Top Stories category, Page 37
Westmoreland finalizes state loan, threatens more job cuts as budget impasse continues
Westmoreland commissioners voted Monday to accept an $11.6 million state loan, a move they say is necessary to fund essential social service programs through the end of the year. Even in doing so, more furloughs of county staff and partial closures of the county courthouse could follow as early as...
Election Day storylines: What to watch
About a third of Western Pennsylvania’s voters were expected to cast ballots in today’s election, deciding key races for local, county and state office. Polls opened at 7 a.m. and closed at 8 p.m. Allegheny County spokeswoman Abigail Gardner said there was one report of a delay in opening. Pittsburgh...
Editorial: Duty doesn’t wait for big election years
An old Dutch story tells us the importance of doing what is necessary when duty demands. The Netherlands is a low-lying country prone to flooding. A system of earth and stone embankments makes up the defenses that hold back the water. The familiar tale speaks of a boy who noticed...
Trump, Shapiro weigh in on Pa. Supreme Court retention elections
President Donald Trump took to social media Sunday night to urge Pennsylvanians to vote against retaining three Democratic justices on the state Supreme Court. In separate posts on Truth Social, Trump also endorsed numerous members of Congress, including U.S. Reps. Mike Kelly and Guy Reschenthaler of Western Pennsylvania, although they...
Police rescue trafficked Louisiana runaway, 13, from North Side basement
A phone call about a missing teen near Baton Rouge, La., led an investigation involving authorities in three states to the basement of a Pittsburgh home last week, where the 13-year-old runaway was found hidden in a sheet-covered box. Police on Friday arrested Ki-Shawn Crumity, 26, of the city’s Brighton...
Trump backs Andrew Cuomo, threatens to cut funds for New York City if Mamdani wins
WASHINGTON — Republican President Donald Trump said on Monday he will restrict federal funds for New York City if Democratic candidate Zohran Mamdani wins the city’s mayoral elections on Tuesday, and urged supporters to vote for former Governor Andrew Cuomo. If Mamdani wins the election, Trump said on Truth Social...
Study says long-term melatonin use may pose heart risks
For many, a good night’s sleep is hard to come by. More than 30% of Pennsylvanians sleep fewer than seven hours a night, according to data from the United Health Foundation. In an effort to fight insomnia and get adequate rest, many turn to over-the-counter sleep aids or supplements like...
FBI director Kash Patel fires back at critics of flight to State College on government jet
FBI director Kash Patel is firing back at “internet anarchists and the fake news” for questioning his use of a government jet to see his singer girlfriend perform at a wrestling event at Penn State. “Let me be clear: we will not be distracted by baseless rumors or the noise...
Giant Eagle doesn’t plan on another penny collection
The turnout was massive, with long lines of customers at Giant Eagle stores across the region carrying containers, boxes and shopping carts full of pennies. But it appears that Saturday was the only event of its kind at the grocery chain — at least for now. Giant Eagle’s double-your-money offer...
Man to stand trial on charges he torched McKeesport home over $200 drug debt
A man set fire to a McKeesport home in September after a couple who had lived there failed to pay him $200 for heroin, police said. After a preliminary hearing Monday, Arthur Franklin, 32, now heads to Allegheny County Common Pleas Court for trial. Video footage showed Franklin walking toward...
Victims in fatal Buffalo Township crash identified
Local authorities have identified the two people who died in a Buffalo Township crash on Saturday. Bonnie Grove, 78, died at the scene of the accident at the intersection of South Pike (Route 356) and Younkins roads. Douglas Frosch, 72, died several hours later after being airlifted to UPMC Presbyterian...
No NFL team has a better pair of wins than Steelers — and 4 other things we learned after victory
Five things we learned from the Pittsburgh Steelers’ 27-20 upset victory against the Indianapolis Colts: 1. Quite a resume As the NFL season hits its midway point, three teams are tied for the best record in the league. The Steelers have beaten two of them. No other team can say...
Effects of SNAP cuts are wide-reaching
Madison Shtur lined the shelves of her pay-what-you-can thrift store in Jeannette on Thursday, Oct. 30 with the latest shipment of groceries from the Westmoreland Food Bank. It wasn’t enough. A shipment from the food bank typically lasts about three weeks on Shtur’s shelves. But last week’s shipment lasted just...
Trump appeared on ’60 Minutes.’ Read and watch the full interview.Video
President Donald Trump spoke with CBS News’ “60 Minutes” in an interview that aired on Nov. 2. In the wide-ranging conversation that occurred at Mar-a-Lago on Oct. 31, Trump called to end the Senate filibuster, said immigration officials could do more to deport people, and weighed in on the New...
Kids home for Election Day? Here are some local activities
Tuesday is Election Day, and in addition to finding some time to cast their ballots, Western Pennsylvania families will also be looking to occupy the kids, as many schools also serve as polling places and are closed. Here are some of the activities taking place across the region on Election...
Trump administration to use emergency funds to pay partial food aid benefits
The Trump administration said it plans to partially fund food aid for millions of Americans on Monday after two judges ruled it must use contingency funds to pay for the benefits in November during the government shutdown. The administration laid out the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s plan in a filing...
$1.2 million winning lottery ticket sold in South Huntingdon
A Westmoreland County convenience store sold a Pennsylvania Lottery Match 6 ticket worth more than $1 million on Saturday. The $1.2 million winning ticket matched all six numbers drawn, 17-20-21-30-37-38, and was sold at the Smithton Truck and Auto Plaza in South Huntingdon. The store will earn a $10,000 bonus...
Retrial in killing of North Hills honors student ends with 1st-degree murder conviction
A jury on Monday found a Pittsburgh man guilty of first-degree murder for killing a North Hills honors student outside his family’s restaurant in the Strip District. Howard Hawkins, 50, who was also convicted of carrying a firearm without a license, will be sentenced Jan. 30 by Allegheny County Common...
Police investigate fatal shooting in Duquesne
Allegheny County Police are investigating a fatal shooting early Monday morning in Duquesne. Police responded to a call for shots fired at a home on the 1000 block of Crawford Avenue shortly before 1 a.m. They said they arrived to find a man dead from gunshot wounds. The Allegheny County...
Steelers vs. Colts: What they’re saying in Indianapolis after loss
Some Pittsburgh Steelers fans held a makeshift funeral for the team’s defense Sunday outside Acrisure Stadium. As it turns out, the eulogy was a little premature — as the defense posted six takeaways and five sacks on the way to rattling the Colts’ offense and a 27-20 win. Indianapolis Star...
Surge in computer data centers sparks concern over water demands
A proposed 4.4-gigawatt natural gas-fired power plant south of Homer City, intended to power a nearby data processing center, is drawing scrutiny over its possible massive water demands on a local stream. The Homer City Redevelopment Co. plant would siphon water from Two Lick Creek to feed the data centers...
Madden Monday: Steelers’ upset of Colts ‘goes a long way to them convincing themselves’
The ripple effect from the Pittsburgh Steelers’ 27-20 win over the Indianapolis Colts (7-2) goes beyond the standings. That’s the view of 105.9 The X’s Mark Madden during this week’s TribLive “Madden Monday” podcast. Sure. There’s the practical angle of the Steelers (5-3) maintaining a two-game lead on the Baltimore...
Feats of Strength: T.J. Watt’s huge play, timely touchdowns fuel Steelers upset of Colts
As Halloween weekend ended, Colts quarterback Daniel Jones turned into a pumpkin. And the Steelers’ defense took all of his candy. In a stunning turn of events — based on recent performances — the leaky Steelers defense contained the Colts’ top-ranked offense and sent the team with the best record...
Trump held ‘Great Gatsby’-themed Halloween party as SNAP benefits were due to be cut off
President Donald Trump hosted a Great Gatsy-themed party at Mar-A-Lago on Oct. 31, as multiple federal judges ruled the administration could not stop funding food aid amid the ongoing government shutdown. The party was labeled “A Little Party Never Killed Nobody” according to multiple media attendees. The title was drawn...
Democrats feared Republican efforts to oust Pa. Supreme Court justices. They spent significantly more on the race
The three Pennsylvania Supreme Court justices on the ballot this year, and the Democratic-leaning groups supporting them, appear to have raised and spent exponentially more money than the Republican-backed groups working to oust them. As of Oct. 20, more than $14 million had been raised in the retention race by...
