Top Stories category, Page 53
Pa.’s new Democratic chairman focused on pivotal upcoming races, growing the party
Pennsylvania’s new Democratic chairman is pulling a page from Ronald Reagan’s playbook in an effort to unify and grow his party. “We’ve got to get back to politics being a game of addition, trying to add to our coalitions and becoming a bigger tent,” Pennsylvania Democratic Chairman Eugene DePasquale said...
Southmoreland reviews livestream policy, plans hearing regarding controversial director’s comments
The Southmoreland School Board is reviewing a policy that would end the livestreaming of its meetings in favor of posting a video recording after the meeting’s conclusion. The move comes a month after School Director Catherine Fike, a retired school psychologist, was accused by the school board of disclosing confidential...
John Fetterman sides with Republicans on ending the filibuster to reopen the governmentVideo
Sen. John Fetterman, D-Braddock, said he’d back a Republican plan to override the Senate filibuster if it meant passing a bill to reopen the government. In an interview with The Inquirer Tuesday, Fetterman admonished fellow Democrats who balk at the notion of using the so-called “nuclear option” to end the...
Trump demands DOJ pay him $230 million for past investigations, report saysVideo
President Trump has reportedly demanded the Justice Department pay him $230 million in compensation for past investigations against him — and he just may get his wish. Trump’s claims against the department, which he’s staffed with allies including his former personal attorney, is without precedent, according to The New York...
Jury to begin deliberations in fatal shooting outside McKeesport Beer Barrel
Gabrielle Parker, the prosecutor said, was still mad. The woman had been in a bar fight in the early morning hours of June 18, 2020, at the McKeesport Beer Barrel during which, video showed, Parker hit Ericka Stevens in the head with a bottle. Minutes later, Parker got in the...
Animal-rights group sues to free elephants from Pittsburgh Zoo
A Washington, D.C.-based animal-rights nonprofit on Tuesday sued the operator and head of the Pittsburgh Zoo & Aquarium, demanding the release of its elephants from captivity. Filed by the Nonhuman Rights Project in Allegheny County Common Pleas Court, the lawsuit names as defendants the Zoological Society of Pittsburgh and zoo...
Pa. Sen. Dave McCormick joins fellow Senate Republicans urging RFK Jr. to rescind approval for an abortion pill
U.S. Sen. Dave McCormick, R-Pittsburgh, has joined fellow Senate Republicans in signing on to a letter urging top health officials in the Trump administration to rescind approval for a drug used in one of the most common methods of abortion. In a letter to Health and Human Services Secretary Robert...
Police chief named to head new regional force for Swissvale, Braddock Hills
The new police force set to begin patrolling Swissvale and Braddock Hills next year now has a leader. Veteran Swissvale police Chief Charles Watson was selected Monday night to lead the Swissvale Braddock Hills Regional Police Department, whose 18 full-time officers start Jan. 1. The appointment, made by a seven-member...
House Republicans refer Obama CIA Director John Brennan for criminal prosecution
WASHINGTON — Republicans on the House Judiciary Committee on Oct. 21 referred former CIA Director John Brennan to the Justice Department for criminal prosecution, alleging Brennan made false statements in his 2023 testimony before Congress about the Trump-Russia investigation. ”John Brennan lied to Congress,” Committee Chairman Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio,...
Westmoreland commissioners OK loan to pay for human services amid state budget impasse
Westmoreland commissioners on Tuesday authorized the county’s finance department to apply for a $14.1 million state treasury loan to fund essential human services amid Pennsylvania’s ongoing budget stalemate. The commissioners said an infusion of cash is needed as county resources used to pay key service providers that care for children...
Trump-Putin summit in Budapest on hold after Russia rejects ceasefire
A planned summit between President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin was put on hold on Tuesday, as Moscow’s rejection of an immediate ceasefire in Ukraine cast a cloud over attempts at negotiations. A senior White House official told Reuters “there are no plans for President Trump to meet...
Injured No Kings protest participant calls on Westmoreland commissioners to condemn political violence
A Smithton woman injured during an altercation at Saturday’s No Kings protest in Greensburg is calling on the Westmoreland County commissioners to formally condemn political violence. Karen Primm, 70, said she sustained a gash to right arm when she was struck by pole of a flag waved by an apparent...
Trump pick to lead federal watchdog agency withdraws after offensive text messages revealed
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump ’s pick to lead a federal watchdog agency withdrew from consideration Tuesday evening, after his offensive text messages were made public and GOP senators revolted. Paul Ingrassia, who was nominated to lead the Office of Special Counsel, had been scheduled to have his confirmation hearing...
State police, FBI begin digging operation in South Buffalo
State police crews, with assistance from the FBI, began an extensive digging operation Tuesday near a private residence in South Buffalo. Police used a backhoe to excavate a small section of the private plot along River Road in the township’s Clinton neighborhood. Several law enforcement vehicles were on-site, including one...
Pittsburgh International Airport auction returns with online bidding
One person’s lost items could become another person’s treasure. The Pittsburgh International Airport’s annual auction for lost and found items is once again underway. This year’s auction is online. Online bidding has begun for thousands of items, including used airport maintenance equipment, decommissioned vehicles, jewelry, electronics and more. The airport...
The Louvre heist: Could it happen in Pittsburgh?Video
Dai Morgan, president of Pittsburgh Society of Artists, believes that the art we cherish — whether displayed in galleries, museums or in our homes — is among the most valuable of all possessions. “This is something that connects us to history and to our past,” Morgan said. When such works...
Manos Gallery owners plan cultural hub in New Kensington
A historic New Kensington building that once housed a recreation center for manufacturing powerhouse Alcoa will become a hub for creative arts early next year. The vision by Tarentum businessmen Ernesto Camacho and Brian DeFelice, owners of The Manos Gallery, strives to provide inclusivity for all creative types. “It will...
Innamorato declares success in ‘bold’ goal to house 500 people in 500 days
For three years, Andrea Johnson alternated between living in a storage unit and sleeping in shelters that made her uncomfortable. “The shelters, as you can imagine, weren’t the best,” Johnson, 30, said Tuesday, recalling bedding down around drug addicts and having unpleasant interactions with shelter workers. Johnson wanted to find...
Fire breaks out at Fox Chapel house near Beechwood Farm Nature Reserve
Firefighters from multiple departments battled a house fire near the site of the Beechwood Farms Nature Reserve in Fox Chapel on Tuesday morning. The fire was reported around 10 a.m. at a residence on Dorseyville Road that is not associated with the nature reserve. It was mostly knocked down by...
Trump’s $100K visa fee could worsen doctor shortages in rural Pa.
Rural Pennsylvania could face new challenges in filling critical healthcare staffing as a result of a new $100,000 fee on new H-1B visas, a program that allows educated foreign workers to fill labor shortages in the United States. President Donald Trump announced the proposal in a recent proclamation, part of...
Eos Energy announces $350M expansion including Pittsburgh HQ for zinc battery operation
Economic development officials have pledged $24 million in public money toward a major expansion of zinc battery company Eos Energy, which plans to add hundreds of jobs and relocate its headquarters to Pittsburgh. The investment from Pennsylvania and Allegheny County is on top of a $400 million federal loan made...
Government shutdown hits 3 weeks as furloughs mount
WASHINGTON – The federal government shutdown enters its 21st day – headed toward its fourth week – as Democrats and Republicans remain bitterly divided over how to resolve rising health care costs. The impasse continues after widespread “No Kings” protest rallies against President Donald Trump during the weekend. Democrats continue...
Morning Roundup: Latest Parkway East bridge beam deliveries set; Police arrest Beechview man who skipped assault trial
Here are some of the latest news items from this morning, Tuesday, Oct. 21: More bridge beam deliveries set for Parkway East PennDOT warned drivers that bridge beams are expected to be delivered on the Parkway East this week. The latest round of beams are expected to arrive Wednesday and...
19-year-old killed in I-79 crash
A 19-year-old was killed Sunday evening in a crash on Interstate 79 in Lawrence County, according to the Pennsylvania State Police. Gavin R. Lohr, 19, of Huntingdon was killed in the wreck around 9:45 p.m. in Plum Grove Township, between exits for Slippery Rock and Grove City. According to police,...
Norwin stadium demo project set to begin in early November
The long-awaited $25.4 million demolition and rebuilding of the Norwin Knights stadium is scheduled to begin early next month, as long as the fall sports teams are no longer using the field, school officials said Monday. Norwin Superintendent Natalie McCracken said following the school board meeting that the contractors can...
