Top Local and National News Stories category, Page 36
Aaron Rodgers says he moved out of beach house because of stalkers
Stalkers drove Aaron Rodgers out of his beach home, the quarterback said Wednesday while addressing the troubles he’s had in living the private life he desires. The four-time NFL MVP also blasted individuals who’ve tried to dig up information on his wife, calling it an “obsession” by some that he...
As 2026 NFL Draft nears, secrecy dominates vendor selection
Davis Ellis hoped to head to Downtown Pittsburgh and cook soul food for the throngs of football fans expected to jam the city for the 2026 NFL Draft. He won’t get the chance. The NFL denied his vendor application, and the owner of the ChefnaBox food truck said Wednesday he...
Don’t go there: Independence Health thoracic surgeon warns Hempfield Area students about vaping
Independence Health thoracic surgeon Michael Szwerc asked Hempfield Area’s ninth grade students to raise their hand if they believe vaping is dangerous. Nearly all 360 students seated in the Harrold School auditorium Wednesday afternoon shot a hand into the air. Szwerc, who has practiced thoracic surgery for 26 years, has...
Sen. Fetterman is the only Democrat to vote against curbing Trump’s power to order strikes in Iran
WASHINGTON — Senate Republicans voted down an effort Wednesday to halt President Donald Trump’s war against Iran, demonstrating early support for a conflict that has rapidly spread across the Middle East with no clear U.S. exit strategy. The legislation, known as a war powers resolution, failed on a 47-53 vote...
Spirit drops Orlando service from Arnold Palmer Regional Airport
Spirit Airlines is pulling the plug on its long-running Orlando service from Arnold Palmer Regional Airport next month, a move that leaves the Unity airfield without its most popular year-round destination. The discount carrier confirmed Wednesday it has removed the Florida destination from its schedule effective April 15. The following...
50 days in solitary leads to $37K verdict for convicted murderer in Pa.
A convicted murderer serving a life sentence at the state prison in Greene County won a $37,500 jury verdict this week over allegations he was improperly held in solitary confinement for 50 days. In 2018, Maurice D. Able filed a federal lawsuit on his own behalf against the Pennsylvania Department...
Western Pa. House delegation expected to vote along party lines on war powers resolution
While Democratic U.S. Sen. John Fetterman broke from his party Wednesday by opposing a war powers resolution aiming to stop U.S. military action against Iran, Western Pennsylvania’s House delegation is expected to vote along party lines Thursday on a similar measure. U.S. Reps. Mike Kelly of Butler and Guy Reschenthaler...
Redding up the river: New law helps removal of abandoned boats before NFL Draft
As crews build out the North Shore for the NFL Draft that opens in 50 days, another project is now underway: clearing abandoned boats from the rivers. Michael Hills, president of the Pittsburgh Safe Boating Council, said there has long been an effort to rid Allegheny County of abandoned boats....
House committee votes to subpoena Attorney General Bondi to answer questions over Epstein files
WASHINGTON — The House Oversight Committee voted Wednesday to subpoena Attorney General Pam Bondi to answer questions over the Justice Department’s handling of files regarding the Jeffrey Epstein sex trafficking investigation. Five Republicans joined Democrats to support the subpoena proposed by GOP Rep. Nancy Mace in a sign of continued...
Greensburg Ollie’s Bargain Outlet reopens after rodent infestation closure
Ollie’s Bargain Outlet in Greensburg has reopened after an eight-day closure related to a rodent infestation. Signs announcing the closure were removed from the front doors, and shoppers were going in and out of the store Wednesday afternoon. Greensburg code enforcement officer Steven Kohl said he reinspected the store Wednesday....
Aaron Rodgers: There hasn’t been ‘progressive conversations’ with Steelers on 2026 contract
In making his first public comments since the end of the 2025 season two months ago, Aaron Rodgers on Wednesday recognized there would be attention on his appearance on “The Pat McAfee Show.” About 20 minutes into his live video chat with McAfee on the latter’s popular YouTube channel, Rodgers...
Judge denies bail for McDonald man accused of shooting at police
An Allegheny County judge on Tuesday denied bail for a McDonald man accused of firing repeatedly at police officers last year during a suspected mental health crisis. Stephen Budai, 45, of McDonald is charged with four counts each of firing on a law enforcement officer, aggravated assault and reckless endangerment...
Hateful broadcasts disrupt Pittsburgh public safety radio for 3rd day
For the third consecutive day, an unknown person Wednesday broadcast racist and obscene messages over a public-safety radio channel in Pittsburgh with seeming impunity. The foul comments follow earlier transmissions of antisemitic language and a death threat against the city’s mayor. “The mayor of Pittsburgh will be killed soon,” an...
Astrobotic designing wheels for mobile moon outpost as part of NASA Artemis program
Astrobotic announced Tuesday it’s developing specialized wheels for a mobile lunar outpost, a critical component of the NASA-led Artemis moon exploration program. The Pittsburgh-based aerospace and robotics company has been hired by Thales Alenia Space to build a wheel system that can withstand the moon’s extreme temperatures, radiation, dust and...
Roving patrols planned through St. Patrick’s Day for impaired drivers
Police will be on the lookout for St. Patrick’s Day revelers behind the wheel starting this weekend in a coordinated enforcement initiative to keep impaired drivers off the road. The “Operation Sober Shamrock” campaign starts Thursday and runs through Saturday. While St. Patrick’s Day is still more than a week...
NFL Draft opens online fan registration
Fan registration for the 2026 NFL Draft in Pittsburgh is open. In a joint release, the league, Visit Pittsburgh and the Pittsburgh Steelers said the event will transform Pittsburgh’s central neighborhoods into an “expansive Draft campus” showcasing the city’s landmarks and rivers. The league is encouraging draft attendees to download...
Takeaways from the 1st elections of the 2026 midterm campaigns
WASHINGTON — The midterms are here. The 2026 campaign kicked off Tuesday with high-profile primary elections in Texas, where Republican Sen. John Cornyn is heading toward a runoff vote against state attorney general Ken Paxton. Democrats chose state Rep. James Talarico over U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett to be their candidate....
Structural issues delay Charles Anderson Memorial Bridge reopening in Pittsburgh
A key Pittsburgh bridge project has hit a speed bump. The Charles Anderson Memorial Bridge in Oakland, which was expected to reopen sometime this year, now won’t open until 2028 at the earliest. “As work continues on the Charles Anderson Bridge, inspectors have identified unexpected deterioration in portions of the...
Export seeks funding to create historical mine area, trail connectionVideo
Export officials have spent the past decade shining a light on its future, revamping the borough’s downtown area and paving its central parking lot. Now, they want to shine a light on its past. But it will take a big chunk of grant money to get it done. The borough...
Bikeshare workers form union in Pittsburgh
Workers at Pittsburgh bikeshare nonprofit POGOH have unionized. The organizers filed to join the Transport Workers Union of America last month, and they said in a Tuesday press release that POGOH employees “voted overwhelmingly” to do so. TWU already represents workers for bikeshare organizations in New York City, Boston, Chicago,...
Ex-Allegheny County health inspector, a Sikh man, claims he was forced to shave beard, files lawsuit
A Sikh man and former inspector with the Allegheny County Health Department is suing the agency in federal court alleging discrimination because of his beard, which he claims he was once forced to shave while at work. Navin Kohli, who served as an environmental health specialist, on Tuesday filed the...
Freight rail industry had safest year on record in 2025, advocacy group says
A group representing the nation’s freight rail companies said Wednesday that newly released data show last year was the safest year on record for the industry. The Association of American Railroads said the overall train accident rate dropped 14 percent compared to 2024, while derailments were down 13.6%, according to...
Turkey says NATO shot down Iranian missile heading to Turkish airspace
Turkey’s Defense Ministry announced Wednesday that a ballistic missile fired from Iran heading toward Turkish airspace had been shot down by NATO air defenses, threatening to pull more countries into the widening conflict in the Middle East. The ministry did not say what the missile’s intended target was. An attack...
Georgia man charged in connection to Carrick homicide
A Georgia man has been charged with homicide after police say he caused his brother-in-law’s death and hid the body under an 18-wheeler in Pittsburgh’s Carrick neighborhood. Steven Thomas, 52, of Statesboro, Ga., is charged with criminal homicide, tampering with evidence and abuse of a corpse. At 8:29 p.m. Monday,...
Ligonier Country Market lease negotiations continue as traditionally scheduled opening nears
With the Ligonier Country Market’s May 16 opening day just over two months away, the future of the 50-year-old local tradition remains in limbo as organizers and their longtime landlord attempt to resolve a soured lease dispute. The Loyalhanna Watershed Association, which has hosted the market on its 9.6-acre property...
