Top Stories category, Page 286
Steelworkers union boss rips PR blitz pushing U.S. Steel-Nippon deal
United Steelworkers International President David McCall is well aware of the cracks forming in his union’s opposition to a sale of U.S. Steel to Japan-based Nippon Steel as the companies press their advertising blitz, but he is not backing down. McCall swiftly came out against the $14.9 billion acquisition when...
A kayaker faked his own death and fled overseas. Now he’s telling how he did itVideo
GREEN LAKE, Wis. — A Wisconsin man who faked his own drowning this summer so he could abandon his wife and three children has been communicating with authorities daily from Eastern Europe, even telling them how he did it, but has not committed to returning home, a sheriff said Thursday....
Pittsburgh police staffing woes spark concern among council members
Several Pittsburgh City Council members on Thursday voiced concerns about dwindling staffing levels for the city’s police force and called for an increased police presence throughout the city. Council members said they wanted to see more police at community events, mingling with people in the neighborhoods they protect and responding...
‘Wasted life’: Judge lectures murderer before sending him to prison in Wilkinsburg slaying
A Hazelwood man convicted of breaking into a Wilkinsburg home and killing a man who had moments before been holding his 11-month-old granddaughter will spend the rest of his life in state prison. Brandon Franklin, 27, offered no apology when given a chance to speak Thursday at his sentencing for...
Gaetz withdraws as Trump’s pick for attorney general
WASHINGTON — Matt Gaetz withdrew Thursday as President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for attorney general following continued scrutiny over a federal sex trafficking investigation that cast doubt on his ability to be confirmed as the nation’s chief federal law enforcement officer. The abrupt withdrawal is a setback to Trump’s push to...
Bitcoin is at the doorstep of $100,000 as post-election rally rolls on
NEW YORK — Bitcoin topped $98,000 for the first time Thursday, extending a streak of almost daily all-time highs since the U.S. presidential election. The cryptocurrency has rocketed more than 40% in just two weeks. Now, bitcoin is at the doorstep of $100,000 and investors do not appear to be...
Tim Benz: It’s not ‘How do the Steelers keep losing in Cleveland?’ It’s ‘Why haven’t they been able to fix the problem?’
When it comes to the Pittsburgh Steelers’ recent failures in Cleveland, the question shouldn’t be, “How does this keep happening?” The question should be, “Why do the Steelers constantly let this happen?” Because the “how” part is clear. There has been an obvious formula that the Browns have followed to...
Pittsburgh calls on community shovelers for its Snow Angels program
Pittsburgh officials are asking residents to volunteer to help seniors and disabled neighbors shovel and salt their sidewalks this winter. The city’s Snow Angels program pairs volunteers with neighbors who need help clearing their sidewalks after snowstorms. People can volunteer or sign up to receive help online or by calling...
New York woman dies after being struck by tractor-trailer on turnpike in Donegal Township
A pedestrian was killed late Wednesday after being struck by a tractor-trailer on the Pennsylvania Turnpike in Donegal Township, according to Westmoreland County Coroner Tim Carson. Isa Muhammad, 27, of Ozone Park, N.Y., was walking on the westbound side of the highway near mile marker 91, close to the Donegal...
Yough water level remains low after relatively dry summer, fall
The lack of rainfall statewide has created some unique circumstances. Seawater in the Delaware River. Exposure of a Fayette County bridge not seen in 30 years. And a rare opportunity to haul tires and trash from the Youghiogheny River in Westmoreland County. In April, the Youghiogheny River was 14 feet...
‘A deep cut’: Veteran Pittsburgh battalion chief dies fighting East Hills blaze
Pittsburgh Bureau of Fire Battalion Chief John P. Walsh died of natural causes Wednesday night while in command at a structure fire in the city. Walsh, 60, of Brighton Heights collapsed while supervising firefighters battling a blaze in the 700 block of Wilkinsburg Avenue in Pittsburgh’s East Hills neighborhood, officials...
Steelers tailgating ranked best in Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh Steelers tailgating is the best in Pennsylvania. Of course, we knew that. But now it’s official, at least according to a new national poll that compared other football tailgating options. LiveSportsonTV.com carried out the poll, which asked 3,000 football fans nationwide one question: Which tailgate party/gameday experience would you...
Is your water fluoridated? Here’s where to find out
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. pledged that one of his first acts in the new Trump administration would be to “advise all U.S. water systems to remove fluoride from public water.” However, water fluoridation is usually determined by local governments, and it’s uncertain whether Kennedy would have the authority to mandate...
Alle-Kiski Valley railroad crossings among ‘riskiest’ in state, feds say
Western Pennsylvania is home to nine of the state’s 20 riskiest rail crossings, according to Federal Railroad Administration data. Three of the crossings are within about 7 miles of each other in the Alle-Kiski Valley, between Cheswick and Brackenridge. The Cheswick crossing, at the borough’s Blockdale Street, ranks as the...
U.S. regulators seek to break up Google, forcing Chrome sale as part of monopoly punishment
U.S. regulators want a federal judge to break up Google to prevent the company from continuing to squash competition through its dominant search engine after a court found it had maintained an abusive monopoly over the past decade. The proposed breakup floated in a 23-page document filed late Wednesday by...
Shuttered DoubleTree hotel in Monroeville has new owner, will host church services, pastor says
The shuttered DoubleTree by Hilton hotel in front of the Monroeville Mall has a new owner, and a local church plans to move its ministry there, the pastor said Thursday. Two Trees Global LLC, a real estate company affiliated with Grace Life Church, closed on the purchase of the former...
Strawpump’s low fire rating prompts intervention from other North Huntingdon fire departments
Two North Huntingdon fire departments will split the Strawpump fire district in the eastern end of the township because of the department’s poor insurance rating that has caused homeowners in that area to see their property insurance bills jump. The township commissioners Wednesday approved the plan devised by North Huntingdon’s...
Dozens of Pittsburgh residents speak out about controversial zoning proposals
A public hearing before Pittsburgh City Council on Wednesday at times grew raucous, with dozens of residents sharing conflicting opinions about dueling zoning bills that have divided Pittsburghers and city leaders. Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey’s administration has pitched a comprehensive zoning reform bill. Among many other things, it includes a...
Severe storms knock out power to thousands; possible tornado being investigated
Did a tornado move through east-central Allegheny County on Wednesday? That’s what the National Weather Service in Moon Township will look to find out as they conduct a survey Thursday, according to a post from the agency on social media. Heavy rain and wind blew through the region Wednesday, knocking...
FBI arrests man who’s been charged with planning attack on New York Stock Exchange
A Florida man was arrested Wednesday and charged with a plot to “reboot” the U.S. government by planting a bomb at the New York Stock Exchange this week and detonating it with a remote-controlled device, according to the FBI. Harun Abdul-Malik Yener, 30, of Coral Springs, Florida, was charged with...
Defense questions DNA evidence, proposed death penalty in New Ken case of father accused of killing son
Attorneys for a Brackenridge man accused of murdering his 9-year-old son in New Kensington argued Wednesday in Westmoreland County Court that homicide charges against their client should be dropped, as they took issue with DNA and other evidence prosecutors have indicated links him to the crime. Public defenders Wayne McGrew...
Ex-Monroeville doctor gets probation for health care fraud over opioid prescriptions
A former Monroeville doctor who signed blank prescriptions for opioids without even seeing his patients will serve 18 months’ probation and pay restitution. Joseph DiCroce, 68, was sentenced Tuesday in federal court for one count of health care fraud. He pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Cathy Bissoon. Although sentencing...
Pittsburgh police charge man in Northview Heights homicide
Pittsburgh police are accusing a man of fatally shooting his companion in the back when, investigators say, they opened fire on a group of people earlier this month in the city’s Northview Heights neighborhood. Police on Tuesday arrested Ernest Terry, 18, of Lincoln-Lemington-Belmar and charged him with the death of...
Republicans on the House Ethics Committee reject releasing report on Matt Gaetz
WASHINGTON — Republicans on the House Ethics Committee voted Wednesday against releasing a report on the panel’s long-running investigation into President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee for attorney general, former Rep. Matt Gaetz, the top Democrat on the panel said. Rep. Susan Wild of Pennsylvania said the ethics panel, which is evenly...
Former Westmoreland County director of purchasing charged with theft of nearly $10K
Westmoreland County’s former director of purchasing was arrested Tuesday on felony charges accusing him of stealing $9,800 by allowing department employees to work an extra 30 minutes daily. County detectives said Kristopher R. Cardiff, 47, of Trafford, was not authorized by the county’s salary board to extend the workday for...
