Top Stories category, Page 392
Co-chair of Black journalists convention steps down after Trump appearance announced
The co-chair of the National Association of Black Journalists 2024 convention in Chicago has stepped down, following former President Donald Trump’s announcement that he would attend the convention. Karen Attiah’s announcement came via the social media platform X — after Trump’s announcement that he would attend the convention and participate...
Harris campaign said she would not ban fracking, reversing past pledge
Vice President Kamala Harris will not seek a ban on natural gas drilling, or fracking, if elected, according to a statement from her campaign. “She would not ban fracking,” the Harris campaign said in a statement to TribLive. The statement comes as a reversal of Harris’ past comments on fracking....
William Calley, who led the My Lai massacre that shamed U.S. military in Vietnam, has died
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — William Laws Calley Jr., who as an Army lieutenant led the U.S. soldiers who killed hundreds of Vietnamese civilians in the My Lai massacre, the most notorious war crime in modern American military history, has died. He was 80. Calley died on April 28, according to his...
Israel carries out rare strike on Beirut that it says killed Hezbollah commander
BEIRUT — Israel on Tuesday carried out a rare strike on Beirut, which it said killed the Hezbollah commander who was allegedly behind a weekend rocket attack that killed 12 young people in the Israeli-controlled Golan Heights. At least three other people were killed. Hezbollah did not immediately confirm the...
Steelers affiliate receives $850K settlement in dispute over Acrisure Stadium scoreboard
Pittsburgh’s Sports and Exhibition Authority has settled a yearslong dispute over whether it should have to pay for a costly upgrade to the scoreboard at Acrisure Stadium. The authority agreed to pay $850,000 to PSSI Stadium LLC, an affiliate of the Pittsburgh Steelers. The disagreement began when PSSI upgraded the...
Red-light district: Pittsburgh mulls tech to catch traffic-light scofflaws
Drivers running red lights in Pittsburgh could one day be fined through an automatic enforcement system. Legislation introduced Tuesday to City Council would allow Pittsburgh to install cameras at high-risk intersections to ticket drivers who blow through red lights. “This technology will allow us to crack down on dangerous driving...
Jeannette Public Library closed after bomb threat
The Jeannette Public Library was closed Tuesday after a bomb threat was called into city hall, according to library board members. The threat was called in on Monday and indicated a bomb would be present at the library Tuesday, said board president Joann Billheimer and board member Chad Krawtz. Police...
Acting Secret Service director says he’s ‘ashamed’ after the Trump assassination attempt
WASHINGTON — The Secret Service’s acting director on Tuesday told lawmakers he considered it indefensible that the roof used by the gunman in the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump was unsecured and said it was regrettable that local law enforcement had not communicated to his agency that a...
Penn Hills Center sold to out-of-state investment firm for $20.5 million
The Penn Hills Center and several outparcels near the shopping plaza on Rodi Road have been purchased by a New York-based firm for $20.5 million. Under an LLC created early this year, Asher Group reached a deal with First National Realty Partners in May to add the popular retail destination...
Officials say they’ve not been contacted by Trump campaign about 2nd Butler rally
Butler-area officials said they have not heard from the Donald Trump campaign about an announced second rally in Butler County. The first Trump rally in Pennsylvania since the assassination attempt will see the former president in Harrisburg in Dauphin County on Wednesday. The rally will feature U.S. Senate candidate Dave...
Shapiro was set to endorse Harris for president in 2019. Will she want him on her ticket now?
When Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris for president last week, it wasn’t the first time. A little-known political fact of Harris’s first run for the Democratic nomination in the 2020 campaign cycle is that then-Pennsylvania Attorney General Shapiro offered his endorsement of Harris’s first presidential bid...
Global program pushes male athletes to talk about dating abuse, sexual violence
Ryan Reitz is used to having difficult conversations. For the past seven years, Reitz has facilitated the Coaching Boys Into Men program with male athletes in locker rooms across Westmoreland County — diving into topics such as consent, respect and dating violence. Sometimes, encouraging athletes to participate in the conversations...
Amazon’s New Stanton facility could provide economic boost, challenge for small businesses, officials say
Amazon’s efforts to attract 600 workers for its new warehouse in New Stanton is like a double-edged sword for Westmoreland’s economy — great for job creation but potentially tough on small businesses that must compete for talent with the multibillion-dollar behemoth. “It’s great that they have selected New Stanton,” but...
West Leechburg residents set to take assessment complaints to county courthouse
West Leechburg residents are preparing to take their complaints about property assessments directly to Westmoreland County commissioners. After months, and in some cases years, of complaints about what residents say is an unfair property tax system, frustrations peaked this spring when Leechburg Area School District property taxes increased 10.4% in...
Oakmont, Verona chase suspect still at large after ditching gun, police say
A Penn Hills man who twice evaded police in Oakmont and Verona Tuesday remains at large. Oakmont and Verona police filed separate charges against Damian Baverso, 18, and issued separate warrants for his arrest. The chase in Oakmont began when officers tried to arrest Baverso near the Rite Aid on...
2 teens hospitalized after shooting in West Mifflin
Two teens were hospitalized Monday evening after being shot in West Mifflin, according to Allegheny County Police. Officers were dispatched at around 5:45 p.m. for a shooting Mon View Heights along Midway Drive. First responders found two teens with gunshot wounds, police said. One was taken to a hospital in...
N.C. Gov. Cooper opts out of Harris VP vetting, in part over worry about GOP lieutenant
WASHINGTON — North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper opted not to be a candidate in Vice President Kamala Harris’ running mate search, two people familiar with the matter said Monday, in part because of concerns that his Republican lieutenant governor would assume control when he travels out of state if he...
Judge hands former NRA head Wayne LaPierre a 10-year ban but declines to appoint monitor
NEW YORK — A New York judge on Monday banned Wayne LaPierre, the former head of the National Rifle Association, from holding a paid position with the organization for a decade, but declined to appoint an independent monitor to oversee the gun rights group. The split decision from Judge Joel...
California firefighters make progress as wildfires push devastation and spread smoke across the WestVideo
FOREST RANCH, Calif. — Firefighters made progress and were helped by improving weather over the weekend in the battle against wildfires covering massive areas in the western United States, but further evacuations have been necessary as thousands of personnel tackle the flames. The Park Fire, the largest wildfire in California...
Westmoreland County braces for revenue drop as FCC caps inmate calling fees
Westmoreland officials are bracing for what could be a substantial cut in revenue generated through phone and video calls made by county prison inmates. A new rule issued earlier this month by the Federal Communications Commission limits the amount private companies can charge inmates for calling services. Those new rules...
Term limits for Supreme Court are popular, but would require a constitutional amendment, experts say
WASHINGTON — Term limits for Supreme Court justices are a popular idea, but would require amending the Constitution and would be unlikely to affect the current justices, legal scholars say. On Monday, President Biden endorsed term limits as one of “three bold reforms to restore trust and accountability” in the...
Pennsylvania congressman chosen to lead House task force investigating Trump assassination attempt
WASHINGTON — A Pennsylvania congressman who witnessed the assassination attempt against former President Donald Trump firsthand will lead the House task force charged with investigating what went wrong and recommending solutions to help ensure such an attack doesn’t happen again. Republican Rep. Mike Kelly represents Butler County, where the July...
Opening ceremony tableau sparks Olympic flame of controversy
The opening ceremony for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games included many elements of French culture, from musical performances to sports stars. But one particular moment has elicited a firestorm of controversy. Among the performances was a scene set on the Debilly Bridge over the River Seine that included drag queens,...
Antisemitic graffiti targets Chabad of Squirrel Hill, Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh
Rabbi Yisroel Altein woke up to what he called a troubling sight Monday morning — red spray paint on the facade of Chabad of Squirrel Hill that read “Jews for Palestine.” Under the words was an inverted red triangle, a symbol that Hamas militants have used to indicate they were...
Credit card skimmer found at Plum Shop ’n Save after almost a month; 2 men charged
Two men suspected of placing credit card skimmers at grocery stores throughout the Pittsburgh area now are accused of doing the same thing in Plum, where a skimmer was in place at a store for nearly a month. Plum police filed charges Sunday against Thomas Fuchs, 34, and Alexandru Dumitrascu,...
