Top Local and National News Stories category, Page 26
Top counterterrorism official Joe Kent resigns over Trump’s Iran war, says Iran posed no imminent threatVideo
WASHINGTON — Joe Kent, the director of the National Counterterrorism Center, announced his resignation on Tuesday, citing his concerns about the justification for military strikes in Iran and saying he “cannot in good conscience” back the Trump administration’s war. “Iran posed no imminent threat to our nation, and it is...
Meteor lights up sky in Pittsburgh region as social media eruptsVideo
The western sky — and social media — lit up Tuesday morning when a meteor streaked over Western Pennsylvania skies and into the atmosphere over northeast Ohio. Jared Rackley, an employee with the National Weather Service in Pittsburgh, caught video of the large fireball as the suspected meteoroid entered the...
New retail space planned in Harmar in place of demolished church
Geoffrey Alexander, the owner of Harmar’s One Alexander Center, says he’s planning to add retail space along Freeport Road at the site of the former St. Francis of Assisi Church. He said crews finished demolishing the church early this month. The small church had been closed since 2024, according to...
Cup of Joe: It was Fenway Sports Group that made this magical Penguins season possible
Cup of Joe: Starkey on sports in 400 words or less (or in this case more) They established themselves as a cold and distant corporate entity from the moment they arrived — and it kind of still feels like they never did arrive. They never really connected to the fan...
Surprise snowfall sets Western Pa. record, as some remain without power
Monday started mild across the Pittsburgh region and ended as the snowiest 60-degree day on record, according to the National Weather Service in Moon. “Most places got between 2 and 5 inches, but there were a couple of localized areas that got over 6,” said Bill Modzelewski, meteorologist. “Our office...
Macy’s at Pittsburgh Mills selling off fixtures, shelves as clearance sale continuesVideo
A new closing sale of sorts has started at Macy’s at Pittsburgh Mills. The anchor store, which announced its plans to leave the Frazer mall this spring, is selling its store fixtures, shelving units and more. A post on Facebook marketplace lists tables, holiday decor, art, clothes and accessory racks,...
Iran keeps up attacks on neighbors after Israel says it killed 2 of its top officials
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Israel said Tuesday it killed two senior Iranian security officials in a major blow aimed at further weakening the Islamic Republic’s leadership as it faces its greatest test in decades. Iran, which confirmed the killing of Ali Larijani, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council,...
Urban Tap earns clean inspection report weeks after video of rat walking near its tapsVideo
The South Side bar made locally famous by a video of a rat walking on its beer taps has gotten a clean bill from the Allegheny County Health Department. Urban Tap on East Carson Street posted a copy of the inspection report, which notes “no evidence of rodent activity” and...
Costco adds fertility treatments to its discount services
Costco, the membership warehouse club known for selling bulk items at discount, is now offering lower prices for fertility treatments. Costco members will be able to save up to 80% on certain fertility medications like Follistim through the big-box store’s pharmacy programs, People reported. Some medications can cost thousands of...
Affordable housing development moving ahead in Larimer
Expanding its work to an adjacent neighborhood, East Liberty Development, Inc. is seeking to build eight affordable housing units in Larimer. ELDI held a public meeting March 5 with the Larimer Consensus Group to present updated plans and talk with people in the community. Six of the properties will be...
New mental health diagnosis could impact guilty plea in St. Clair murder-for-hire case
A new mental health diagnosis could impact the planned guilty plea of a 20-year-old man who admitted to killing a St. Clair woman in her home at the request of her daughter. Robert Jack, 20, was the key witness during a weeklong trial in Westmoreland County court in February. His...
Pittsburgh faces longer allergy seasons, study findsVideo
Allergy season in Pittsburgh kicks off in spring, but symptoms like sneezing, itchy eyes and congestion are starting sooner and lingering longer, a study shows, as warmer temperatures extend the pollen season. Climate Central, a nonprofit organization that researches climate science, released a study that showed Pittsburgh’s freeze-free season, which...
How a single word caused a Pittsburgh homicide mistrial
The witness’s testimony was supposed to be simple. Pittsburgh police Officer Andrew Dice was expected to describe for jurors an interaction he’d heard at the Allegheny County Jail when dropping off a homicide suspect. Ambrose Sample Jr., charged with fatally shooting his girlfriend’s ex-boyfriend during a child custody exchange on...
United Arab Emirates briefly closes airspace as Israel strikes Lebanon and Tehran
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Explosions sounded over Dubai early Tuesday as the United Arab Emirates’ military worked to intercept incoming Iranian fire that caused the country to briefly close its airspace as Israel launched new strikes in war in the Middle East. The Israeli military said early Tuesday it...
What happened to Daphy? Haitian woman’s death prompts Pittsburgh immigration lawyer to question ICE procedures
An immigration attorney is raising questions about a Haitian woman’s death in Pittsburgh this month days after U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement took her into custody and then released her with an electronic ankle monitor. Daphy Michel, 31, of Charleroi was found unresponsive at a bus shelter on March 2...
O’Connor’s budget headaches included inheriting millions in unpaid Pittsburgh Water bills
Last summer, the City of Pittsburgh got a $5.2 million water bill for six months of service. It didn’t pay. So when Mayor Corey O’Connor took over from Ed Gainey in January, he took on both that debt and the rest of Pittsburgh Water’s 2025 charges. The total owed to...
Storms cancel more flights as TSA remains under pressure from partial government shutdownVideo
ATLANTA — Thousands of flights across the U.S. were canceled or delayed Monday as powerful storms swept across the eastern half of the country and a partial government shutdown affecting airport security screeners dragged into a second month. The disruptions come at an already challenging time for air travel, in...
Penn Hills mother now charged with homicide in death of 3-year-old son
Police on Monday charged a Penn Hills woman in the death of her 3-year-old son. Lagomau Malu, 23, was arrested last week after her son Devin died at UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh. Doctors at the Lawrenceville hospital told police the boy had suffered 11 fractures, which “are indicative of...
Lower Burrell man to seek insanity defense in fatal shooting of Mogie’s Irish Pub tavern owner
A Lower Burrell man accused of killing a popular tavern owner plans to use an insanity defense at his murder trial. Nathan Salem, 47, is scheduled for trial in Westmoreland County court in June for the Dec. 21, 2023, fatal shooting of David “Mogie” Magill. Prosecutors say Magill, 64, was...
Judge blocks U.S. government from slimming down vaccine recommendations
A federal judge on Monday temporarily blocked federal health officials from cutting the number of vaccines recommended for every child, and said U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. likely violated federal procedures in revamping a key vaccine advisory committee. The decision halted an order by Kennedy — announced in...
Acme pair charged with murder after toddler dies of methamphetamine overdose
Two Acme residents are facing third-degree murder charges after a 15-month-old child died from a methamphetamine overdose in a home investigators found was freezing and filled with waste. Michael Blasser, 34, and Ashley Makarsky, 31, were arraigned Monday on charges of murder, involuntary manslaughter and child endangerment. The charges stem...
UPMC warns embattled data exchange Health Gorilla may have improperly pulled patient records
UPMC says its medical records may have been improperly accessed by Health Gorilla, a patient data gatekeeper accused in federal court of mismanaging sensitive information. Health Gorilla requested data “under the pretext of providing treatment to shared UPMC patients and claimed it had permission to do so,” according to a...
Allegheny YMCA reopens on North Side after $26M renovation
Crowds were eager to get a glimpse of the newly renovated Allegheny YMCA on Pittsburgh’s North Side on Monday. The historic 1926 facility at 600 W. North Ave. opened to excited patrons before dawn, following a $26 million, yearlong renovation. “It’s gorgeous,” said Linda Scott, membership services coordinator. “We’re getting...
White House chief of staff Susie Wiles has breast cancer but will keep working through treatment
WASHINGTON — White House chief of staff Susie Wiles has been diagnosed with early stage breast cancer but plans to continue working through her treatment, retaining her place as one of President Donald Trump’s closest aides during a period of political turbulence. Wiles, 68, announced on Monday that she had...
Heinz Endowments to help fund Pittsburgh’s controversial 25-year master plan
A controversial master plan meant to guide Pittsburgh’s zoning policies through 2050 will get funding from a local foundation, saving taxpayers from footing the entire bill. Mayor Corey O’Connor on Monday announced The Heinz Endowments, partnering with The Pittsburgh Foundation, will provide $750,000 for the multimillion-dollar project. “It’s important that...
