Top Stories category, Page 39
Pittsburgh autonomous vehicle firm Aurora hits the gas on driverless truck rollout
Pittsburgh-based Aurora Innovation is accelerating the rollout of its driverless trucks as it looks to evolve from a promising experiment to a profitable enterprise. A new route that launched last week — the company’s second — runs from Fort Worth to El Paso in Texas. It spans about 600 miles....
High school football roundup for Oct. 31, 2025: No. 7 Aliquippa rallies past No. 2 Trinity
Akiva Woods scored on a 70-yard run in the fourth quarter, followed by Marques Council Jr.’s 38-yard pass to Josh Lay, as No. 7 Aliquippa rallied to upset No. 2 Trinity, 21-14, in the WPIAL Class 4A quarterfinals Friday night. Jonah Williamson threw for one touchdown and ran for another...
Teen girl stabbed in Pittsburgh’s Allentown neighborhood on Halloween
Pittsburgh police are investigating a stabbing in the city’s Allentown neighborhood that left one teen hospitalized and another juvenile detained. Officers were dispatched Friday at about 7:20 p.m. to the 700 block of East Warrington Avenue for a group of juveniles fighting. Public Safety spokeswoman Eliza Durham said officers located...
Lack of air traffic controllers hits almost half of major U.S. airports
Nearly 50% of the 30 busiest U.S. airports are grappling with shortages of air traffic controllers, the Federal Aviation Administration said on Friday, leading to flight delays nationwide as a federal government shutdown hit its 31st day. The absence of controllers is by far the most widespread since the shutdown...
Jury to begin deliberations in fatal shooting of honors student outside Pittsburgh restaurant
A jury next week will begin deliberating the fate of a man accused in the 2021 shooting death of a North Hills honors student outside his family’s Strip District restaurant. Closing arguments took place Friday after a weeklong retrial of Howard Hawkins, who is accused of killing Ahmir Tuli, 18,...
White House issues new rule restricting access for journalists
A new White House rule issued Friday restricts the ability of credentialed journalists to freely access the offices of press secretary Karoline Leavitt and other top communications officials in the West Wing, near the Oval Office. The new memorandum from the National Security Council bans journalists from accessing Room 140,...
Consequences mount as federal government shutdown, state budget impasse drag on
As the federal government shutdown moves into its second month and the state budget impasse drags into its fifth, the consequences of political inaction are mounting. Affordable Care Act premiums are poised to skyrocket, energy assistance is stalled, and a federal judge Friday ordered the Trump administration to keep SNAP...
Trump administration announces $100 million in funding to upgrade coal plants
The U.S. Department of Energy on Friday announced it will make $100 million available to refurbish and modernize existing coal-fired power plants. The move is part of the Trump administration’s effort to reverse the decline of coal use in the United States. The Energy Department said last month it would...
American passports decline in global power, now ranked 12th
The United States passport is no longer among the top 10 most powerful passports, according to a group monitoring global travel. It’s now ranked 12th on the Henley Passport Index, which ranks passports based on the number of destinations their holders can access without a prior visa. American passports allow...
Assault charge upheld against hunter in 2023 shooting
The criminal case against a hunter charged with aggravated assault after allegedly wounding a man in a Smithton field nearly two years ago will proceed to a trial, a judge ruled Friday. Following a lengthy hearing that featured testimony from the shooting victim and a state game warden, Westmoreland County...
NASA administrator calls out Kim Kardashian for promoting moon landing conspiracy
The head of NASA has called out Kim Kardashian after the famous mogul and reality television star claimed that the iconic 1969 moon landing was faked. In the most recent episode of “The Kardashians,” a clip shows Kardashian, 45, telling actress Sarah Paulson that she believed the Apollo 11 lunar...
Judges order Trump administration to use contingency funds for SNAP payments during shutdown
BOSTON — Two federal judges ruled nearly simultaneously on Friday that President Donald Trump’s administration must continue to fund SNAP, the nation’s biggest food aid program, using contingency funds during the government shutdown. The judges in Massachusetts and Rhode Island gave the administration leeway on whether to fund the program...
Door Dash driver admits stealing packages from porches in multiple communities including Greensburg, Fox Chapel and Plum
An Indiana County man was sentenced to state prison Friday for stealing thousands of dollars worth of packages from porches in four counties and putting the goods up for sale on Facebook Marketplace. John D. Manning, 35, was sentenced to one to three years in prison followed by four years...
19 states are ready to ban the time change. Here’s what would need to happen first.
Clocks are set to “fall back” this weekend across the United States as daylight saving time is coming to an end. Daylight saving time always begins on the second Sunday of March and ends on the first Sunday of November. In 2025, that means it started on March 9 and...
Pittsburgh Regional Transit to pause rail service Downtown on Monday
Pittsburgh Regional Transit on Monday will offer no rail service in Downtown Pittsburgh as crews repair overhead electrical lines. Regular service is expected to resume Tuesday morning. Inbound rail service will end Monday at Penn Station. a seldom-used stop behind The Pennsylvanian building across from the Greyhound station. The transit...
5 things to know about Pittsburgh’s mayoral race
Pittsburgh voters on Tuesday will elect a new mayor. Incumbent Mayor Ed Gainey lost the Democratic primary in May, leaving voters to choose a new leader for the city. Here are five things voters should know: Who are the candidates? The Democratic candidate is Corey O’Connor, 41, of Point Breeze....
Name of new Harrison restaurant at former Anchor Inn is nod to township’s history
A new Harrison restaurant will pay homage to the township’s past. Owners Corey Pistininzi and Sean Watson on Thursday revealed the name of the eatery — Salt and Steel – a nod to industrial giants Penn Salt and Allegheny Ludlum (now ATI). Both manufacturers were pivotal in the township’s growth,...
Mark Madden: How did the Penguins get off to such a torrid start?
Gavin who? In just one month and 12 games, the Pittsburgh Penguins’ priorities have dramatically shifted. The goal is to build on their torrid 8-2-2 start and make the postseason for the first time since 2022, perhaps even win a playoff series for the first time since 2018. If you’re...
Game commission seeks information after deer is illegally shot in North Huntingdon
The Pennsylvania Game Commission is looking for information after authorities believe a white-tailed deer was illegally shot Sunday over bait on private property in North Huntingdon. State game wardens in the Southwest Region said the deer was shot between Colonial Manor Road and Cornwall Drive, not far from Route 30,...
Lori Falce: I was on SNAP. The real problem is how we judge those who need it
This summer, my son ran a leadership project for his school’s National Honor Society chapter. He targeted food that would help feed children — things kids would like and that they could access without a grown-up. He posted his list on Amazon and shared the information on social media. Friends,...
Western Pennsylvania goes batty for Halloween
Homes across Western Pennsylvania are decked out in preparation for Halloween trick-or-treaters Friday night. The most popular decoration in the Keystone State turned out to be bats, according to Google Trends. Colorado was the only other state in the U.S. with bats at the top as well. Americans were expected...
Grass fields a rarity in WPIAL playoffs nowadays — 5 things to watch in high school football
Bentworth’s football team has something that’s becoming rare in the WPIAL playoffs these days. That’s a grass field. Only a handful of first-round games — all in the small-school Class A and 2A brackets — won’t be played on artificial turf, with Laurel, South Side, Mohawk and Apollo-Ridge also hosting...
Roaring Run Resort sale leaves hundreds of campers facing eviction, say membership holders
Theresa Novobilsky’s teenage memories center on weekends at Roaring Run Resort. As a newly licensed driver, she and her brother would head to the camping resort in Donegal Township after school on Fridays, intent on spending the weekend amid the natural beauty of the Laurel Highlands. Their parents were among...
Allegheny County sheriff’s race pits incumbent Kevin Kraus against challenger Brian Weismantle
Both candidates vying to be Allegheny County sheriff agree: the Nov. 4 election will be a referendum on incumbent Kevin Kraus. Kraus, a Democrat and retired Pittsburgh police officer, is seeking reelection to a second term. He touts his management experience in overseeing the $24 million, 177-deputy office as a...
Where do Pittsburgh’s mayoral candidates stand on key issues?
Voters on Tuesday will choose either Democrat Corey O’Connor, the Allegheny County controller, or Republican Tony Moreno, a former Pittsburgh police officer, as Pittsburgh’s next mayor. O’Connor, 41, of Point Breeze, is a former city councilman and son of the late Mayor Bob O’Connor. He defeated incumbent Mayor Ed Gainey...
