Top Stories category, Page 272
Police hunt for UnitedHealthcare CEO’s masked killer after ‘brazen, targeted’ attackVideo
NEW YORK — A gunman killed UnitedHealthcare’s CEO on Wednesday in a “brazen, targeted attack” outside a Manhattan hotel where the health insurer was holding its investor conference, police said, setting off a massive search for the fleeing assailant hours before the annual Rockefeller Center Christmas tree lighting nearby. Brian...
Pete Hegseth fights to save Pentagon nomination as sources say Trump considers Ron DeSantis
WASHINGTON — A defiant Pete Hegseth fought to save his nomination to be Donald Trump’s defense secretary Wednesday as the president-elect considered possible replacements in the face of growing questions about the former Fox News host’s personal conduct and ability to win Senate confirmation. Hegseth met with legislators on Capitol...
What to know about sinkholes amid fears a Unity woman fell into one
Authorities fear a grandmother from Unity who disappeared while looking for her cat may have been swallowed by a sinkhole. Crews searching for Elizabeth Pollard, 64, learned Wednesday morning that they have to switch up their tactics after the integrity of the mine where they’ve been digging is being compromised....
‘It’s been difficult:’ Unity sinkhole rescue effort turns into recovery missionVideo
Efforts to rescue a woman believed to have been swallowed by a sinkhole in Unity have turned into a recovery mission, authorities said Wednesday evening, as first responders believe the chances of finding Elizabeth Pollard alive are slim. After nearly two days of nonstop efforts to locate Pollard, involving volunteers...
Trump, Republican senators plan agenda for first 30 days
WASHINGTON — President-elect Donald Trump dialed in to what was described as a “love fest” Tuesday with Senate Republicans as they begin laying the groundwork for control of government in the new year, and a potential first-30-days agenda. Trump’s brief call was more celebratory than a prescriptive policy agenda, according...
Chad Chronister, Donald Trump’s pick to run DEA, withdraws name from consideration
NEW YORK — Chad Chronister, Donald Trump’s pick to run the Drug Enforcement Administration, said Tuesday he was withdrawing his name from consideration, becoming the second person selected by the president-elect to bow out quickly after being nominated for a position requiring Senate confirmation. Sheriff Chronister, the top law enforcement...
Alexander P. Bicket, South Africa native who became Allegheny County judge, dies at 68
As a judge, Alexander P. Bicket made those around him feel at ease. Whether it was from the bench of his third-floor courtroom with the parties before him or in his chambers, where he regularly welcomed students, interns and young lawyers, he was unassuming. A native of South Africa —...
President-elect Donald Trump’s lawyers urge judge to toss his hush money conviction
NEW YORK — President-elect Donald Trump’s lawyers formally asked a judge to throw out his hush money criminal conviction, arguing continuing the case would present unconstitutional “disruptions to the institution of the Presidency.” In a filing made public Tuesday, Trump’s lawyers told Manhattan Judge Juan M. Merchan that dismissal is...
DEP suspects Unity sinkhole caused by abandoned mine
The Unity sinkhole investigators suspect a woman fell into late Monday could be the result of an abandoned mine, according to the state Department of Environmental Protection. The DEP’s Bureau of Mine Safety was dispatched to Unity’s Marguerite Road early Tuesday. Upon initial review, officials suspect the sinkhole was caused...
Nearly 30% of U.S. drugstores closed in 1 decade, study shows
Nearly three out of 10 U.S. drugstores that were open during the previous decade had closed by 2021, new research shows. Black and Latino neighborhoods were most vulnerable to the retail pharmacy closures, which can chip away at already-limited care options in those communities, researchers said in a study published...
‘Gut punch’: Trump upsets local union leaders by opposing U.S. Steel-Nippon deal
On Monday night, President-elect Donald Trump reiterated his opposition to the proposed $14.9 billion sale of U.S. Steel to Japan’s Nippon Steel Co., vowing to block the deal when he takes office. Some steelworkers in Pittsburgh’s Mon Valley who support the deal — and Trump — weren’t happy. “I am...
Allegheny County Council passes compromise budget with 36% property tax hike
Allegheny County Council passed a 36% property tax increase for next year — the first in more than a decade, but lower than what was initially proposed by Allegheny County Executive Sara Innamorato. Council members supported the property tax increase by a 10-5 vote in a mostly peaceful meeting Tuesday...
Springdale Township eyes 46% tax increase, its first hike in 9 years
Springdale Township property owners can expect a 46% tax increase in their real estate property bills — in addition to recent hikes to their water, sewage and garbage bills. “With inflation, we were overdue for an increase in millage,” said Tim Basilone, vice president of the township commissioners. The proposed...
What is ‘lake-effect snow’? Warm air from large bodies of water is the key ingredientVideo
When towns along the Great Lakes get buried in drifts of blowing snow, like several have over the past few days, weather experts start talking about the “lake effect.” Lake-effect snow often occurs in relatively narrow bands that dump copious amounts of snow. The weather phenomenon can drastically increase snowfall...
What is GivingTuesday? How to donate on the annual day of charitable giving
Since it started as a hashtag in 2012, GivingTuesday, the Tuesday after Thanksgiving, has become one of the biggest fundraising days of the year for nonprofits in the U.S. In 2022 and 2023, GivingTuesday raised $3.1 billion for charitable organizations, according to estimates from GivingTuesday. This year, GivingTuesday is on...
South Korea’s opposition party urges Yoon to resign or face impeachment over martial law decree
SEOUL, South Korea — South Korea’s main opposition party on Wednesday urged President Yoon Suk Yeol to resign immediately or face impeachment, hours after Yoon ended short-lived martial law that prompted troops to encircle parliament before lawmakers voted to lift it. On Tuesday night, Yoon abruptly imposed the emergency martial...
Search and rescue teams gain access to mine where Unity woman fell down sinkhole, fresh crew arrivesVideo
The search for a woman suspected of falling down a sinkhole in Unity on Monday evening continued under floodlights late Tuesday, with authorities vowing to keep looking for her underground until she is found. Search and rescue personnel gained access to a mine believed to have caused the sinkhole Tuesday...
Trump says he’ll attend Notre Dame Cathedral reopening celebration in Paris this weekend
NEW YORK — President-elect Donald Trump will attend the reopening celebration for Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris this weekend, his first foreign trip since the election. The cathedral is set to reopen Saturday after more than five years of reconstruction following a devastating fire in 2019 that engulfed and nearly...
Morning Roundup: Metal debris on Parkway East causes multiple flat tires
Here are a few news items for Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2024: Drivers suffer popped tires on Parkway East PennDOT officials said nearly 30 drivers ended up with flat tires after hitting a metal grate on the Parkway East near the Churchill exit. A large number of vehicles were forced to...
Dick’s to bring House of Sport concept to Westmoreland Mall
A Dick’s House of Sport planned for the vacant Sears spot at Westmoreland Mall would be the second House of Sport concept store in the Pittsburgh region. It also follows a trend as malls evolve to remain relevant in the wake of the collapse of former retail giants like Sears....
Oklahoma Borough family leans on faith, community after fire ravages home
John Walsh and his family are trying to rebuild their lives from scratch from out of a hotel in Harmar. No one was hurt when a fire gutted their Oklahoma Borough home Saturday, but their two dogs and two cats were killed and nearly all of their possessions were destroyed....
No, Amish voters in Pennsylvania did not carry the election for Donald Trump
Despite widespread claims on social media from conservative activists, Amish voters cannot be credited with winning Pennsylvania for President-elect Donald Trump, according to vote returns. While there looks to be marginal increase in the number of Amish people who voted this year, experts said they do not expect major shifts...
Some Democrats are frustrated over Joe Biden reversing course and pardoning his son Hunter
ATLANTA — Already reeling from their November defeats, Democrats now are grappling with President Joe Biden’s pardoning of his son for federal crimes, with some calling the move misguided and unwise after the party spent years slamming Donald Trump as a threat to democracy who disregarded the law. The president...
Ohio man pleads guilty to stalking of Flyleaf singer
An Ohio man jailed since May after he was accused of stalking a singer at her Murrysville home was paroled Monday after he pleaded guilty to three misdemeanor charges. Anthony A. Carpenter, 44, of Rutland, Ohio, had been in jail without bond for more than six months after he was...
Allegheny County councilman pitches compromise property tax hike as time ticks down to pass budget
Allegheny County is in the middle of a property tax feud, and one County Council member hopes his proposal finds middle ground as time runs out to finalize a 2025 budget before the end of the year. Last week, Councilman Dan Grzybek, D-Bethel Park, proposed an amendment that would fall...
