Top Stories category, Page 216
College faculty, students, union members rally in Pittsburgh to defend higher education
The government is robbing Americans of the research and treatments they deserve, a University of Pittsburgh laboratory manager said during a rally Thursday in Schenley Plaza. Diversity, equity and inclusion aren’t mere buzzwords, said an associate dean from Pitt. This was the sentiment from Pittsburgh-based professors, leaders and union members...
News media hail Google ‘monopoly’ ruling
News media organizations applauded a federal judge’s ruling Thursday that Google, the premier internet search engine, illegally monopolized the lucrative online advertising market. U.S. District Judge Leonie Brinkema ruled that Google, a $348 billion behemoth owned by Alphabet Inc., created a monopoly over advertising software used by publishers. “This ruling...
Westmoreland revises plans for county’s newest industrial park
Construction of Westmoreland County’s 20th industrial park could begin in 2027 on a revised plan for a 110-acre site that straddles Hempfield and Unity townships. Jason Rigone, executive director of the Westmoreland County Industrial Development Corp., said Thursday the final design work could soon begin for the proposed $8 million...
Pittsburgh controller warns city could end year $15M over budget for overtime
The City of Pittsburgh has already spent about 39% of its budget for holiday and overtime pay, reigniting concerns that its spending plan this year may not be feasible. Controller Rachael Heisler projects Pittsburgh will likely end up about $15 million over budget in premium pay if expenses continue at...
Some Pennsylvania Jews reminded of Tree of Life shooting after arson attack on Gov. Josh Shapiro’s home
HARRISBURG — A year ago, Carole Zawatsky was invited by Gov. Josh Shapiro to a Passover Seder, held in the same room at the governor’s official residence that was devastated by an arsonist just hours after Shapiro hosted this year’s Jewish holiday feast. Now, as she looks at photos of...
Penn State branch campus closure announcement delayed
Upper Burrell Supervisor Ross G. Walker III hopes no news is good news. The longtime township supervisor said that, since learning of the potential closure of his township’s Penn State New Kensington campus, he has not heard anything from Penn State administration regarding the school’s future. “It could make you...
Google’s digital ad network declared an illegal monopoly, joining its search engine
SAN FRANCISCO — Google has been branded an abusive monopolist by a federal judge for the second time in less than a year, this time for illegally exploiting some of its online marketing technology to boost the profits fueling an internet empire currently worth $1.8 trillion. The ruling issued Thursday...
Florida State gunman used deputy mom’s former service weapon to kill 2 and wound 6, authorities sayVideo
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — The 20-year-old son of a sheriff’s deputy opened fire Thursday at Florida State University with his mother’s former service weapon, killing two people and wounding at least six others, investigators said. Officers quickly arrived and shot and wounded the shooter after he refused to comply with commands,...
2 men plead guilty in fatal Penn Hills shooting
Two men on Wednesday pleaded guilty in connection with a 2022 shooting death in Penn Hills. Brandin Demonde Jackson, 33, of Wilkinsburg, and Raquan Jackson, 24, of Penn Hills will be sentenced July 10 by Allegheny County Common Pleas Judge Jill E. Rangos. The two are not related. Brandin Jackson...
Trump administration takes aim at Harvard’s international students and tax-exempt status
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump’s administration has escalated its ongoing battle with Harvard, threatening to revoke the university’s ability to host international students as the president called for withdrawing Harvard’s tax-exempt status. The Department of Homeland Security ordered Harvard late Tuesday to turn over “detailed records” of its foreign student...
Columbia Gas seeks 11.3% hike; consumer advocate claims rate is higher
Columbia Gas of Pennsylvania wants to boost the monthly gas bill of a typical residential customer 11.3%, but a state consumer advocate says the change could be illegal. The gas distribution rate hike from Columbia Gas would raise the average residential monthly gas bill from $138.50 to $154.30, while small...
Heritage Valley CEO: Sewickley hospital here to stay, even as system consolidates
The head of Heritage Valley Health System says the network’s Sewickley hospital isn’t going anywhere, despite the upcoming closure of its Kennedy counterpart. “Clearly, there is a need for a hospital in that Sewickley community,” Heritage Valley President and CEO Norm Mitry told TribLive. “We don’t foresee any negative impact...
Trump suggests he can remove Fed Chair Powell, saying he’s ‘not happy’ with him over interest rates
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump attacked Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell on Thursday for not cutting interest rates and said he could fire him if he wanted to, renewing a threat from his first term that could cause a major legal showdown over the issue of the central bank’s longstanding...
Massive steel transport expected to slow traffic on Western Pa. roads
A truck carrying a massive load of 153 tons of steel will wind its way through Western Pennsylvania on Thursday, slowing traffic on major arteries from Allegheny County to Columbiana County, Ohio. The superload will cause rolling traffic stoppages as it needs two lanes to move through, PennDOT officials said....
Officials look at possible connection between 2 found dead in Butler and Beaver counties
Two people were found dead in separate incidents Wednesday — one in Butler County, the other in Beaver County, the Pennsylvania State Police report. First, a 47-year-old woman was found shot inside an apartment complex at about 1 p.m. in Jackson Township, Butler County. She was discovered at her Creekside...
Improvements on track for Latrobe’s Amtrak station
A long-awaited update of Latrobe’s Amtrak station is expected to get underway in the weeks ahead. City officials reported project representatives have been checking with the Pennsylvania One Call System to determine the location of underground utilities in preparation for beginning construction. “I’m thrilled it’s finally going to happen,” Jarod...
6 buildings to be razed, others renovated at New Kensington Advanced Manufacturing Park
A familiar, if not attractive, sight to motorists on the New Kensington Bridge soon will be gone. Red brick buildings, known for decades for being empty and having smashed windows, are among six at the New Kensington Advanced Manufacturing Park to be demolished over the summer as remediation efforts at...
Conor Lamb and Lindsay Powell ‘stand in’ for Fetterman and McCormick at Swissvale town hall
More than 200 people filled a Swissvale church basement Wednesday night for a town hall featuring what organizers called two stand-ins for Pennsylvania’s U.S. Sens. John Fetterman and Dave McCormick. One of the stand-ins, former U.S. Rep. Conor Lamb, told TribLive prior to taking the stage that he felt the...
Head Start funding lags by nearly $1 billion this year, causing some preschool closures
Head Start centers across the U.S. have received nearly $1 billion less in federal money compared with this time last year — and a lag in funding this week has caused some preschool classrooms for low-income children to close. The federal government has distributed $1.6 billion for Head Start from...
Family reports 18-year-old hiker in stable condition after fall from cliff in Harrison Hills Park
First responders spent around two hours helping to rescue an 18-year-old woman on Wednesday who reportedly fell off a cliff in Harrison Hills Park, according to TribLive news partner WTAE. Emergency crews arrived around 2:50 p.m. and could be seen pulling the woman from a hillside. She seemed to fall...
Cranberry man pleads guilty to assaulting girlfriend on cruise ship
A Cranberry man will serve one year in federal prison after pleading guilty on Wednesday to attacking his girlfriend while aboard a Norwegian cruise ship in international waters in 2022. Quintin Owens, 28, of Cranberry, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court on Wednesday to one count of assault, a misdemeanor....
Scott lawyer who broke bad gets prison for dealing meth
James France has an Ivy League education and practiced corporate law at two of the biggest firms in Pittsburgh. But by 2015, federal investigators said, he was also a large-scale methamphetamine dealer who would obtain vast quantities of the drug in California and then ship it back to Pittsburgh inside...
$1.2M project will replace asbestos-infused cement water pipe in North Huntingdon
A $1.2 million project was approved Wednesday to replace a nearly mile-long stretch of waterline in North Huntingdon, including a 75-year-old section of cement pipe that is infused with asbestos. Officials called the project a standard replacement for the existing line that runs along McKee Road, from Clay Pike to...
Gainey, Lee call for ‘unprecedented unity’ in battling Trump administration
Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey and U.S. Rep. Summer Lee vowed Wednesday to do what they can to protect constituents hurt by President Donald Trump’s administration — but warned they can’t go it alone. Standing up to the White House will take advocacy from labor unions, activists and civil liberties organizations,...
Pittsburgh International Airport to adjust security checkpoints
Pittsburgh International Airport is making changes to its security checkpoints. Travelers who are enrolled in TSA PreCheck and are ticketed to fly out of Pittsburgh should proceed directly to the main security checkpoint starting May 5. There, they will receive expedited screening benefits as PreCheck members. The alternate security checkpoint...
