Top Stories category, Page 1458
Sen. Bob Casey tests positive for covid-19 antibodies, donates plasma
U.S. Sen. Bob Casey said he donated plasma Friday after he learned he had antibodies to covid-19, hoping it will help others fighting covid-19. Casey, D-Scranton, said an antibody test he took last week suggested that the mild flu-like symptoms and low-grade fever he experienced earlier this spring were caused...
Storms could bring large hail, high winds to Pittsburgh area
The Pittsburgh region will be returning to cooler and less muggy weather this weekend, but it’s going to have to get through the transition this afternoon that could come with some severe storms. There’s a slight chance for severe weather Friday afternoon, mainly east and north of the city, National...
Allegheny County adds 19 coronavirus cases, no new deaths
Allegheny County reported 19 additional cases of the coronavirus Friday, bringing the total number of cases countywide to 1,870. No new deaths were reported, leaving the total at 151. The county earlier this week reported three consecutive days with no new deaths. The Pennsylvania Department of Health reported 162 deaths...
Pittsburgh police chief condemns actions of Minneapolis officers in death of George Floyd
Pittsburgh Police Chief Scott Schubert on Friday condemned the actions of Minneapolis police officers in the death of a handcuffed black man, calling the incident the “incomprehensible and senseless actions of a few.” The May 25 killing of George Floyd touched off outrage across the country and three days of...
Westmoreland leaders pleased to move to green phase next week
County leaders expressed relief Friday to learn Westmoreland soon will move into the green phase of the state’s coronavirus reopening plan. Gov. Tom Wolf announced Friday that Westmoreland is one of 16 additional counties in the region, including Allegheny, that will move from the yellow to green phase June 5....
Pittsburgh rapid bus line project lands $100M from federal government
The U.S. Department of Transportation has approved nearly $100 million for a rapid bus line linking Downtown Pittsburgh and Oakland. President Trump announced in a tweet Thursday that the Port Authority of Allegheny County would receive $99.9 million for its long-planned Bus Rapid Transit project. .@USDOT is committing $99.95M to...
Twitter flags Trump tweet with ‘glorifying violence’ warning
WASHINGTON — Twitter has added a warning to one of President Donald Trump’s tweets about protests in Minneapolis, saying it violated the platform’s rules about “glorifying violence.” Trump, a prolific Twitter user, has been at war with the company since earlier this week, when it for the first time applied...
2 killed in overnight house fire in Duquesne
A man and a woman died early Friday morning when heavy flames and smoke tore through their home in Duquesne. The Allegheny County Medical Examiner identified the man as Krystian Andrew McDonnell, 23. The woman’s name has not yet been released. Firefighters responding to a call in the 1100 block...
UPMC to get $1 billion in federal aid after hard hit from coronavirus pandemic
UPMC is slated to get more than $1 billion in aid from the federal government as Pennsylvania’s largest hospital system confronts volume plunging by 70% during the pandemic-spurred shutdown. In the last two weeks of March, after the Wolf administration’s state shutdown began and thousands of elective procedures were halted,...
Organ transplants surge at UPMC during pandemic
UPMC performed a record-high number of lung and liver transplants in April, even as the covid-19 pandemic and ensuing lockdown caused the health system’s overall revenue and volume to plummet, executives said. UPMC doctors did 12 lung transplants during the month of April, up from an average of six such...
Minneapolis police station torched during George Floyd protestVideo
MINNEAPOLIS — Cheering protesters torched a Minneapolis police station that the department abandoned as three days of violent protests spread to nearby St. Paul and angry demonstrations flared across the U.S over the death of George Floyd, a handcuffed black man who pleaded for air as a white police officer...
White House punts economic update as election draws nearVideo
WASHINGTON — The White House took the unusual step on Thursday of deciding not to release an updated economic forecast as planned this year, a fresh sign of the administration’s anxiety about how the coronavirus has ravaged the nation just months before the election. The decision, which was confirmed by...
Police: Man critically wounded after being shot in fit of road rage in Monroeville
A man was shot in the arm Thursday afternoon in Monroeville in what police are describing as a road rage fight. The man was taken to Forbes Regional Hospital in critical condition, police said. Police Chief Doug Cole said officers responded to a call for shots fired around 2:50 p.m....
New Kensington mother waives hearing on charges in death of son, 3
A New Kensington woman charged with involuntary manslaughter in the death of her 3-year-old son waived her right to a preliminary hearing Thursday. Teresa Fetterman, 23, also is charged with child endangerment and aggravated assault in the death of her son, Mikel Fetterman, and drug offenses. Mikel Fetterman was taken...
Pennsylvania House virus notification dispute mirrors growing divide in state politics
The growing divide in the Pennsylvania Legislature loomed large this week with the news that a Republican House member’s coronavirus diagnosis was not shared with Democrats. House Democrats say they were stunned to learn Wednesday that state Rep. Andrew Lewis, R-Dauphin County, was diagnosed with covid-19 on May 20. Political...
Suspended Pirates pitcher Felipe Vazquez also faces child porn charges in St. Louis
St. Louis authorities on Thursday confirmed that suspended Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Felipe Vazquez is charged with sending pornographic pictures of himself to a minor last summer. Documents provided by the St. Louis Circuit Attorney’s Office said Vazquez was charged in February with one count of furnishing pornographic materials to a...
Western Pa. restaurants prepare for expanded dining options, cope with losses
On Thursday morning, restaurateur Erin Connelly prepared for her most important staff meeting in months. After being limited to takeout options during the coronavirus shutdown, the Cornerstone Restaurant and Bar in Aspinwall soon can commence limited dining options. Connelly was hesitantly excited. “People are scrambling,” she said. “It’s hard to...
Allegheny County Health Department issues $361K fine against U.S. Steel
The Allegheny County Health Department has issued $361,400 in fines against U.S. Steel for air pollution and permit violations during the fourth quarter of 2019 and first quarter of 2020. The health department announced the fine in a statement Thursday. Of that total, $325,260, or 90%, will be paid to...
Flood of mail-in ballots spurs fight to change deadlines for Pennsylvania
HARRISBURG — Some county and state officials are warning that a flood of mailed-in ballots in Pennsylvania — fueled by fears of in-person voting during the coronavirus pandemic — will create problems in the primary election on Tuesday that must be fixed before they cause a disaster in this battleground...
Trump escalating war on Twitter, social media protectionsVideo
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump escalated his war on social media companies Thursday, signing an executive order challenging the liability protections that have served as a bedrock for unfettered speech on the internet. Still, the move appears to be more about politics than substance, as the president aims to rally...
60 more Pennsylvania liquor stores resuming in-store public access
Sixty more Fine Wine & Good Spirits stores in counties in Pennsylvania’s yellow phase of covid-19 mitigation will resume limited in-store public access on Friday, the state Liquor Control Board announced Thursday. When that happens, a total of 349 stores in 56 counties will be allowing limited in-store public access....
Westmoreland County reports 1 new coronavirus case, no new deaths
One new covid-19 case was reported in Westmoreland County on Thursday, bringing the countywide total to 443. No new deaths were reported. The countywide total was unchanged at 38. The number of confirmed and probable cases of the coronavirus in Allegheny County increased by 23 to 1,851. No new deaths...
Pennsylvania adds 625 coronavirus cases; total passes 70,000
The Pennsylvania Department of Health on Thursday reported 108 new deaths and 625 additional cases of the coronavirus. The state has now had 70,042 total cases and 5,373 deaths. Deaths have been recorded in 54 of the state’s 67 counties, and every county has had a positive case. More than...
KDKA-TV anchors Rick Dayton, Susan Koeppen let go
Longtime news anchors Rick Dayton and Susan Koeppen are no longer employed by KDKA-TV, the station’s vice president and general manager confirmed Thursday. Chris Cotungo referred the Tribune-Review to a statement from CBS. “We are restructuring various operations at CBS as part our ongoing integration with Viacom, and to adapt...
PETA wants Mark Cuban to turn ‘The O’ into vegan hot dog spot
PETA has an idea for Mark Cuban, should he go through with a big Pittsburgh purchase. The animal rights organization Thursday sent a letter to Cuban, the “Shark Tank” star and Mt. Lebanon native, that suggested turning the now-closed Original Hot Dog Shop in Oakland into a “vegan hot dog...
