Top Stories category, Page 1695

PHILADELPHIA — A fire at a 150-year-old refinery complex in Philadelphia turned the early morning sky a bright orange and yellow and awakened startled residents with explosions that shook homes Friday. The fire broke out at the Philadelphia Energy Solutions Refining Complex around 4 a.m., spokeswoman Cherice Corley said. “Refinery...

It’s the first weekend of summer, and the rain is supposed to push on out of here. Here are some things to do. Pittsburgh’s own Donnie Iris and the Cruisers and The Clarks both perform Saturday — at separate venues. Tough choices for true Yinzers. Iris, a local favorite, will...

You might be surprised by the contact list in Pine-Richland football coach Eric Kasperowicz’s cell phone. “Ben Roethlisberger. … Mike Tomlin. … Sidney Crosby,” Kasperowicz said in the final segment of this week’s “Huddle Up with Gus” podcast. Kasperowicz goes one-on-one with Gus Frerotte and Dave Hager, discussing his favorite...

WASHINGTON — A U.S. official said the military made preparations Thursday night for limited strikes on Iran in retaliation for the downing of a U.S. surveillance drone, but approval was abruptly withdrawn before the attacks were launched. The official, who was not authorized to discuss the operation publicly and spoke...

Knowing they were the target of an accused terrorist’s foiled bomb plot did not deter the congregants of a North Side church from worshipping Thursday night. As rain pounded the pavement outside, a few dozen men, women and children who belong to Legacy International Worship Center filed through the red...

A Bethel Park man was shot and later died Thursday night after getting into an argument with a neighbor, according to police. Officers responding to multiple calls about a man shot at a duplex in the 700 block of Horning Road at about 8:15 p.m. found 49-year-old James E. Rust...

Today marks the first day of summer — and the forecast finally includes sunshine and highs in the 70s, as if on cue. The summer solstice is the longest day of the year, as the Northern Hemisphere leans most toward the sun during Earth’s tilted axis of rotation. The equator...

The system for vetting refugees coming into the United States is effective despite allegations by federal prosecutors that a Syrian refugee living in Pittsburgh plotted to bomb a North Side church in an ISIS-motivated attack, terrorism experts told the Tribune-Review. “The threat posed by refugees is overall very low despite...

Federal authorities announced indictments Thursday against 37 people they say are part of a drug trafficking organization spanning three states. The indictments were handed down by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh. Thirty-five of the people involved are from Western Pennsylvania. One person is from New York, while another is...

This incredible cross-country bicycle journey is over, a little sooner than expected. Christian Echavarria of Sewickley had to get off the bike he planned on riding 3,070 miles. He stopped pedaling near the 1,800-mile mark. He was participating in the Race Across America when so-called saddle sores became so bad,...

In the days before and after his June 8 graduation from Pittsburgh’s Brashear High School, 21-year-old Mustafa Mousab Alowemer was planning something catastrophic, federal authorities contend. He received his diploma on Saturday during a ceremony at the Petersen Events Center. On Tuesday, authorities said, he met with two men he...

There are large fossil deposits along the North Carolina coast but not everyone is lucky enough to spot an ancient bone while walking the beach. Beachcombers last week found a fossilized tooth from a prehistoric shark and got some verification from the experts at North Carolina Aquariums’ Jennette’s Pier facility...

A Boston veterinary hospital got quite a surprise recently when a family brought in their bulldog after he stopped eating. The Angell Animal Medical Center found 19 baby pacifiers in the dog’s stomach. It started in April when the Wellesley family noticed that their 3-year-old dog, Mortimer, started getting nauseous...

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A rookie Sacramento police offer was fatally shot during a domestic violence call and laid wounded for about 45 minutes as the gunman kept officers at bay with volleys of bullets, authorities said Thursday. Officer Tara O’Sullivan, 26, was shot shortly Wednesday while helping a woman collect...

Crispy chicken gets a cheesy crunch as KFC introduces a sandwich with a layer of Cheetos. After testing in a few markets, the restaurant chain famous for chicken with a crisp crust is going national with their Cheetos-filled creation. The Cheetos Sandwich will be available at KFCs for just four...

Someone is walking around with $1 million scratch-off winner. The lottery announced that a Max-A-Million Scratch-Off ticket winner worth $1 million was sold at Z & Z Associates at 300 Sixth Avenue in Downtown Pittsburgh. The seller gets a $5,000 bonus for selling the winning ticket. No winner was announced,...

Krispy Kreme apparently believes its new doughnut is out of this world. In honor of the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing, on July 20, 1969, the doughnut maker is releasing new original doughnuts, filled with Classic Kreme and Chocolate Kreme. It’s even released a tongue-in-cheek video linking...

ALLENTOWN — Authorities say a street shooting in eastern Pennsylvania has left 10 people wounded. The shooting outside the Deja Vu nightclub in Allentown occurred shortly before 2 a.m. Thursday. Authorities say most of the victims had just left the nightclub or were standing on the sidewalk outside when the...

A new song featuring late rapper and Point Breeze native Mac Miller was released Thursday by music producer 88-Keys. The song, titled “That’s Life,” also features musician Sia. The song originally was recorded by 88-Keys and Miller while they were in a New York City studio. In an announcement, 88-Keys...

TEHRAN, Iran — Iran’s Revolutionary Guard shot down a U.S. drone on Thursday amid heightened tensions between Tehran and Washington over its collapsing nuclear deal with world powers, American and Iranian officials said, though they disputed the circumstances of the incident. The Guard said it shot down the drone over...

ORLANDO, Fla. — America is aging. Data released by the U.S. Census Bureau on Thursday showed the median age in the U.S. increased by a year to 38.2 years from 2010 to 2018. If there’s someone to blame, it’s the baby boomers. Many in that group of Americans born between...

Indiana County saw damage from its fourth tornado in less than a month on Sunday, according to the National Weather Service in Moon. A damage assessment team visited Green Township on Wednesday and determined that the EF1 tornado — capable of moderate damage — touched down at 7:55 p.m. The...

Eric Kasperowicz often was told by coaches and those close to him that he would make a good coach one day. When his playing days were over, he decided to find out. “I had a feeling that if I wasn’t going to play, I’d be a coach,” Kasperowicz said in...

Emergency responders rescued occupants of a vehicle surrounded by flood waters around midnight Wednesday, according to dispatches from the Westmoreland County Department of Public Safety. Monessen firefighters responded to Graham and Parente boulevards at 11:50 p.m. where about four people were stranded in a vehicle surrounded by flood waters. All...