Top Stories category, Page 184
Pittsburgh’s Lou Astorino designed Vatican chapel used by Pope Francis
Pittsburgh’s connection to the Vatican was spotlighted for all the world to see this week. Pope Francis’ initial resting spot in death was the chapel of the Holy Spirit. It’s the work of Louis Astorino, the Pittsburgh architect who also designed PNC Park, PPG Paints Arena, UPMC Children’s Hospital of...
Hot enough for ya? Temperatures move above typical April in Western Pa.
Surprised by this week’s rise in temperatures? According to the National Weather Service’s Pittsburgh office in Moon, there is some validity to that reaction. Temperatures are forecast to reach into the low 80s on Thursday, with a 30% chance of going above 82 degrees, said meteorologist Liana Lupo. Late April...
Russian strike on Kyiv kills 12 in biggest attack on Ukrainian capital since last summer
KYIV, Ukraine — Russia pounded Kyiv with an hourslong barrage of missiles and drones Thursday, killing at least 12 people in its deadliest assault on the Ukrainian capital since July and drawing a rare rebuke of Moscow from U.S. President Donald Trump just as peace efforts were coming to a...
2nd rally planned to support Penn State New Kensington
Another rally supporting Penn State New Kensington is planned this week as a decision on the Upper Burrell campus’s fate is anticipated to be made in less than a month. The “Too Fast, Too Final” rally will be at Penn State New Kensington’s main parking lot in Upper Burrell, 3550...
Public health officials in Pa. won’t say how they’d handle a $500M cut sought by Trump admin
This story first appeared in How We Care, a weekly newsletter by Spotlight PA featuring original reporting and perspectives on how we care for one another at all stages of life. Pennsylvania health officials are facing down a potential $500 million loss of federal funding, but are tight-lipped about which...
Tariffs spark fireworks order cancellations as America’s 250th looms
Steve Kubrick believes he might have dodged a bullet for buying his fireworks for an Independence Day display in New Kensington last year before the U.S. tariffs on China came in. “I bought mine last year,” said Kubrick, owner of the AK Valley Park in New Kensington. “That might have...
Aliquippa man sentenced to 15 years for making, selling fake drugs on the darknet
An Aliquippa man was sentenced Wednesday to 15 years in federal prison in connection with a sweeping drug distribution scheme in which he manufactured counterfeit Oxycodone, Adderall and Xanax pills to sell. Jacob Blair, 27, pleaded guilty in December before U.S. District Court Judge Amy Berman Jackson to a charge...
Trump signs executive orders targeting colleges, plus schools’ equity efforts
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump has ordered sharper scrutiny of America’s colleges and the accreditors that oversee them, part of his escalating campaign to end what he calls “wokeness” and diversity efforts in education. In a series of executive actions signed Wednesday, Trump targeted universities that he views as liberal...
Eastbound Route 30 reopens near Cedar Street exit in Hempfield after 4-vehicle crash
Two people were taken to AHN Forbes Hospital in Monroeville on Wednesday after a four-vehicle crash on Route 30 in Hempfield, according to Mutual Aid spokesperson Shawn Penzera. Their conditions were unclear. Traffic was affected for four hours. The eastbound side of the highway was shut down in the area...
Lawsuit: Greensburg Central Catholic student injured after exposure to toxic fumes, fall
An eighth grade student at Greensburg Central Catholic Junior-Senior High School in Hempfield was injured after being exposed to toxic fumes in the school’s gymnasium, his father said in a lawsuit filed in Westmoreland County court. The lawsuit claims the student was among several children who became sick while attending...
Churchill drug trafficker’s plea for leniency fails to sway judge at sentencing
A Churchill man who federal officials said had hundreds of thousands of doses of fentanyl he planned to traffic in the Pittsburgh area will serve 21 years in prison. Leon C. Ford Sr., 58, was sentenced on Wednesday by Senior U.S. District Judge Arthur J. Schwab. A jury found Ford...
A dozen states sue Trump administration to stop tariff policy
NEW YORK — A dozen states sued the Trump administration Wednesday in the U.S. Court of International Trade in New York to stop its tariff policy, saying it is unlawful and has brought chaos to the American economy. The lawsuit said the policy put in place by President Donald Trump...
Ross pursues adding sharpshooters to archers to control deer population
Ross officials want to add sharpshooters to archery hunters to improve its efforts at controlling the deer population in the township. Commissioners on Monday authorized Suburban Whitetail Management to begin the process of a deer cull program in Ross. “It’s more or less nuisance control,” said Luke Leonard of McCandless,...
La Roche University international student sues feds over termination of status
A Saudi Arabian student at La Roche University in McCandless is suing the heads of U.S. Homeland Security and Immigration and Customs Enforcement alleging they illegally terminated his status as an international student. Khalid Alduaij, 26, filed the complaint Monday in federal court in Pittsburgh. On Wednesday, a judge granted...
Police pursuit of vehicle stolen from Butler County ends with crash in ShalerVideo
A police pursuit of a vehicle stolen in Butler County continued down Route 8 and ended with a crash in Shaler on Wednesday, according to authorities. Shaler officers were alerted to the crash off Eighth Avenue, near Route 8, shortly before 1 p.m., Shaler police Chief Sean Frank said. Officers...
Doing the math: Spat over affordable housing data frames Gainey vs. O’Connor race
A day after clashing with his Democratic rival in a televised debate, Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey on Wednesday doubled down on his claim that he’s “delivered” 1,600 units of affordable housing during his city hall tenure. Gainey has recited the statistic on the campaign trail time and again. He referenced...
Accused Hamas sympathizer from Moon charged with having pipe bombs, lying to U.S.
A former Pennsylvania Air National Guard member already accused of defacing Jewish religious property in Squirrel Hill has been indicted on new charges of possessing homemade pipe bombs and lying during a federal background check for top-secret clearance. The latest indictment, filed under seal Tuesday in federal court in Pittsburgh,...
ATI strikes labor deal with nearly 1,000 workers
ATI and its employees have reached a six-year labor agreement. The deal was announced Wednesday, about a week after ATI and the United Steelworkers union reached a tentative agreement on wages, working conditions and benefits for nearly 1,000 employees. Many produce specialty alloys at the company’s Harrison, Vandergrift and Latrobe...
Feds OK settlement between Shapiro, grid manager to control electricity prices
Federal regulators approved a deal between Gov. Josh Shapiro and PJM Interconnection to limit some electricity price hikes. PJM is a regional transmission organization, which works to secure generation capacity for utility companies within its 13-state network. It holds annual auctions in which the lowest bidder earns the right —...
Rockaway Pizzeria sets opening date in Regent Square
The wait is finally over — Rockaway Pizzeria 3.0 will open in Regent Square next week. Owner Josh Sickels said the new location’s grand opening on Braddock Avenue will take place starting at 11 a.m. on May 2. But the wait to actually get a slice of pizza will be...
26 Walmart stores in Pa. to be remodeled
Walmart announced Wednesday it plans to remodel 26 stores across Pennsylvania this year, including some local shops. The nearest stores in the greater Pittsburgh area getting remodeled include Richland, Harrison, Johnstown, Washington, Somerset, Monaca and Punxsutawney. The remodels will focus on enhancing the associate experience and community engagement, Walmart said....
Gov. Shapiro denounces violence in recounting arson attack in New York Times guest essay
Gov. Josh Shapiro recounted the arson attack that burned through his Harrisburg home earlier this month, penning a guest essay published Wednesday in the New York Times. A state trooper alerted Shapiro and his wife, Lori, of the fire just after 2 a.m. April 13. They escaped without injury from...
Logging poised to accelerate in Allegheny National Forest under emergency declaration
Swaths of Allegheny National Forest in northwestern Pennsylvania could be on the chopping block as the federal government moves to increase logging in national forests across the country, a move environmental advocates say could leave lasting harm. In a memo released this month, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins put...
NFL Draft HQ 2025: Who Steelers might pick, position breakdowns, mock drafts
The Pittsburgh Steelers have six overall picks in the 2025 NFL Draft, starting with the 21st overall in the first round. Here are the team’s picks: • Round 1, selection 21 overall • Round 3, selection 83 • Round 4, selection 123 • Round 5, selection 156 • Round 6,...
3 generations of Arnold family facing charges in drug bust
An Arnold grandmother, her daughter and 15-year-old grandson are facing criminal charges after a drug bust last week that, police say, turned up $13,000 worth of crack cocaine and suspected fentanyl. Desdrene Smith, 64, and Brittany Shelton, 34, each are charged with felony counts of possession with intent to deliver...
