Top Stories category, Page 391
‘It was a lot’: Attendees of Black journalists convention react to Trump appearance
CHICAGO — When Donald Trump attended the opening day of the National Association of Black Journalists Convention in downtown Chicago on Wednesday afternoon, the former president and Republican party nominee’s appearance was met with opposition from NABJ members. Trump was interviewed by ABC News correspondent Rachel Scott, Fox News correspondent...
Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, accused as the main plotter of 9/11 attacks, agrees to plead guilty
WASHINGTON — Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, accused as the mastermind of al-Qaida’s Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the United States, has agreed to plead guilty, the Defense Department said Wednesday. The development points to a long-delayed resolution in an attack that killed thousands and altered the course of the United States...
Fed Chair Powell says interest rate cut in September could be ‘on the table’ as inflation coolsVideo
WASHINGTON — Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell on Wednesday set the stage for the central bank’s first rate cut in four years, citing greater progress toward lower inflation as well as a cooler job market that no longer threatens to overheat the economy. Still, the Fed kept its key interest...
Have a gripe about your flight? Pa. AG launches online aviation complaint form
Pennsylvania travelers facing issues such as flight delays, cancellations or boarding problems now can file complaints through an online form launched Wednesday by the state Attorney General’s Office. Attorney General Michelle Henry said a national uptick in consumer complaints prompted her to act. State residents and travelers who experience airline...
Donald Trump falsely questions Kamala Harris’ race as he appears at gathering of Black journalistsVideo
CHICAGO — Donald Trump falsely suggested Kamala Harris had misled voters about her race as the former president appeared before the National Association of Black Journalists in Chicago Wednesday in an interview that quickly turned hostile. The Republican former president wrongly claimed that Harris, the first Black woman and Asian...
40 North restaurant on Pittsburgh’s North Side is temporarily closed
The restaurant 40 North on Pittsburgh’s North Side is closed, at least temporarily. A sign on the door Monday reads “Apologies — Unexpected closure in restaurant … re-opening 2-3 weeks after repairs.” But a social media post with an image of a single red flower from executive chef Beth Zozula...
Judge defies appeals court, denies bail to Sewickley torture defendant
An Allegheny County judge on Tuesday refused to follow a state Superior Court order to grant bail to a Sewickley man accused of assault and torture. Common Pleas Judge Edward J. Borkowski instead held a hearing at the request of the prosecution before finding that Noah Storm Sadowski poses a...
Former President Donald Trump campaigns in Harrisburg
Just over two weeks ago, former President Donald Trump, the Republican candidate for president, survived an assassination attempt while campaigning in Pennsylvania. Trump will be back in the state today, his first campaign visit here since the shooting. People were camped out at the rainy Farm Show Complex overnight ahead...
Trump, not Harris, speaking to most prominent American group for Black journalists
WASHINGTON — Donald Trump’s invitation to address the National Association of Black Journalists has sparked an intense debate within the organization and a flurry of arguments online. Journalism organizations for people of color traditionally invite presidential candidates to address their summer gatherings during election years. But Trump’s acceptance of NABJ’s...
Mark Madden: Ben Cherington improved Pirates, but can Derek Shelton and players finish job?
The Pittsburgh Pirates’ flurry of positive activity at the 11th hour of Tuesday’s MLB trade deadline makes for an unexpected flurry of positive analysis. I figured them to do nothing by way of avoiding increased payroll. But the Pirates accomplished that, too. Unloading pitcher Martin Perez — to fellow National...
Find a ‘cooler weather’ road trip in Western Pennsylvania
Bruce Gezon of Murrysville is no stranger to a nice, scenic drive. Gezon, a member of the Sports Car Club of America’s Hall of Fame, has been designing rally courses for a half-century. With late-summer temperatures continuing to stay in the 80s and 90s, spending an afternoon outdoors might not...
Harris to campaign with running mate in Philadelphia next Tuesday to kick off swing state tour
PHILADELPHIA — Vice President Kamala Harris will be in Philadelphia next Tuesday for the first campaign stop with her yet-to-be-announced running mate. The Harris campaign confirmed to The Philadelphia Inquirer that the visit will kick off Harris’ tour through swing states with her vice presidential pick. The timing of the...
Judge rejects effort to dismiss charges against East Huntingdon man injured in police shootout
A Westmoreland County judge has rejected defense calls for dismissal of charges against an East Huntingdon man wounded by Pennsylvania State Police in an exchange of gunfire last winter. Defense attorney Jill Devine during a court hearing Tuesday contended there was no evidence James R. Miller Jr. intended to kill...
Swissvale woman sentenced to 6 years probation for yearslong sexual relationship with teen
A judge on Tuesday sentenced a Pittsburgh-area therapist to probation for having a yearslong sexual relationship with a boy starting when he was 14. Rachel Witkowski, 43, of Swissvale pleaded guilty to three of the 11 charges against her — statutory sexual assault by a person 11 or more years...
Kevin Gorman’s Take 5: Pirates traded with an eye on the future, protecting pitching prospects
With the Pittsburgh Pirates hovering just above .500 going into the trade deadline, there were questions about whether they would be buyers or sellers and what they were willing to give up to get what they wanted. Somehow, Pirates general manager Ben Cherington managed to address three of their primary...
Pittsburgh Brewing teams with Pitt for blue-and-gold I.C. Light can
A collaboration between Pittsburgh Brewing Co. and Pitt Athletics on a limited edition Pitt I.C. Light can has been brewing for about two years. The can features royal blue and university gold team colors in addition to the recognizable “Pitt” script and “Hail to Pitt.” It is available this week...
Hamas says its leader Ismail Haniyeh was assassinated in Tehran by an Israeli airstrike
BEIRUT — Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh was assassinated in Tehran, Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard said early Wednesday, and Hamas blamed Israel for the attack. Israel has vowed to kill Haniyeh and other leaders of Hamas over the group’s Oct. 7 attack on Israel that killed 1,200 people and saw some...
‘A failure on multiple levels’: Records reveal security lapses at Trump rally
Five days before Donald Trump took the stage at the Butler Farm Show grounds for a rally, the Secret Service was busy rolling out its strategy to protect the nation’s 45th president. The advance planning was hardly unusual as part of the agency’s mission to guard the nation’s current and...
Police clash with a violent crowd gathered near the site of U.K. stabbing attack that killed 3 girlsVideo
LONDON — Far-right protesters fueled by anger and false online rumors hurled bottles and stones at officers and set a police van ablaze Tuesday outside a northwest England mosque near where three girls were fatally stabbed a day earlier. Prime Minister Keir Starmer condemned the “thuggery” and said the crowd...
Dominican trucker faces second deportation for New Stanton fentanyl sale
Westmoreland County prosecutors said a Dominican Republic national faces deportation for the second time after he serves an eight-year prison sentence for selling fentanyl to an undercover state trooper two years ago in New Stanton. Leonardo Antonio Ramirez was convicted in May by a Westmoreland County jury of three drug-related...
Route 366 reopened after Tuesday evening closure due to tree falling
A tree fell across Tarentum Bridge Road on Tuesday evening and is blocking the Route 366 bypass in New Kensington. Police and firefighters are on the scene and rerouting traffic. Westmoreland County Public Safety said the road reopened around 7 p.m. after being closed for a little more than an...
Pennsylvania casinos ask court to force state to tax skill games found in stores equally to slots
HARRISBURG — The owners of 12 Pennsylvania casinos have asked the state’s highest court to declare that a tax on slot machine revenue is unconstitutional because the state doesn’t impose it broadly on cash-paying electronic game terminals known as skill games that can be found in many bars and stores....
Simone Biles, Team USA earn ‘redemption’ with Olympic gold in women’s gymnasticsVideo
PARIS — Simone Biles, Jordan Chiles and Sunisa Lee spent the night before perhaps the biggest gymnastics meet of their lives restless. There was a tension in the air. They’d all been in the Olympic spotlight before, experiences that left them with medals but also the kind of scars —...
Penn State fraternity brothers plead guilty in student’s 2017 hazing death
Two former Penn State University students and fraternity leaders pleaded guilty to their roles in the 2017 hazing death of Timothy Piazza, the Attorney General’s Office announced on Tuesday. Brendan Young, 28, and Daniel Casey, 27, pleaded guilty this week to 14 counts of hazing and one count of reckless...
Social media account ban lifted for ‘White Dudes for Harris’
A ban on the X account of a political group known as “White Dudes for Harris” was lifted Tuesday after the suspension sparked outcry and an organizer accused Elon Musk of being scared. On Monday, “White Dudes for Harris” held an online fundraising rally in support of Vice President Kamala...
