Top Stories category, Page 194
Allegheny County chief public defender placed on administrative leave
Allegheny County Chief Public Defender Lena Bryan-Henderson is on paid administrative leave pending an ongoing human resources investigation. “The county prioritizes dignity and respect for all our employees, and we will not comment on personnel matters,” said county spokeswoman Abigail Gardner. Bryan-Henderson, who was appointed in January 2024, had no...
China raises its retaliatory tariff on the U.S. to 84% as it vows to ‘fight to the end’
BANGKOK — China again vowed to “fight to the end” Wednesday in an escalating trade war with the U.S. as it announced it would raise tariffs on American goods to 84% from Thursday. Beijing also added an array of countermeasures after U.S. President Donald Trump raised the total tariff on...
Trump disrupts global economic order even though U.S. is dominant
WASHINGTON — By declaring a trade war on the rest of the world, President Donald Trump has panicked global financial markets, raised the risk of a recession and broken the political and economic alliances that made much of the world stable for business after World War II. Trump’s latest round...
At $24.5 million, Norwin stadium project bids come in lower than expected
Demolishing the Norwin Knights stadium’s home grandstand, rebuilding the bleachers and renovating the multisport facility is expected to cost less than the $25 million estimate the district received last year. R.A. Glancy & Sons Inc. of Hampton submitted the apparent low bid of $19.9 million for the general construction work. There...
‘An officer-wellness move’: Local police departments transitioning to longer shifts
When Washington Township police officers had the idea more than a year ago to work longer shifts, Chief Jason Montgomery was all ears. Since January 2024, Montgomery has been scheduling officers for three 12-hour shifts per week instead of five eight-hour shifts. Officers say they have a better work-life balance...
Pirates left to explain why personalized ‘Bucco Bricks’ from PNC Park ended up on scrap heap
In the latest of a series of events aggravating the team’s fans, the Pittsburgh Pirates issued a statement Tuesday explaining the appearance of commemorative bricks once displayed outside PNC Park at a recycling center. The “Bucco Bricks” program began in 1999. For $75-$150, fans could personalize a message on a...
Pa. mine safety, research offices targeted for closure as president touts coal
The health and safety of coal miners could be in danger if the Trump administration eliminates mine safety employees, including those working at the Mine Safety and Health Administration office in Hempfield that oversees nine states, according to a union official. The Trump administration’s Department of Government Efficiency has trumpeted...
IRS acting commissioner resigning after deal to share immigrants’ tax information with ICE
WASHINGTON — The acting comissioner of the Internal Revenue Service is resigning over a deal to share immigrants’ tax data with Immigration and Customs Enforcement for the purpose of identifying and deporting people illegally in the U.S., according to two people familiar with the decision. Melanie Krause, who had served...
Lawsuit filed against driver, delivery company by family of woman killed in Oakland hit-and-run
The estate of a woman struck and killed in Oakland last year is suing the driver and his employer. Brian Maroney’s wife, Jessie Maroney, was killed on Dec. 5 as she crossed the road at Darragh and Terrace streets. According to the lawsuit, she was near the middle of the...
Staff cuts, health care savings put dent in Pine-Richland’s budget deficit
Savings in health care and those expected from staff cuts are putting a dent in the deficit that the Pine-Richland School District is forecasting for the 2025-26 school year. In addition to not replacing several departing employees, the school board also is being asked to consider increases in student activity...
AP wins reinstatement to White House events after judge rules government can’t restrict its journalists
A federal judge ordered the White House on Tuesday to restore The Associated Press’ full access to cover presidential events, ruling on a case that touched at the heart of the First Amendment and affirming that the government cannot punish the news organization for the content of its speech. U.S.....
Police shooting in East Vandergrift justified, says DA
Westmoreland County District Attorney Nicole Ziccarelli has found police were justified in fatally shooting a suspect during a February raid in East Vandergrift. Ziccarelli announced her ruling Tuesday, marking the first official public account of why authorities opened fire on Lyle Cessna, 52. TribLive previously obtained court documents detailing the...
Rob Gronkowski returns to Woodland Hills to break in new fitness center
Rob Gronkowski remembers contending with rust on the bar when doing clean lifts 15 years ago at Woodland Hills High School. “It was dirty in here,” Gronkowski told a crowd of excited Woodland Hills student athletes Tuesday as he helped open the school’s renovated fitness center. Gronk, as the now-35-year-old...
Video: Suspects grab $3K in merchandise from Hempfield Dick’s, flee storeVideo
Three people darted in to the Dick’s Sporting Goods store in Hempfield this week, grabbed $3,000 worth of merchandise and ran out, according to state police. Troopers arrested one of the suspects, but are seeking help to identify the other two. The theft was reported around 11:30 a.m. Sunday at...
Ew! Pittsburgh council member warns skeptics trash emergency is not rubbish
Pittsburgh City Councilperson Bob Charland stood Tuesday morning in a Knoxville alley where food wrappers and paper plates poked out of discarded garbage bags and a box of hypodermic needles lay smashed on the road. “I am sick and tired of our neighborhoods looking like no one cares about them,”...
Trump’s new insult ‘Panican’ becomes part of tariff debate
Fresh from Donald Trump’s insult factory is a new word: Panican. Trump unveiled the linguistic invention Monday in social media posts calling out those critical of his newly imposed tariffs. “The United States has a chance to do something that should have been done DECADES AGO. Don’t be Weak! Don’t...
Federal crackdown on foreign students hits CMU, Pitt, Penn State
The U.S. government in recent weeks has terminated the visas of international students at universities across Pennsylvania, including in Pittsburgh, as part of a national crackdown on foreign scholars. Students have been targeted at Carnegie Mellon University, the University of Pittsburgh, Penn State University, the University of Pennsylvania and elsewhere....
Yes, Western Pa. pays more for gas. You might be surprised how much more
If you feel like Western Pennsylvanians pay more for gasoline, you’re right. You can blame geography, experts say. Within the state — already home to the nation’s ninth-most expensive gasoline and the country’s third-highest gas tax — fuel costs more in the Pittsburgh region than almost anywhere, including the Philadelphia...
App aims to help drivers avoid potholes
A New Kensington man and his business partner are taking pothole matters into their own hands … or phones. George Brian has partnered with City Bucket List, an app that helps people get around Pittsburgh while also highlighting attractions and places to eat and drink. He wants the app also...
Supreme Court blocks order requiring Trump administration to reinstate thousands of federal workers
WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court on Tuesday blocked an order for the Trump administration to return to work thousands of federal employees who were let go in mass firings aimed at dramatically downsizing the federal government. The justices acted in the administration’s emergency appeal of a ruling by a federal...
Driver faces trial on charges of being high when he struck man in wheelchair, breaking his neck
A 63-year-old man was high on methamphetamine and driving with a suspended license when he darted his car around a Pittsburgh Regional Transit bus in Duquesne last September and struck a man in a wheelchair, breaking his neck, police said. The driver, Nicola Migliori, of Monongahela, had his preliminary hearing...
White House keeps world guessing as clock ticks down to Trump’s new tariffs
WASHINGTON — Less than one hour before the stock market closed on Monday, journalists gathered in the Oval Office for their only chance of the day to ask President Donald Trump about the turmoil caused by his tariff plans. Are the new tariffs, scheduled to take effect on Wednesday, a...
Trump signs executive orders to boost coal, a reliable but polluting energy source
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump on Tuesday signed a series of executive orders aimed at boosting the struggling coal industry, a reliable but polluting energy source that’s long been in decline. Under the four orders, Trump uses his emergency authority to allow some older coal-fired power plants set for retirement...
Stocks dive after another stunning reversal as uncertainty reigns about Trump’s tariffsVideo
NEW YORK — Stocks dove Tuesday following another stunning reversal, with Wall Street veering from a huge gain at the opening of trading to more losses at the close, because investors still have no idea what to make of President Donald Trump’s trade war, which is scheduled to kick into...
Man accused in carjacking, theft of Lucky the dog extradited to Westmoreland CountyVideo
Linda Folino hopes the extradition Tuesday of a man accused of carjacking her father in East Huntingdon and stealing his dog Lucky brings some closure to the family. “We just want to know what happened to Lucky,” Folino said. State police hope they can find out. Troopers planned to interview...
