Top Stories category, Page 366
Harris, endorsed by Biden, could become 1st woman, 2nd Black person to be president
WASHINGTON — She’s already broken barriers, and now Kamala Harris could shatter several more after President Joe Biden abruptly ended his reelection bid and endorsed her. Biden announced Sunday that he was stepping aside after a disastrous debate performance catalyzed fears that the 81-year-old was too frail for a second...
What happens next: Joe Biden wants to pass the baton to Kamala Harris. Here’s how that might work
ATLANTA — With President Joe Biden ending his reelection bid and endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris, Democrats now must navigate a shift that is unprecedented this late in an election year. Democrats are set to hold their convention in Chicago on Aug. 19-22. What was supposed to be a coronation...
The Secret Service acknowledges denying some past requests by Trump’s campaign for tighter security
REHOBOTH BEACH, Del. — The Secret Service has acknowledged it denied some requests by Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump’s campaign for increased security at his events in the years before the assassination attempt on him at a recent rally. In the immediate aftermath of the July 13 attack, the law...
Biden ends his 2024 bid; endorses Harris
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden dropped out of the 2024 race for the White House on Sunday, ending his bid for reelection after a disastrous debate with Donald Trump that raised doubts about the incumbent’s fitness for office. The unprecedented announcement, delivered less than four months before the election, immediately...
Sen. Joe Manchin, a Democrat turned independent, urges Biden to withdraw from the 2024 race
WASHINGTON — Sen. Joe Manchin, a Democrat turned independent, urged President Joe Biden on Sunday to drop his reelection bid and focus on the remaining months of his presidency. “I came to the decision with a heavy heart that I think it’s time to pass the torch to a new...
Bethel Park, Butler Township communities grapple with aftermath of Trump rally shooting
Butler Township and Bethel Park didn’t share much in common before last weekend. Now, the Western Pennsylvania communities separated by about 50 miles are inextricably linked by the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump. Butler Township, where a gunman wounded Trump, killed a spectator and critically injured two others...
A hectic July propels Trump, GOP to new heights as Biden, Dems flounder
With four months before the presidential election, Republicans are flying high while the Democrats are in a tailspin. It’s been a tale of two parties in July, as a surging Donald Trump keeps racking up the wins even as a wobbly President Joe Biden falters. Capitalizing on the momentum from...
Latrobe begins to clear pests from Main Street apartment building declared unsafe
Latrobe officials have taken the initiative to begin ridding a condemned apartment building of pests, but they’ve ordered that the six-story structure remain uninhabited until other safety concerns are addressed. Local human service organizations helped tenants of the apartments at 333 Main St. find other accommodations after the city condemned...
Cranberry teen killed in Route 51 crash
A 19-year-old Cranberry man has been identified as the motorcycle driver killed Friday night in a crash along Route 51 in Pittsburgh, the Allegheny County Medical Examiner said. The victim, Aiden Tanner, died in the crash about 8:20 p.m. in the 1000 block of Saw Mill Run Boulevard in the...
Storm chasers gather for ‘Twisters’ premiere, meet-and-greet at Evergreen Drive-In
Countless cars lined up outside of the Evergreen Drive-In Theater in East Huntingdon Friday night for the “Twisters” movie premiere and “Meet The Storm Chasers Night.” “Twisters” is the movie sequel to the 1996 blockbuster hit, “Twister.” Starring Glen Powell, Daisy Edgar-Jones and Anthony Ramos, the sequel scored a 79%...
Kecksburg celebrates UFO Festival, attracting believers, others
The tiny village of Kecksburg in Mt. Pleasant Township is once again the center of attention this weekend for its Kecksburg UFO Festival, which attracts true believers in unidentified flying objects and Big Foot — as well as those who enjoy food, vendors, games and sharing stories with UFO investigators,...
Biden’s ability to win back skeptical Democrats is tested at a perilous moment for his campaign
WASHINGTON — Despite a week of campaign stops, interviews and insistence that he is the best candidate to confront Republican Donald Trump, President Joe Biden has done little to soften the push for him to exit the 2024 race. Biden has weighty options before him this weekend that could set...
Police: Pittsburgh garbage truck hits, injures woman in wheelchair
A woman in a motorized wheelchair was taken by ambulance for hospital treatment after being struck by a city garbage truck Friday in Pittsburgh. The woman, who suffered a “serious compound leg fracture,” was alert and talking after the crash, according to Pittsburgh Public Safety spokesperson Cara Cruz. The collision...
Report: Trump-ally Mike Pompeo takes Nippon job to help complete U.S. Steel sale
Amid a contentious proposed sale, Japanese company Nippon Steel Corp. has hired former U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, according to a report from Bloomberg. Bloomberg reports that Pompeo was hired to help push through a proposed $14.9 billion purchase of Pittsburgh-based U.S. Steel, as opposition for the sale has...
Energy ‘off the charts’ at Republican National Convention, Westmoreland attendees say
Jill Cooper thought there was a lot of energy swirling around at the 2016 Republican National Convention during Donald Trump’s initial candidacy for president. That was before attending this week’s convention in Milwaukee. “The energy was off the charts,” said the state representative from Murrysville, who attended the convention as...
What we know: Pa. AG Henry calls for assault-weapons ban
Pennsylvania Attorney General Michelle Henry on Friday called on both state and federal legislators to create or reinstate assault-weapons bans, and stressed more needs to be done to address American politicians’ “collective indifference to addressing this issue.” Former President Donald Trump, who a gunman tried to assassinate at Butler County...
Jeannette officers file suit seeking overtime payments for time spent feeding, caring for police dogs
Jeannette’s two police dog handlers claim in a federal lawsuit that the city violated labor laws by not paying them an overtime rate for time spent caring for their canines. Sgt. Jim Phillips and Officer Matthew Painter said in the filing that they spend at least 30 to 60 minutes,...
‘Tornado Alley’ shifts east. What does it mean for Western Pa.?
“Tornado Alley” has shifted east, but what does it mean for Western Pennsylvania? Not much, according to meteorologists. The Weather Channel said a new study found that the most active tornado corridor in the United States — known as “Tornado Alley” — has changed in recent decades, and tornadoes are...
Jury convicts road-rage driver of 3rd-degree murder in death of off-duty Oakdale cop
A jury on Friday convicted a Pittsburgh man of third-degree murder in the 2022 road-rage killing of an off-duty Oakdale police officer. Kevin McSwiggen, 42, of Greenfield will be sentenced Oct. 9 in the death of Charles “Chuckie” Stipetich, who was 23. Jurors deliberated for a few hours Thursday before...
Penn State main campus students face tuition hike; price at branch campuses still frozen
Pennsylvanians attending Penn State University’s main campus a year from now will pay 2% more in undergraduate tuition, while in-state branch campus undergraduates will see no increase for a third straight year. The university’s Board of Trustees Friday approved those and other rates in adopting a $9.9 billion budget for...
Misspelling on Corey Comperatore’s uniform tag existed before RNC
The “a” is missing on late Buffalo Township firefighter Corey Comperatore’s turnout gear. And, according to Buffalo Township Fire Chief Kip Johnston, it was a running joke at the department. Comperatore was killed when gunman Thomas Crooks fired several shots into the crowd July 13 at former President Donald Trump’s...
Biden’s campaign chair acknowledges support ‘slippage’ but says he’s staying in the race
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden’s campaign is insisting anew that he is not stepping aside as he faces the stark reality that many Democrats at the highest levels want him to consider how stepping aside from the 2024 election to make way for a new nominee atop the ticket could...
Butler County law enforcement asked to testify in D.C. about Trump rally shooting
Two local law enforcement officials have been asked to testify before the U.S. House Committee on Homeland Security regarding the July 13 assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump at the Butler Farm Show grounds. Homeland Security Committee Chairman Mark Green, R-Tenn., announced Wednesday he invited Butler County Sheriff Mike...
Community honors, says farewell to Corey Comperatore
Mourners wiped away tears and held small American flags as they watched the procession for Corey Comperatore pass by from the streets of Freeport and other Butler County communities. Firefighters offered somber waves back to the crowd from the windows of their fire trucks. Many onlookers expressed sympathy for the...
Global tech outage spurred lines at Pittsburgh airport; some government, hospital, business issues
A widespread technology outage affected companies and services across industries Friday — grounding flights, knocking banks and hospital systems offline and affecting other organizations in Pittsburgh and around the world. At the heart of the massive disruption is CrowdStrike, a cybersecurity firm that provides software to scores of companies worldwide....
