Top Stories category, Page 243
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...
United Steelworkers vote down ATI contract
ATI and United Steelworkers are still without a contract. A tentative agreement was reached Feb. 28, just hours before the most recent contract was set to expire. But it failed to pass a union vote Monday. ATI spokeswoman Natalie Gillespie said company leadership is disappointed the union vote was unsuccessful....
Missing Pitt student’s clothing found on Dominican Republic beach
Clothing belonging to missing University of Pittsburgh student Sudiksha Konanki has been found on the beach in the Dominican Republic where she was last seen Thursday as the search continued Tuesday for the 20-year-old Virginia woman. Officials in Loudoun County, where she lives, said investigators from the U.S. and the...
U.S. resumes military aid, intelligence sharing as Ukraine says it is open to a 30-day ceasefireVideo
JEDDAH, Saudi Arabia — The Trump administration lifted its suspension of military aid and intelligence sharing for Ukraine, and Kyiv signaled that it was open to a 30-day ceasefire in the war with Russia, pending Moscow’s agreement, American and Ukrainian officials said Tuesday following talks in Saudi Arabia. The administration’s...
House passes bill to fund federal agencies through September, though prospects unclear in Senate
WASHINGTON — The House passed legislation Tuesday to avert a partial government shutdown and fund federal agencies through September, providing critical momentum as the measure now moves to the Senate, where bipartisan support will be needed to get it over the finish line. Republicans needed overwhelming support from their members...
Businesses voice concern over Breezewood interchange revamp
Still a decade away, the proposed revamp of the Pennsylvania Turnpike’s Breezewood interchange will likely take a toll on businesses that have built up around the highway’s connections to Interstate 70 and Route 30. The changes are expected to make the trip more convenient for the more than 2.5 million...
Elon Musk eyes Social Security, benefit programs for cuts while claiming widespread fraud
WASHINGTON — Elon Musk pushed debunked theories about Social Security on Monday while describing federal benefit programs as rife with fraud, suggesting they will be a primary target in his crusade to reduce government spending. The billionaire entrepreneur, who is advising President Donald Trump, suggested that $500 billion to $700...
Browns acquiring QB Kenny Pickett from Super Bowl champion EaglesVideo
The Cleveland Browns are acquiring quarterback Kenny Pickett from the Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles, a person with knowledge of the trade told The Associated Press on Monday. The person, speaking to the AP on condition of anonymity because deals can’t be announced until Wednesday, said the Eagles will receive...
