Top Stories category, Page 155
The U.S. is having its worst year for measles in more than 3 decades
The United States is having its worst year for measles spread in more than three decades, with a total of 1,288 cases nationally and another six months to go in 2025. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Wednesday that the national case count surpassed 2019, when there...
Pittsburgh officials bullish on police recruiting, but union stays skeptical
Pittsburgh officials on Wednesday struck a cautiously optimistic tone about police recruitment efforts after struggling for years to attract officers to a shrinking police force. “It’s a little too early to bring the champagne into the locker room,” Councilman Khari Mosley, D-Point Breeze said. “But by all indications, it seems...
Shapiro signs bill lifting ban on Sunday hunting
Hunters across the state soon could find themselves afield — legally — on almost any Sunday. Gov. Josh Shapiro on Wednesday signed a bill that lifts the state’s age-old ban on Sunday hunting, opening the door for the Pennsylvania Game Commission to build hunting seasons that include Sundays. “The Pennsylvania...
Elon Musk’s AI chatbot Grok goes on antisemitic spree
NEW YORK – Grok, the AI chatbot designed by Elon Musk’s xAI for social media, described itself as “MechaHitler” while making a string of antisemitic posts this week. The questionable responses follow Musk’s announcement last week of an update to the bot after he expressed frustration that it was too...
Pittsburgh man accused of stealing hundreds of identities to make Lowe’s, Giant Eagle purchases
A Pittsburgh man is charged with more than 200 counts of felony identity theft after authorities said he made $100,000 in unauthorized credit card purchases at area Lowe’s and Giant Eagle stores, then sold the merchandise. Cornelius P. Tucker, 33, of the city’s Hill District neighborhood, assumed the identities of...
GOP congressman opts not to run for Pa. governor, despite backing of Trump
In late May, Republican congressman Dan Meuser’s possible candidacy for governor appeared to get a boost from President Donald Trump. In an appearance at U.S. Steel’s Irvin Works in West Mifflin, Trump promised to support the fourth-term congressman from Luzerne County if he decided to seek the Republican nomination to...
Mark Madden: Steelers have no good reason to give in to T.J. Watt’s contract demands
The T.J. Watt contract extension saga seems stuck in neutral. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports the Steelers and Watt are “far apart.” It seems unlikely that negotiations are taking place, or that Watt is willing to negotiate. Watt wants to top what Myles Garrett gets from Cleveland, specifically more than $40...
How the Know-Nothings, Free Soilers and other third parties shaped U.S. politics
Elon Musk’s plan to create a new political party puts him in the company of a long line of business and political titans looking to upend the two-party system that has dominated U.S. politics since almost the beginning. From the Anti-Masonic Party in the early 1800s to last year’s ill-fated...
Trump caught off guard by Pentagon’s abrupt move to pause Ukraine weapons deliveries
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump’s decision to send more defensive weapons to Ukraine came after he privately expressed frustration with Pentagon officials for announcing a pause in some deliveries last week — a move that he felt wasn’t properly coordinated with the White House, according to three people familiar with...
Robert Haus appointed as Arnold officer-in-charge — again
What’s old is new again within the Arnold Police Department. Mayor Shannon Santucci on Tuesday appointed Robert Haus as officer-in-charge of the department. “We had to make a move,” Santucci said. “It’s the best resolution for the police department and the community at this time.” And it’s a move that’s...
Texas inspectors approved Camp Mystic’s disaster plan 2 days before deadly flood, records show
Texas inspectors signed off on Camp Mystic’s emergency planning just two days before catastrophic flooding killed more than two dozen people at the all-girls Christian summer camp, most of them children. The Department of State Health Services released records Tuesday showing the camp complied with a host of state regulations...
North Side woman jailed for assaulting mother now faces homicide charge in her death
Police have charged a Reserve Township woman with delivering the bone-breaking punch that caused her 73-year-old mother’s death — just days after the Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s Office ruled the mother’s death a homicide. Krystal Slepski, 43, punched Patricia Kachinko in the chest during a June 2 argument at Kachinko’s...
Trump administration looks to ban sale of U.S. farmland to Chinese buyers
The Trump administration is moving to ban the sale of American farmland to buyers from China and other countries deemed adversaries, citing national security concerns. U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said during a news conference Tuesday that the administration also would work to “claw back what has already been purchased...
Police charge Carnegie man with leaving dogs to roast in scorching heat
A Carnegie man is facing a preliminary hearing after police accused him of leaving his three dogs outside during a sweltering week in June without food or water, leading one animal to suffer brain swelling and die. Carnegie police on Monday arrested James Brandon Lewis, 41, on three felony counts...
Police: Jeannette woman tried to hit trooper with her Jeep after fleeing traffic stop, kept going
A Jeannette woman was charged with a dozen counts of aggravated assault after state police said she fled a traffic stop, tried to drive into an officer and had to be forcibly removed from her vehicle. Amanda L. Nelson, 36, of Altman Road faces nearly 30 charges in connection with...
EQT buys Olympus for $1.8B, consolidates grip on Southwestern Pa. natural gas
Pittsburgh-based natural gas producer EQT Corp. has acquired local competitor Olympus Energy for $1.8 billion. The deal, which officially closed last week, consolidates EQT’s control over regional natural gas deposits at a time of rising demand. “This strategic transaction strengthens our position as the leading natural gas producer in the...
Palmer airport terminal expansion takes off with July arrival of steel beams
Officials at Arnold Palmer Regional Airport on Tuesday marked the first milestone in construction of a $28 million terminal expansion, with about a third of the project’s initial phase in place. Completion of the first of three phases is slated for April of next year, according to Scott Kunselman, engineer...
Turkey-raising ceases at Pounds Turkey Farm in Allegheny Township, market remains open
There are fewer mouths to feed this summer at Pounds Turkey Farm in Allegheny Township. About 3,000 fewer, as owners Tim, Beverly and Rick Pounds announced Tuesday their long-lamented decision to cease raising fresh turkeys annually on the family farm that has been in operation since 1935. Beverly Pounds and...
Passenger sues Allegheny County Police over incident at Pittsburgh airport
A New Jersey man said a decision by Allegheny County Police to detain him two years ago at Pittsburgh International Airport when he began asking questions after his flight was canceled violated his constitutional rights and “is an example of the systemic injustice routinely faced by Black men,” according to...
New book claims Gov. Shapiro’s Jewish faith was not why he lost out as VP pick
According to a new book, Gov. Josh Shapiro’s Jewish faith was not a reason for former Vice President Kamala Harris spurning him as her running mate last year, contradicting accusations made by President Donald Trump. The Forward, a Jewish publication, obtained excerpts of “How Trump Retook the White House and...
Supreme Court clears way for Trump’s plans to downsize federal workforce
WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court on Tuesday cleared the way for President Donald Trump’s plans to downsize the federal workforce despite warnings that critical government services will be lost and hundreds of thousands of federal employees will be out of their jobs. The justices overrode lower court orders that temporarily...
Texas governor says more than 160 people are still missing after deadly floodsVideo
KERRVILLE, Texas — More than 160 people are believed to be missing in Texas in the aftermath of the flash floods that killed more than 100 over the July Fourth weekend, Gov. Greg Abbott said Tuesday. Abbot said many of those who are not accounted for were staying in state’s...
Pittsburgh boosts protections for LGBTQ+ people, pares prostitution penalty
Last month, Pittsburgh Councilwoman Barb Warwick said she hoped a package of bills she was introducing would spark a larger conversation about supporting LGBTQ+ people and signal that everyone is welcome at a Pittsburgh, even as the Trump administration put vulnerable communities “under attack.” On Tuesday, Warwick claimed a victory...
Trump’s scheduled summit at Carnegie Mellon meets backlash
Carrie McDonough was appalled upon learning that President Donald Trump would appear at a summit hosted by Carnegie Mellon University. She immediately began formulating an open letter to the administration, condemning what she saw as a dangerous legitimization of the Trump administration’s values. “Trump is a harmful person,” said McDonough,...
No penalty sought over Pittsburgh cop’s call for backup at heated council meeting
Pittsburgh City Council President R. Daniel Lavelle on Tuesday said he was not seeking any punishment for the sergeant at arms who called for backup during a heated council meeting last week despite issuing a public statement calling for an investigation into the incident. John Svitek, a uniformed Pittsburgh police...
