Top Stories category, Page 224
Alcoa CEO predicts Trump aluminum tariffs will cost 100,000 jobs
Bill Oplinger, CEO of Pittsburgh-based aluminum producer Alcoa, warned Tuesday that President Donald Trump’s 25% import tax on aluminum could kill off around 100,000 U.S jobs. “This is bad for the aluminum industry in the U.S. It’s bad for American workers,” Oplinger told a crowd at a metals and mining...
Nearly 40% of contracts canceled by Musk’s DOGE are expected to produce no savings
Nearly 40% of the federal contracts President Donald Trump’s administration claims to have canceled as part of its signature cost-cutting program aren’t expected to save the government any money, the administration’s own data shows. The Department of Government Efficiency, run by Trump adviser Elon Musk, published an updated list Monday...
Judge says sex assault victim’s emotional outburst no grounds to overturn conviction
A teenage girl’s behavior while testifying before a jury did not prejudice their decision to convict a man accused of sexually assaulting the girl, a Westmoreland County judge ruled Tuesday. In a 19-page opinion, Common Pleas Court Judge Meagan Bilik-DeFazio ruled convictions of involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, aggravated indecent assault...
Damage reported at U.S. Steel facility in Braddock, followed by increase in air pollution
An incident over the weekend at the Edgar Thomson Steel Works facility in Braddock resulted in damage to the building, described as a hole. U.S. Steel submitted a breakdown report to the Allegheny County Health Department, saying the incident occurred at 7 a.m. Sunday. It did not offer specific details...
Church resurrects Monroeville DoubleTree, plans to emerge as Legacy Hotel
A Monroeville church plans to resurrect the former DoubleTree by Hilton hotel in Monroeville and create a boutique lodging site. The multimillion-dollar renovation announced Tuesday will feature a theme paying homage to Western Pennsylvania legends in industry, sports and entertainment, church and hotel officials said. Two Trees Global LLC of...
Settlement in Fern Hollow Bridge case collapses amid finger-pointing
The City of Pittsburgh is blaming everyone but itself for the Fern Hollow Bridge collapse. In recent court filings, lawyers for the city have faulted the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, the private engineering firms who conducted annual inspections — even the victims driving across the bridge in 2022 when it...
Archers killed 199 deer as part of Pittsburgh culling program in parks
Nearly 200 deer were harvested as part of Pittsburgh’s deer management program over the 2024-25 archery season. A city harvest report said 92 of those deer were donated to local food banks, which provided 3,980 pounds of venison and 14,720 meals to residents. Pittsburgh’s Department of Public Safety said the...
Nippon to meet with federal officials in bid to salvage U.S. Steel deal
Nippon Steel plans to meet with federal officials to work out a solution to the U.S. Steel takeover, and will use the existing merger agreement as a starting point in negotiations. The Japanese steelmaker’s chief operating officer, Tadashi Imai, unveiled the plan to reporters in Tokyo on Tuesday. Imai’s stance...
Pittsburgh council OKs tax incentive for Esplanade development
Pittsburgh City Council on Tuesday unanimously approved a critical tax diversion for Esplanade, a sprawling $740 million development planned along the Ohio River. The developer, Cecil-based Piatt Companies, will now turn its attention to seeking similar approvals from Allegheny County and Pittsburgh Public Schools. If the measure is approved by...
Asteroid 2024 YR4 is no longer a threat to Earth, scientists say
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — Scientists have finally given the all-clear to Earth from a newly discovered asteroid. After two months of observations, scientists have almost fully ruled out any threat from the asteroid 2024 YR4, NASA and the European Space Agency said Tuesday. At one point, the odds of a...
Penn State to close some branch campuses; New Kensington, Fayette, Greater Allegheny, Beaver at risk
Penn State officials have made it clear that it will close some of its branch campuses, and all four of those in Southwestern Pennsylvania are among those that might close. University President Neeli Bendapudi said in a statement Tuesday that she expects a final recommendation to be announced no later...
Police say man sexually assaulted child in Arnold
Editor’s note: This story was updated on Thursday, March 6, 2025. A manfaces trial after being accused by Arnold police of sexually assaulting a child. James Benitto, 40, was held for court on March 6 on felony charges of aggravated indecent assault of a child, indecent assault of a person...
Solar power project on course at Hempfield municipal complex
Hempfield is moving forward with a solar power project at its municipal complex. Township supervisors on Monday approved an agreement with Envinity, Inc. of State College for the construction of a solar array on the roof of a multipurpose building that has been erected at the site under development at...
Heated debate surrounds Pine-Richland School Board’s library policy; final vote next
A final vote on Pine-Richland’s controversial library policy is in sight after another contentious meeting Feb. 24 set the stage for a third and final read of the proposed rule changes. The three-hour meeting was the latest in a series of often embittered discussions during which community members have lashed...
Couple forced to sit next to dead body on airline flight to Italy
After a passenger died midway through a Qatar Airways flight, an Australian couple was forced to sit next to the corpse for the remainder of the trip. Mitchell Ring and Jennifer Colin were on their way to Venice, Italy, from Melbourne when a woman onboard their flight walked out of...
Police: Man dies in Route 28 crash after appearing to jump from moving vehicle
A man who police believe jumped from a moving vehicle was struck and killed along Route 28 in a multi-vehicle crash Tuesday morning. The Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s office identified the victim as Connell Nihei, 50, of Pittsburgh. The crash near Etna was reported shortly before 7 a.m., according to...
New homeless shelter in Youngwood funded by $2.1M in federal cash
A homeless shelter planned in the Youngwood area would fill a need in Westmoreland County, the director of a Greensburg nonprofit said. A planned family shelter with 10 separate living units could make it easier for those living south of Greensburg, said Kristin Zaccaria, executive director of Homes Build Hope...
Finalized schedule for Burrell’s Huston Middle School prioritizes academics, aligns time for cocurriculars
A focus group charged with recommending proposals to a reconfigured Charles A. Huston Middle School next year landed on a schedule administrators say prioritizes academic time and maintains integrity for each grade level. The middle school task force — a group of parents and teachers that have met over the...
Ending diversity push or fueling student anxiety? Trump administration’s anti-DEI stance sparks debate
The Trump administration’s plan to eliminate diversity, equity and inclusion programs and initiatives on college campuses has sent universities scrambling to determine how to follow the guidelines or risk losing federal funding. Local colleges said they still are considering how to respond to U.S. Department of Education demands issued Feb....
Trump backs Musk as he roils federal workforce with demands, threats
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump backed Elon Musk’s demand that federal employees explain their recent accomplishments by the end of Monday or risk getting fired, even as government agency officials were told that compliance with Musk’s edict was voluntary. Confusion and anger over the situation spawned new litigation and added...
U.S. refuses to blame Russia for Ukraine war, splitting with European allies in U.N. votes
UNITED NATIONS — In a dramatic shift in transatlantic relations under President Donald Trump, the United States split with its European allies by refusing to blame Russia for its invasion of Ukraine in votes on three U.N. resolutions Monday seeking an end to the three-year war. The growing divide follows...
Ex-school van driver denies sexually assaulting student, pleads no contest to showing porn
A former school van driver originally accused of sexual assaulting one of his intellectually disabled passengers in Pittsburgh pleaded no contest on Monday to a reduced charge of corruption of minors. As part of the plea deal, the Allegheny County District Attorney’s Office withdrew more serious felony counts of institutional...
Greensburg man found dead after going through ice at Deep Creek Lake
A Greensburg man died over the weekend after the side-by-side vehicle he was riding on went through the ice at Deep Creek Lake in Maryland. Maryland Natural Resources Police public information officer Vincent Dortenzo said David T. Linsenbigler, 58, of Greensburg, was found submerged Saturday with the side-by-side vehicle. Linsenbigler...
Gov. Shapiro says the Trump administration has unfrozen billions in grants, loansVideo
HARRISBURG — Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro said Monday that President Donald Trump ‘s administration has freed up billions in federal aid that the Democrat had accused it of withholding illegally and unconstitutionally. Shapiro said in a news conference that more than $2 billion that his administration had identified as either...
Republican challenger sets sights on Lavelle’s Pittsburgh council seat
Republican Jacob Dumont on Monday announced he’s running for Pittsburgh City Council, aiming to unseat council’s president, Democrat R. Daniel Lavelle, in November’s general election. Dumont, 33, of Marshall-Shadeland, operates Northside Action Media, an online platform covering news from around Council District 6, which he now hopes to represent. The...
