Top Stories category, Page 169
Cold temperatures to return to Western Pa. next week
While it might feel like summer today in Western Pennsylvania, a change is headed this way. Friday had the potential to reach 85 degrees, according to David Shallenberger, meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Moon. After that, a cold front is moving into the area next week. Saturday will...
Springsteen, Trump, Kid Rock trade political barbs
Bruce Springsteen’s songs have chronicled the working American’s hopes and dreams for 50 years. In that time, The Boss’ political bent has never been buried. Sure, some Reaganites may have misunderstood “Born in the U.S.A” as a patriotic anthem, but “American Skin (41 Shots)” clearly details the fears some have...
Student loans have been confusing lately. Here’s a guide to know where you stand
NEW YORK — Between collections resuming, courts blocking student loan programs and layoffs at the Education Department, borrowers might be confused about the status of their student loans. Recently, the Education Department announced it would start involuntary collections on defaulted loans, meaning the roughly 5.3 million borrowers who are in...
Idlewild & SoakZone improves coasters, adds ice cream treat, welcomes duck for 148th season
A familiar ride with a fresh look will greet fans of coaster thrills when Idlewild Park opens for its 148th season on Saturday. And next month, the Ligonier Township amusement park will gain an added attraction with the arrival of the World’s Largest Rubber Duck. Park visitors this season will...
Conservatives block Trump’s big tax breaks bill in a stunning setback
WASHINGTON — In a massive setback, House Republicans failed Friday to push their big package of tax breaks and spending cuts through the Budget Committee, as a handful of conservatives joined all Democrats in a stunning vote against it. The hard-right lawmakers are insisting on steeper spending cuts to Medicaid...
Pope Leo XIV affirms family is based on union between a man and a woman, unborn has inherent dignity
VATICAN CITY — Pope Leo XIV affirmed Friday that the family is founded on the “stable union between a man and a woman,” and that the unborn and elderly enjoy dignity as God’s creatures, articulating clear Catholic teaching on marriage and abortion at the start of his pontificate. Leo, the...
Morning Roundup: Crash on George Westinghouse Bridge injures 3; truck crashes into home in Baldwin
Here are some of the latest news items from this morning, Friday, May 16: Westinghouse Bridge crash leaves 3 injured Three people were hospitalized after a Thursday evening crash on the George Westinghouse Bridge in East Pittsburgh, according to TribLive news partner WTAE. The crash involved three separate cars and...
As Rite Aid collapses, customers and other pharmacies bear the impact
It takes Kathy Younkins just a few minutes to walk to her neighborhood Rite Aid. The 67-year-old has picked up her prescriptions at the company’s Harrison location since the 2000s. But now the Philadelphia-based pharmacy empire is crumbling. The company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy earlier this month, blaming “the...
Anchor Inn owners ready to retire, close Harrison favorite founded by their dad in 1953
Ask anyone from the Anchor Inn’s former “Wednesday Night Gang” what makes the Harrison restaurant and pub so special, and the answer is simple — good food, good people. “This town has been so supportive,” owner Joe Kolek said. “It’s been a great living and so much fun.” He and...
Trump administration officials say Secret Service is investigating James Comey’s ’86 47′ social media post
WASHINGTON — Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said Thursday that federal law enforcement is investigating a social media post made by former FBI Director James Comey that she and other Republicans suggest is a call for violence against President Donald Trump. In an Instagram post, Comey wrote “cool shell formation...
Motorcyclist killed in collision with car in Derry Township
A motorcyclist was killed in a collision with a car Thursday afternoon in Derry Township. Jarad R. Boyle, 49, of Derry Borough was pronounced dead at the scene on Route 982 at Lincoln Avenue, according to Westmoreland County Coroner Tim Carson. The crash occurred at about 4 p.m. just outside...
Hospital tells family brain-dead Georgia woman must carry fetus to birth because of abortion banVideo
ATLANTA — A pregnant woman in Georgia was declared brain-dead after a medical emergency and doctors have kept her on life support for three months so far to allow enough time for the baby to be born and comply with Georgia’s strict anti-abortion law, family members say. She could be...
Pittsburgh population grew by nearly 3,000, census shows
Pittsburgh’s population is on the rise, new estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau revealed. The city added 2,902 people from 2023 to 2024, bringing the total population to 307,668 — an almost 1% increase, according to census figures. Chris Briem, regional economist at the University Center for Social & Urban...
‘Tariffs are messing with everybody’: Walmart shoppers wary of tariff-induced price increases on horizon
Walmart used to be Charmaine Bianco’s go-to grocery store for low-price goods. But Bianco fears she will have to search elsewhere for good deals as the nationwide grocery chain plans to raise prices this month in light of tariffs ordered by President Donald Trump. Executives at the $750 billion company...
Meeting on Penn State campus closures scheduled next week
The fate of seven Penn State branch campuses — including New Kensington and Fayette — could be determined next Thursday. The board of trustees will meet virtually 5 p.m. May 22 to consider the recommendation to close the New Kensington, Fayette, DuBois, Mont Alto, Shenango, Wilkes-Barre and York campuses, according...
Supreme Court could block Trump’s birthright citizenship order but limit nationwide injunctionsVideo
WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court seemed intent Thursday on maintaining a block on President Donald Trump’s restrictions on birthright citizenship while looking for a way to scale back nationwide court orders. It was unclear what such a decision might look like, but a majority of the court expressed concerns about...
U.S. Rep. Summer Lee reintroduces resolution for reparations
U.S. Rep. Summer Lee introduced a resolution Thursday that would effectively provide reparations to the descendants of Black American slaves amid a flurry of actions by President Donald Trump and a Republican-led Congress to remove what they term “woke” policies. Lee, a Swissvale Democrat who represents parts of Allegheny and...
Equalizing tax rates critical for Leechburg Area School District survival, residents told
West Leechburg property owners will get some relief from years worth of tax increases, according to Leechburg Area School District Superintendent David Keibler. During the school board’s Town Hall Tour on Wednesday night, Keibler told residents the district plans to earmark about $58,000 in Ready to Learn Tax Equity relief...
Report squarely blames Bucco Brick fiasco on Pittsburgh Pirates
A report commissioned by Pittsburgh’s Sports and Exhibition Authority places blame solely on the Pittsburgh Pirates for a controversial decision to scrap personalized, fan-purchased bricks at PNC Park without telling anyone. “It was the Pirates, not the SEA or any of its contractors, that made the decision to dispose of...
NFL schedule makers ‘tried to play it down the middle’ when weighing Steelers, Aaron Rodgers saga
It remains to be seen whether Aaron Rodgers will be the Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback when they face his former team, the Green Bay Packers, on Oct. 26. The NFL schedule makers didn’t hesitate to give that matchup the prime-time treatment even while the 41-year-old quarterback remains unsigned amid weighing the...
Average rate on a U.S. 30-year mortgage rises to 6.81%, its highest level since late April
The average rate on a 30-year mortgage in the U.S. edged above 6.8% this week, returning to where it was just three weeks ago. The rate increased to 6.81% from 6.76% last week, mortgage buyer Freddie Mac said Thursday. A year ago, the rate averaged 7.02%. Borrowing costs on 15-year...
Union heads, elected officials demand $15-an-hour minimum wage in Pa.
When Aaron Allen took a minimum wage job in 2009, he found the $7.25-an-hour rate was barely enough to pay his rent. Allen worked more than 40 hours a week at a restaurant but put off medical treatments because he couldn’t afford to see a doctor. He recalled how he...
Wisconsin judge pleads not guilty to helping a man evade federal immigration agents
MILWAUKEE — A Wisconsin judge pleaded not guilty Thursday to charges accusing her of helping a man who is illegally in the country evade U.S. immigration authorities seeking to arrest him in her courthouse. Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Hannah Dugan entered the plea during a brief arraignment in federal court....
‘Person of interest’ in death of Jennah Seibert awaiting extradition from Florida
A “person of interest” in a Rostraver woman’s death is awaiting extradition from Florida on unrelated burglary and robbery charges stemming from an incident in Donora. Dorian C. Jeri-Greene, 39, of Monessen was booked into the Orient Road Jail on Tuesday after being arrested on a warrant by police in...
Dick’s Sporting Goods to buy Foot Locker for $2.4 billion
Dick’s Sporting Goods announced early Thursday that it will acquire Foot Locker in a $2.4 billion deal. The Findlay-based company said it plans to operate Foot Locker as a standalone business and maintain its brands. The acquisition will place Dick’s, already one of the largest domestic sporting goods company, into...
