Top Stories category, Page 33
Senate rejects bill to restore federal worker pay, remains at odds over shutdown
WASHINGTON -The U.S. Senate on Friday rejected legislation that would resume paychecks for hundreds of thousands of federal workers during the longest shutdown in U.S. history, as Democrats and Republicans remained at odds over how to reopen the government. The measure received 53 yes votes to 43 no votes in...
Allegheny County court records error leads to 1,100 driver’s license suspensions years after conviction
After Justin Snodgrass pleaded guilty to DUI in 2021, he knew his driver’s license would be suspended for two years. For a year after that, he’d have to breathe into an alcohol-detection device to start his car. Snodgrass, 43, of White Oak, said he turned in his license as required...
Successful lawsuit by Pa., other states, compels SNAP funds’ immediate release
Pennsylvania residents who rely on SNAP benefits and did not receive the monthly infusion of funds this month should be seeing their benefits cards replenished as early as Friday. That was the message an emphatic Gov. Josh Shapiro delivered during a press conference in Philadelphia on Friday. Shapiro said his...
Hospital revenue a bright spot as Independence Health grapples with outstanding losses
Independence Health has seen some positive financial results at its five hospitals while still working to reduce overall losses in eight figures for its multi-county health care system. According to a presentation Independence Health shared this week with TribLive, revenues exceeded expenses at each of its hospitals for the 12...
Duolingo’s stock plunges after company eases push for paid subscribers
Duolingo’s stock price plunged nearly 30% after the Pittsburgh-based language learning app said Wednesday it’s prioritizing getting users in the door over making them paying customers. Shares of Duolingo on the Nasdaq stock exchange tumbled to $183 Thursday from $260 a day earlier. By market close Friday, the price made...
From rival to viral: Shaler Area, North Hills marching bands unite on shared song from halftime shows
Editor’s note: The following story was submitted for the Shaler Area Student Section, a collaboration between TribLive and The Oracle, the student newspaper of Shaler Area High School. It was supposed to be a night of football rivalry: Shaler Area at North Hills on a Friday night. But after the...
Supreme Court lets Trump withhold $4 billion in food aid funding for now
WASHINGTON - The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday allowed President Donald Trump’s administration to withhold for now about $4 billion needed to fully fund a food aid program for 42 million low-income Americans this month amid the federal government shutdown. The court’s order, known as an administrative stay, gives a...
Jury convicts roommate of attempted murder in Penn Township shooting
A North Versailles woman was convicted Friday of attempted murder in the shooting of her former roommate in Penn Township. After just over an hour of deliberations, a Westmoreland County jury found Leah H. Gillis, 36, guilty of all three charges she faced: attempted murder, aggravated assault and reckless endangerment....
‘We’re barely scraping by’: Pittsburgh’s live venues urge amusement tax exemption
A group of live entertainment venue owners and promoters are urging Pittsburgh officials to help them stay afloat, pitching ideas like an exemption from the city’s 5% amusement tax. Adam Valen, director of marketing at local concert promoter Drusky Entertainment, said the live entertainment industry is struggling. He urged City...
James Watson, co-discoverer of DNA’s double helix, dead at 97
James D. Watson, the brilliant but controversial American biologist whose 1953 discovery of the structure of DNA, the molecule of heredity, ushered in the age of genetics and provided the foundation for the biotechnology revolution of the late 20th century, has died at the age of 97. His death was...
Police capture McKees Rocks fugitive accused of punching pregnant ex-girlfriend in stomach
Authorities Friday arrested a McKees Rocks fugitive charged with holding his ex-girlfriend captive for two days this summer — all while repeatedly punching her in the stomach after he learned another man had impregnated her, investigators said. Detectives took Justin Daugherty, 24, into custody at a Stowe residence on two...
Spirit Airlines reaches tentative cost-saving labor deals amid bankruptcy proceedings
Spirit Airlines said on Friday it has reached tentative deals with unions representing its pilots and flight attendants that would involve some contract concessions, as the carrier tries to rein in costs as part of its ongoing Chapter 11 restructuring process. The airline said its senior leadership team has also...
How to help food banks cope with increasing demand
Amid food banks and local pantries stepping up to fill the gap left by lack of SNAP benefits, here are ways to donate throughout the region. Armstrong County Community Action Food Bank Armstrong County Community Action Food Bank accepts monetary and food donations. Due to the food bank’s affiliation with...
So far, so good: Pittsburgh airport running smoothly, for now, as flight cuts take effect
Pittsburgh International Airport appeared to be running normally Friday as the Federal Aviation Administration began curtailing flights across the nation in response to the government shutdown. Jackie Ferguson, a customer assistance representative for American Airlines at the airport, said Pittsburgh might not be directly affected until the end of the...
Nippon Steel projects long-term success for U.S. Steel despite current challenges
U.S. Steel is facing significant challenges in its early days under Nippon Steel, according to financial reports released Wednesday, but the Japanese firm remains confident its nearly $15 billion purchase will pay off. Nippon cited weak domestic demand in the U.S., market uncertainty and costs from the deadly Clairton Coke...
Trump administration seeks to block food aid funding order
The Trump administration asked a federal appeals court to block a judge’s order that the U.S. Department of Agriculture provide full November food stamp benefits to 42 million low-income Americans. U.S. District Judge John McConnell in Providence, R.I., on Thursday ordered the payout by Friday, accusing the administration of withholding...
PNC broadens branch expansion plan to more than 300 by 2030
PNC said Friday it will be opening more than 300 new branches by 2030, adding about 100 locations to its earlier plan as it looks to expand its in-person banking footprint. Even as digital banking and online payments have lowered the need for frequent branch visits, several U.S. lenders are...
U.S. government launches program to lower Medicaid drug prices
The U.S. government on Thursday unveiled a new program to cut prescription drug costs for Medicaid patients by tying prices to those paid in other countries. The announcement follows previous agreements between the White House and pharmaceutical companies to reduce drug prices for Americans, who often pay significantly more for...
In arrest papers, police detail why Hempfield man became a suspect in Greensburg man’s death
The extensive use of cellphone towers to track the movements of a Hempfield man accused of bludgeoning to death an acquaintance and dumping his body in a remote area in Loyalhanna led to his arrest this week, state police said Friday. Tracking the movements of the suspect, Joseph C. Zvara,...
Big-school rematches highlight WPIAL playoffs — 5 things to watch in Week 11
Pine-Richland coach Jon LeDonne is already familiar with the Rams’ next opponent and not just because he spent three seasons as Shaler’s coach. The two teams played one another only two weeks ago in the regular-season finale. This time, they’ll meet in a WPIAL Class 5A quarterfinal at 7 p.m....
Here are 5 things to do in Pittsburgh this weekend: Nov. 7-9
Before things really gear up for the holiday season, take advantage of this less-busy weekend with tons of happenings around the city. Try these out! Pet Expo Do you have a pet? Do you want a pet? Do you have family or friends with pets? This would be a great...
In absence of SNAP, local food banks, community members step upVideo
Donna Baxter, 68, had a big pot of homemade vegetable soup cooking on her stove Thursday afternoon. She already called two of her neighbors to share it with them. “If I have it, we share it,” Baxter said. And that’s not all Baxter is sharing. This week, she joined the...
‘No easy answer’: Pittsburgh officials mull ways to boost revenue
As Pittsburgh faces a budget crunch, City Council members met Thursday to spitball ways to generate new revenue. Greenfield Councilwoman Barb Warwick, for instance, raised the possibility of a tax hike — even though none was included in outgoing Mayor Ed Gainey’s preliminary budget proposal for next year. Others suggested...
Grieving for Little Q: Son of ‘The Mole’ contestant killed in Wilkinsburg
Quaylyn “Q” Carter grew up amid poverty and crime in North Braddock, the youngest son of a hard-working single mother. He graduated from Woodland Hills High School, then earned a criminal justice degree at Seton Hill University. After working for a sheriff in North Carolina, he returned to Pittsburgh, helped...
Shaler Area senior suffering from kidney failure hopes a donor will be found
Editor’s note: The following story was submitted for the Shaler Area Student Section, a collaboration between TribLive and The Oracle, the student newspaper of Shaler Area High School. For many teenagers, the hardest part of their day is figuring out what to wear or what they will eat for lunch....
