Top Stories category, Page 57
Jurors see video of arrest at scene of Monroeville police shooting
Jamal Brooks told a jury Wednesday that video of a man blasting a Monroeville police sergeant with gunfire revealed nothing distinctive about the shooter. The person firing 16 times into the officer’s patrol vehicle, Brooks claimed, “could be anyone.” Anyone, that is, but him. On Thursday, video that night from...
Man accused in Salem lawnmower pipe bomb case now charged over 2nd explosive attempt
James Sever, the man accused of planting a pipe bomb in his former landlord’s lawnmower, was charged Thursday with putting a second bomb on a pickup truck being used by one of Sever’s relatives, state police said in court papers. The pickup was a loaner vehicle from a Rostraver car...
Shapiro joins states in legal action against Trump’s National Guard deployments
Pennsylvania has joined nearly two dozen states in taking legal action in an attempt to stop President Donald Trump from deploying National Guard troops to U.S. cities. The multistate amicus brief argues that the deployment of National Guard troops in Oregon was “unlawful, unconstitutional and undemocratic,” according to Gov. Josh...
Health Secretary Kennedy, Trump link circumcision to autism through TylenolVideo
WASHINGTON – Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. expanded his crusade against using Tylenol with a cutting-edge warning: boys who were circumcised were twice as likely to be diagnosed with autism later. “There are two studies that show children who are circumcised early have double the rate of autism,” Kennedy...
Shutdown strikes federal workers in Pittsburgh with furloughs
About 250 federal workers represented by the National Treasury Employees Union in Western Pennsylvania were furloughed Wednesday, casualties of the ongoing federal government shutdown. The workers learned by email they should plan to stay home for the duration of the shutdown unless they hear otherwise. Things for the union started...
New York AG Letitia James criminally charged in Trump’s latest effort to punish rivalsVideo
New York Attorney General Letitia James, a longtime foe of President Donald Trump, was indicted on charges of lying on a mortgage application on Thursday, the Justice Department said, as the administration seeks to use government power against those who have pursued investigations into him or publicly resisted his agenda....
Federal law enforcement looking to open new offices in Pittsburgh, 19 other U.S. cities
The federal government is looking to expand its law enforcement presence in 20 U.S. cities, including Pittsburgh. A competitive lease proposal from Sept. 16 reveals that the federal government is seeking office space large enough for 70 workers “appropriate for law enforcement administrative operations” in each of 20 cities. This...
Fetterman breaks with Dems on reining in Trump’s strikes on alleged drug boats; approval rating up among Republicans
U.S. Sen. John Fetterman went against the Democratic grain again. Fetterman on Wednesday was the lone Democrat in the Senate to vote against a measure to prevent President Donald Trump from using military force against suspected drug traffickers in the Caribbean without congressional authorization. Even with the support of two...
A Democratic rep.-elect isn’t being sworn in. Is it because she’d force an Epstein vote?
A Democrat from Arizona who won a special election for a seat in Congress on Sept. 23 is still waiting to be sworn in to the House of Representatives. Adelita Grijalva says the first thing she’ll do is sign the paperwork that would let the House vote on a bill...
Duquesne hoops player could have assault charge reduced by completing domestic violence program
An assault charge against a Duquesne University basketball player accused of punching his then-girlfriend in August will be reduced to a non-traffic citation if he completes a domestic violence program. The deal was worked out between Maximus Edwards’ lawyer and the Allegheny County District Attorney’s Office, which said it reviewed...
Acrisure Stadium to get 22,000 new seats to replace ones in ‘really bad shape’
Acrisure Stadium is set to get thousands of new seats over the next four years in a multimillion-dollar upgrade. The Sports & Exhibition Authority board on Thursday unanimously agreed to pay over $6 million for the first phase of seat replacements, which will swap out more than 22,000 seats this...
RIP landline phones? If you don’t have one now, you may not be able to get one
When Andy Brady had his cable television service installed, a landline telephone number was part of the package deal. He’s never hooked a phone to it, though. That probably says something about the bleak future for landline phones, considering Brady is the market president for the Verizon Consumer Group’s Great...
Bell Acres resident Christina Cassotis leads Pittsburgh International Airport into a new era
During her job interview, Christina Cassotis made a bold statement to board members of the Allegheny County Airport Authority and the Allegheny County executive: “Hubs do not work in the Midwest.” The region will remember the 1992 Pittsburgh International Airport being designed to be a hub for US Airways. It...
Celebrations erupt in Gaza, Israel on news of deal to end 2-year war
KHAN YOUNIS, Gaza/TEL AVIV — Palestinians and the families of Israeli hostages broke into wild celebrations Thursday after news of a pact between Israel and Hamas to end the war in Gaza and return home all the Israeli hostages, both living and dead. In Gaza, where most of the more...
Fort Ligonier Days to feature return of fireworks, new history-themed games
As many as 60,000 people are expected to pack Ligonier’s Main Street on Saturday morning to watch the parade that is a central feature of the town’s Fort Ligonier Days festival. Those who remain on hand later that day, after more than 200 crafter and food vendor booths close, will...
Greensburg official: Focus is on increasing residential housing options
Boosting Greensburg’s residential population within the city’s 4-square-mile boundary likely will have to come from building conversions in the downtown business district, a city official said this week. “Housing is our main focus right now. The only residential growth will be by developing residences” in the downtown area, said Alex...
Leechburg Area pitches fix for taxing inequality
Leechburg Area School District residents may be seeing balanced property tax bills as early as next school year. District Business Manager Jake Chapla presented a method to balance property taxes between the district’s Armstrong County and Westmoreland County residents after years of uneven taxation. There are multiple calculation methods provided...
2 state troopers in critical condition, suspect dead after shootout in Franklin County
Two Pennsylvania State Police troopers are in critical condition and a suspect is dead after a retail theft in Franklin County led to a 15-mile car chase on I-81 that ended in a shootout Wednesday evening, according to officials. Around 6:15 p.m., state police were dispatched to the Dicks Sporting...
Trump says Israel, Hamas reach agreement on 1st phase of Gaza deal
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump says that Israel and Hamas have agreed to implement the first phase of a White House peace plan aimed at ending the war in Gaza and Israeli hostages will soon be released. Trump said in an Oct. 8 statement that Israel would also withdraw its...
Trump says he ‘took the freedom of speech away’ on flag burningVideo
President Donald Trump on Wednesday said his administration “took the freedom of speech away” as it relates to flag burnings, an activity that the Supreme Court has ruled is protected under the First Amendment. “We took the freedom of speech away, because that’s been through the courts, and the courts...
Soaring gold prices spell payday for some, but economic uncertainty for all
Now might be a golden opportunity to empty out the jewelry box. A palmful of gold necklaces, rings or other jewelry could fetch about $10,000 at precious metals dealers as gold’s price-per-ounce continues its record-breaking rise. “People cry, like shaking — they can’t believe the amount they’re getting,” said Jenn...
FAA delays flights for 3rd day as government shutdown continues
WASHINGTON — The Federal Aviation Administration delayed flights for a third straight day on Wednesday at airports including Reagan Washington National and Newark Liberty International Airport as the agency continued to face higher-than-normal staffing shortages. There were nearly 3,000 flight delays by 5:30 p.m. after 10,000 delays in total on...
Wounded Monroeville police sergeant faces accused shooter at trial
When Monroeville police Sgt. James MacDonald responded to an armed robbery last year at the Crumbl cookie shop on William Penn Highway, he was familiar with the area surrounding the Miracle Mile Shopping Center. MacDonald headed to a road nearby, hoping he might catch the suspect trying to flee. As...
Westmoreland jury acquits suspended trooper of girlfriend’s assault
Suspended state police Trooper Nicholas Hood was found not guilty Wednesday in connection to an alleged domestic violence incident two years in his Derry Township home. A Westmoreland County jury deliberated two hours before finding Hood not guilty of one misdemeanor count of simple assault. Common Pleas Judge Michael Stewart...
Snow problem: Plan flops for Munhall to plow some Pittsburgh streets
Pittsburgh City Council members on Wednesday opposed a plan to provide street cleaning services to neighboring Munhall in exchange for snowplowing. Councilwoman Barb Warwick, D-Greenfield, had pitched the idea of the swap. Her proposal called for Munhall to plow roads in Pittsburgh’s adjacent Lincoln Place neighborhood. That solution, she said,...
