Top Stories category, Page 159
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...
New Kensington constable accused of impersonating a police officer, hiding guns
New Kensington-based constable Herman Staple II is charged with several misdemeanors after being accused of impersonating a police officer and later concealing guns from police in violation of a protection from abuse order. Officers in New Kensington pulled over Staple in mid-May for driving what appeared to be a police...
Can supermarkets like Giant Eagle fill void left by ailing pharmacy industry?
As chain pharmacies decline, grocery stores are picking up the slack. Rite Aid’s descent into bankruptcy — and the dash to carve up its assets — is the latest example. Rival drugstores CVS and Walgreens have snapped up millions of potential customers by way of their prescription files, but supermarkets...
Derry reduces summer schedule, hikes lifeguard pay, receives donations to help keep pool open
Derry Community Pool is moving forward with its summer season, but with a reduced schedule. After a shortage of lifeguards caused borough officials to close the public swimming pool several days in late June, Derry Council on Tuesday agreed to trim back the facility’s schedule to six days each week...
Troy Hill grandmother’s death ruled homicide
Authorities have ruled a Troy Hill woman’s death last week was a homicide. Patricia Kachinko, 73, died June 24 in an area hospital, the Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s Office said Wednesday. Her cause of death was respiratory complication from blunt force trauma of the chest. Pittsburgh police are investigating, the...
Bryan Kohberger admits to killing 4 Idaho students but motive remains unclear
BOISE, Idaho — A criminal justice student who avoided a potential death sentence by pleading guilty Wednesday to the brutal stabbing deaths of four University of Idaho students carefully planned the attack for months and took multiple steps to cover his tracks, the lead prosecutor said. Bryan Kohberger, who was...
What to know about the City of Pittsburgh’s Fourth of July celebration
Pittsburgh’s Fourth of July celebration will look a little different this year. Because of ongoing construction by the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources at Point State Park, there won’t be any programming there, said Brandon D’Alimonte, the city’s Parks and Recreation program manager. Friday’s festivities will take place at...
Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs denied bail after mixed verdict clears him of top charges in sex crimes caseVideo
NEW YORK — A judge declined Wednesday to grant bail to Sean “Diddy” Combs, meaning the hip hop mogul won’t go free while he awaits sentencing in his sex crimes case. The bond decision came after a jury convicted Combs of federal prostitution-related offenses but acquitted him of sex trafficking...
House back to work as GOP leaders try to win over holdouts on Trump’s tax bill
WASHINGTON — The House sprang back to action late Wednesday after a prolonged stalemate as Republican leaders spent the afternoon and evening working furiously to convince skeptics to support President Donald Trump’s tax and spending cuts package and send it to his desk by the Fourth of July deadline. The...
Excessive-force lawsuit claims Allegheny County Jail guards repeatedly shocked man with Taser
A man awaiting trial at the Allegheny County Jail filed a federal lawsuit on Wednesday against the county and several officers at the lockup alleging he was stunned repeatedly with a Taser, including in his groin, causing long-term injuries. Kush Wilkerson, 29, makes claims for excessive use of force and...
Monroeville’s Miracle Mile shopping center up for sale
The Miracle Mile Shopping Center in Monroeville is for sale. No price is listed by CBRE, the real estate agency handling the sale, but the plaza along Route 22 near the Pennsylvania Turnpike interchange is described in the listing as a dominant regional shopping destination. The sale was announced on...
Paramount to pay $16 million in settlement with Trump over ’60 Minutes’ interview
In a case seen as a challenge to free speech, Paramount has agreed to pay $16 million to settle a lawsuit filed by President Donald Trump over the editing of CBS’ ” 60 Minutes” interview with then-Vice President Kamala Harris in October. Paramount told media outlets the money will go...
Harrison police get less-lethal weapons to deal with increasing crises
Harrison police are responding to more mental health crises than ever before. Since 2012, the number of calls dealing with noncompliant people has increased more than 500%, Chief Brian Turack said. Officers responded to 16 such calls in 2012 and 98 in 2023. “It’s not all mental health; it’s anywhere...
