Top Stories category, Page 80
High school seniors’ math, reading scores declining, national report says
High school seniors’ math and reading comprehension are on the decline, according to a national report. The National Center for Education Statistics, part of the U.S. Department of Education, administered the National Assessment of Educational Progress to a sample of students from 1,500 schools throughout the country from January to...
Audits flag longer response times for Pittsburgh police, EMS; urge better 911 center staffing
A pair of audits from the Pittsburgh and Allegheny County controllers on Wednesday recommended increased staffing for the county’s 911 call center, more focus on tracking emergency response times and improvements to programs that ensure first responders’ well-being. “While funding and operational challenges exist in each of our respective governments,...
Conservative activist Charlie Kirk fatally shot in act of ‘political assassination’ at Utah collegeVideo
OREM, Utah — Charlie Kirk, a conservative activist and close ally of President Donald Trump who played an influential role in rallying young Republican voters, was shot and killed Wednesday at a Utah college event in what the governor called a political assassination carried out from a rooftop. “This is...
‘Kissing bug’ disease on the rise in U.S.
A deadly malady known as “kissing bug” disease is now an endemic illness in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The nation is seeing a rise in the illness, which is officially known as Chagas disease. It can be life-threatening and is transmitted through...
Jewish woman who vandalized Pittsburgh synagogue gets probation
A Jewish woman accused of conspiring with an alleged Hamas sympathizer to vandalize two Jewish organizations in Pittsburgh last summer was sentenced Wednesday in federal court to five years probation. Talya A. Lubit, 25, pleaded guilty in May to misdemeanor counts of conspiracy to commit a crime against the United...
2nd public trial added for Pittsburgh airport’s new terminal
The Allegheny County Airport Authority said Wednesday it has added a second public trial of Pittsburgh International Airport’s new terminal to test systems and processes ahead of the official opening later this year. The airport’s first public trial is scheduled for Sept. 20. Over 2,000 members of the public are...
Judge accepts plea deal in East Hills double homicide over objections of victims’ family
The two women pleaded with the judge not to accept the deal. They had just listened to the prosecutor describe the injuries the killer inflicted on their loved ones. Valorie Crumpton, who was 72, sustained nine fractures to her skull, multiple broken ribs, a laceration to her abdomen and a...
FBI investigating threatening letters sent to 3 Pittsburgh Jewish groups
The FBI and Pittsburgh police are investigating threatening letters sent by mail to three Jewish organizations in Pittsburgh’s Squirrel Hill neighborhood, including the Tree of Life, since Friday. Shawn Brokos, the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh’s community security director, on Wednesday confirmed the existence of the threats. Brokos said the...
Interest in Flight 93 memorial remains strong on 24th anniversary of 9/11 attacksVideo
As the Flight 93 memorial prepares for the 24th observance of the 9/11 attack, National Park Service leaders note interest in the site remains high. Between 2021 and 2024, the Somerset County memorial saw an average annual visitation of just under 375,000 people, according to National Park Service statistics. That’s...
What’s with all the orange around Downtown Pittsburgh?
Some of Pittsburgh’s Downtown businesses have been lit up in orange and more joined in on Tuesday evening for Hunger Action Day. The buildings will continue to illuminate orange throughout September, according to the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank. In addition to Acrisure Stadium, other buildings in the city include...
Solar canopy proposed at Arnold Palmer Regional Airport
Officials at Arnold Palmer Regional Airport are exploring a company’s proposal to add a canopy of solar panels above some of its parking spaces, to save on the Unity facility’s electric bills and to take advantage of related energy credits. Under the proposal from Veregy, which has an office in...
Advanced practitioners at UPMC’s Magee-Womens Hospital vote to unionize
A group of 60 advanced practitioners has voted to join hundreds of nurses at UPMC Magee-Womens Hospital in forming a union. The advanced practitioners — including certified registered nurse practitioners, neonatal nurse practitioners, certified nurse midwives and other positions — voted to join SEIU Healthcare Pennsylvania, following about 800 nurses...
Sept. 11 events planned across the region
Several events are planned around the region to commemorate the 24th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks in addition to the ceremonies planned at the National Flight 93 memorial in Somerset County. Connellsville Connellsville will host a remembrance ceremony at 7 p.m. Thursday at Veterans Plaza, 168 E. Crawford Ave. Pixel...
Harris says leaving reelection decision to Biden was ‘recklessness,’ but defends his abilities
WASHINGTON — Former Vice President Kamala Harris says it was “recklessness” for Democrats to leave it to President Joe Biden to decide whether to continue seeking another term last year, but she defends his ability to do the job, according an excerpt of her new book. Harris, in an excerpt...
U.S. high school students lose ground in math and reading, continuing yearslong decline
WASHINGTON — A decade-long slide in high schoolers’ reading and math performance persisted during the covid-19 pandemic, with 12th graders’ scores dropping to their lowest level in more than 20 years, according to results released Tuesday from an exam known as the nation’s report card. Eighth-grade students also lost significant...
Westmoreland airport authority ‘strong about Spirit’ while staying in touch with other carriers
Westmoreland County Airport Authority officials say they’ll stick with Spirit for commercial flights at Arnold Palmer Regional Airport although the budget carrier is headed into cloudy skies with its second bankruptcy declaration in less than a year. Spirit initially sought bankruptcy protection in November and emerged from Chapter 11 in...
Missing man found dead in Ohio River near Rivers Casino
After searching for a missing man, Pittsburgh police confirmed he was found dead Tuesday morning in the Ohio River near Rivers Casino. TribLive news partner WTAE reported that the body pulled from the river was Stephen Williams, 42, who was last seen leaving the Downtown Wyndham on Friday night. According...
Court rules Lisa Cook can remain a Fed governor for now while fighting Trump’s attempt to fire her
WASHINGTON — A federal court ruled Tuesday that embattled Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook can remain in her position while she fights President Donald Trump’s efforts to fire her. The ruling, which will almost certainly be appealed, is a blow to the Trump administration’s efforts to assert more control over...
Shaler accepts discipline of Undercliff firefighters accused of answering call while drunk
The Shaler commissioners have accepted disciplinary actions one of the township’s volunteer fire departments meted out in August following allegations some of its members responded to a call under the influence of alcohol. The Undercliff Volunteer Fire Co. on Aug. 19 suspended three of the five members involved in the...
Troopers testify they feared for their lives during 2024 East Huntingdon shootoutVideo
Two Pennsylvania State Police troopers testified Tuesday they feared for their life when they opened fire last year on an East Huntingdon man during what they called a routine neighborhood canvass after responding to a shots fired report earlier that night. “He refused to drop his weapon,” testified Tpr. Brandon...
Trio hurt in Downtown park stabbing tell police shifting stories
Three people who received minor injuries in a stabbing incident Sunday night near a Downtown Pittsburgh park knew each other through a “transactional history with drugs and money,” a Pittsburgh police spokeswoman said Tuesday. Kevin Jenkins, 51, of Pittsburgh remained in the Allegheny County Jail Tuesday on charges that he...
Chief Justice Roberts keeps in place Trump funding freeze that threatens billions in foreign aid
WASHINGTON — Chief Justice John Roberts on Tuesday temporarily kept in place the Trump administration’s decision to freeze nearly $5 billion in foreign aid. Roberts acted on the administration’s emergency appeal to the Supreme Court in a case involving billions of dollars in congressionally approved aid. President Donald Trump said...
Paper ballots now an Election Day option for Westmoreland voters
Westmoreland County voters in November will be given the option to use paper ballots on Election Day. Republican Commissioners Sean Kertes and Doug Chew on Tuesday, acting as the county’s Election Board, authorized an optional shift to paper ballots while also saying voters can still use the touch-screen voting machine...
Supreme Court to quickly consider if President Donald Trump has power to impose sweeping tariffs
WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court on Tuesday granted an unusually quick hearing on whether President Donald Trump has the power to impose sweeping tariffs under federal law. The justices will hear arguments in November, lightning fast by the typical standards of the nation’s highest court. The small businesses and states...
RFK Jr.’s latest ‘Make America Healthy Again’ report calls for more scrutiny of vaccines, autism
WASHINGTON — The Trump administration is imploring the nation’s public health agencies to prioritize investigations of vaccine injuries, prescription drug use and the cause of autism in a new “Make America Healthy Again” report focused on children released Tuesday. The 20-page report, overseen by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert...
