Top Local and National News Stories category, Page 7
Jury begins deliberations in forged-signature trial tied to 2022 congressional race
The attorney for a Harmar man accused of forging signatures on a politician’s election form said in closing arguments Thursday that the case came down to one point: prosecutors did not present enough evidence to convict. Jurors who will decide the fate of Kirk Rice resume deliberations in the trial...
Backlash to Trump’s $1.8B settlement fund delays GOP immigration billVideo
WASHINGTON — Senate Republicans abruptly left Washington on Thursday without voting on a roughly $70 billion bill to fund immigration enforcement agencies, frustrated with the White House and at an impasse over whether to try to block a new $1.776 billion settlement fund to compensate Trump allies who believe they...
John Fetterman’s chief of staff resigns before new report on the senator’s relationship with Israel ally
U.S. Sen. John Fetterman’s chief of staff resigned this week, the latest departure in the office of a controversial Pennsylvania Democrat who has struggled at times to retain staff. The resignation of Cabelle St. John, who held the top position in Fetterman’s office since June, came before a report that...
3 positions eliminated from Pittsburgh Playhouse as part of ‘operational restructuring’
Days before layoffs at Pittsburgh Public Theater, three staff positions were eliminated from Point Park University’s Pittsburgh Playhouse, university representatives confirmed Thursday. Ted Black, senior vice president of institutional advancement and strategy, said in a statement to TribLive three positions were eliminated as part of a “strategic review” of the...
Former Export workers give hydrants a fresh patriotic makeoverVideo
In 1976, Export public works employees Bob Smith and Steve Veach repainted the borough’s fire hydrants red, white and blue in honor of the upcoming American bicentennial. This week, the pair were back in the borough a half-century later, giving a patriotic makeover to four downtown fire hydrants in advance...
Public transportation riders doubled over NFL Draft in Pittsburgh, report saysVideo
Pittsburgh Regional Transit had 51% more riders than average who utilized public transportation throughout the three-day NFL Draft in April. A total of 60,000 riders used the Football Flyers buses, 128,000 used the train, also known as the “T,” and the Gateway Clipper had a record 26,500 passengers travel using...
Surgeon General’s Office tells young people to put down the phones and ‘live real life’Video
The Surgeon General’s Office is telling young people to touch grass, in internet lingo, as part of a new warning linking excessive screen time to developmental delays, poor academic outcomes and mental health issues. Released Wednesday, the 43-page advisory calls on Americans of all ages to cut back on scrolling...
Pittsburgh Public Schools board to vote on school closure and realignment plan next week
Board members of the Pittsburgh Public Schools will again consider a controversial plan that would close nine school buildings and reconfigure many others. The board is expected to vote on the Future-Ready Facilities Plan at a 6:30 p.m. meeting Wednesday. A public hearing is scheduled for 6 p.m. Tuesday. If...
‘The Pitt’ bobbleheads figure to be a hit at PNC Park
The Pirates have partnered with HBO Max and Pittsburgh-based medical drama “The Pitt” to bring the hit show out of the fictional Pittsburgh Trauma Medical Center and into the stands at PNC Park. On July 25 — during the fifth annual Yinzerpalooza weekend in Pittsburgh at PNC Park — the...
Electric bills to increase for Duquesne Light, West Penn Power customers
Pennsylvanians should expect to pay more on their electric bills come June, including customers of Duquesne Light and West Penn Power. The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission announced this week electric utility prices will adjust June 1 for all state-regulated electric utilities — alongside an expected increase of air conditioning use...
Expect a cooler, stormy Memorial Day weekend in Pittsburgh region
If you expected Memorial Day weekend to bring backyard cookouts, poolside afternoons and summerlike heat, think again. After Pittsburgh came within striking distance of a record high Monday, the National Weather Service says the holiday weekend forecast is shaping up to look much different, with cooler temperatures and the potential...
Morning Roundup: Patient steals ambulance in Beaver County; car fire and collision in Knoxville
Here are some of the latest news items from this morning, Thursday, May 21: Patient steals ambulance in Beaver County A patient stole an ambulance Wednesday night in Industry Borough and fled from troopers, Pennsylvania State Police said. Justin Corrie, 23, was identified as the suspect, TribLive news partner WTAE...
Late-season freeze puts chill on fruit harvests across the region
Those looking forward to the annual ritual of picking fruits and berries are likely to be disappointed this year. Blame Mother Nature. A late-April frost wreaked havoc with crops, killing many of the buds that would have produced fruit. Perennial crops such as apples, pears, peaches, strawberries and cherries bloom...
Shaler Area strikes a deal on replacement pool for swim program
Facing the loss of its own swimming pool, the Shaler Area School District is partnering with the Sarah Heinz House on Pittsburgh’s North Side for use of its pool beginning with the 2027-28 swim season. The school board on Wednesday voted 8-0 to approve a three-year agreement with the Sarah...
Western Pa. Muslims ‘ultra vigilant’ after fatal San Diego mosque shooting
Western Pennsylvania Muslims are being “ultra vigilant” after a fatal shooting at an Islamic Center in San Diego, said Christine Mohamed, executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations in Pittsburgh. The attack on the mosque Monday by two teens killed three men: a security guard and two practitioners. Investigators...
Voter turnout for primary election lags with few contested races on spring ballots
Westmoreland County’s political leaders have a simple plan for November. Democratic and Republican party heads Wednesday said that plan will be to drive up vote totals after a lackluster spring primary that saw turnout dip to 24% of all eligible voters. According to unofficial results released by the county election...
Judge extends sealing of DA’s search warrant on City of Pittsburgh for 30 days
An Allegheny County Common Pleas judge on Wednesday granted a request by the district attorney’s office to extend the seal on a search warrant seeking information from the City of Pittsburgh for 30 more days. The order, signed by Judge Jill E. Rangos, will keep the search warrant and affidavit...
Defendant’s interview played for jury in McKeesport murder trial
The detectives believed Isaac Smith. The then-25-year-old voluntarily arrived at Allegheny County Police headquarters on Sept. 13, 2021 — hours after the body of a woman who he’d been seeing was found in the backyard of a house in McKeesport. Smith told investigators he and Karli Short had been intimate,...
Closed-door hearing for Niki’s Quick Six ends in mysterious ‘resolution’
The mystery of a sealed injunction against an Armstrong County bar persists. A hearing scheduled to discuss the injunction against Niki’s Quick Six, the Parks Township bar where a woman was shot and killed last month, took place out of the public eye Wednesday afternoon. Bar owner Niki Hosack; her...
Republicans expected to abandon $1B security proposal for White House and Trump’s ballroom
WASHINGTON — Senate Republican leaders are expected to abandon a proposal for $1 billion in security money for the White House complex and President Donald Trump’s ballroom on Thursday after members of their own party questioned the timing and the lack of detail in the Secret Service request. Pressured by...
Advocates say teens need a voice as Pittsburgh officials weigh youth policies
Weeks after a controversial policy restricting unaccompanied minors in Market Square took effect, advocates urged Pittsburgh officials to include young people in conversations about potential solutions. They also called for more programming and additional “third spaces” — communal gathering places outside the home and school. Councilman Khari Mosley, D-Point Breeze,...
IUP increases room capacity as student demand for on-campus housing spikes
So many students are expected to live on the Indiana University of Pennsylvania’s campus this fall that the state-owned college is turning some two-person suites into three-person suites, and four-person suites into six-person suites. “We’ve seen an increased demand in students wanting to live on campus — that includes staying...
Duolingo’s East Liberty HQ for sale as company consolidates in nearby tower
Duolingo is moving out of its headquarters, a corner office building in Pittsburgh’s East Liberty neighborhood where the online language learning platform matured into a publicly traded company worth billions of dollars. Hanna Commercial Real Estate is advertising the roughly 77,000-square-foot property as available for sale or lease. The three-story...
The ‘misstep’: Catena explains controversial mailer following primary loss
A day after losing the Democratic primary in Pennsylvania’s 45th state House District to political newcomer Brittany Bloam, Allegheny County Council President Pat Catena said he does not believe a controversial campaign mailer targeting transgender athletes cost him the race. Bloam, a Robinson land use and zoning attorney, defeated Catena...
Murrysville man pleads guilty to baseball bat assault
A Murrysville man was released from jail Wednesday after being sentenced for the assault of two people last year with an aluminum baseball bat. Reno J. Roberts, 26, pleaded guilty to two counts of aggravated assault in connection with an incident last Oct. 16 following an argument at the GetGo...
