Top Stories category, Page 220
Lawyers argue whether woman who pleaded guilty in Oakmont child death meant to kill
Alexis Herrera clearly thought of the 3-year-old girl as less than human, the prosecutor said. Herrera withheld food and water. She tied the girl up. She made her sit on the potty for hours. She struck her. She let the other children in the house hurt the girl, too. All...
Senate confirms Linda McMahon to lead Education Department as Trump pushes to shut it down
WASHINGTON — The Senate voted Monday to confirm former wrestling executive Linda McMahon as the nation’s education chief, a role that places her atop a department that President Donald Trump has vilified and vowed to dismantle. McMahon will face the competing tasks of winding down the Education Department while also...
Police charge trucker in West Virginia crash that pushed SUV of Fayette man into Cheat Lake
An arrest warrant has been issued for a tractor-trailer driver who authorities said was driving recklessly during a January snowstorm when the rig collided with an SUV driven by a Fayette County man, propelling it into West Virginia’s Cheat Lake. The Monongalia County Sheriff’s Office charged Sukhjinder Singh of New...
Where is the top-selling liquor store in Pennsylvania?
The wine and liquor store atop the Eastside retail center at the border of Pittsburgh’s Shadyside and East Liberty neighborhoods has been in elite company for more than five years. But in the 2023-24 fiscal year, the Fine Wine & Good Spirits Premium Collection tallied the most sales in the...
Ukrainian supporters rally in Pittsburgh after Trump’s contentious meeting with Zelenskyy
Monday’s lunch hour in Downtown Pittsburgh featured a sea of blue and yellow as rallygoers gathered on Grant Street to support Ukraine in the wake of President Donald Trump’s contentious meeting Friday with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the White House. Chants of “Ukrainians and Zelenskyy proud and true, the...
Gainey, O’Connor trade barbs over campaign money from GOP donors
Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey on Monday slammed his opponent in the upcoming Democratic mayoral primary race for accepting campaign donations from Republicans. But Gainey acknowledged he’s taken money from GOP contributors, too. His challenger, Allegheny County Controller Corey O’Connor, said he’s proud to have gathered a diverse array of voters...
Trump says 25% tariffs on Mexican, Canadian imports will start Tuesday, with ‘no room’ for delayVideo
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump said Monday that 25% taxes on imports from Mexico and Canada would start Tuesday, sparking renewed fears of a North American trade war that already showed signs of pushing up inflation and hindering growth. “Tomorrow — tariffs 25% on Canada and 25% on Mexico. And...
Dow drops nearly 650 as worries build about the economy as a result of Trump’s latest tariff announcementVideo
NEW YORK — Stocks tumbled Monday and wiped out out even more of their gains since President Donald Trump ’s election in November, after he said that tariffs announced earlier on Canada and Mexico would take effect within hours. The S&P 500 dropped 1.8% after Trump said there was “no...
Man accused of attacking Arnold landlord after breaking into woman’s apartment
Police responded to an Arnold apartment building Friday night after a city officer heard a man attacking its landlord over the phone, according to a criminal complaint filed in the case. Police charged Joseph Anthony Rodrigue, 20, with felony counts of aggravated assault, burglary and criminal trespass and misdemeanor charges...
Federal workers face 2nd Musk deadline to explain their work last week
WASHINGTON — Federal employees face a midnight deadline to comply with Elon Musk ‘s second demand for reports on their recent accomplishments, a request that has become a flashpoint within the government workforce. Musk and President Donald Trump have suggested that employees who don’t comply could get fired. They’ve also...
Uncertainty swirling for university researchers impacted by proposed NIH cuts
Democrats and university officials say uncertainty is rampant after proposed cuts to the National Institutes of Health, and fear the move could cost the region thousands of jobs and hundreds of millions of dollars. About 21,000 jobs are supported by NIH funding in the state, according to figures cited by...
Pope Francis suffers new breathing crises, is back on noninvasive ventilation, Vatican says
ROME — Pope Francis suffered two new episodes of acute respiratory crises Monday and was put back on noninvasive mechanical ventilation, the Vatican said. Francis had inhaled “copious” amounts of mucus in another setback in what has become a more than two-week battle to overcome a complex respiratory infection and...
Here are some goods in the crosshairs of Trump’s tariffs on Mexico, Canada and China
President Donald Trump was poised to impose 25% taxes on imports from Canada and Mexico Tuesday and to double to 20% his levies on Chinese products. All three countries — America’s top trading partners — are threatening retaliation. The United States last year did nearly $2.2 trillion in the trade...
Trump hits ‘pause’ on U.S. aid to Ukraine after Oval dustup, pressuring Zelenskyy on Russia talks
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump on Monday directed a “pause” to U.S. assistance to Ukraine after a disastrous Oval Office meeting as he seeks to pressure Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to engage in peace talks with Russia. A White House official said Trump is focused on reaching a peace deal...
Senate will vote on confirming Linda McMahon to lead an education agency Trump has vowed to close
WASHINGTON — The Senate is voting Monday on whether to confirm former wrestling executive Linda McMahon as the nation’s education chief, a role that would place her atop a department that President Donald Trump has vilified and vowed to dismantle. McMahon would face the competing tasks of winding down the...
Pitt-Greensburg reading initiative to focus on mental health as anxiety, loneliness remain high
It’s not uncommon for Sheila Confer to hear that her students at University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg are struggling with their mental health. An assistant professor of interdisciplinary studies and Academic Village director, Confer has noticed an uptick in mental health conversations with her students. It’s particularly the case during...
UPMC reports $339 million operating loss in 2024
UPMC lost $929,000 a day last year amid a spending spree on new and expanded facilities. In its end-of-year financial report, the hospital and health insurance giant placed its operating losses at $339 million, up 71% from the previous year, when losses hit $198 million in 2023. UPMC attributed $128...
Westmoreland Cultural Trust plan calls for expanded programs, theater, event suite upgrades
Benjamin Luczak estimates the Westmoreland Cultural Trust has invested more than $1 million recently in upgrades and repairs at The Palace Theatre. Luczak, CEO of the trust, expects it will make even more capital improvements at the Greensburg venue, as set forth in the nonprofit’s new three-year strategic plan. The...
How to watch the 1st joint address to Congress of Trump’s 2nd term
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump on Tuesday night will deliver the first joint congressional address of his second presidency. It’s not officially called the State of the Union, a title reserved for a president’s annual address to Congress during other years of an administration. But it is an opportunity for...
Morning Roundup: Man shot in Homewood North; 4 injured in Ross crash
Here are some of the latest news items from this morning, Monday, March 3: Man shot in Homewood North Police said a man was shot late Saturday night in Pittsburgh’s Homewood North neighborhood after several blocks were hit with a barrage of gunfire. Officers were dispatched just before midnight to...
In wake of York shooting, security experts see no perfect cure for hospital violence
When Andy Armenta learned of the hostage situation unfolding at UPMC Memorial hospital in York County, he immediately thought of his brush with hospital violence 25 years ago in California. Armenta, a biomedical engineer, was on the first floor of West Anaheim Medical Center the morning of Sept. 15, 1999,...
CDC estimates flu vaccine effectiveness as cases slam the region
This year’s flu vaccine has been effective overall against the current strains of the virus, despite cases and hospitalizations surging in the region, according to the latest federal data. About 54.9% of the influenza A H3N2 strains — which is causing about half of all cases this season — is...
TV Talk: Winning host Conan O’Brien presides over niche Oscars
It was tough for the 97th annual Academy Awards telecast to put its best foot forward when so many viewers saw so few of the niche movies nominated for best picture, an award that ultimately went to “Anora,” which won five Oscars total. The best Oscar telecast producers could do...
Pa. GOP House members vote for measure that could cut Medicaid, threaten care for constituents
Pennsylvania faces billions in Medicaid and other health funding cuts, which could force tens of thousands out of programs, under a budget resolution approved by Congressional Republicans, according to opposition groups. The Center for American Progress (CAP) and Commonwealth Communications’ PA Accountability Hub, both left-leaning outfits, have criticized Republican U.S....
Strip club Cinderella story ‘Anora’ wins best picture at 97th Academy AwardsVideo
LOS ANGELES — “Anora,” a strip club Cinderella story without the fairy tale ending, was crowned best picture at the 97th Academy Awards on Sunday, handing Sean Baker’s gritty, Brooklyn-set screwball farce Hollywood’s top prize. In a stubbornly fluctuating Oscar season, “Anora,” the Palme d’Or-winner at the Cannes Film Festival,...
