Top Stories category, Page 227
Child welfare agencies are buckling under staffing shortages as Pa. debates using opioid money to help
HARRISBURG — Pennsylvania counties are tapping into opioid settlement money to support child welfare programs as they face staff shortages, increased risks for children, and other challenges. Most of these initiatives have received approval from a powerful state oversight board — including efforts to train staff, support parents in treatment,...
Mon View Heights owner from New York, charged in $580K theft, surrenders in West Mifflin
One of three men from New York accused of stealing $580,000 related to the Mon View Heights housing complex in West Mifflin surrendered to authorities on Thursday. Jonathan Liani, 39,was arraigned and is free on $250,000 unsecured bail, according to court records. Allegheny County detectives said in court papers filed...
Bird flu cases on the rise in Pa. as the state expands testing, containment efforts
BELLEFONTE — Pennsylvania has given $13.5 million to hundreds of farmers over the past three years to help them pay for bird flu testing, recover lost revenue, and implement biosecurity measures. These are the tentpoles of the state’s special grant program helping farmers respond to the aggressive virus, which is...
FBI tries new tack to thwart crypto crimes
The thousands of investors had different goals for growing their money last year, from paying for cancer treatments to helping loved ones, to just making a good return. But all had one thing in common: they were victims of cryptocurrency scams that totaled an estimated $5 billion in potential losses....
Heroin or litter box: Arnold stabbing suspects don’t agree on cause of fight
Two men who police say stabbed each other in an Arnold apartment Sunday morning were fighting over either heroin or a dirty kitty litter box, according to a criminal complaint. Police charged Michael James Holliday, 43, of Arnold and William Johnson, 54, of Pittsburgh’s Homewood neighborhood each with felony aggravated...
Shapiro sues over Trump administration spending freezes on grants and loans
HARRISBURG — Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro on Thursday sued agencies under President Donald Trump, saying they are illegally and unconstitutionally withholding billions in federal aid from the state that had already been approved by Congress. Shapiro, a Democrat, filed the lawsuit despite the fact that federal courts have repeatedly rejected...
Vaccine skeptic Robert F. Kennedy Jr. sworn in as Trump’s health chief after close Senate vote
WASHINGTON — Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was sworn in Thursday as President Donald Trump’s health secretary after a close Senate vote, putting the prominent vaccine skeptic in control of $1.7 trillion in federal spending, vaccine recommendations and food safety as well as health insurance programs for roughly half the country....
U.S. egg prices hit a record high of $4.95 and are likely to keep climbing
OMAHA, Neb. — Egg prices hit a record high as the U.S. contends with an ongoing bird flu outbreak, but consumers didn’t need government figures released Wednesday to tell them eggs are terribly expensive and hard to find at times. The latest monthly consumer price index showed that the average...
Breakfast is booming at U.S. restaurants. Is it also contributing to high egg prices?
It’s a chicken-and-egg problem: Restaurants are struggling with record-high U.S. egg prices, but their omelets, scrambles and huevos rancheros may be part of the problem. Breakfast is booming at U.S. eateries. First Watch, a restaurant chain that serves breakfast, brunch and lunch, nearly quadrupled its locations over the past decade...
Hill District’s only grocery store pauses operations
The Hill District’s lone grocery store is closing its doors as it looks to rework its business model, Pittsburgh’s Urban Redevelopment Authority announced Wednesday. Salem’s Market opened on Centre Avenue about a year ago, bringing fresh food access to the city’s Hill District neighborhood. “We know community members are disappointed...
Trump signs a plan for reciprocal tariffs on U.S. trading partners, ushering in economic uncertainty
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump on Thursday rolled out his plan to increase U.S. tariffs to match the tax rates that other countries charge on imports, possibly triggering a broader economic confrontation with allies and rivals alike as he hopes to eliminate any trade imbalances. “I’ve decided for purposes of...
Expert, business opinions split over Trump tariffs on steel, aluminum
If the stock market is any indication, domestic steel and aluminum manufacturers can expect a boost from the 25% import tax on these materials imposed by President Donald Trump. U.S. Steel, Alcoa and a slew of other companies that stand to benefit from Monday’s executive order have seen their stock...
Pa. Turnpike officials warn about new smishing scam involving ‘unpaid tolls’
If you received a text saying you owe money for unpaid tolls, The Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission wants you to know that it’s probably a scam. Officials are warning customers to be vigilant, as scammers are pretending to be toll agencies and are sending texts demanding money immediately, the Pennsylvania Turnpike...
Judge clears way for Trump’s plan to downsize federal workforce with deferred resignation program
WASHINGTON — A federal judge on Wednesday cleared the way for President Donald Trump ’s plan to downsize the federal workforce with a deferred resignation program. It was a significant legal victory for the Republican president after a string of courtroom setbacks. “This goes to show that lawfare will not...
Former Hempfield high school boys basketball coach to retire from guidance counselor job
After resigning from his coaching duties last month, former Hempfield Area High School boys basketball coach Bill Swan will retire from his job as a district guidance counselor. The move was announced at a Hempfield School Board meeting this week. Swan declined to comment when contacted by a reporter Wednesday....
Joann Fabrics and Crafts closing most Western Pa. stores
Fabric and crafts retailer Joann will close at least 30 stores in Pennsylvania, including most in the region. The embattled retailer, which declared bankruptcy in March 2024 and then again in January, said it would be closing around 500 stores nationwide. “This was a very difficult decision to make, given...
UPMC walks back mask requirements
Two days after issuing a mask mandate for its facilities, UPMC has softened its language, stating that masks are recommended, not required. On Monday, UPMC issued a statement that masks would be required for people at all its facilities in an attempt to curb the spread of respiratory viruses. On...
U.S. defense chief suggests Ukraine should abandon hope of winning all territory back from Russia
BRUSSELS — U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Wednesday that NATO membership for Ukraine was unrealistic and suggested Kyiv should abandon hopes of winning all its territory back from Russia and instead prepare for a negotiated peace settlement to be backed up by international troops. Hours later, President Donald Trump...
‘I’d like to know why’: Family seeks answers as Clairton killer is sent to prison
A day after the start of trial for a Clairton man accused of killing his friend’s father, Sabr Ellis decided to change his not guilty plea. The 25-year-old instead admitted Tuesday to voluntary manslaughter for the Jan. 21, 2021, stabbing death of Anthony Koontz. As part of the negotiated agreement,...
Podcast: The long-awaited release of Marc Fogel from Russia
Marc Fogel, the 63-year-old Butler native and former Oakmont teacher, was released Tuesday and is back in the United States. Fogel, an American history teacher, spent 1,278 days in a Russian penal colony after being was arrested in Moscow on Aug. 14, 2021, for taking prescribed medical marijuana into the...
‘On top of the world’: Marc Fogel enjoys 1st breakfast back in the U.S.
Marc Fogel woke up Wednesday morning in a plush Washington, D.C., hotel and enjoyed a breakfast of bacon and eggs for the first time in more than 31⁄2 years. “He’s just grateful and on top of the world right now,” his mother, Malphine Fogel, told TribLive. “There’s only good things...
Daniel and Carole Kamin give $25M to Carnegie Museum of Natural History
Daniel G. and Carole L. Kamin continue to give back big to Pittsburgh. A little over a year after donating $65 million to the Carnegie Science Center on Pittsburgh’s North Shore — the largest gift to the Carnegie museums since their founding by Andrew Carnegie — the couple have gifted...
Trump upends US Ukraine policy and says he and Putin have agreed to begin negotiations on ending war
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump upended three years of U.S. policy toward Ukraine on Wednesday, saying that he and Russian President Vladimir Putin had agreed to begin negotiations on ending the war following a dramatic prisoner swap. Trump said in a social media post that he and Putin held a...
Pittsburgh City Council to hold public hearing on Ragland
Pittsburgh City Council will host a public hearing to give residents a chance to share their opinions on acting police Chief Christopher Ragland before they vote on whether to confirm him as permanent chief. This comes after the Pittsburgh branch of the NAACP asked city leaders to allow for a...
Who is Steve Witkoff? The man behind Marc Fogel’s release
When teacher Marc Fogel returned to the United States on Tuesday after three and a half years’ imprisonment in Russia, he was accompanied by a figure many don’t know much about — Trump envoy Steve Witkoff. “What a dynamic man this guy is,” Fogel said of Witkoff during a press...
