Top Stories category, Page 39
Judge blocks access to UPMC transgender care records
A federal judge in Pittsburgh cited the government’s own “inflammatory” rhetoric on gender-affirming care in blocking the Department of Justice’s effort to get patients’ personal information from UPMC. In her six-page order, Chief Judge Cathy Bissoon of the Western District of Pennsylvania cited decisions by five fellow judges in similar...
Former Rockette teaches aspiring dancers at Greensburg workshop
Bright lights and big kicks were the order of business Saturday for aspiring dancers in Greensburg. The Spectacular Holiday Dance Workshop, held at Seton Hill University and The Palace Theatre, welcomed students of all ages to step into the magic of Broadway with a 2½-hour class taught by former Radio...
Pitt fumbles away chances, suffers upset loss to East Carolina in Military BowlVideo
For the second straight year, the Pitt football team ended its season with a bowl-game loss that puts a sour mark on an otherwise positive year. The Panthers put together a strong defensive performance that limited East Carolina to 1.7 yards per rush and less than 250 yards of total...
Suspect at large after attempted stabbing, vehicle theft at Tarentum gas station
A Lower Burrell man is accused of trying to stab a man at the Marathon gas station in Tarentum before stealing his minivan early Friday morning, according to police. In court records, Tarentum police say they were able to identify Robert Matthew Harmon, 35, as the accused assailant because a...
Mark Madden’s Hot Take: Symbolism abounds as Myles Garrett chases T.J. Watt’s sack record
Myles Garrett needs one more sack to break T.J. Watt’s NFL single-season record of 22½. Garrett can set the mark when Cleveland hosts the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday. Watt won’t be in uniform but figures to be on the sideline watching. He might run on the field and try to...
Suspect in Shadyside shooting told victim he wanted to kill himself, police say
A man accused of assaulting a woman outside a Shadyside apartment building and shooting her dog on Friday had told the woman earlier in the day that he wanted to kill himself, Allegheny County Police say in court records. County police say Lamar Reddick, 38, of Pittsburgh also brandished and...
Scouting the Browns: Steelers opponent ranks No. 2 in NFL in defense, No. 1 against the pass
SCOUTING THE BROWNS Last meeting Steelers beat Browns, 23-9, on Oct. 12, 2025, in Pittsburgh Key matchup Browns DE Myles Garrett vs. Steelers LT Dylan Cook Garrett needs one sack to break the NFL single-season record — one shared by the Steelers’ T.J. Watt — and Cook is making his...
Winter storm snarls U.S. holiday travel across Northeast, Great Lakes
BOSTON — More than a thousand flights were canceled or delayed across the Northeast and Great Lakes regions due to snow as thousands took to U.S. roads and airports during the busy travel period between Christmas and New Year’s. New York City received around four inches of snow Friday night...
1 injured in Market Square shooting
A man is recovering after being shot in the leg early Saturday at Market Square in Pittsburgh, authorities said. Police were called at about 12:15 a.m. after reports of a fight that led to a shooting. Officers found the victim on the sidewalk, conscious and alert, with a gunshot wound,...
Pa. reports record high monthly gambling revenue, citing rise in sports wagering income
Anthony Procida enjoys betting on his favorite sports teams — namely the Minnesota Vikings and Penn State Nittany Lions. But Procida, 35, of Irwin said he knows himself too well to try out online sportsbooks, which accounted for 95% of sports bets in 2024, according to the Pennsylvania Gaming Control...
Communities reap millions from Pennsylvania casino revenue
State-mandated distribution of revenue from the state’s casinos has paid off for Western Pennsylvania municipalities. More than $60 million in grants was distributed in 2025 to municipalities through a state program that allocates tax revenue collected from casinos to pay for economic development projects, infrastructure upgrades, public safety and equipment...
Majority of job hunters turn to AI to help land next gig
Mallory Helbling turned to her own professional advice when she found herself laid off in December 2024. Among them: using artificial intelligence tools to assist in her job search as a career coach. “I was able to get my first contract role in February 2025,” said Helbling, 37, of Sharpsburg,...
Elder abuse agencies fail to mitigate risk as Shapiro admin defends system, touts changes
Spotlight PA is an independent, nonpartisan, and nonprofit newsroom producing investigative and public-service journalism that holds power to account and drives positive change in Pennsylvania. Sign up for our free newsletters. HARRISBURG — In November, Pennsylvania Department of Aging Secretary Jason Kavulich found himself in the hot seat. He was...
OK without DK? Steelers insist their depleted WR group will provide enough vs. Browns
Mike Tomlin often references the “fine line” at football’s highest level between the NFL’s All-Pro performers and those who round out the bottom of practice squads. Tomlin’s Pittsburgh Steelers are putting that to the test, at least at wide receiver. Already arguably the position on the team most lacking in...
Shapiro poised to become nation’s highest-paid governor
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro is poised to get a raise of more than $8,000 in the coming year to boost his annual salary to $253,870, based on cost-of-living increases provided under state law to top officials. The raise appears to position Shapiro to become the nation’s highest-paid governor. The Democrat...
Environmental groups call $135,000 fine for U.S. Steel oil spills ‘laughable’
A six-figure expense is a big deal for a lot of businesses. Less so for U.S. Steel, a massive manufacturer with more than $15 billion in annual revenue. That’s why clean water advocates argue the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection missed the mark last month by fining U.S. Steel $135,000...
Man charged with attempted homicide after Homestead shooting
An argument that started Friday morning in a Homestead store ended with one man being shot in the leg and the other being taken to jail. Homestead police were dispatched shortly before 11 a.m. to the 100 block of East 8th Avenue after several 911 callers reported that a man...
Hempfield woman charged in Christmas stabbing
A Hempfield woman is charged with aggravated assault and child endangerment after state police say she stabbed a man during an argument on Christmas. Mia Lou Riser, 26, was involved in a dispute with a man at a Hempfield apartment around 6 p.m. Thursday, according to a criminal affidavit. The...
‘Aaron’s the GOAT’: Steelers O-linemen revel in gift of ATVs from Aaron Rodgers
It was Christmas Eve, after all. And this group of football lifers was well aware of a longstanding tradition of the sport that the quarterback gifts his offensive linemen something at the end of each season. The element of surprise, Pittsburgh Steelers linemen confess, wasn’t exactly present Wednesday after practice....
Lions fan urges Steelers’ DK Metcalf to ‘tell the truth’ about altercation
Saying that racism is one of the few things that can get under his skin, the Detroit Lions fan involved in last week’s in-game altercation with Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver DK Metcalf implored Metcalf to set the record straight. During a news conference in Michigan called by a law firm...
Bitty & Beau’s, coffee shop known for inclusive hiring, quietly closes Strip District store
A coffee shop chain staffed by people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, a group dramatically underemployed nationwide, has permanently shuttered its only Pittsburgh-area location. Bitty & Beau’s Coffee on Tuesday closed the doors on its shop in Pittsburgh’s Strip District. “Unsustainable financial loss” led to the shutdown, according to a...
At least $18.7M poured into this year’s critical Pa. Supreme Court retention races
Spotlight PA is an independent, nonpartisan, and nonprofit newsroom producing investigative and public-service journalism that holds power to account and drives positive change in Pennsylvania. Sign up for our free newsletters. HARRISBURG — Special interests, organizations connected to Pennsylvania’s richest man, and groups with mysterious donors broke spending records to...
7 Brew Coffee finalizing plans for Harrison shop
A coffee shop with a drive-through only concept appears to be moving forward in Harrison. 7 Brew, a popular caffeine stop with nearly 600 locations across the country, is seeking to open along Freeport Road. The township’s planning commission approved a move by parent company, WhoBrew LLC, to consolidate three...
Allegheny River’s only floating Airbnb of its kind is in Blawnox
Full-time Pittsburgh River Rescue diver Greg Tersine spends much of his time in and around water, so building a floating house on the Allegheny River felt natural for the water-loving Blawnox resident. “I grew up on the rivers,” said Tersine, a homeowner in Blawnox and Squirrel Hill. “I was looking...
Here are 5 things to do in Pittsburgh this weekend: Dec. 26-28
Christmas is over! Both the craziness and the stress have ended and we have almost a week until the new year. This is the perfect time to eat too much chocolate and too many leftovers, make plans with friends and see what’s going on in the city. Harlem Globetrotters: 100...
