Top Stories category, Page 98
In a first, strike in Caribbean leaves survivors, U.S. official says
WASHINGTON — The U.S. military carried out a new strike on Thursday against a suspected drug vessel in the Caribbean, and in what is believed to be the first such case, there were survivors among the crew, a U.S. official told Reuters. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity,...
Coroner’s ruling pending in Westmoreland jail inmate’s death
A female inmate was found dead in a jail cell this month, the Westmoreland County Coroner’s Office said Thursday. Deputy Coroner Al Lonzo said Amber Knepshield, 32, was pronounced dead at 12:22 a.m. in a Westmoreland County prison cell Oct. 3. Lonzo said the office is awaiting results from an...
Leda Health, a Pittsburgh company that makes at-home rape kits, settles false claims lawsuit
The Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office on Thursday announced a settlement with a Pittsburgh company that sells at-home rape kits. Under the terms of the settlement, Leda Health must provide a written warning that its products do not meet the same standards as hospital-based evidence collection services. The state sued Leda...
Trump barred from deploying troops to Chicago, for now
CHICAGO — A federal appeals court won’t allow President Donald Trump to deploy — at least for now — troops to Illinois as part of his crackdown known as Operation Midway Blitz, according to a decision published Oct. 16. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit based in...
Trump says he will meet Putin in Budapest, touting progress in Ukraine talks
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed on Thursday to another summit to discuss ending the war in Ukraine, a surprise move that came as Moscow feared fresh U.S. military support for Kyiv. Trump said he and Putin could meet within the next two weeks in...
Pitt trustee loses lawsuit claiming lack of access, retaliation
A longtime University of Pittsburgh trustee who sued during a bitter dispute with the board and its chairman has lost his case. John H. Pelusi Jr., who joined the board in 1994 and became an emeritus member last year, sued the board and its chairman, Jonathan J. Verbanac Sr., in...
Israel, Hamas trade blame over truce violations amid delay in return of dead hostages
CAIRO — Israel said on Thursday it was preparing for the reopening of Gaza’s Rafah crossing with Egypt to let Palestinians in and out, but set no date as it traded blame with Hamas over violations of a U.S.-mediated ceasefire. A dispute over the return of hostages’ bodies held by...
In surprise move, head of U.S. military for Latin America to step down
WASHINGTON — The admiral who leads U.S. military forces in Latin America will step down at the end of this year, two years ahead of schedule, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced on Thursday, in a surprise move amid escalating tensions with Venezuela. A source familiar with the matter told Reuters...
Trump wants more U.S. babies. This is his plan to lower costs, expand access to IVF
WASHINGTON ‒ President Donald Trump announced a plan aimed at expanding access to in vitro fertilization, seeking to fulfill a 2024 campaign promise by launching a new effort to lower IVF costs for families. Trump’s plan, which he unveiled Thursday in the Oval Office, also calls for eliminating red tape...
John Bolton, former Trump adviser, charged with sharing classified information
John Bolton, President Donald Trump’s former national security adviser, was charged on Thursday in a sweeping indictment that accuses him of sharing sensitive government information with two of his relatives for possible use in a book he was writing. The indictment marked the third time in recent weeks the Justice...
Arnold man charged after kids test positive for cocaine
An Arnold man faces three counts of endangering the welfare of children after his 5-, 3- and 1-year-old each tested positive for cocaine. Westmoreland County detectives say they began investigating Josiah Hughes, 30, in May with a case involving child endangerment, according to the District Attorney’s Office. A ChildLine report...
State-owned universities to recruit former students who never completed degrees
If you’re one of the 130,000 people who obtained course credits at one of the state system’s colleges but never finished your degree, you’ll be hearing from the university soon. Pennsylvania’s State System of Higher Education will be rolling out a program reconnecting with and recruiting former students who didn’t...
Roughly 46,000 troops won’t be paid during the government shutdown
Roughly 46,000 full-time U.S. military members are without pay during the federal government shutdown despite President Donald Trump’s push to pay active duty troops. The impacted service members, known as dual-status technicians, are full-time employees of the National Guard and other military reserve units who under federal law must wear...
Pittsburgh, Strip District merchants compromise to resolve bike lane brouhaha
Pittsburgh’s bike-lane battle appears to be over. The Strip District Business Association on Thursday struck a reluctant compromise with the City of Pittsburgh on plans to convert a portion of Penn Avenue to a one-lane road with a bike lane. The city initially wanted to add a protected bike lane...
Plans for future of Penn State’s closing campus properties to be set by 2027
A second round of meetings with Penn State leadership and communities where branch campuses are closing, and what the future holds for those properties, will soon be underway, university administration said Thursday. Seven branch campuses — New Kensington, Fayette, Shenango, Mont Alto, DuBois, Wilkes-Barre and York — will close at...
Research shows annoying sounds might not be in your ears, but in your brain
The sound of someone sniffling can be irritating, but that has almost nothing to do with the sound itself, new Carnegie Mellon University research shows. “It’s not the sound, it’s how I feel about the person sitting next to me, and how it’s rude to sniffle,” said Laurie Heller, a...
Report claims Heritage Valley Sewickley, St. Clair hospitals perform needless back surgeries
Two Pittsburgh-area hospitals and one near State College are being called out by a health care think tank for performing what it calls unnecessary back surgeries. A report released earlier this month by the Massachusetts-based Lown Institute says around 38% of spinal fusions performed at Heritage Valley Sewickley weren’t warranted,...
AHN signs deal to pull Heritage Valley hospitals into its network
Allegheny Health Network and the much smaller Heritage Valley Health System have signed a merger agreement, marking the latest push by the Pittsburgh region’s biggest hospital systems to expand their reach. Officials on Thursday announced the deal, which requires state and federal government approval. It would bring Heritage Valley hospitals...
1 injured in crash on I-79
One person was taken to the hospital after a wreck on I-79 in Kennedy Township Thursday morning. The crash was reported just after 7:15 a.m. on I-79 northbound at Forest Grove Road, according to an Allegheny County 911 dispatcher. The northbound lanes had been closed but reopened around 8:10 a.m.,...
Trump diverts anti-terror funds from Democratic strongholds to Republican states
WASHINGTON - The Trump administration plans to shift terrorism prevention funding from Democratic-led states toward those led by Republicans, government records show, as it overhauls a $1 billion program created after the 9/11 attacks. Twelve Democratic-led states are suing to block the cuts, alleging that the Trump administration is trying...
Suspect in Ross Park Mall shooting surrenders to police; 2 other juveniles charged
One teenager is being charged as an adult in connection with a shooting at Ross Park Mall last month, and two others face juvenile charges, according to Ross police. Myshawn Scott, 16, of Pittsburgh’s East Hills neighborhood is charged with aggravated assault, possession of a firearm by a minor and...
Morning Roundup: Pedestrians hit by car on sidewalk; students given possibly contaminated ice; Market Square detours
Here are some of the latest news items from this morning, Thursday, Oct. 16: Pedestrians hit by car on sidewalk Two pedestrians on a sidewalk near Westinghouse Academy in Pittsburgh’s Homewood West neighborhood were struck by a car Wednesday. First responders were called to the crash around 3 p.m. at...
Steelers vs. Bengals: Get ready for 2025 Week 7 rivalry matchup
For the first time this season, the Pittsburgh Steelers (4-1) will play under the lights when they visit Paycor Stadium to play the Cincinnati Bengals (2-4) on Thursday. Kickoff is set for 8:15 p.m. The game will be broadcast on Prime Video, and simulcast locally on WTAE-TV, with Al Michaels...
Federal shutdown could affect deadline for Jeannette flood mitigation project
The Municipal Authority of Westmoreland County might not meet a state-imposed deadline to complete a program to install new sewer lines in Jeannette because of the federal government shutdown, agency officials said Wednesday. Construction on the $14 million flood mitigation project, which has been in the works since 2019, started...
Editorial: Death penalty decisions must be based on evidence
The death penalty is divisive. Support for and opposition to it is not as easy as political party or position. It is all over the map. There are people with firmly held convictions about crime and law enforcement who draw a line when it comes to capital punishment. There are...
