 trillion tax breaks and spending cuts bill to final congressional passage Thursday, overcoming multiple setbacks to approve his signature second-term policy package before a Fourth of July deadline. The tight roll call, 218-214, came at a potentially high political cost, with...
Roundup: Tractor-trailer crash snarls traffic on eastbound Parkway West; police say Braddock man struck Munhall officer with stolen car
Here are a few morning news items from across the region for Thursday, July 3: Tractor-trailer crash snarls traffic on eastbound Parkway West A ramp remained closed on the Parkway West (Interstate 376) Thursday afternoon in the area of the Pittsburgh International Airport and Route 576 interchange after a morning...
Upper Burrell goes back to the drawing board on rules for injection wells
Upper Burrell residents on Wednesday asked supervisors to consider more stringent rules for injection wells. Township supervisors were considering a proposal regulating and outlining rules for injection wells that would allow them as a conditional use in industrial-zoned areas of Upper Burrell only. During the hourlong hearing Wednesday, residents asked...
Skydiving plane goes off New Jersey runway and crashes into woods, sending 15 to hospital
Fifteen people were taken to a hospital when a skydiving aircraft went off a runway and crashed in the woods near an airport in southern New Jersey on Wednesday evening, according to authorities. The incident at the Cross Keys Airport, about 21 miles southeast of Philadelphia, involved a Cessna 208B...
FDA vaccine official restricted covid vaccine approvals against the advice of agency staff
WASHINGTON — The government’s top vaccine official working under Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. recently restricted the approval of two covid-19 vaccines, disregarding recommendations from government scientists, according to federal documents released Wednesday. The new memos from the Food and Drug Administration show how the agency’s vaccine chief, Dr....
Fur-ever friends: Pittsburgh and Anthrocon’s special relationship
Pickles, pierogis and … Anthrocon. A Pittsburgh staple, the Furries are returning to Pittsburgh for a four-day event held at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center from Thursday through Sunday. Organizers are projecting a record 19,000 attendees, the highest amount since the event debuted in 1997. Anthrocon originated in Albany,...
U.S. Marshals take parole violator into custody in Jeannette
U.S. marshals were joined by Jeannette and state police Wednesday evening in arresting a man who had violated his parole, federal officials said. City and state police were called to assist U.S. marshals shortly after 6 p.m. during a brief standoff at a home near the intersection of Penn Avenue...
Pittsburgh looks to formalize guard rails for Stop the Violence fund
Pittsburgh officials are looking to formalize “guard rails” to ensure accountability and proper use of the Stop the Violence fund. Legislation before City Council aims to ensure organizations receiving grants from the fund report to the city on how it spends the cash. It outlines the responsibilities of a steering...
‘Limited information’ hampered search for absconded suspect later charged in slaying
When Allegheny County officials learned in May that Isreal Moseby had absconded from the unsecured community facility where he had been moved in January, a judge issued a bench warrant for his arrest. Allegheny County Sheriff Kevin Kraus on Wednesday said his office tried to find Moseby — who was...
Traffic tangles ahead: Upcoming Tarentum Bridge project to last 3 years
It’ll be a long three years for Tarentum Bridge motorists once the span’s $97.5 million rehab project gets underway late next year or in early 2027. A portion of the work will require a full closure, with much of the traffic likely rerouted through East Deer to New Kensington. “We...
Westmoreland Arts and Heritage Festival expected to draw 90,000 through holiday weekend
Stained glass artist Amy Primmer already is a big fan of the Westmoreland Arts and Heritage Festival, and she’s only been there once. “I don’t think I’ve seen (a vendor show) better run, and we do this full time,” she said. The festival, featuring 400 artists and vendors, returns Thursday...
Hundreds of thousands in Pa. could lose Medicaid, SNAP benefits under Trump bill, Shapiro says
More than 300,000 Pennsylvanians could lose Medicaid coverage if the Senate-approved version of President Donald Trump’s domestic policy bill passes the House, while nearly 150,000 people who receive SNAP benefits could lose access to food assistance, Gov. Josh Shapiro said Wednesday. “Every member of Congress who votes for this reconciliation...
America’s debt surpasses $36T and would keep growing under Trump bill. How did we get here?
As it begins its 249th year in business as a country, the United States owes more than $36 trillion in debt and spends nearly $2 trillion more per year than it collects. Those numbers won’t be decreasing if the One Big Beautiful Bill Act becomes law. The legislation, named and...
Analysis shows Trump’s tariffs would cost U.S. employers $82.3 billion
WASHINGTON — An analysis finds a critical group of U.S. employers would face a direct cost of $82.3 billion from President Donald Trump’s current tariff plans, a sum that could potentially be managed through price hikes, layoffs, hiring freezes or lower profit margins. The analysis by the JPMorganChase Institute is...
Pittsburgh council splits on planned public safety facility some deride as ‘cop city’
Pittsburgh City Council members are sharply divided on whether to spend nearly $2 million to advance plans for a new public safety training facility amid concerns that it could become the kind of “cop city” that sparked protests elsewhere. Council is considering a proposal to launch a $1.8 million master...
Judge blocks order barring asylum access at border and gives administration 2 weeks to appeal
WASHINGTON — A federal judge said Wednesday that an order by President Donald Trump suspending asylum access at the southern border was unlawful, throwing into doubt one of the key pillars of the president’s plan to crack down on migration at the southern border. But he put the ruling on...
