Tom Fontaine stories, Page 2
FBI: Thomas Crooks acted alone in attempted assassination of Trump in Butler County
The FBI has concluded that Bethel Park’s Thomas Crooks acted alone in the attempted assassination of Donald Trump in Butler County during the 2024 presidential campaign. FBI Director Kash Patel told Fox News Digital that the bureau briefed President Trump on the findings of the investigation and he was “satisfied...
Chris Deluzio’s Western Pa. offices targeted with bomb threats
U.S. Rep. Chris Deluzio’s district offices in Carnegie and Beaver County’s Center Township were targeted with bomb threats Friday afternoon, a spokesperson reported. The threats came a day after President Donald Trump accused Deluzio and five other Democratic lawmakers of engaging in “seditious behavior” by releasing a video telling servicemembers...
Deluzio, other Dems tell troops to refuse illegal orders, Trump labels them ‘traitors’
Six Democratic members of Congress who served in the military or intelligence community, including U.S. Rep. Chris Deluzio of Fox Chapel, are telling current servicemembers and intelligence officials they have a right — and obligation — to refuse illegal orders. In response, President Donald Trump described the message from Democrats...
Meet Clay Higgins, the only House Republican to vote against releasing the Epstein files
U.S. Rep. Clay Higgins, R-La., was the lone House member to vote against a bill that would force the Justice Department to release its files related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. “I have been a principled ‘NO’ on this bill from the beginning. What was wrong with the bill...
Southwestern Pa.’s congressional delegation unanimously supports Epstein files bill
Southwestern Pennsylvania’s four members of the U.S. House all voted Tuesday afternoon in favor of a bill that would force the Justice Department to release its files related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The U.S. Senate later agreed by unanimous consent to approve the bill. The procedural move does...
A U.S. flag’s global odyssey to honor, unite all Americans started in Pittsburgh
On a June day marked by an elaborate military parade in the nation’s capital and thousands of protests across the country, the Pittsburgh-based National Flag Foundation presented a U.S. flag to the American Battle Monuments Commission in a quiet ceremony at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. “There was no band, no...
Democrats look to build on election wins in Pa., elsewhere as GOP refocuses
Democrats racked up victories in high-profile races across the country Tuesday night, prompting many on the left to view the wins as a repudiation of President Donald Trump and something to build on going into next year’s pivotal midterm elections. Some top Republicans downplayed the results, while others said Tuesday’s...
Labor Party’s Alex Rose leads in race for at-large seat on Allegheny County Council
Labor Party candidate Alex Rose held a sizable lead Tuesday night over Republican incumbent Mike Embrescia for an at-large seat on Allegheny County Council. Democrats were leading in seven other races in smaller county council districts. If the results hold up, Republicans would hold just one seat on the 15-member...
Allegheny County Sheriff Kevin Kraus up big in bid for 2nd term
Allegheny County Sheriff Kevin Kraus held a commanding lead Tuesday night over Republican challenger Brian Weismantle and appeared on his way to a second term in office. As of 11:30 p.m., with 90% of precincts reporting unofficial results and about 115,000 mail-in ballots counted, Kraus, a Democrat, had collected 64.4%...
Election Day storylines: What to watch
About a third of Western Pennsylvania’s voters were expected to cast ballots in today’s election, deciding key races for local, county and state office. Polls opened at 7 a.m. and closed at 8 p.m. Allegheny County spokeswoman Abigail Gardner said there was one report of a delay in opening. Pittsburgh...
Trump, Shapiro weigh in on Pa. Supreme Court retention elections
President Donald Trump took to social media Sunday night to urge Pennsylvanians to vote against retaining three Democratic justices on the state Supreme Court. In separate posts on Truth Social, Trump also endorsed numerous members of Congress, including U.S. Reps. Mike Kelly and Guy Reschenthaler of Western Pennsylvania, although they...
High-stakes Pa. judicial races, mail-in voting to boost election turnout, experts predict
Voter turnout typically craters in the year after a presidential election, but experts predict it will be higher than usual Tuesday because of high-stakes judicial retention races and the ease of mail-in voting. Allegheny County Elections Director Dave Voye estimates that about 35% of the county’s registered voters will cast...
Fetterman, McCormick back Senate-rejected plan to pay some federal workers during shutdown
Pennsylvania’s two U.S. senators — Republican Dave McCormick and Democrat John Fetterman — voted Thursday to pay some federal workers during the government shutdown, but the GOP measure failed to get enough support in the Senate. Democrats tried to push through a measure of their own that would have paid...
Pa.’s new Democratic chairman focused on pivotal upcoming races, growing the party
Pennsylvania’s new Democratic chairman is pulling a page from Ronald Reagan’s playbook in an effort to unify and grow his party. “We’ve got to get back to politics being a game of addition, trying to add to our coalitions and becoming a bigger tent,” Pennsylvania Democratic Chairman Eugene DePasquale said...
Some GOP leaders deem ‘No Kings’ rallies as anti-American
Some Republican leaders are describing Saturday’s planned “No Kings” demonstrations across the country as anti-American. “We call it the ‘hate America’ rally,” House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said during a news conference this week. “Let’s see who shows up for that. I bet you you’ll see Hamas supporters, I bet...
Marjorie Taylor Greene said she hasn’t changed, despite recent breaks from the GOP
U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., has been making life uncomfortable for some members of her own party in Congress. Greene, a conservative firebrand who has been a staunch supporter of President Trump, has been critical of how Republicans have dealt with several key issues in recent weeks and months....
Shapiro joins states in legal action against Trump’s National Guard deployments
Pennsylvania has joined nearly two dozen states in taking legal action in an attempt to stop President Donald Trump from deploying National Guard troops to U.S. cities. The multistate amicus brief argues that the deployment of National Guard troops in Oregon was “unlawful, unconstitutional and undemocratic,” according to Gov. Josh...
Fetterman breaks with Dems on reining in Trump’s strikes on alleged drug boats; approval rating up among Republicans
U.S. Sen. John Fetterman went against the Democratic grain again. Fetterman on Wednesday was the lone Democrat in the Senate to vote against a measure to prevent President Donald Trump from using military force against suspected drug traffickers in the Caribbean without congressional authorization. Even with the support of two...
Treasury defends proposal to put Trump on $1 coin
The Treasury Department is defending a proposal to mint a $1 coin with images of President Trump to help celebrate the nation’s 250th birthday, citing a bill signed into law by Trump during the last week of his first administration. “(Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent) is honored to exercise the authorities...
Pittsburgh native Larry Hailsham Jr. named executive director of Pa. Democratic Party
Pittsburgh native Larry Hailsham Jr., a top aide to Gov. Josh Shapiro, has been named executive director of the Pennsylvania Democratic Party. State Democrats also announced this week that Shapiro donated $250,000 to the party as it gears up for pivotal elections in November and next year. Hailsham was appointed...
Fetterman breaks with Democrats to support stopgap spending bill
For the second time in less than 24 hours, the U.S. Senate blocked a stopgap spending bill that would fund the government through late November. The proposal needed support from 60 senators to end a filibuster and advance to a final vote, but it fell short Wednesday with just 55...
Pa. Senate Republicans look to forgive interest on state loans to help counties, Head Starts
Republican leaders in the state Senate said Tuesday they plan to introduce legislation to forgive the interest payments on Treasury loans designed to help county governments and Head Start providers weather Pennsylvania’s budget impasse. “They should not be penalized because of what is happening here in Harrisburg,” state Senate President...
As Pa. budget impasse drags on, proposals aim to prevent future ones
The failure of Pennsylvania lawmakers to pass a budget for the fiscal year that began nearly three months ago is inspiring several pieces of legislation aimed at preventing such impasses in the future. In the House, a bill from state Rep. Jill Cooper, R-Murrysville, would suspend paychecks for the governor,...
Pa. budget impasse nears 3 months as schools, counties and others feel the pain
Pennsylvania is one of just three states that has yet to adopt a complete budget for the 2025-26 fiscal year, according to an analysis by the National Association of School Budget Officers. In North Carolina, lawmakers passed a stopgap “mini budget” over the summer to keep the government running while...
Fetterman, McCormick call for end to political violence, extreme rhetoric
U.S. Sens. John Fetterman and Dave McCormick condemned political violence and extreme rhetoric during a joint appearance Tuesday on Fox News’ “Special Report.” The senators said their joint appearance was an attempt to turn down the political temperature following last week’s assassination of conservative influencer Charlie Kirk. “I feel like...
