Top Stories category, Page 221
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,...
Francis didn’t need mechanical ventilation on Sunday after respiratory crisis Friday, Vatican says
ROME — Pope Francis remained in stable condition and didn’t need any mechanical ventilation on Sunday, the Vatican said. It was a sign that his respiratory function was improving as he continues his recovery from double pneumonia and a respiratory crisis. The 88-year-old pope did continue to receive high flow...
Starmer says Europe faces a ‘once in a generation moment’ as leaders discuss ending war in UkraineVideo
LONDON — British Prime Minister Keir Starmer rallied his European counterparts Sunday to shore up their borders and throw their full weight behind Ukraine as he announced outlines of a plan to end Russia’s war. “Every nation must contribute to that in the best way that it can, bringing different...
Pitt freshman cornerback Mason Alexander dies in automobile crash
Pitt freshman football player Mason Alexander, 18, died Saturday night after a car crash in his hometown of Fishers, Ind. Alexander enrolled in January after early graduation from Hamilton Southeastern High School, near Indianapolis, and had been participating in winter drills in preparation for spring practice that begins this month....
Israel cuts off Gaza aid to pressure Hamas to accept a new ceasefire proposal
TEL AVIV, Israel — Israel stopped the entry of all goods and supplies into the Gaza Strip on Sunday and warned of “additional consequences” if Hamas doesn’t accept a new proposal to extend a fragile ceasefire, while key mediator Egypt accused Israel of using “starvation as a weapon.” Hamas accused...
On the mat: Female wrestling continues to grow at all levels
Wrestle. Like. A. Girl. Those four words inspire females dressed in the signature singlet to grapple and take down opponents, just like their male counterparts. In the past two years, the sport has grown by the largest percentage of mainstream high school sports including football, basketball, baseball, hockey and soccer...
Demolition of Springdale boiler house succeeds partway; 2nd attempt scheduledVideo
The boiler house at Springdale’s former Cheswick Generating Station isn’t going down without a fight. The pull-down demolition of the structure started at about 9:35 a.m. Sunday. But only 70% of the building collapsed amid billowing clouds of soot-gray dust that wafted down the Allegheny River. “It’s not exactly what...
Breakthrough treatments offer some sickle cell sufferers a cure, but barriers remainVideo
Esther Nkemakolam runs her fingers through kinetic sand and sings a “Moana” song as UPMC Children’s Hospital nurse Taylor Brennan gets to work drawing blood. Esther is back for her monthly blood transfusion. It’s a frigid February morning, but the routine is familiar for Esther, a bubbly 7-year-old first grader...
The Pentagon is sending about 3,000 more active-duty troops to the US-Mexico border
WASHINGTON — The Pentagon is sending about 3,000 more active-duty troops to the U.S.-Mexico border as President Donald Trump seeks to clamp down on illegal immigration and fulfill a central promise of his campaign, U.S. officials said Saturday. His defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, has ordered elements of a Stryker brigade...
Former Gov. Andrew Cuomo launches political comeback with a run for New York City mayor
NEW YORK — Former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced Saturday that he is running for mayor of New York City, relaunching his political career following a yearslong exile over a barrage of sexual harassment accusations. In a 17-minute video announcing his campaign, Cuomo pitched himself as an accomplished moderate...
Taking one for the team: Brave souls take a dip in frigid Buffalo Creek to aid Freeport Youth Baseball
For Nate Scott, the anticipation was the worst part. Scott gazed over Buffalo Creek in Freeport shortly before 11 a.m. Saturday, wondering just how cold it would feel when he and nearly 50 other Alle-Kiski Valley residents leaped into it to support a local fundraiser. The whole thing was over...
Tarentum man says Peace Corps still critical even after 64 years
Dennis Mialki enrolled in the Peace Corps in 1978 and found himself — at 22 — as the city engineer of Siguatepeque, Honduras, a farm town in the mountains of Central America. The Tarentum resident spent two years engineering roads, building kindergarten classrooms and establishing a building code. “I was...
From Cabinet secretary to doomsday president: What being a designated survivor is like
WASHINGTON — They start the day often as low-profile Cabinet secretaries. They end it that way, too, God willing. But, when the rest of the government is gathered together for a big event, like President Donald Trump ‘s joint congressional address Tuesday night, a designated survivor is kept away to...
Measles risk is real for those unvaccinated, experts say
A child’s death from a measles outbreak in West Texas has raised concerns about vaccination rates and the resurgence of preventable diseases. But about one in 1,000 cases of measles can be deadly or cause lasting harm, said Dr. Paul Offit, the Maurice R. Hilleman Chair of Vaccinology at the...
Ukrainian community in Western Pa. shaken by Trump and Zelenskyy public spat
Negotiations between President Donald Trump and Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy deteriorated into shouts Friday during what was supposed to be the signing of a minerals deal. The argument left some members of the Pittsburgh region’s Ukrainian community disturbed. The tense meeting occurred in the Oval Office over a proposed deal that...
Zappala hits Palisades Plaza housing complex in Rankin with nuisance charges
The Allegheny County District Attorney’s Office on Friday filed nuisance charges against a Rankin public housing complex, listing complaints like backed-up sewage, broken windows and mold. The charges involving Palisades Plaza are similar to ones lodged against West Mifflin’s Mon View Heights in September. Both complexes were managed by the...
ATI reaches tentative contract agreement with United Steelworkers
A tentative agreement was reached between ATI and the United Steelworkers on Friday, according to statements released by both the metals company and union officials. The union released a statement saying it’s a six-year deal impacting 1,000 union members across locations including Brackenridge, Harrison, Vandergrift, Latrobe, Washington, Pa., and Lockport,...
‘It’s life and death’: Advocates fear dangers of any Medicaid cuts
Erin Gabriel for the last 15 years has relied on Medicaid to cover the costs of doctor’s appointments, medications, physical therapists and tests to help her daughter Abby navigate life with disabilities. Abby is autistic and non-speaking and uses a wheelchair. Doctors are still learning more about a rare, progressive...
Zelenskyy leaves White House without signing minerals deal after Oval Office blowup
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump berated Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for being “disrespectful” Friday in an extraordinary Oval Office meeting, then abruptly called off the signing of a minerals deal with the U.S. that Trump said would have moved Ukraine closer to ending its war with Russia. The astonishing turn...
Hundreds of officers on hand as slain Pennsylvania patrolman’s casket arrives for funeral
RED LION, Pa. — Police vehicles from across Pennsylvania and beyond were arriving at a church Friday for the funeral of a police officer who was shot and killed while coming to the rescue of medical personnel and patients during an attack on a hospital intensive care unit last weekend....
Luxury estate modeled after Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello for sale in Sewickley Heights
A storied estate with an impressive architectural pedigree is for sale in Sewickley Heights. The prominent Pittsburgh architect Benno Janssen designed the former Verner Purnell estate, modeling it after Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello home in Charlottesville, Va., in 1930. The home is on the market for $3.9 million. “Living in Sewickley...
