Top Stories category, Page 731
Legal experts say jury selection in Trump trial could be sticking point
The coverage around former President Donald Trump’s arraignment has created a media circus, and Pittsburgh legal experts expect that trend to accelerate, as it could have an effect on jury selection for the trial. An indictment unsealed Tuesday claimed Trump conspired to illegally influence the 2016 election through a series...
Family forgives Braddock man who killed well-known street minister
The Rev. Sheldon Stoudemire would have wanted to help the man who shot him. And he would have forgiven him, too. That’s why on Monday, during an emotional hearing in Allegheny County Common Pleas Court, that’s what Stoudemire’s family did on his behalf. Gerald Adams, 22, of Braddock pleaded guilty...
Pittsburgh reaches $275K settlement with 2020 protesters
The City of Pittsburgh has reached a $275,000 settlement with a group of protesters who said they were gassed, arrested and traumatized by police during a 2020 racial justice demonstration, the Tribune-Review has learned. The settlement was revealed in a motion filed Monday in federal court, which states that the...
Ex-Fayette drug kingpin back home after parole from state, federal prisons
A former Fayette County drug kingpin is living in Masontown after serving more than 30 years in state and federal prison. Ronald Whethers, who was among those convicted of ordering the killing of a Monessen man whose heart and liver were transplanted into then-Gov. Robert Casey as part of a...
Pitt gets approval to build $240M arena, sports performance center in Oakland
The University of Pittsburgh’s $240 million plan to build an arena and sports performance center on the Oakland campus earned approval Tuesday from the city’s Planning Commission. Victory Heights will be located near Petersen Events Center on Terrace Street — on the site of the former Pitt Stadium, which was...
Trafford police accuse couple of running prostitution service from their home
A married couple was arrested Tuesday after Trafford police said they were running a prostitution service and two “Johns” claimed to pay for sex there. The “Johns” told investigators that they paid $150 per session at the Fairmont Avenue home after booking a woman through online escort services, according to...
Supporters hope Pa.’s new legislature will embrace open primaries, but at least one big hurdle remains
Spotlight PA is an independent, nonpartisan newsroom powered by The Philadelphia Inquirer in partnership with PennLive/The Patriot-News, TribLIVE/Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, and WITF Public Media. Sign up for our free newsletters. HARRISBURG — Lawmakers and advocates who support opening Pennsylvania’s primary elections to over a million independent voters hope the legislature will...
District judge orders former Arnold fire chief to repay death benefit, court costs
A hearing to resolve a civil claim against the former chief of the Arnold No. 1 fire department didn’t even make it to a courtroom Tuesday morning. Brian Gouza was still in the lobby of District Judge Frank J. Pallone Jr.’s courtroom when he simply responded “yes” when the judge...
Former Elizabeth police chief gets federal probation for stealing heroin out of evidence
The former Elizabeth Borough police chief who stole thousands of bags of heroin from his department’s evidence room to feed his addiction was ordered Tuesday to serve four years of federal probation, with 90 days of home detention. Timothy L. Butler, 46, of Finleyville, had already been sentenced in state...
Low-pressure system bringing intense storms to Western Pa.
Heavy storms, straight-line winds and tornadoes are roaring through the midwest and some measure of it is headed to the Pittsburgh area. The good news is that we are not expected to see anything as severe as what happened in places like Illinois and Iowa on Tuesday. But some serious...
Finland joins NATO in major blow to Russia over Ukraine war
HELSINKI — Finland joined the NATO military alliance Tuesday, dealing a major blow to Russian President Vladimir Putin with a historic realignment of Europe’s post-Cold War security landscape triggered by Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine. The Nordic country’s membership doubles Russia’s border with the world’s biggest security alliance. Finland had adopted...
Trump is heading to court. Here’s what to expect
Former President Donald Trump came to a New York City courtroom Tuesday for his arraignment on charges related to falsifying business records in a hush money investigation, the first president ever to be charged with a crime. The Republican former president, who has denied any wrongdoing and has repeatedly assailed...
Trump charged with 34 felony counts in hush money schemeVideo
NEW YORK — A stone-faced Donald Trump made a momentous courtroom appearance Tuesday when he was confronted with a 34-count felony indictment charging him in a scheme to bury allegations of extramarital affairs that arose during his first White House campaign. The arraignment in a Manhattan courtroom was a stunning...
Morning Roundup: Severe showers, thunderstorms forecast for Wednesday
Here are some of the latest news items from this morning, Tuesday, April 4, 2023: Severe showers, thunderstorms forecast for Wednesday The National Weather Service said severe showers and thunderstorms are possible late Wednesday and into early Thursday in the Western Pennsylvania region, especially before midnight. The NWS said the...
‘Air’ follows Trafford native’s pursuit of Michael Jordan for NikeVideo
Most people won’t get a chance to see a movie made about their lives — much less see themselves portrayed by A-list Hollywood leading man Matt Damon. Trafford native John “Sonny” Vaccaro is about to get both. “Air: Courting a Legend” premieres Wednesday in theaters nationwide. Directed by Ben Affleck,...
More severe weather forecast for battered South, MidwestVideo
OKLAHOMA CITY — While residents across parts of the South and Midwest pummeled by deadly storms and wildfires sifted through the wreckage of their homes Monday, forecasters warned of more severe weather and fire danger in the days ahead across much of the same region. The fierce storms that spawned...
Pittsburgh Brewing teams with Turner’s Iced Tea for new beer — IC’d TeaVideo
You can’t spell iconic without the letters IC. So when the makers of the iconic Iron City Beer were looking to create a new drink, it seemed only natural to collaborate with another iconic local brand, Turner’s Iced Tea. On April 12 — 412 Day for Yinzers — Pittsburgh Brewing...
Pa. faces staffing shortage as health coverage for thousands on the line
Spotlight PA is an independent, nonpartisan newsroom powered by The Philadelphia Inquirer in partnership with PennLive/The Patriot-News, TribLIVE/Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, and WITF Public Media. Sign up for our free newsletters. HARRISBURG — The offices in Pennsylvania’s Department of Human Services that help people keep their Medicaid benefits are facing staffing challenges...
Police: Woman assaulted Lower Burrell McDonald’s co-worker with drive-thru headset
Lower Burrell police accused a McDonald’s restaurant employee of assaulting a new co-worker by hitting her in the head with a $900 drive-thru window headset that broke the device. Nicole Monique Brundage, 36, of the 200 block of Freeport Road in New Kensington was charged with misdemeanor counts of simple...
Joan Gabel to become first woman to serve as Pitt chancellor
Joan Gabel, president and chief executive of the University of Minnesota system and its Twin Cities campus, has been named as the University of Pittsburgh’s 19th and first woman chancellor. Pitt’s board of trustees voted Monday at a special meeting to make her chancellor-elect. She will succeed Patrick Gallagher, 60,...
Person flown by medical helicopter after Rostraver crash
A person was taken by medical helicopter to a hospital Monday morning after a crash in Rostraver. A vehicle was reported to be overturned on Cedar Creek Road just after 10:15 a.m. in the area of the Rostraver Sportsmen and Conservation Association, according to a Westmoreland 911 dispatch supervisor. The...
Nation awaits unveiling of criminal charges against Trump at historic arraignmentVideo
NEW YORK — Former President Donald Trump’s return to New York City continued this week with the news media in a frenzy, demonstrators poised to protest and a new chapter in history being written before the nation’s eyes. Trump, 76, is expected to appear before State Supreme Court Judge Juan...
Kris Letang at 1,000 games: ‘Tangerisms’, meatballs and dedication
Kris Letang objected, almost immediately. During the early stages of the Pittsburgh Penguins’ training camp in September 2021, Letang relived some memories of past glory and discussed his former teammate and long-time friend, Max Talbot, being an eighth-round draft pick in 2002 and how he arrived to the NHL through...
Members of Congress on TikTok defend app’s reach to voters
WASHINGTON — Rep. Jeff Jackson of North Carolina has used it to explain the complex fight over raising the debt limit. Rep. Robert Garcia of California has used it to engage with members of the LGBTQ+ community. And Sen. Bob Casey of Pennsylvania has used it to give an overview...
Finland to join NATO military alliance this week, chief says
BRUSSELS — NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg says Finland will become the 31st member of the military alliance on Tuesday. “From tomorrow, Finland will be a full member of the alliance,” Stoltenberg told reporters in Brussels. Stoltenberg said that Turkey, the last country to have ratified Finland’s membership, will hand its...
