Top Stories category, Page 242
Failed ATI contract blamed on wages, according to some United Steelworkers
A failed contract between United Steelworkers and ATI boils down to money and respect, according to some who voted against a six-year deal Monday. William “Scooter” Polczynski, a welder at Harrison’s Hot Strip Mill, said the contract wasn’t even worth looking at. “We’re working with molten steel every day and...
Former McKeesport police captain charged with stealing $260K from evidence room
A former McKeesport police captain has been charged after a monthslong investigation with stealing more than $260,000 from the department’s evidence room. Christopher Halaszynski, 54, of McKeesport was charged Wednesday with theft and receiving stolen property and immediately waived his case to Allegheny County Common Pleas Court. He was released...
Explainer: What’s a recession and why is rising anxiety about it roiling markets?
WASHINGTON — Stock markets are plunging, consumers and businesses have started to sour on the economy, and economists are marking down their estimates for growth this year, with some even seeing rising odds of a recession. The tech-heavy Nasdaq stock index slipped into a correction last week, defined as a...
EPA head says he’ll roll back dozens of environmental regulations, including rules on climate change
WASHINGTON — In what he called the “most consequential day of deregulation in American history,” the head of the Environmental Protection Agency announced a series of actions Wednesday to roll back landmark environmental regulations, including rules on pollution from coal-fired power plants, climate change and electric vehicles. “We are driving...
Oakmont woman sentenced to prison after embezzling $250K from employer
An Oakmont woman was sentenced to prison Tuesday after pleading guilty in federal court to bank fraud. The Justice Department said Christy Myers, 64, embezzled around $250,000 from her employer across five years. She was sentenced to two years and 10 months in prison and five years on parole when...
U.S. Steel claims rival, union conspired to sabotage Nippon merger
Attorneys for U.S. Steel argued in federal court in Pittsburgh on Wednesday that statements by rival Cleveland-Cliffs and the head of the United Steelworkers union amounted to an illegal conspiracy intended to sabotage their merger with Nippon Steel. But the defendants’ attorneys argued what their clients said about the potential...
5 things to know about the St. Patrick’s Day parade in Pittsburgh
The annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade strolls through Downtown Pittsburgh on Saturday and Miss Smiling Irish Eyes — Melanie Grace Rayl of Mt. Lebanon — most likely won’t be the only one grinning. The weather forecast looks favorable, so marchers won’t have to worry about any blizzards like the one...
Trump wants to dismantle U.S. Education Department. Here’s what it does
President Donald Trump has said he wants his education chief, Linda McMahon, to “put herself out of a job” and close the Education Department. McMahon, after being confirmed by the Senate on March 3, told employees it was the department’s “final mission” to eliminate bureaucratic bloat and turn over the...
Columbia grad student’s detention will continue as lawyers spar over Trump’s plan to deport himVideo
NEW YORK —Mahmoud Khalil will remain detained in Louisiana until at least next week following an initial court hearing on Wednesday in New York over the Trump administration’s plans to deport the Columbia University graduate student for his role in campus protests against Israel. The brief hearing, which focused on...
U.S. factories likely to feel the pain from Trump’s steel and aluminum tariffs
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump is again lashing out at three of his biggest irritants: foreign steel, foreign aluminum and Canada. The Trump administration on Wednesday will effectively plaster 25% taxes — tariffs — on all steel and aluminum imports. The president said on Tuesday that the U.S. would double...
Person of interest named in disappearance of Pitt student in Dominican Republic
Authorities have named a person of interest in their investigation of the disappearance of University of Pittsburgh student Sudiksha Konanki in the Dominican Republic. Joshua Riibe, a U.S. citizen who was vacationing in Punta Cana at the same time Konanki was visiting on spring break, “may have been the last...
U.S. arms flow to Ukraine again as the Kremlin mulls a ceasefire proposal
KYIV, Ukraine — U.S. arms deliveries to Ukraine resumed Wednesday, officials said, a day after the Trump administration lifted its suspension of military aid for Kyiv in its war against Russia, and Ukrainian officials signaled that they were open to a 30-day ceasefire backed by Washington. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov...
Cheesemaker claims the Ligonier Country Market is penalizing it because it’s too successful
The owners at Pleasant Lane Farms feel like they’re being penalized by a local food and craft market for being a successful small business. According to organizers at the nonprofit Ligonier Country Market, the Unity-based dairy farm and cheese-making operation is too big to participate in the seasonal weekly farmers...
New Pa. bill would relieve debt from childbirth, other medical care
This story first appeared in How We Care, a weekly newsletter by Spotlight PA featuring original reporting and perspectives on how we care for one another at all stages of life. Medical debt harms people in different ways. It can lead them to seek payday loans, take money out of...
Fire marshal: Woman dies in a house fire and explosion in Penn Hills
An 84-year-old woman died Tuesday in a fire in Penn Hills that officials say was set off by a propane gas leak. Allegheny County medical examiner personnel were called to the scene of a fire and explosion in the 300 block of College Street. The victim will be identified by...
Education Department plans to lay off 1,300 employees as Trump vows to wind the agency down
WASHINGTON — The Education Department plans to lay off over 1,300 of its more than 4,000 employees as part of a reorganization that’s seen as a prelude to President Donald Trump’s plan to dismantle the agency. Department officials announced the cuts Tuesday, raising questions about the agency’s ability to continue...
Police charge Pittsburgh man with killing housemate
Pittsburgh police have charged a Homewood man with shooting two housemates, one fatally, on Friday night. Police said Preslin Turner, 36, killed Therreus Lindsey. The shooting occurred around 11:30 p.m. after Turner claimed that someone had been in his room, leading to an argument and fistfight with other residents of...
NTSB urges ban on some helicopter flights at Washington airport where 67 people died in midair crash
WASHINGTON — Federal investigators looking into the cause of the January collision between a passenger jet and an Army helicopter near Washington, D.C., that killed 67 people recommended a ban on some helicopter flights Tuesday, saying the current setup “poses an intolerable risk.” National Transportation Safety Board Chairwoman Jennifer Homendy...
Police detail events leading up to woman’s shooting death in Rostraver
Robert S. Chaplin was standing in the yard, flailing his arms and yelling, when police arrived at his Rostraver home for a reported shooting Feb. 5, according to township police Officer Brian Dove. Dove testified Tuesday that a distraught child shouted to arriving officers, “Mum’s in the basement.” That’s where...
Pittsburgh Planning Commission approves $31M Arts Landing project Downtown
A $31 million overhaul in Downtown Pittsburgh that will create an outdoor recreation and event space earned approval Tuesday from the Planning Commission. The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust is looking to breathe new life into an underutilized, 4-acre site that stretches down 8th Street from Fort Duquesne Boulevard along the Allegheny...
McKeesport police officer sues over racial discrimination, retaliation claims
A Black McKeesport police officer is suing his employer and the city’s mayor over claims of racial discrimination in how the police department promotes and disciplines. Julian Thomas, 38, of McKeesport, alleges the city has long ignored its own civil service rules, resulting in mostly white officers being promoted by...
One Oxford Centre acquired for $92M less than 2016 sales price
Rugby Realty President Aaron Stauber started his Tuesday morning with 45 minutes of swimming at the Rivers Club in One Oxford Centre. “I was at work and in my office by 9:15 a.m.,” Stauber said. He’s part of the group that now owns the 1-million-square-foot, 45-story, aluminum and glass tower...
Canada incoming PM says he’ll keep tariffs in place until U.S. shows respect and commits to free trade
TORONTO — Incoming Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said Tuesday that his government will keep tariffs in place until Americans show respect and commit to free trade after U.S. President Donald Trump threatened historic financial devastation for Canada. Carney, who will be sworn in as Justin Trudeau’s replacement in the...
Wall Street falls in a manic day after briefly dropping more than 10% below its recordVideo
NEW YORK — The U.S.stock market fell further Tuesday as a result President Donald Trump’s latest escalation in his trade war, briefly pulling Wall Street 10% below its record set last month. And like it’s been most of the past few weeks, the market’s slide on Tuesday was erratic and...
Trump doubles tariffs on Canadian metals, causing Ontario to back down on electricity price hikes
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump said Tuesday that he would double his planned tariffs on steel and aluminum from 25% to 50% for Canada, a retaliation that prompted the provincial government of Ontario to back down on its planned surcharges on electricity sold to the United States. Tuesday’s escalation and...
