Top Stories category, Page 1505
Trump, aides float outlier theory on origins of coronavirusVideo
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump and some of his officials are flirting with an outlier theory that the new coronavirus was set loose on the world by a Chinese lab that let it escape. Without the weight of evidence, they’re trying to blame China for sickness and death from covid-19...
Mayor Peduto: Pittsburgh will feel financial effects of pandemic for 5 years
The City of Pittsburgh is likely to feel the economic effects of the coronavirus for the next five years, Mayor Bill Peduto said in a speech Thursday. He called the city’s financial picture “bleak” and said there will be a budget shortfall of tens of millions of dollars this year,...
Trump gives governors 3-phase plan to reopen economy
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump gave governors a road map Thursday for recovering from the economic pain of the coronavirus pandemic, laying out “a phased and deliberate approach” to restoring normal activity in places that have strong testing and are seeing a decrease in covid-19 cases. “We’re starting our life...
Allegheny County asks residents to refrain from open burning during coronavirus pandemic
Allegheny County officials are asking residents to refrain from recreational burning, an activity they said has increased during the coronavirus pandemic. “With more people at home due to the pandemic, we have seen a significant increase in recreational burning,” said Dr. Debra Bogen, Health Department Director. “The resulting smoke reduces...
Workers returning to Pa. liquor stores to boost online sales
To help process online orders, workers will be back on the job at many state-owned wine and liquor stores, the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board said Thursday. The stores will not be open to the public. Gov. Tom Wolf’s office gave the OK to reopen more than 100 of the state...
Tip leads to discovery of 18 bodies in nursing home overwhelmed by deaths
An extraordinary number of deaths over the weekend overwhelmed a nursing home in northern New Jersey where police responding to an anonymous tip found more than a dozen bodies, according to news reports and an email from an owner of the home. Five bodies were found Sunday and 13 more...
Cops: Man charged with assault for intentionally coughing on workers in Unity medical office
A man accused of intentionally coughing on two medical staffers at an outpatient care center in Unity this month was charged with reckless endangerment and simple assault , state police said. Robert M. Williams, 53, of Cherry Tree, Indiana County, was also charged with disorderly conduct, harassment and reckless endangerment...
Answering the Call: UPMC worker discusses mental toll of screening front-line colleagues for coronavirusVideo
A month ago, Brittany Murin was a mammographer at UPMC Magee-Womens Hospital. Now, in the midst of the covid-19 crisis, she is responsible for screening front-line employees as they enter the hospital. Her shift begins at 3 a.m. In this edition of Answering the Call, the Trib spoke with Murin...
Pennsylvania reports 60 more deaths, over 1,200 new coronavirus cases
Another 60 coronavirus deaths were reported across Pennsylvania on Thursday, pushing the death toll above 700 as the case count eclipsed 27,000. The deaths, reported to the state throughout the day Wednesday, bring the total to 707, according to the Department of Health. The 1,245 new cases reported during that...
12 more coronavirus deaths reported in Allegheny County after delay in data
Allegheny County reported 12 more deaths from the coronavirus Thursday, but officials stressed that the increase does not indicate a spike over the past 24 hours. The 12 new reports, which bring the countywide total to 38 deaths, reflect a delay in the data being added to the county’s tracking...
Westmoreland Transit bus driver tests positive for coronavirus
A Westmoreland County Transit Authority bus driver has tested positive for the coronavirus. Transit officials learned about the positive test result on Wednesday. They said the driver last worked Saturday and determined the worker had little in-person interaction with other authority employees or riders that day. The bus operated by...
Domino’s to donate 7,600 pizzas in Western Pa.
Local Domino’s stores will donate 7,600 pizzas within their communities in the Pittsburgh area, the national chain announced Thursday. Nearly 40 stores in the region will each donate 200 pizzas as part of a national effort. Donations will be sent to hospitals, medical centers, school children and their families, grocery...
Facebook to warn users who ‘liked’ coronavirus hoaxesVideo
Have you liked or commented on a Facebook post about the covid-19 pandemic? Facebook is about to begin letting you know if you’ve spread bad information. The company will soon be letting users know if they liked, reacted to, or commented on posts with harmful misinformation about the virus that...
HGTV Smart Home 2020 located in Wexford
HGTV’s 2020 Smart Home is right in our backyard – it was constructed in Wexford by Pittsburgh-based Infinity Custom Homes. In a news release, HGTV highlighted Pittsburgh being voted as one of America’s Most Livable Cities, its food and arts scenes and outdoor amenities, as well as its reputation for...
Gov. Wolf projects $5 billion deficit for Pennsylvania, backs call for more federal aid
Gov. Tom Wolf has written to President Donald Trump to back calls from other leading governors for another $500 billion in federal aid for states fighting the spread of the coronavirus, warning that his office is projecting a budget deficit of up to $5 billion. The letter, dated Wednesday, was...
19th coronavirus death reported in Westmoreland
Officials said Thursday that a man died from the coronavirus in Westmoreland County, bringing the death toll to 19. Ten men and nine women in the county have died as a result of the virus, according to Coroner Ken Bacha. His office is being notified of the deaths sooner than...
Stocks climb as pandemic winners pull away on Wall Street
NEW YORK — Even in this new stay-at-home, increasingly jobless economy, some businesses are making out as clear winners, and gains for Amazon, health care companies and stocks in other pockets of the market helped prop up Wall Street on Thursday. The S&P 500 rose 0.6% after flipping between small...
5.2 million more seek unemployment aid as U.S. layoffs spreadVideo
WASHINGTON — The wave of layoffs that has engulfed the U.S. economy since the coronavirus struck forced 5.2 million more people to seek unemployment benefits last week, the government reported Thursday. Roughly 22 million have sought jobless benefits in the past month — easily the worst stretch of U.S. job...
Man sues Pittsburgh diocese, alleging sexual abuse by priests decades ago
A New Hampshire man is suing the Roman Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh based on allegations that three priests sexually assaulted him in the 1960s and early ’70s, court records show. The lawsuit filed Wednesday in Allegheny County Common Pleas Court further accuses the diocese and co-defendant Bishop David Zubik of...
Covid-19 crisis could cost Pennsylvania hospitals $2 billion per month, health advocates warn
Pennsylvania’s hospitals stand to lose as much as $2 billion every month the pandemic-spurred shutdown goes on, the state’s largest hospital advocacy group said Wednesday. Gov. Tom Wolf’s order canceling elective medical procedures as part of the covid-19 measures is estimated to rack up $1.5 billion in collective monthly hospital...
Thousands protest Michigan governor’s social distance orderVideo
LANSING — Thousands of flag-waving, honking protesters drove past the Michigan Capitol on Wednesday to show their displeasure with Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s orders to keep people at home and businesses locked during the coronavirus outbreak. As snow fell, others got out of their vehicles and raised signs, one of which...
GOP bill would relax Pennsylvania business shutdown
HARRISBURG — The GOP-controlled Legislature sent Gov. Tom Wolf a bill Wednesday that would force him to allow some businesses to reopen during the pandemic, but its fate was unclear. The Senate approved the legislation on a party-line vote, sending it to Wolf’s desk for his signature. Wolf hasn’t explicitly...
Allegheny County officials: More coronavirus testing needed before businesses can reopen
Efforts to slow the spread of the coronavirus in Allegheny County are working, but more testing is needed before physical distancing measures can be lifted, officials said during a press call Wednesday. “I think these numbers are incredibly encouraging, but I think it’s too soon to celebrate,” said Dr. Debra...
Fayette County dairy farmer helps arrange 4,860-gallon milk delivery to needy
Fayette County dairy farmer Louie Diamond knew a lot of area families would be short on money during the coronavirus pandemic and with children home from school wanting milk, he decided to lend a helping hand. This week, the Masontown resident teamed with the American Dairy Association North East and...
‘It cannot get worse’: Airlines see fewest travelers since 9/11 attacks
The number of people boarding flights in the United States reached a new low Tuesday, with likely the fewest travelers in a single day since flights were grounded in the immediate aftermath of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. The Transportation Security Administration said 87,534 people boarded flights Tuesday, down 96% from...
