Top Stories category, Page 218
Fetterman calls out Democrats for ‘unhinged petulance’ during Trump address
U.S. Sen. John Fetterman, D-Braddock, called out members of his own party for their protests during President Donald Trump’s address to Congress on Tuesday night. “A sad cavalcade of self-owns and unhinged petulance. It only makes Trump look more presidential and restrained,” Fetterman wrote Wednesday afternoon on the social media...
Trump issues ‘last warning’ to Hamas to release all remaining hostages held in Gaza
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump on Wednesday issued what he called a “last warning” to Hamas to release all remaining hostages held in Gaza, directing a sharply worded message after the White House confirmed that he had recently dispatched an envoy for unprecedented direct talks with the militant group. Trump,...
Pennsylvania to spend $10 million on new voter registration system
HARRISBURG — Pennsylvania is spending more than $10 million to replace its electronic voter registration database with an election management system that will also provide election night results and handle campaign finance filings and lobbyist registration. Secretary of State Al Schmidt announced Wednesday the Civix system should be fully in...
Prosecutors refute defense claims, say there’s no doubt Unity woman was murdered
Westmoreland County prosecutors on Wednesday issued a stern rebuke of claims made by the lawyer of a Unity man charged with killing his former girlfriend. Prosecutors said the lawyer for Thomas Stanko in court documents filed last month falsely claimed it was accepted as fact that no evidence supports claims...
Porch pirate steals packages in Greensburg, Fox Chapel, Plum; Indiana County man charged
An Indiana County man is accused by state police of taking packages delivered to porches in Greensburg, Fox Chapel and Plum and then putting the stolen goods up for sale on Facebook Marketplace. Troopers said they found numerous stolen packages at John D. Manning’s home in Armstrong Township, just outside...
Employees cut by feds could get Pa., Allegheny County jobs
People who lose their federal government jobs are being recruited to fill positions with Pennsylvania and Allegheny County government. It remains unclear how many of the more than 16,000 federal employees who live in the Pittsburgh metropolitan area will be affected by the cuts. But, on Wednesday, Gov. Josh Shapiro...
Hotel Saxonburg closes after 193 years in business
Saxonburg’s longest continually operating hotel, restaurant and bar is closed. Ownership for the Hotel Saxonburg broke the news in a social media post on Wednesday. “After much consideration, the decision has been made to cease operations due to health issues, rising costs of food and the growing expenses associated with...
New Kensington-Arnold’s Project SEED packs 100,000th bag of food for children in need
A child in the New Kensington-Arnold School District received a special bag of food for this weekend. Project SEED, which stands for “Something to Eat Every Day,” marked a milestone Friday, distributing its 100,000th bag of food in the school district. The project combats childhood hunger during the school year...
Ex-Pittsburgh police commander claims secret recordings were part of misconduct probe
A former Pittsburgh police commander claims that he hid body-worn cameras inside his officers’ vehicles as part of an official investigation into misconduct, and therefore he is entitled to be represented by city attorneys in an ongoing lawsuit over the issue. Matthew Lackner, 50, of Mt. Lebanon, is suing the...
Discord dominates Pittsburgh politics after Ragland’s abrupt departure
It was a day of finger-pointing in Pittsburgh politics. City leaders blamed each other Wednesday for the abrupt resignation this week of Christopher Ragland, the former assistant police chief and Mayor Ed Gainey’s pick to lead the police force. Gainey accused City Council members of hounding his nominee until he...
Scottdale man charged in death of passenger in 2021 crash
A Scottdale man was arrested Wednesday on state police accusations that he was driving a pickup truck that crashed, causing the death of his passenger. Earl Brooks Gilbert IV, 38, is charged with homicide by vehicle, reckless endangerment and related offenses in connection with the 2021 death of Brandalyn Pomaibo,...
Trump administration plans to cut 80,000 employees from Veterans Affairs, according to internal memoVideo
WASHINGTON — The Department of Veterans Affairs is planning a reorganization that includes cutting over 80,000 jobs from the sprawling agency that provides health care for many former service members, according to an internal memo obtained Wednesday by The Associated Press. The VA’s chief of staff, Christopher Syrek, told top-level...
Trump grants 1 month exemption for US automakers from new tariffs on imports from Mexico, Canada
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump is granting a one-month exemption on his stiff new tariffs on imports from Mexico and Canada for U.S. automakers, amid fears that the trade war could harm U.S. manufacturers. The announcement comes after Trump spoke with leaders of the “big 3” automakers, Ford, General Motors,...
Veterans are speaking out on the Trump administration’s plans to cut the VA’s budget
NORFOLK, Va. — Stephen Watson served in the Marines for 22 years and receives care through the Department of Veterans Affairs for a traumatic brain injury. He supports President Donald Trump and adviser Elon Musk’s cost-cutting program — even if it affects the VA. “We’re no better because we’re veterans,”...
Real ID deadline is approaching
The deadline is quickly approaching to acquire a Real ID to fly domestically. Starting on May 7, anyone 18 years of age or older will need a Real ID or another acceptable form of identification to fly domestically or visit certain Federal and military facilities, as well as enter nuclear...
Trudeau not willing to lift Canada’s retaliatory tariffs if Trump leaves some tariffs on Canada
TORONTO — Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is unwilling to lift Canada’s retaliatory tariffs on the United States if President Donald Trump leaves any U.S. tariffs on Canada, a senior government official told The Associated Press on Wednesday. The official confirmed Trudeau’s stance on the condition of anonymity because they...
No limits on Sunday hunting proposed for Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania lawmakers are taking another look at making hunting a seven-day-a-week activity, when in season. State Sen. Dan Laughlin, R-Erie, this week introduced Senate Bill 67 to fully repeal Pennsylvania’s prohibition on Sunday hunting. It builds on Act 107 of 2019 that permitted hunting on three Sundays. A similar bill...
Detroit man pleads guilty but mentally ill to fatal Greyhound bus stabbing on Parkway East
A Detroit man who called his victim a “demon” pleaded guilty but mentally ill Wednesday to the fatal stabbing of a fellow passenger on a Greyhound bus in 2023. Javon Garrett, 20, admitted to stabbing Cozell McQueen late at night on July 30, 2023, as the bus traveled along the...
3 Western Pa. federal buildings listed, then removed, to be closed or sold
The Trump administration on Tuesday released a list of hundreds of federal properties it says it could close or sell, including offices for the Social Security Administration and Internal Revenue Service, after deeming them “not core to government operations.” The list, which has since been taken down from the General...
Takeaways: Trump’s address to Congress shows country’s stark partisan divide
WASHINGTON — A president’s speech to Congress — even without the formal gloss of a State of the Union address — is typically a time for a call to national unity and predictable claims about the country being strong. But that wasn’t President Donald Trump’s plan. His speech on Tuesday...
Ash Wednesday: Tradition meets convenience when it comes to buying ashes
Online shopping has become a way of life — even for the Catholic Church. In preparation for Ash Wednesday, a rising number of religious leaders are forgoing the tradition of burning palms and instead buying ashes on the web. “Actually, the manufactured ones stick better and are darker,” said Joan...
China will increase its defense budget 7.2% this year
TAIPEI, Taiwan — China said Wednesday it will increase its defense budget 7.2% this year. The budget was announced at the National People’s Congress, the annual meeting of China’s legislature. The Pentagon and many experts say China’s total defense spending may be 40% higher or more because of items included...
Cybercrime crew stole then resold hundreds of tickets to Swift concerts, prosecutors say
NEW YORK — A cybercrime crew stole then resold more than 900 digital tickets to Taylor Swift concerts and other pricey events on StubHub, according to prosecutors in New York. The international scam involved people working in Jamaica for a firm contracted by the online ticket marketplace, Queens District Attorney...
BlackRock strikes deal to bring ports on both sides of Panama Canal under American control
A Hong Kong-based conglomerate has agreed to sell its controlling stake in a subsidiary that operates ports near the Panama Canal to a consortium including BlackRock Inc., effectively putting the ports under American control after President Donald Trump alleged Chinese interference with the operations of the critical shipping lane. In...
IRS drafting plans to cut as much as half of its 90,000-person workforce
WASHINGTON — The IRS is drafting plans to cut its workforce by as much as half through a mix of layoffs, attrition and incentivized buyouts, according to two people familiar with the situation. The people spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren’t authorized to disclose the plans. The layoffs...
