Top Stories category, Page 733
Trump facing at least 1 felony charge in NY case
NEW YORK — Former President Donald Trump is facing multiple charges of falsifying business records, including at least one felony offense, in the indictment handed down by a Manhattan grand jury, two people familiar with the matter told The Associated Press on Friday. He will be formally arrested and arraigned...
Worries grow that Trump indictment will eclipse other probes
WASHINGTON — The indictment against former President Donald Trump involving a 2016 hush money payment is raising concerns that it could undermine public confidence in what democracy experts view as far more important investigations. Trump is facing multiple investigations related to his refusal to accept his 2020 loss to Democrat...
Pittsburgh leaders tout efforts to stem violence
Twelve-year-old Ah’Kill Creighton was playing basketball outside one day last year when he witnessed his first murder. He recalled hearing a gunshot and seeing someone fall. “I got scared, because it was the first time I ever saw somebody die,” said Creighton, of Pittsburgh’s Allentown neighborhood, during a news conference...
Trump indictment throws 2024 race into uncharted territory
NEW YORK — The historic indictment of former President Donald Trump thrust the 2024 presidential election into uncharted territory, raising the remarkable prospect that the leading contender for the Republican nomination will seek the White House while also facing trial for criminal charges in New York. In an acknowledgment of...
Swift-moving fire engulfs building in Leechburg
No injuries were reported in a swift-moving fire at a commercial structure in Leechburg on Friday. The blaze at Metco Supply Inc., 81 Kiski Ave., was reported just after 5 p.m. Leechburg Volunteer Fire Co. Chief John Foster said it took longer than he was hoping to attack the fire....
Fiery derailments renew Americans’ focus on railroad safety
OMAHA, Neb. — Americans are renewing their focus on railroad safety after a string of recent derailments, especially two fiery ones involving hazardous chemicals in Ohio and Minnesota that prompted evacuations. Federal regulators and members of Congress are urging railroads to do more to prevent derailments. They want standards for...
Fetterman released from Walter Reed, home in Braddock
U.S. Sen. John Fetterman was released Friday from Walter Reed National Military Medical Center after being treated for clinical depression. Dr. David Williamson, Walter Reed’s neuropsychiatry chief and medical director, said Fetterman’s depression is now in remission. Fetterman is back home in Braddock. “I’m excited to be the father and...
County begins demolition at Ligonier Beach
Ligonier area residents are saying goodbye to the remnants of the Ligonier Beach property. With the support of federal funding, Westmoreland County has officially started demolition at the Ligonier Township property in accordance with the countywide movement to fight community blight. The township applied for a blight remediation grant through...
Former Pittsburghers in Israel protesting judicial reform alongside other Israelis
Kally Kislowicz, a former Pittsburgher who now lives in Israel, said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is popular in her conservative West Bank settlement of Efrat. But she said that doesn’t make Netanyahu, known as “Bibi” to most Israelis, above reproach. Controversial judicial reforms proposed by Netanyahu have triggered protests across...
Campaign finance, lobbying reform still receiving little attention in Pa. legislature
This story first appeared in The Investigator, a weekly newsletter by Spotlight PA featuring the best investigative and accountability journalism from across Pennsylvania. Sign up for free here. HARRISBURG — As lawmakers gathered in Harrisburg this week for another round of budget hearings, both legislative chambers got the chance to...
Pa. factory explosion survivor, on fire, fell into chocolate vat
A woman pulled alive from the rubble of a Pennsylvania chocolate factory after an explosion that killed seven co-workers says flames had engulfed the building, and her arm, when the floor gave way beneath her. That might have been the end, if she hadn’t fallen into a vat of liquid...
Greensburg reaches $35K settlement with police officer who sued after not getting promoted
A Greensburg police officer who sued the city, claiming he was discriminated against after being passed over for the chief’s job, accepted a $35,000 settlement to end his lawsuit, according to federal court filings. W. Robert Jones on Wednesday formally accepted the settlement offer that was extended by the city...
Allegheny County had nation’s 10th biggest population loss, census estimates show
Allegheny County is among the biggest population losers in the country, according to census estimates released Thursday. The county’s population dropped by 12,192 people between July 2021 and July 2022, the estimates show. Its estimated population stood at 1,233,253 on July 1, the census said. The decrease was the 10th...
Senators reintroduce bipartisan journalism antitrust bill
Two U.S. senators are reviving a bipartisan effort to allow local news outlets to negotiate for fair compensation from large digital platforms that use their content. Senators Amy Klobuchar, a Democrat from Minnesota, and John Kennedy, a Republican from Louisiana, on Friday announced they have reintroduced the Journalism Competition and...
Trump to be arraigned Tuesday to face N.Y. indictment
NEW YORK — Former President Donald Trump will be arraigned Tuesday after his indictment in New York City, court officials said Friday, his formal surrender and arrest presenting the historic, shocking scene of a former U.S. commander in chief forced to stand before a judge. While Trump and his lawyers...
Republicans show widespread support for Trump amid indictment
In the hours since the news broke that former President Donald Trump has been indicted by a New York state grand jury, top Republicans lawmakers took to social media quickly showing their support for the former president. Trump was indicted Thursday on charges involving payments made during his 2016 presidential...
Trump’s indictment in New York: Here’s what to know
NEW YORK — Donald Trump has become the first former U.S. president to be charged with a crime, the culmination of a political rise defined by unprecedented scandal. The vote of a Manhattan grand jury to indict the Republican former president on charges related to hush money payments made on...
Justice Department sues Norfolk Southern over derailment
The federal government filed a lawsuit against railroad Norfolk Southern over environmental damage caused by a train derailment on the Ohio-Pennsylvania border that spilled hazardous chemicals into nearby creeks and rivers. The U.S. Department of Justice said it’s seeking to hold the company accountable for “unlawfully polluting the nation’s waterways...
Fortuneteller to remain in custody pending court hearing
A fortuneteller accused of bilking clients will remain in the Westmoreland County Prison after she was arrested earlier this month in Florida. Alexis Mitchell, 29, was charged with theft and other offenses after a North Huntingdon man claimed he paid her $10,000 for illegal fortunetelling services last August. Police said...
5 things to do in Pittsburgh this weekend: March 31-April 2
We say goodbye to March and hello to April this weekend. Here are some ways to spend it. Final chance This is the last weekend for the 58th Carnegie International, “Is it morning for you yet?” at the Carnegie Museum of Art in Oakland. The Carnegie International is the longest-running...
Morning Roundup: High wind watch issued for Saturday
Here are some of the latest news items from this morning, Friday, March 31, 2023: High wind watch The National Weather Service has issued a high wind watch for parts of Western Pennsylvania from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday. The watch is in effect for the ridges until 2...
New Stanton warehouse construction continues; operator remains unidentified
Motorists traveling along the Pennsylvania Turnpike near New Stanton or along Arona Road parallel to the turnpike can see what a $120 million warehouse project covering more than 1 million square feet looks like. The walls have been constructed, and doors for loading docks are visible. The extensive earthmoving that...
Arnold Palmer airport awarded $855K for control tower improvements
The control tower at Arnold Palmer Regional Airport will receive an $855,000 upgrade funded by federal money. “The tower was built in ’81 and it’s going to be a general refurbishment of the tower’s integrity,” said Gabe Monzo, Westmoreland Airport Authority director. The Unity airport has received more than $5...
Western Pa. political leaders react to Trump indictment
Some called the criminal charges long overdue. Others called for caution. Still, others described the indictment of former President Donald Trump as “partisan” and unfair. Western Pennsylvania political leaders on Thursday had various takes on the historic indictment. Trump was indicted by a New York state grand jury Thursday on...
Gwyneth Paltrow not at fault for ski collision, jury decides
PARK CITY, Utah — Gwyneth Paltrow won her court battle over a 2016 ski collision at a posh Utah ski resort after a jury decided Thursday that the movie star wasn’t at fault for the crash. A jury dismissed the complaint of a retired optometrist who sued Paltrow over injuries...
