Top Stories category, Page 390
North Huntingdon man among thousands waiting for kidney transplant as Pa. marks Donor Day
Tom Farino of North Huntingdon is eight months into what could be a seven-year wait for a kidney transplant. A transplant would give Farino, 72, a new lease on life. “They’re trying to find a living donor before I need dialysis,” Farino said. Farino said his doctor at Allegheny General...
Editorial: U.S. government didn’t do enough to bring home Marc Fogel
On Thursday, Evan Gershkovich did what he has been waiting to do for 491 days. He left his prison cell in Russia. He got on a plane. He started his journey home. For former Marine Paul Whelan, the wait was longer — 2,043 days. For Radio Free Europe journalist Alsu...
Donald Trump, Kamala Harris have a quiet day scheduled on the campaign trail Friday
Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump’s campaign schedules are sparse Friday, as both candidates prepare for larger events over the weekend and next week. Harris had no campaign event appearances scheduled Friday, bringing a break in a week that has brought the presumed Democratic presidential nominee to...
Florida governor declares state of emergency as coming heavy rain might cause ‘major disaster’
Gov. Ron DeSantis declared a state of emergency for much of the state, excluding South Florida, ahead of a disturbance that might strengthen into a tropical depression. Forecasters are warning to expect heavy rain and floods even if the storm fails to form into a depression. DeSantis signed an executive...
1 dead in Mt. Pleasant Township motorcycle crash
A Mt. Pleasant Township man was killed in a motorcycle crash Thursday night in the township, according to Westmoreland County Coroner Tim Carson. William K. Dodrill Jr., 44, of Ricci Lane died of blunt force injuries when the Harley Davidson motorcycle he was operating left the side of Hecla Road...
Former Pennsylvania Gov. Mark Schweiker sees no justice in 9/11 prisoner plea deal
For more than 20 years, former Pennsylvania Gov. Mark Schweiker has been a conduit for information and healing for the families of the 33 passengers of United Flight 93, all of whom were killed on Sept. 11, 2001 in the worst terrorist attack on U.S. soil. In many ways, Schweiker...
Pa. appeals court hears arguments about misdated mail-in ballots
A government attorney told an appellate court Thursday that no county elections board in Pennsylvania uses the handwritten date on the outer envelope of mail-in ballots for any purpose. Why then, he asked, should a mistake in the date disallow a person’s vote? “A rule that serves no purpose should...
Goldinger: Agency left ‘on their own’ without communication during Trump rally
The Butler County Emergency Services Unit pointed out potential vulnerabilities — including the rooftop where a gunman fired shots from during the July 13 campaign rally for former President Donald Trump — to the U.S. Secret Service after touring the Butler Farm Show grounds on its own the Wednesday before...
GOP senators reject legislation that would expand child tax credit, restore business tax breaksVideo
WASHINGTON — A bill to expand the child tax credit and restore some tax breaks for businesses failed to advance Thursday in the Senate as Republicans largely opposed the measure, arguing they would be in position to get a better deal next year. Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., dared Republicans...
Who’s in the prisoner swap between Russia and the West?
TALLINN, Estonia — One spent over 5½ years behind bars in Russia while other, higher-profile detainees were released ahead of him. Another was jailed for only a few months. They include journalists, veteran political activists and those simply opposed to the war in Ukraine. The youngest is 19, the oldest...
Simone Biles edges Brazil’s Rebeca Andrade for her 2nd Olympic all-around gymnastics titleVideo
PARIS — Simone Biles remains peerless. Even when she’s not quite perfect. The American gymnastics star edged Brazil’s Rebeca Andrade during a tense Olympic all-around final Thursday. Biles’ total of 59.131 was just ahead of Andrade at 57.932, one of the closest calls Biles has endured at a major international...
Zappala condemns antisemitic graffiti in Squirrel Hill, says vandals committed possible hate crime
Vandals “crossed the line” by spray-painting a red triangle on a religious building in Pittsburgh’s center of Jewish life earlier this week and might be subject to federal prosecution for a hate crime, Allegheny County District Attorney Stephen A. Zappala, Jr. said Thursday. The inverted red triangle — which was...
Owner of skilled nursing facilities in Lower Burrell, Greensburg files for bankruptcy
Guardian Elder Care, the parent company of skilled nursing facilities including Belair in Lower Burrell and Oak Hill in Greensburg, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. The Johnstown-based health care company filed the petition for relief this week. Nineteen facilities — including locations in Lower Burrell, Greensburg, Bethel Park and...
Family of Steelers’ Dwayne Haskins Jr. sues his widow in federal court
An ugly dispute between the widow of the late Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Dwayne Haskins Jr., who was fatally struck by a dump truck in Florida in 2022, and his parents and sister, is now playing out in federal court in Pittsburgh. Haskins’ family on Wednesday sued the Steeler’s widow, accusing...
Appeals court upholds Trump’s gag order as he again presses judge to bow out of hush money case
NEW YORK — Two months after his felony conviction, Donald Trump still isn’t allowed to say everything he wants about his historic hush money criminal case. After a New York appeals court upheld his gag order on Thursday, he won’t be for a while. The state’s mid-level appellate court denied...
13-year-old charged with first-degree murder in stabbing of 10-year-old in Donegal Township
A 13-year-old boy was charged as an adult Thursday in connection with the fatal stabbing of a 10-year-old boy in Donegal Township. James C. Campbell is accused of stabbing Hunter Meyers in the head multiple times, according to state police and the Westmoreland County coroner. Campbell wore blue scrubs and...
Kiski Township police seek help to find missing teen
Kiski Township police are searching for a teenager who has been missing since Monday. Alexander Orr is a 17-year-old white boy with brown hair and brown eyes and is approximately 5 feet, 5 inches tall and between 150 and 160 pounds, according to a description provided by police. He is...
Trump draws thousands to Harrisburg rally only weeks after Western Pa. shooting: ‘I’m thrilled to be back’
Former President Donald Trump returned to Pennsylvania on Wednesday for a campaign rally in Harrisburg, unleashing a stream of attacks on the presumptive Democratic candidate, Vice President Kamala Harris. It marked the first time since the July 13 attempt on his life during a rally at a fairgrounds in Butler...
What polling shows about the top VP contenders for Kamala Harris
As Vice President Kamala Harris prepares to announce her running mate, a poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research finds that several of the top contenders for the role are largely unknown to Americans. Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly stands out as one with more name recognition and...
Gershkovich, Whelan released in Russian prisoner swap; Fogel remains in custodyVideo
WASHINGTON — The United States and Russia completed their biggest prisoner swap in post-Soviet history Thursday, with Moscow releasing journalist Evan Gershkovich and fellow American Paul Whelan, along with dissidents, in a multinational deal that set two dozen people free, the White House said. The Wall Street Journal reported that...
Pittsburgher Michael Grady, Team USA net Olympic gold in men’s rowing
A Central Catholic alum won Olympic gold Thursday morning and made history for Team USA. Michael Grady, a graduate of the Pittsburgh-based private high school, and the U.S. rowing team took first place in the men’s four final event at the Paris Olympics. It’s the first time Americans have taken...
$1M anonymous donation funds UPMC Western Psych unit renovation
The Adult Trauma Recovery Unit of UPMC’s Western Psychiatric Hospital has been renovated with murals and supplies after receiving $1 million from an anonymous donor. Now called the Zoe Atrium, the unit on the 13th floor features new welcoming spaces, books, magazines and board games, new flooring and murals in...
Next stop could be White House for ‘dynamic’ Shapiro
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro told graduates at his college alma mater last year he might not have ventured into politics if he hadn’t failed a science test and been cut from the basketball team during his freshman year. “I planned to be the first doctor to get drafted by the...
Oakmont teacher Marc Fogel remains in Russia as Gershkovich, others are freed
Marc Fogel was left behind. The Oakmont teacher was not part of a historic prisoner swap completed Thursday among the United States, Russia and other countries. Instead, Fogel was seemingly abandoned, left in a Russian prison while Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, ex-Marine Paul Whelan, Radio Free Europe journalist...
Westmoreland County clothing designer charged in Jan. 6 Capitol attack
A gold lapel pin on his breast pocket. Dark brown sunglasses. Distinctive gray and brown boots. The FBI used those fashion elements to link a Westmoreland County clothing designer to the Jan. 6 riots at the U.S. Capitol. They filed charges against him this week. On Wednesday morning, an FBI...
