Top Stories category, Page 138
Former Vice President Kamala Harris says she will not run for California governor in 2026
LOS ANGELES — Former Vice President Kamala Harris will not run for California governor next year, leaving open the possibility that she could mount a third run for the White House in 2028. “Over the past six months, I have spent time reflecting on this moment in our nation’s history...
WQED lays off another 19 employees
Following the May elimination of five employees, WQED laid off 19 employees on Wednesday, primarily in marketing, membership and production. In a statement, WQED president Jason Jedlinski said the layoffs were in response to “the recent elimination of federal funding for public broadcasting … to ensure long-term financial stability.”...
Federal Reserve leaves interest rates unchanged even as Trump demands cuts
WASHINGTON — The Federal Reserve left its key short-term interest rate unchanged for the fifth time this year, brushing off repeated calls from President Donald Trump for a cut. The Fed’s decision Wednesday leaves its key short-term rate at about 4.3%, where it has stood after the central bank reduced...
Justice Department subpoenas UPMC for information on gender-affirming care
Pittsburgh-based health system UPMC has been subpoenaed by the Department of Justice over its program for gender-affirming care for trans men and women. UPMC, which represents 40 hospitals and 800 doctors’ offices statewide, on Tuesday said it remained “steadfast in its commitment” to providing “exceptional care” for all patients. In...
Trump administration is launching a new private health tracking system with Big Tech’s help
WASHINGTON — The Trump administration is pushing an initiative for millions of Americans to upload personal health data and medical records on new apps and systems run by private tech companies, promising that will make it easier to access health records and monitor wellness. Leaders from more than 60 companies,...
Brentwood man gets house arrest, probation for pulling gun on Amazon driver
A Brentwood man who pulled a gun on an Amazon delivery driver because she was blocking his driveway will serve six months on home detention followed by three years of probation. During Brian Dengler’s sentencing Wednesday, his lawyer blamed his client’s conduct on drinking. Dengler, 66, pleaded guilty on March...
Trump administration freezes $108M at Duke amid inquiry into alleged racial preferences
WASHINGTON — The Trump administration is freezing $108 million in research funding to Duke University as the federal government accuses the school of racial discrimination in the form of affirmative action, according to a person familiar with the matter. The National Institutes of Health halted the funding to the private...
Steelers step into spotlight as ‘Pat McAfee Show’ goes live at Saint VincentVideo
Pat McAfee and his crew of co-hosts have taken center stage atop the hill at Saint Vincent College on Wednesday as they broadcast “The Pat McAfee Show” live from Pittsburgh Steelers training camp. Simulcast on ESPN and YouTube, the Plum native’s show is featuring interviews with members of the Steelers’...
Pittsburgh Mills owners ordered to pay $1.8M in fines over parking lot, landscape citations
After months of mounting criticism over its crumbling parking lots and overgrown landscaping, the owner of the Pittsburgh Mills has been slapped with more than $1.8 million in fines stemming from dozens of maintenance violations. District Judge Michael Girardi handed down the penalties during a July 17 hearing after an...
Gov. Shapiro joins lawsuit against Trump administration over defunding of Planned Parenthood
Gov. Josh Shapiro has signed onto a lawsuit alleging the federal government is illegally blocking Medicaid funds from going to Planned Parenthood and affiliated healthcare providers. The suit centers on a provision of the recently passed mega bill, which enacts many of President Donald Trump’s domestic policy priorities. It bans...
Exotic animals, Super Bowl team members will greet fans at Latrobe’s Steelers Fest
Visitors to Friday’s annual Steelers Fest in Latrobe will have the opportunity for close encounters with members of past Super Bowl teams and with a few members of some exotic species. A new feature at the free event, set for 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Legion Keener Park, will...
Sen. John Fetterman to release ‘Unfettered’ memoir this fall — looking at political and health battles
NEW YORK — A long-rumored and “unapologetic” memoir by Sen. John Fetterman will be released this fall, his publisher said. Crown, an imprint of Penguin Random House, announced Wednesday that “Unfettered” is scheduled for Nov. 11. The book’s price is listed at $32. In the memoir, the Democrat will open...
Trump announces 25% tariff on India starting Friday, unspecified penalties for buying Russian energy
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump said Wednesday that he’ll impose a 25% tariff on goods from India, plus an additional import tax because of India’s purchasing of Russian oil. Trump said on his Truth Social platform that India “is our friend” but its “Tariffs are far too high” on U.S....
Tsunami evacuations ordered in South America, but worst risk appears to pass for U.S. after huge quake
HONOLULU — Fears of a devastating tsunami faded Wednesday for the U.S. and Japan after one of the strongest earthquakes ever recorded struck off a sparsely populated Russian peninsula, but new alerts along South America’s Pacific coast forced evacuations and closed beaches. Warnings in the first hours after the 8.8...
Plans to cut red tape for Pittsburgh vendors moves ahead
An effort to slash red tape for street vendors throughout Pittsburgh got the green light Tuesday from the city’s Planning Commission. City Council will make a final decision on the measure — which would expand where vendors can operate and eliminate a cumbersome site-by-site evaluation requirement in most places —...
Planning Commission approves plans for community field in Hazelwood Green
The Pittsburgh Planning Commission on Tuesday approved plans for a new community field in the Hazelwood Green development. The field, spearheaded by the Pittsburgh Steelers, will sit along Hazelwood Avenue near the entrance to the sprawling Hazelwood Green development. “The field is designed as a multipurpose, multisport regional asset, one...
Researchers using scent dogs to sniff out eggs of invasive spotted lanternfly
Humans can be trained to identify the eggs of the invasive spotted lanternfly. But it’s not easy. The mottled gray color of the egg masses often matches the areas where they’re laid, or they’re located high in a tree or some other hidden location. Suffice it to say, no human...
Morning Roundup: Police accuse man of reckless driving in Mt. Washington; Pittsburgh Water rate hikes considered
Here are some of the latest news items happening this morning, Wednesday, July 30: Police accuse man of reckless driving in Mt. Washington Pittsburgh police said they arrested a man for reckless driving Tuesday evening in the city’s Mt. Washington neighborhood. Officers were on a neighborhood patrol in Mt. Washington...
Hempfield Park set to get additional bathrooms and concession stand
The Hempfield supervisors have approved the $277,000 purchase of a prefabricated building that will be installed at Hempfield Park. The building will house bathrooms and a concession stand, said Marissa Haynes, director of parks and recreation. The supervisors on Monday approved buying the building from CXT in a 4-1 vote...
West Nile, Jamestown Canyon viruses found in Westmoreland mosquitoes; Lyme risk high
Westmoreland Conservation District is urging residents to take precautions against tick and mosquito bites as samples of the pests collected in the county have tested positive for Lyme disease, West Nile virus and a less familiar new threat: Jamestown Canyon virus. Chrissy Edwards-McCune, West Nile virus coordinator for the conservation...
Paying more for groceries? Here’s how prices have moved — or not — over the past year
Donald Trump campaigned, in part, on the promise to bring down grocery prices, but seven months into his second term, the result is a mixed bag. Coffee and beef prices are up. Baby formula, eggs and Cheerios are down. Toilet paper and diapers have held steady. “The obvious one is...
Philadelphia men sentenced for drug bust on PA Turnpike
Two Philadelphia men arrested for possession of an estimated $140,000 in fentanyl-laced heroin during a 2023 traffic stop along the Pennsylvania Turnpike were sentenced Tuesday to serve lengthy prison terms. Mario Antonio Caba, 39, and Elvis Luis Holguin Ventura, 29, were convicted of one felony and misdemeanor drug counts following...
8.8-magnitude earthquake causes tsunami in Russia and Japan, sets off warnings for Alaska and HawaiiVideo
TOKYO — One of the world’s strongest earthquakes struck Russia’s Far East early Wednesday, an 8.8-magnitude temblor that set off a tsunami in the northern Pacific region and prompted warnings for Alaska, Hawaii and other coasts south toward New Zealand. Tsunami warning sirens blared Tuesday in Honolulu and people moved...
Greensburg teen, 17, sentenced as adult for Hempfield armed robbery
A Greensburg teen has been ordered to serve up to 40 months in prison for his role in an armed robbery last year in Hempfield. Cayden Essway, 17, was prosecuted as an adult and pleaded guilty in May to one felony count of robbery and a misdemeanor weapons offense. Essway’s...
Woman identified as victim on fatal Route 51 crash
A 20-year-old woman has been identified by the Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s Office as the victim of a fatal accident last Friday, July 25 along Route 51 in Jefferson Hills. Kayleigh Brosius of Elizabeth Township was killed in the multi-vehicle accident in the 1400 block of Route 51 around 6:20...
