Top Local and National News Stories
Take a look at what’s new at PNC Park ahead of the Pirates home opener
Ahead of the Pittsburgh Pirates’ home opener Friday, the team is rolling out new enhancements for players and fans alike at PNC Park — from shopping upgrades and streamlined concessions to the Bucco Bricks’ return as a new plaque display. On Tuesday, the Pirates unveiled 60 5-foot-high bronze panels along...
Westmoreland County Housing Authority to implement new ‘house rules’ for visitors
Visitors to Westmoreland County Housing Authority properties will soon face new “house rules” as officials look to crack down on bad behavior and improve safety. The agency’s board on Tuesday authorized Executive Director Michael Washowich and management to draft and implement standardized guidelines for guests. The move will codify what...
Heinz History Center to host special pop-up exhibits during NFL Draft
Football fans looking to learn about the sport’s history when the 2026 NFL Draft comes to Pittsburgh will find exhibitions and programs catered to the event at the Senator John Heinz History Center in the Strip District. The museum on Tuesday announced special plans to cater to football fans around...
Penn State adds course to support students at closing branch campuses
Penn State has launched a new course to help guide students at its seven commonwealth campuses that will close in a year. The Degree Completion and Transition Support course will automatically appear on eligible students’ online dashboards, Penn State officials announced this week. According to Penn State, the course will...
As Shapiro opposes ICE detention centers, his GOP opponent for Pa. governor stays vague
Spotlight PA is an independent, nonpartisan, and nonprofit newsroom producing investigative and public-service journalism that holds power to account and drives positive change in Pennsylvania. Sign up for our free newsletters. HARRISBURG — Stacy Garrity’s gubernatorial campaign won’t clarify where the Republican stands on ICE detention centers, only saying the...
Pittsburgh officials again tackle possible changes to 2026 budget
Pittsburgh officials are again contemplating changes to the 2026 budget. City Council last year made sweeping revisions to the spending plan first pitched by then-Mayor Ed Gainey. They added a tax hike, increased funding for new vehicles and tried to plug what they saw as holes in the former mayor’s...
Last call for doughnuts as New Kensington franchise closes doors
It was mostly business as usual for New Kensington’s Donut Connection on its last day of service. About noon Tuesday, the drive-thru saw a steady stream of cars and a few mingling eat-in customers. Dozen-sized boxes were filled with frosted and glazed doughnuts. Franchise owner Gayatri Patel said the shop’s...
Hempfield man charged with DUI in fiery wrong-way crash on Interstate 70
A Hempfield man was under the influence of alcohol and drugs at the time of a fiery wrong-way crash on Interstate 70 that involved three tractor-trailers, according to state police. Daniel W. Oliver, 80, was arraigned Tuesday on charges of risking a catastrophe, driving under the influence, reckless endangerment and...
Coal-heavy Nippon could undo U.S. Steel’s limited environmental progress, green group warns
Nippon Steel lags behind at going green, according to a new report from environmental group SteelWatch, highlighting concerns the Japanese firm could be a bad influence on subsidiary U.S. Steel. Nippon’s progress toward ultra-low-emission steelmaking ranked 17th out of 18 companies given a “corporate scorecard” Monday by SteelWatch, a global...
Pittsburgh’s new police chief, public safety director to emphasize mental health, leadership training
Pittsburgh’s police officers are frequently called to traumatic scenes, responding to violent crimes and helping people cope with mental health crises, Chief Jason Lando said. Some officers struggle to manage the trauma associated with the job, Lando said. That’s why he wants to hire a full-time mental health expert to...
Fat Head’s Saloon on South Side closing after 34 years
After operating on the South Side for more than three decades, Fat Head’s Saloon announced Tuesday that the longtime destination for craft beer and food will be shuttering April 26. The saloon will host a “Last Call” gathering on April 17, for former employees and longtime regulars to reconnect and...
NFL Draft stage rises on Pittsburgh’s North Shore
Construction crews are in full swing on Pittsburgh’s North Shore as the NFL Draft stage begins to take shape. Steve Farago, the NFL’s director of event operations, said the build kicked off Saturday, when about 50 trucks rolled in loaded with equipment for the massive outdoor theater. The stage is...
Judge blocks Trump order to end funding for National Public Radio and Public Broadcasting Service
WASHINGTON — A federal judge on Tuesday agreed to permanently block the Trump administration from implementing a presidential directive to end federal funding for National Public Radio and the Public Broadcasting Service. U.S. District Judge Randolph Moss in Washington ruled that President Donald Trump’s executive order to cease funding for...
Severe thunderstorms could hit Pittsburgh region as temperatures remain warm
Severe thunderstorms could roll into the Pittsburgh region Tuesday afternoon and evening ahead of a cold front, according to the National Weather Service. Damaging winds appear to be the primary threat, although large hail or a tornado could not be ruled out. “We’re pretty confident that we’ll have a good...
Employee of McCandless senior living facility accused of raping co-worker; suspect arrested
An employee of a senior living and memory care facility in McCandless is accused of raping a woman who also works there, according to charges filed by McCandless police. McCandless police charged Diosdado Anvene Ele, 33, of Pittsburgh’s Hazelwood neighborhood on March 30 with felony counts of rape, involuntary deviate...
Steelers’ Mike McCarthy: Will Howard ‘definitely a real prospect as a starting QB’Video
PHOENIX — Mike McCarthy enjoyed his year off away from coaching and being more involved with his family in 2025. For only the second time in more than a quarter century, he had no role in the draft. But if McCarthy had carried influence in a draft “war room” last...
Philadelphia man sentenced for death threats of political worker
A Philadelphia man who threatened to skin alive a woman working for the state GOP when she failed to answer his text message about being a poll worker will serve 10 months in federal prison. John C. Pollard, 63, pleaded guilty in December to one count of interstate threats. “Political...
Iran remains a stubborn foe after absorbing massive U.S.-Israeli attacks
BEIRUT — Since the United States and Israel launched their war against Iran on Feb. 28, the Trump administration claims to have all but “obliterated” the Islamic Republic’s military capabilities. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth declared last week that “never in recorded history has a nation’s military been so quickly and...
Allegheny Riverfront Park renovations to boost Pittsburgh’s event capacity
Freshly planted trees and new pavers are easily visible through the chain-link fence that is keeping people out of Downtown Pittsburgh’s Allegheny Riverfront Park while renovations are underway. Work is nearly completed, with a ribbon cutting scheduled for Thursday morning. Riverlife, a nonprofit dedicated to maintaining and activating Pittsburgh’s riverfronts,...
Supreme Court rules against Colorado ban on ‘conversion therapy’ for LGBTQ kids
WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court on Tuesday ruled against a law banning “conversion therapy” for LGBTQ+ kids in Colorado, one of about two dozen states that ban the discredited practice. An 8-1 high court majority sided with a Christian counselor who argues the law banning talk therapy violates the First...
After a month of war, Hegseth says Iran retains the ability to strike
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth conceded Tuesday that Iran retained the ability to retaliate after a monthlong U.S.-Israeli bombing campaign but repeated claims that Iran’s military capabilities had been crippled, in his first public briefing on the war in nearly two weeks. “They will shoot some missiles; we will shoot them...
Ross man who bought over 200 handguns is accused of firearms trafficking
A Ross man is accused of trafficking firearms after six of more than 200 handguns he bought over 11 years were recovered by police in three states, according to charges filed by the state Attorney General’s Office. Benjamin Ford, 43, was charged Thursday with six felony counts of selling or...
King Charles III to visit U.S. and Bermuda in late April
LONDON — King Charles III is going ahead with a state visit to the United States next month, despite calls for the ceremonial event to be called off due to U.S. President Donald Trump’s repeated criticism of the British government for failing to support the war in Iran. Buckingham Palace...
Trump says nations upset by high fuel prices should ‘go get your own oil’ amid strait closure
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — U.S. strikes hit a city Tuesday that is home to one of Iran’s main nuclear sites, sending a massive fireball into the sky, and Tehran attacked a fully loaded Kuwaiti oil tanker in the Persian Gulf. The attacks were testament to the intensity of the...
Teen shot in Homewood; police detain 2 after foot chase
One teen was arrested and one hospitalized after a shooting Monday night in Pittsburgh’s Homewood neighborhood. ShotSpotter recorded 13 rounds of gunfire — followed seconds later by two more shots — near the 500 block of Rosedale Street around 7:25 p.m., a police spokeswoman said. Witnesses told police about 10...
