Top Stories category, Page 574
Federal judge prohibits separating migrant families at U.S. border for 8 years
SAN DIEGO — A federal judge on Friday prohibited the separation of families at the border for purposes of deterring immigration for eight years, preemptively blocking resumption of a lightning-rod, Trump-era policy the former president hasn’t ruled out if voters return him to the White House next year. U.S. District...
Man who fired shotgun outside New York synagogue cited events in the Mideast, federal agent says
ALBANY, N.Y. — A man who fired a shotgun into the air outside a synagogue in New York’s capital city is an Iraq-born U.S. citizen who told investigators he felt affected by events in the Middle East, a federal agent said in a court filing. No one was injured by...
Pittsburgh Land Bank completed 1st sales in 2023, looks to ramp up work in new year
Nearly a decade after it was created, the struggling Pittsburgh Land Bank this year finally sold its first batch of blighted properties in the city — and optimistic officials said Friday that they have major expansion plans for 2024. The land bank, an affiliate of the city’s Urban Redevelopment Authority,...
Supporters start Christmas card campaign for Oakmont man imprisoned in Russia
Friends and family of an Oakmont native imprisoned in Russia on marijuana charges hope the holiday spirit can boost attention to his case and get the State Department to help bring him home. Marc Fogel has been detained in Russia for more than two years after he was arrested at...
Yukon landfill could pay $275,000 to settle pollution claims
Residents living near a hazardous waste landfill in Yukon could share in a tentative $275,000 class-action lawsuit settlement that claims their homes have been impacted by polluted dust and odors from the site since 2014. Payments from the proposed settlement with MAX Environmental Technologies Inc. — to those living in...
Dispute over photography triggered Pittsburgh Greyhound shooting, records show
A morning melee Wednesday at the Greyhound station in Downtown Pittsburgh that ended with a shooting by law enforcement officers was triggered by a dispute between bus passengers over one taking pictures of the other’s family, according to court paperwork. Pittsburgh police on Friday charged Rayshon Mason, 32, of New...
Harvard president apologizes for remarks on antisemitism as pressure mounts on Penn’s president
WASHINGTON — Harvard University’s president apologized as pressure mounted for the University of Pennsylvania’s president to resign over their testimony at a congressional hearing on antisemitism that critics from the White House on down say failed to show that they would stand up to antisemitism on campus. In an interview...
Repairs to Pennsylvania House chamber prompt 3-month hiatus for lawmakers
After lawmakers leave Harrisburg for winter recess next week, the state House chamber will close for three months as a costly repair is made to its ornate and historic ceiling. While the House will convene on Jan. 2, as required by the state Constitution, and on Feb. 6, for Gov....
Delmont decorating fundraiser will be featured on NBC’s ‘Today’ showVideo
Since 2020, residents in Delmont’s Monticello neighborhood have decorated their homes to the hilt for the holiday season, part of a fundraising competition that allows them to present an annual gift to two local charities. On Christmas Day, they will get their own gift — a nationally televised segment on...
Munhall police officer arrested after standoff in Shaler
A Munhall police officer was arrested Friday after a standoff at his Shaler home during a domestic incident, investigators said. James Williams, a sergeant and detective, is charged with simple assault and harassment after an argument between he and his wife escalated, according to a criminal complaint. Police responded to...
2 more charged in Unity stabbing incident
Two more people have been charged in connection with a stabbing and robbery in Unity this week. Troopers filed charges Thursday against Michael J. Hafner, 22, of North Versailles, and Antonio James McMahon, 20, of McKeesport. Hafner was arraigned Thursday night and denied bail. An arrest warrant was issued for...
Former West Mifflin firefighter accused of sexual assault of 2 teenage girls
A former West Mifflin firefighter is accused of sexually assaulting two teenage girls in October. A 14-year-old girl told investigators she was assaulted by Christopher Barker, 20, of South Park, in the banquet hall of the West Mifflin Duquesne Annex Fire Station, according to a complaint filed by West Mifflin...
Morning Roundup: Laser show set to light up Allegheny County’s North Park; Salvation Army kettle drive far from goal
Here are some of the latest news items from this morning, Friday, Dec. 8: North Park holiday laser show set to begin Allegheny County’s holiday drive-in laser show kicks off for its fourth season Friday night at North Park and continues through Dec. 23. The 40-minute light show is synchronized...
High-profile attacks on Derek Chauvin and Larry Nassar put spotlight on violence in federal prisons
Derek Chauvin was stabbed nearly two dozen times in the law library at a federal prison in Arizona. Larry Nassar was knifed repeatedly in his cell at a federal penitentiary in Florida. The assaults of two notorious, high-profile federal prisoners by fellow inmates in recent months have renewed concerns about...
5 things to do in Pittsburgh this weekend: Dec. 8-10
It’s the weekend. Here are some ways to spend it. Lawrenceville Cookie Tour The Lawrenceville Cookie Tour is from noon to 5 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. Transforming the Lawrenceville business district along Butler Street and Penn Avenue into a 30-block-long cookie table, the tour highlights holiday shopping at nearly...
Jimmy Buffett tribute band to kick off Pittsburgh Brewing Co.’s summer concert series
A Jimmy Buffett tribute band will kick off next summer’s concert series at Pittsburgh Brewing Co.’s new amphitheater in East Deer. The band “Changes in Latitude” will take the stage Saturday, June 29 at the new facility, along with two opening acts yet to be announced, the brewery said in...
Airing of Grievances: Impotent offense, disappointing defense, scattered coaching as Steelers gag against Patriots
Under normal circumstances, I wouldn’t bat an eyelash at the Pittsburgh Steelers getting dusted at home by the New England Patriots. During the height of the Tom Brady-Bill Belichick years, that was a common occurrence. However, Brady is long gone and so is that era of Patriots football. They entered...
Michigan teen gets life in prison for killing 4 students during high school attack
PONTIAC, Mich. — A teenager was sentenced to life in prison Friday for killing four students, wounding more and terrorizing Michigan’s Oxford High School in 2021. A judge rejected pleas for a shorter sentence and ensured that Ethan Crumbley, 17, will not get an opportunity for parole. Life sentences for...
Biden showcases $8.2B for 10 major rail projects, including in W.Pa.
LAS VEGAS — President Joe Biden went to Las Vegas on Friday to say he’s “putting high-speed rail on the fast track,” and he used the moment to blast Donald Trump — his predecessor and likely 2024 challenger — as a do-nothing politician. “Trump just talks the talk. We walk...
Steelers suffer 2nd straight embarrassing home loss, falling to last-place Patriots
Just when it looked like the Pittsburgh Steelers couldn’t set the bar any lower in terms of humiliating home defeats, they found a way to limbo under it Thursday night. Fresh off an upset loss to two-win Arizona four days earlier, the Steelers also were no match for the two-win...
Gun confiscated at Pittsburgh International Airport is 42nd for the year, 2nd in as many days
Another passenger was caught with a gun in his carry-on bag at Pittsburgh International Airport on Thursday evening, according to Allegheny County Police. It was the second such incident in as many days. Luis Arce, 35, of Somerville, Mass., did not possess a valid concealed carry permit to carry the...
‘8 seconds to get to shelter’: Hamas attack survivors share their stories in Squirrel Hill
Shani Teshuva always felt safe in kibbutz Zikim, along the beach in Southern Israel, just north of Gaza. On Oct. 7, she planned to ride her bike, as she often did on Saturdays. But she allowed herself 10 extra minutes to leave her home. “Those extra 10 minutes are the...
Hunter Biden is indicted on 9 tax charges, adding to gun charges in a special counsel investigation
WASHINGTON — Hunter Biden was indicted on nine tax charges in California as a special counsel investigation into the business dealings of President Joe Biden’s son intensifies against the backdrop of the 2024 election. The new charges filed Thursday — three felonies and six misdemeanors — are in addition to...
Springdale Cemetery going digital with preservation efforts
As Springdale Cemetery approaches its 200th year, its leaders have tapped some professionals to help maintain the site’s history. The Springdale Cemetery Association sought the help of Amanda Peters, an archivist at the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, and Lazarus Cemetery Mapping in its effort to preserve old genealogical documents, map...
Teen claims he feared for his life when he fatally shot New Kensington man
A New Kensington teenager told a Westmoreland County jury he feared for his life when he shot and killed an armed man as the victim fled from the lobby of an apartment building last year. Amir Kennedy, 16, testified he fired off 11 rounds from a semiautomatic rifle to protect...
