Top Stories category, Page 10
Budget bombshell: Pittsburgh councilwoman proposes 30% tax hike in 2026
Pittsburgh Councilwoman Barb Warwick dropped a budget bombshell on Monday, proposing a 30% property tax hike to balance what she and her peers see as a disastrous final spending plan by the outgoing mayor. A tax increase of that magnitude is only path to forward without axing services, Warwick said....
Trump proposes $12B aid package for farmers hit hard by his trade war with China
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump announced a $12 billion farm aid package on Monday — a boost to farmers who have struggled to sell their crops while getting hit by rising costs after the president raised tariffs on China as part of a broader trade war. He unveiled the plan...
Carnegie Museum of Natural History director Gretchen Baker to depart
Gretchen Baker, the Daniel G. and Carole L. Kamin Director of the Carnegie Museum of Natural History in Oakland, will be leaving effective Dec. 31. The Carnegie Museums announced Monday that Baker would be moving to a position as president and CEO of the Chicago Botanic Garden. She joined the...
Mark Madden: Steelers’ lead in AFC North is restored, along with the Mike Tomlin narrative
The Pittsburgh Steelers are back atop the AFC North, and the narrative is back in place. It ranges somewhere between Kevin Bacon screaming “All is well!” in “Animal House” and Aaron Rodgers saying, “Means maybe (the media) will shut the hell up for a week.” It doubtless involves every talking...
Where things stand in the peace talks on the Ukraine war
President Donald Trump has unleashed the most extensive diplomatic effort to end the fighting in Ukraine since Russia’s full-scale invasion nearly four years ago, but Washington’s efforts have run into sharply conflicting demands by Moscow and Kyiv. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is set to meet Monday with European allies as...
Plum prepares for 25th edition of Make-A-Wish telethon, hopes to crack $1.25M mark
Plum’s annual Make-A-Wish telethon is set to return later this month for its 25th edition. The livestreamed event has raised $1.19 million for the Make-A-Wish Foundation since it began in 1999. But organizers are hoping to crack the $1.25 million mark this year, according to Plum High School teacher and...
Steelers vs. Ravens: What they’re saying in Baltimore after loss
The Pittsburgh Steelers pulled out a wild road win Sunday at Baltimore’s M&T Bank Stadium, defeating their rival Ravens, 27-22, and taking the lead in the AFC North. The Steelers squeaked away with the win after a potential, go-ahead Ravens touchdown was taken off the board with less than three...
Madden Monday: ‘The Ravens were worse, more than the Steelers were better’
During this week’s “Madden Monday” podcast, Mark Madden of TribLive and 105.9 The X had plenty of good things to say about the Pittsburgh Steelers’ 27-22 victory in Baltimore. “I thought they did a good job rushing (Lamar) Jackson. I thought Jackson was awful, but I thought that they contained...
Construction of driverless vehicle test track in East Huntingdon reaches the start line
Construction of a 2-mile track in East Huntingdon to test autonomous vehicles and train first responders is underway, with the facility expected to be in operation by late 2026. The project’s first phase, which includes the test track and supporting infrastructure, is expected to cost about $30 million. Work crews...
Hundreds gather in Squirrel Hill to hear account of Israeli held captive by Hamas for 491 days
For Jay Idler, reading the first published account of an Israeli taken hostage by Hamas on Oct. 7, 2023, was difficult, but necessary. “A lot of the hostages are appropriately closed in after having such a traumatic experience,” said Idler of Squirrel Hill. “Having someone elaborate after what they went...
Key GOP senator says he has no objection to releasing video of strike that killed 2 survivorsVideo
A video of a U.S. military strike on an alleged drug boat in the Caribbean that killed two survivors of the initial attack shows “nothing remarkable,” the Republican who leads the Senate Intelligence Committee said Sunday, and he would not oppose its public release if the Pentagon were to declassify...
Trump lashes out at Henry Cuellar for running as Democrat after pardon
Donald Trump lashed out at U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar for deciding to seek reelection as a Democrat after the president pardoned the Texan and his wife of federal corruption charges. “Can you imagine???” Trump said Sunday at the beginning of a lengthy social media post, saying that the charges against...
Feats of Strength: Rodgers-Metcalf connection, late defensive plays save Steelers in Baltimore
It wasn’t quite Charlie Batch leading a stunning upset with a limping Pittsburgh Steelers team in Baltimore in 2012. No. That year, the Ravens were actually good. They were 9-2 at the time and ended up winning the Super Bowl. This year’s Baltimore Ravens team (6-7) is every bit as flawed...
Fire destroys Cook Township house; man left homeless
Firefighters had to battle a smoky fire at a Cook Township house Sunday while being careful as ammunition in the house was exploding, a fire official said. There were no injuries from the fire along Hoods Mill Road off Route 130, said Chestnut Ridge Fire Chief Shawn Kestner. The owner,...
Steelers hold off final Ravens drive to win in Baltimore
BALTIMORE — In a reversal of fortune Sunday — and thanks to a few reversed calls — the Pittsburgh Steelers secured a rare victory after holding a halftime lead. Albeit barely. The Steelers survived a second-half rally by the Baltimore Ravens and a few controversial instant replay rulings to defeat...
Monessen man charged after 24 shots fired during fight outside Springdale restaurant
Springdale police have charged a Monessen man after two dozen shots were fired outside a borough business late Saturday night. Police charged Armando Antonio Diaz, 22, with robbery, theft, aggravated and simple assault, reckless endangerment, and firearms offenses, according to court records. According to a criminal complaint, an officer monitoring...
Fire guts Penn Township house
A state police fire marshal is investigating the cause of a fire that gutted a Penn Township house late Saturday night, a fire department spokesman said. The fire at the two-story brick house at 300 Murrysville Road in the Level Green section of the township was reported at about 10:30...
Roman Wilson inactive; veterans Adam Thielen, Marquez Valdes-Scantling make Steelers debut
BALTIMORE — Roman Wilson was the odd man out in the late-season makeover of the Pittsburgh Steelers’ secondary wide receivers corps. On a day when veteran wideouts Adam Thielen and Marquez Valdes-Scantling were in uniform to make their debut with the team, Wilson was designated as a surprising healthy inactive...
3 injured in Penn Hills crash
Three people were injured early Sunday morning in a two-vehicle accident on Verona Road early Sunday morning, Penn Hills Fire Department No. 7 said in a Facebook post. Penn Hills police said the accident was reported at 2:15 a.m. and that the injuries were minor. One man was...
Editorial: What’s the future of health care independence?
In 2022, Excela Health announced a merger with Butler Health System. It was all about taking the two organizations and giving them “the requisite scale to accelerate and elevate its relevancy … in the region’s highly competitive health care marketplace.” That public-relations speak could be interpreted as allowing the hospitals...
Jeannette business district: ‘Fledgling stages of being reborn’
As people were flowing into Jeannette’s downtown business district Saturday for the city’s holiday parade, there was a positive vibe among several business owners along Clay Avenue that downtown is seeing a revitalization. “It’s slowly coming back. There’s a lot of great things happening. We just need more,” said Jen...
Steelers at Ravens: Get ready for 2025 Week 14 matchup
First place in the AFC North is up for grabs when the Pittsburgh Steelers visit the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. The game will be broadcast on CBS, with Jim Nantz on play-by-play alongside analyst Tony Romo and sideline reporter Tracy Wolfson. The Steelers Audio...
Shoddy oversight plagues Pittsburgh police moonlighting program
On most days, uniformed Pittsburgh police officers work off-duty gigs across the city. These side jobs are supposed to be a win-win-win arrangement: Businesses pay for a highly trained and visible police presence to provide security or direct traffic; officers looking for extra cash enjoy a lucrative side hustle; and...
Highlands community shocked after popular teacher, photographer accused of sexually assaulting 2 boys
Sean Dicer was a familiar face in the Highlands School District community. He’d be seen at various sports events and activities, taking pictures of students. He was a popular teacher. That made the news that broke Friday about Dicer, 53, being accused of sexually assaulting and extorting two boys at...
Child welfare advocates critical of ‘hidden foster care’
The circumstances surrounding the death of 9-year-old Renesmay Eutsey in Fayette County have played out in similar fashion throughout Pennsylvania, said Cathleen Palm, founder of the Center for Children’s Justice. Adults, whether biologically related or not, are accused of sometimes horrific abuse of children. As in Renesmay’s case, there may...
