Top Local and National News Stories category, Page 2
Rachel Carson Bridge closure highlights upcoming traffic restrictions in Pittsburgh region
The Rachel Carson Bridge will close for two weeks to facilitate Pittsburgh’s annual Three Rivers Arts Festival, which will bring live music and a variety of vendors to the brand-new Arts Landing complex Downtown. The bridge will close at 8 a.m. on Tuesday and reopen at 4 p.m. on June...
New Stanton turnpike interchange reopens after tractor-trailer truck rollover had it closed for 4 hours
The Route 119 southbound and Turnpike 66 interchange in New Stanton has reopened after being closed for about four hours due to a tractor trailer truck rollover Friday evening. Westmoreland County Public Safety said one person was injured. No other vehicles were involved in the wreck by the ramp leading...
Teen arrested in East Liberty beating that left man unconscious
A teenager has been arrested in the Thursday afternoon beating of a man in East Liberty, police announced Friday. Pittsburgh police charged the 16-year-old with aggravated assault. He was charged as a juvenile. Officers from the police bureau’s Zone 5 were dispatched around 4:50 p.m. to South St. Clair and...
Voodoo Brewing Co. in New Kensington in it for the long haul despite franchisor’s upcoming sale
Despite the Meadville-based Voodoo Brewing Co. franchisor announcing an upcoming asset sale, the New Kensington location will remain a community stalwart, according to manager Michelle Thom. Thom said, since it is independently owned, the business can operate even if the company is sold. “We’re basically the same as any other...
Andy Warhol Bridge to mark 100 years with public celebrationVideo
Allegheny County officials announced plans to celebrate the 100th birthday of Pittsburgh’s Andy Warhol Bridge, the oldest of the city’s three iconic Sister Bridges, as part of the nation’s 250th anniversary celebrations. The county will host a free public celebration on June 27 on the bridge, which will be closed...
Jeannette school directors consider restricting cellphone useVideo
A new policy being considered by Jeannette City School District directors would restrict student cellphones during instructional time, said superintendent Matt Jones. Directors unanimously approved an initial version of the policy this month and must vote for a second time in June before it is officially on the books. If...
How Dollar Tree is taking over former Rite Aid sites in Pittsburgh regionVideo
Nearly a year after Rite Aid shuttered 70 Pittsburgh-area stores during its bankruptcy proceedings, the retail fallout has left a distinct divide across southwestern Pennsylvania. Some towns remain pharmacy deserts, while others are seeing vacant storefronts claimed by dollar stores. For communities losing their only pharmacy, the closures created an...
Judge temporarily blocks payouts from Trump’s $1.776 billion ‘anti-weaponization’ settlement fund
WASHINGTON — A federal judge on Friday temporarily blocked the Trump administration from proceeding with a new $1.776 billion settlement fund for the Republican president’s allies who believe they were victims of a weaponized government, halting its formation or any potential payouts for at least the next two weeks. U.S....
Tim Benz: Carmen Mlodzinski seems ticked about his bullpen move … and I don’t blame him
Jared Jones is going back in the Pittsburgh Pirates’ starting rotation. He’ll be on the mound to open Friday’s game against Minnesota. That news was announced Thursday. That means Carmen Mlodzinski is getting moved to the bullpen. And he’s not happy about it. Nor should he be. Mlodzinski made four...
Pittsburgh weighs local control of liquor license noise complaints
Pittsburgh officials have begun what could be a lengthy process to give the city more control over noise complaints involving bars and restaurants with liquor licenses. Pittsburgh City Council members, state officials, entertainment venue operators and law enforcement representatives on Thursday discussed how state regulations intersect with the city’s noise...
Trump meeting with aides to make ‘final determination’ on moving forward with Iran deal
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump said Friday he’s holding a White House Situation Room meeting with his advisors as he looks to make a “final determination” on moving forward with a deal to extend the Iran ceasefire. Trump confirmed the high-level White House talks the day after The Associated Press...
Woodland Hills students find success, resiliency with STEAM, robotics programming
Elementary students in the Woodland Hills School District are learning more than how to build and program robots — they’re learning resilience, teamwork and how to push through frustration. In the program’s first year, students often cried or gave up when they struggled to successfully program their robots, said Tina...
In new memoir, Jill Biden wonders whether acknowledging Joe’s poor debate would have been better
WASHINGTON — In her new memoir, former first lady Jill Biden reflects on former President Joe Biden’s poor debate performance against Donald Trump nearly two years ago and wonders whether it would have been better to acknowledge it rather than reassure supporters afterward. The Democrat’s performance ultimately proved to be...
High water levels at Yough River Lake impede boatersVideo
At Yough Lake Marina along Route 40 in Somerset County, owner Shannon Leskinen said nobody can get from land to their docks. People usually walk down the ramp to their boats, but if they did that Thursday, the water would be “at their shoulders,” she said. The water at the...
Fatal Springdale Township shooting the result of a work dispute, police say
Jen Neumann stood over a sun-baked blood stain in an alley about a block away from her Springdale Township home Thursday morning. “It’s quiet here,” she said. “Nothing happens.” That may have been true until around 5:10 p.m. Wednesday. That’s when, Allegheny County police said, Niko Hostler shot his manager,...
Lee and Deluzio observe ‘concerning’ activity inside Moshannon ICE facility
Two Democrats from Allegheny County on Thursday conducted the first unannounced congressional visit under the Trump administration of the controversial Moshannon Valley Processing Center — finding what they said was concerning activity inside. U.S. Reps. Summer Lee of Swissvale and Chris Deluzio of Fox Chapel arrived with their teams around...
Sharpsburg man dies after pickup hits pole, collides with dump truck
A man has died after crashing into a pole and being hit by another vehicle in Sharpsburg. He was identified by the Allegheny County Medical Examiner as Zygmunt Olszewski, 76, of Sharpsburg. First responders from multiple communities were dispatched to the intersection of 18th and Main streets for a wreck...
UPMC, Highmark enjoy strong 1st quarter as health insurance premiums rise
UPMC finances held strong while Highmark started to bounce back from a tough 2025, according to first-quarter earnings released this week by the Pittsburgh-based health insurers and hospital networks. The organizations’ overall results were remarkably similar. UPMC made an operating profit of $261 million on $8.4 billion in revenue, and...
Pittsburgh investment fund manager ordered to pay $4.7M for wire fraud
A Pittsburgh investment manager will pay roughly $4.7 million in restitution and serve more than two years in prison for diverting massive sums from a family’s investment fund to conceal losing a longtime friend’s money. Thomas Pipich Jr., 74, was sentenced Thursday in federal court in Pittsburgh. He pleaded guilty...
White House to tighten grip on $1 trillion in federal grants
WASHINGTON — The White House is proposing a far-reaching rewrite of the rules on federal grants, consolidating its power over who benefits from federal financial assistance and what they can do with that money. A 412-page proposal published Thursday by the Office of Management and Budget could be the biggest...
Top federal prosecutor in Chicago denies investigation into E. Jean Carroll, disputing media reportsVideo
WASHINGTON — The top federal prosecutor in Chicago denied Thursday evening that his office had opened an investigation into E. Jean Carroll, the longtime advice columnist who has said Donald Trump sexually assaulted her in a New York department store 30 years ago, hours after multiple news organizations reported that...
Arrests at abandoned New Kensington hospital are latest problem at the site
After shuttering in 2021, a century-old medical institution in New Kensington has fallen into disrepair, attracted alleged criminal activity and become a nuisance to the city. Since Sunday, eight people have been arrested, charged with trying to steal copper wire from the former Citizens General Hospital, police said. New Kensington...
U.S., Iranian negotiators reach tentative deal to extend ceasefire and start new nuclear talks
WASHINGTON — U.S. and Iranian negotiators reached a tentative agreement Thursday to extend the ceasefire in the 3-month-old war by 60 days and start a new round of talks on Iran’s nuclear program, according to a U.S. official familiar with the matter. Iran did not immediately confirm any deal, and...
Western Pennsylvania’s wildest burgers stack up big flavor
Gourmet burgers continue to evolve in bold and big ways. From unusual flavor pairings to whopping-sized portions, unique condiments and deluxe toppings, just about anything goes these days. Once synonymous with the fast food industry, burgers have become more sophisticated and are showing up on menus in fun, funky and...
Lori Falce: The firsts and lasts of graduation
The firsts are easy to identify. We write down things like a baby’s first word. We take pictures of the cake smashed in tiny fists at a first birthday. A first tooth, a first haircut, a first Christmas. These are not just remembered but often memorialized. It is harder to...
