Top Stories category, Page 384
Teamsters union declines to endorse Trump or Harris for president
WASHINGTON — The International Brotherhood of Teamsters declined Wednesday to endorse Kamala Harris or Donald Trump for president, saying neither candidate had sufficient support from the 1.3 million-member union. “Unfortunately, neither major candidate was able to make serious commitments to our union to ensure the interests of working people are...
Federal Reserve cuts key rate by sizable half-point, signaling end to its inflation fightVideo
WASHINGTON — The Federal Reserve on Wednesday cut its benchmark interest rate by an unusually large half-point, a dramatic shift after more than two years of high rates that helped tame inflation but also made borrowing painfully expensive for American consumers. The rate cut, the Fed’s first in more than...
Bill to ban testing Pittsburgh workers with medical marijuana cards now excludes labor unions
A proposal to bar Pittsburgh employers from conducting cannabis testing on workers or prospective employees who hold medical marijuana cards will exclude labor unions. The amendment was pushed through without the support of the bill’s sponsor, City Councilwoman Barb Warwick, D-Greenfield. Warwick in July proposed a measure that would ban...
McClellan Elementary students, staff celebrate kindergartener’s cancer victoryVideo
A 5-year-old boy with a penchant for Spiderman is swinging back to school after a 16-month fight with cancer, and he’s got the support of an entire school district and community behind him. To help celebrate the news of Mason Desiderio’s recent cancer-free diagnosis from his medical team at Children’s...
Gobbleritos are back on the menu at Mad Mex
Thanksgiving dinner — or lunch — always comes a few months early at Mad Mex. The popular gobblerito is back and decadent as ever at the Big Burrito Restaurant Group-owned franchise, which has nine locations in Western Pennsylvania. Filled with house-roasted turkey, black bean mashed potatoes, stuffing and corn, then...
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer to campaign in Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh will get a boost from a Rust Belt ally this week as Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is set to visit the Steel City to stump for Vice President Kamala Harris. Whitmer, a Democrat, is popular in her home state and has been rumored as a presidential or vice presidential...
Lebanon rocked again by exploding devices as Israel declares a ‘new phase’ of war
Walkie-talkies and solar equipment exploded in Beirut and other parts of Lebanon on Wednesday in an apparent second wave of attacks targeting devices a day after pagers used by Hezbollah blew up, state media and officials for the militant group said. At least 14 people were killed and more than...
Morning Roundup: Oakland sports bar raided; guns, drugs found in Squirrel Hill apartment
Here are some of the latest news items from this morning, Wednesday, Sept. 18: Oakland bar raided Liquor control agents seized hundreds of gallons of alcohol Tuesday morning from the Panther Pit, an Oakland sports bar that has kept authorities busy in its short time open. The Pennsylvania State Police...
Coroner: Body recovered in Cook Township was woman missing from Ligonier Borough
The remains of a woman last seen Sept. 8 were recovered from along a rural road Tuesday in Cook Township. Westmoreland County Coroner Tim Carson on Wednesday identified the body as that of Amy R. Shipley, 45, of Ligonier. He said her body was discovered about 5:45 p.m. Tuesday on...
Massive super load makes it way through the region to Braddock steel plant
A large piece of industrial equipment halted and delayed traffic Tuesday head through major traffic arteries in the region, including Route 22 in Westmoreland County and routes 48 and 130 in Allegheny County. The super load was 160 feet long and nearly 28 feet wide, according to PennDOT. It took...
Florida will launch criminal probe into apparent assassination attempt of Trump, Gov. DeSantis says
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Florida law enforcement officials will launch their own criminal investigation into the apparent assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump that will run parallel to the federal probe, Gov. Ron DeSantis announced Tuesday. The governor said Florida prosecutors will pursue the most serious charges available...
Allegheny County expects mail-in ballots to start reaching voters in 2 weeks
Pennsylvania ballots for the November general election have been finalized by the state, and voters in Allegheny County can expect mail-in ballots to start arriving the week of Sept. 30, according to county officials. That would give Allegheny County residents voting by mail about six weeks to return their ballots....
Trump to hold rally at Indiana University of Pennsylvania
Former President Donald Trump is coming to Western Pennsylvania again in hopes to boost his standing among a crucial voting block in his presidential campaign. Trump will rally on the campus of Indiana University of Pennsylvania on Monday, his campaign announced. Like he did at his last rally in Western...
Task force probing Trump Butler rally shooting seeks connections to Florida shooting attempt
A congressional task force investigating the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump at a Butler County rally in July wants to be briefed on the thwarted apparent attempt Sunday at a golf course in Florida. In a letter dated Tuesday, the Task Force on the Attempted Assassination of Donald...
Former high school teacher pleads guilty to possession of child porn
A former Indiana County high school teacher pleaded guilty Tuesday to possession of child pornography. Charles Kirkland, 33, of Derry Township, was arrested in late 2022 after a state police investigation revealed he downloaded as many as nine pornographic images of children on his home computer. Kirkland pleaded guilty to...
FBI investigating suspicious packages sent to election officials in more than 12 states
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — The FBI and U.S. Postal Service on Tuesday were investigating suspicious packages that have been sent to or received by elections officials in more than 10 states, but there were no immediate reports that any of the packages contained hazardous material. The latest packages were sent...
Man charged in suspected Rostraver road rage killing rejects plea deal
A Belle Vernon man awaiting trial for the alleged road rage killing of a motorist two years ago in Rostraver has rejected a plea deal to a lesser charge. During a pretrial hearing Tuesday, prosecutors confirmed they proposed a deal that called for Anthony Hairston, 29, to serve 25 to...
Senate Republicans again block legislation to guarantee women’s rights to IVFVideo
WASHINGTON — Republicans have blocked for a second time this year legislation to establish a nationwide right to in vitro fertilization, arguing that the vote is an election-year stunt after Democrats forced a vote on the issue. The Senate vote was Democrats’ latest attempt to force Republicans into a defensive...
Jeannette youth football coach: Opposing players were using racial slurs
The head coach of the Jeannette Hawks youth football squad said he pulled his players off the field during a game Sunday after team members reported being called racial slurs by some opposing players from Penn-Trafford. “At the beginning of the game, everything was fine,” said Hawks coach Tim Moore....
Judge grants leniency for key witness in New Kensington killing
A Pittsburgh man who testified during a criminal trial last year against three co-defendants charged with killing a New Kensington man was granted leniency Tuesday by a Westmoreland County judge. “You are going to get a second chance because of those two people,” said Common Pleas Court Judge Christopher Feliciani...
Here’s why the auto industry supports a US Steel sale to Japan’s Nippon Steel
WASHINGTON — With a deal still in flux, the U.S. auto industry keeps pushing top government officials to allow the proposed acquisition of United States Steel Corp. by Japanese rival Nippon Steel Corp. That push, analysts told The Detroit News, signals how much the global auto industry operating in the...
Report: Railroads, regulators must address the dangers of long trains
OMAHA, Neb. — As freight trains have grown ever longer, the number of derailments related to the forces created when railcars push and pull against each other also increased, so the National Academies of Sciences said Tuesday in a long-awaited report that regulators, Congress and the industry should reexamine the...
Penn State taps consultant to assess academic programs
Penn State University has hired a consultant to help determine “if it is teaching the right courses in the right places,” given shifting enrollments and employer demand. Hanover Research, headquartered in Arlington, Va., is expected to begin work in early October on the university’s Academic Portfolio and Program Review (APPR)...
Prep work for Parks Township nuclear waste cleanup about halfway done, officials say
New buildings are popping up at a Parks Township nuclear waste dump site as the Army Corps of Engineers and its contractors continue preparations to remove radioactive material there in a project that is expected to cost over a half-billion dollars. Steve Vriesen, a project manager with the Army Corps,...
Police charge couple in fatal shooting after Pittsburgh roommates argue over messy house
An argument Monday between roommates over a messy house in Pittsburgh turned deadly, police said. When the squabble was over inside the South Side Slopes home, Eddie Kimber was fatally shot and two people were under arrest. Police charged one of the roommates, Destiny Jenkins, 23, and her boyfriend, Lee...
