Top Stories category, Page 56
James Watson, co-discoverer of DNA’s double helix, dead at 97
James D. Watson, the brilliant but controversial American biologist whose 1953 discovery of the structure of DNA, the molecule of heredity, ushered in the age of genetics and provided the foundation for the biotechnology revolution of the late 20th century, has died at the age of 97. His death was...
Police capture McKees Rocks fugitive accused of punching pregnant ex-girlfriend in stomach
Authorities Friday arrested a McKees Rocks fugitive charged with holding his ex-girlfriend captive for two days this summer — all while repeatedly punching her in the stomach after he learned another man had impregnated her, investigators said. Detectives took Justin Daugherty, 24, into custody at a Stowe residence on two...
Spirit Airlines reaches tentative cost-saving labor deals amid bankruptcy proceedings
Spirit Airlines said on Friday it has reached tentative deals with unions representing its pilots and flight attendants that would involve some contract concessions, as the carrier tries to rein in costs as part of its ongoing Chapter 11 restructuring process. The airline said its senior leadership team has also...
How to help food banks cope with increasing demand
Amid food banks and local pantries stepping up to fill the gap left by lack of SNAP benefits, here are ways to donate throughout the region. Armstrong County Community Action Food Bank Armstrong County Community Action Food Bank accepts monetary and food donations. Due to the food bank’s affiliation with...
So far, so good: Pittsburgh airport running smoothly, for now, as flight cuts take effect
Pittsburgh International Airport appeared to be running normally Friday as the Federal Aviation Administration began curtailing flights across the nation in response to the government shutdown. Jackie Ferguson, a customer assistance representative for American Airlines at the airport, said Pittsburgh might not be directly affected until the end of the...
Nippon Steel projects long-term success for U.S. Steel despite current challenges
U.S. Steel is facing significant challenges in its early days under Nippon Steel, according to financial reports released Wednesday, but the Japanese firm remains confident its nearly $15 billion purchase will pay off. Nippon cited weak domestic demand in the U.S., market uncertainty and costs from the deadly Clairton Coke...
Trump administration seeks to block food aid funding order
The Trump administration asked a federal appeals court to block a judge’s order that the U.S. Department of Agriculture provide full November food stamp benefits to 42 million low-income Americans. U.S. District Judge John McConnell in Providence, R.I., on Thursday ordered the payout by Friday, accusing the administration of withholding...
PNC broadens branch expansion plan to more than 300 by 2030
PNC said Friday it will be opening more than 300 new branches by 2030, adding about 100 locations to its earlier plan as it looks to expand its in-person banking footprint. Even as digital banking and online payments have lowered the need for frequent branch visits, several U.S. lenders are...
U.S. government launches program to lower Medicaid drug prices
The U.S. government on Thursday unveiled a new program to cut prescription drug costs for Medicaid patients by tying prices to those paid in other countries. The announcement follows previous agreements between the White House and pharmaceutical companies to reduce drug prices for Americans, who often pay significantly more for...
In arrest papers, police detail why Hempfield man became a suspect in Greensburg man’s death
The extensive use of cellphone towers to track the movements of a Hempfield man accused of bludgeoning to death an acquaintance and dumping his body in a remote area in Loyalhanna led to his arrest this week, state police said Friday. Tracking the movements of the suspect, Joseph C. Zvara,...
Big-school rematches highlight WPIAL playoffs — 5 things to watch in Week 11
Pine-Richland coach Jon LeDonne is already familiar with the Rams’ next opponent and not just because he spent three seasons as Shaler’s coach. The two teams played one another only two weeks ago in the regular-season finale. This time, they’ll meet in a WPIAL Class 5A quarterfinal at 7 p.m....
Here are 5 things to do in Pittsburgh this weekend: Nov. 7-9
Before things really gear up for the holiday season, take advantage of this less-busy weekend with tons of happenings around the city. Try these out! Pet Expo Do you have a pet? Do you want a pet? Do you have family or friends with pets? This would be a great...
In absence of SNAP, local food banks, community members step upVideo
Donna Baxter, 68, had a big pot of homemade vegetable soup cooking on her stove Thursday afternoon. She already called two of her neighbors to share it with them. “If I have it, we share it,” Baxter said. And that’s not all Baxter is sharing. This week, she joined the...
‘No easy answer’: Pittsburgh officials mull ways to boost revenue
As Pittsburgh faces a budget crunch, City Council members met Thursday to spitball ways to generate new revenue. Greenfield Councilwoman Barb Warwick, for instance, raised the possibility of a tax hike — even though none was included in outgoing Mayor Ed Gainey’s preliminary budget proposal for next year. Others suggested...
Grieving for Little Q: Son of ‘The Mole’ contestant killed in Wilkinsburg
Quaylyn “Q” Carter grew up amid poverty and crime in North Braddock, the youngest son of a hard-working single mother. He graduated from Woodland Hills High School, then earned a criminal justice degree at Seton Hill University. After working for a sheriff in North Carolina, he returned to Pittsburgh, helped...
Shaler Area senior suffering from kidney failure hopes a donor will be found
Editor’s note: The following story was submitted for the Shaler Area Student Section, a collaboration between TribLive and The Oracle, the student newspaper of Shaler Area High School. For many teenagers, the hardest part of their day is figuring out what to wear or what they will eat for lunch....
Airlines cut hundreds of flights amid FAA shutdown directiveVideo
WASHINGTON — U.S. airlines on Friday scrambled to cut 4% of flights at 40 major airports after the government imposed an unprecedented cut to air travel citing air traffic control safety concerns because of a record-setting government shutdown. The cuts, which began at 6 a.m., include about 700 flights from...
Allegheny County Council rejects restoring some leg shackle use at county jail
Allegheny County Council struck down a measure Wednesday night to partly reverse the ban on restraining prisoners with leg shackles. The ordinance, sent to council by Allegheny County Jail corrections officers through a citizens’ initiative process, would have allowed the use of leg shackles when incarcerated people leave the facility...
Airline travelers in Pittsburgh prepare for flight disruptions
Lynn Williams felt like she was taking a chance by not canceling her travel plans this week amid mounting unknowns surrounding air travel. “(I) didn’t know if air traffic controllers were staffed. I didn’t know if they were in a good head space to be at work. I didn’t know...
Ex-Steelers WR Antonio Brown in custody for attempted murder
Former Pittsburgh Steelers star wide receiver Antonio Brown is back in the headlines, and will now potentially be behind bars for a good chunk of time. The 37-year-old had been in Dubai, United Arab Emirates prior to his extradition, which came over four-and-a-half months after a warrant was issued for...
Elon Musk’s $1 trillion Tesla pay plan wins shareholder approval
SAN FRANCISCO — Tesla CEO Elon Musk won shareholder approval on Thursday for the largest corporate pay package in history as investors endorsed his vision of morphing the EV maker into an AI and robotics juggernaut. The proposal was approved with over 75% support, and Musk bounded to the stage...
Former VP Mike Pence reflects on faith and civility at Duquesne University
Long before Mike Pence became one of the country’s most prominent evangelical Christians, he grew up Catholic and even served as an altar boy in his native Indiana. The former vice president was on decidedly friendly territory Thursday when he spoke at Duquesne University, the largest Catholic university in Western...
Prosecutors say jealousy led woman to attempt to kill her Penn Township roommate
A woman’s jealousy over her roommate’s romantic interests led her to attempt to kill him more than three years ago in Penn Township, a Westmoreland County prosecutor said Thursday. Leah Hope Gillis, 36, now of North Versailles, Allegheny County, is on trial on charges of attempted homicide, aggravated assault and...
3 held for trial in attack, sexual assault on fellow Allegheny County Jail inmate
Three men incarcerated at the Allegheny County Jail — two of them accused killers — are facing trial on charges they beat up and sexually assaulted a fourth inmate inside his cell in September while hunting for drugs. Jayshon Martin, 21; Damon Peters, 22; and Jewel Woods, 28; all of...
Trump administration must fully fund food aid benefits by Friday, federal judge rules
A federal judge on Thursday ordered President Donald Trump’s administration to fully fund food aid for 42 million low-income Americans in November by Friday, blocking its plan to only provide reduced benefits during the government shutdown. U.S. District Judge John McConnell in Providence, Rhode Island accused the administration of withholding...
