Top Local and National News Stories category, Page 1014
GOP embraces natural immunity as substitute for vaccines
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Republicans fighting President Joe Biden’s coronavirus vaccine mandates are wielding a new weapon against the White House rules: natural immunity. They contend that people who have recovered from the virus have enough immunity and antibodies to not need covid-19 vaccines, and the concept has been invoked by...
Rittenhouse acquittal tightens the political vise for Biden
WILMINGTON, Del. — A difficult political atmosphere for President Joe Biden may have become even more treacherous with the acquittal of Kyle Rittenhouse. Biden was already facing sliding poll numbers with an electorate worn down by the coronavirus pandemic and increasing inflation. Now, the president finds himself caught between outraged...
Hundreds protest Rittenhouse acquittal across U.S.
PORTLAND, Ore — Law enforcement in Portland declared a riot Friday night as about 200 demonstrators protested the acquittal of a teen who killed two people and injured another in Wisconsin. The protesters were breaking windows, throwing objects at police and talking about burning down a local government building in...
Wilkinsburg teen dead in Point Breeze shooting
A Wilkinsburg teen is dead of a gunshot wound she suffered Saturday evening in Pittsburgh’s Point Breeze neighborhood. The Allegheny County Medical Examiner said Aliah Johnson, 17, died shortly before 8:30 p.m. following a shooting in the 100 block of North Linden Avenue. WPXI reported that police found Johnson dead...
Police seek information in fatal shooting in Penn Hills
Authorities are seeking information in the Saturday night shooting death of a man in Penn Hills. Allegheny County Police Department Homicide detectives, responding to a 911 call at 10:42 p.m. found the victim, David Moore, 30, of Pittsburgh inside a vehicle in a parking lot on the 1100 block of...
Thanksgiving plans for Alle-Kiski Valley families almost back to normal
Thanksgiving Day is usually a big deal for Joe Weltner of Harrison. Weltner usually kicks off his Christmas decorating frenzy right after polishing off a traditional Thanksgiving dinner. “I start to politely shuffle the guests out so the first of 15-plus Christmas trees can be put up,” said Weltner of...
‘Getting on with my life’: Families eye nearly normal Thanksgiving after keeping distance in 2020
Thanksgiving largely will be close to normal this year, the second year the holiday will be celebrated during the coronavirus pandemic. Families are preparing feasts and there will be football, movies and the Macy’s parade. Perhaps a few political arguments amid another slice of pumpkin pie. A year after families...
Ask the doctor: Excela’s Dr. Fox weighs in on vaccines, Thanksgiving gatherings
The Tribune-Review asked Dr. Carol Fox, chief medical officer at Excela Health, a few questions regarding vaccines and holiday gatherings. Here are her responses: Q: Should people consider the vaccination status of others when planning holiday gatherings? A: I think that would be wise. Ideally, everyone that you gather with...
Penn State enrollment numbers mirror national trends
We are? If the answer to the popular college cheer is “Penn State,” there are fewer voices chiming in these days. Although Penn State’s University Park campus, which turns away hundreds of well-qualified students every year, bounced back to better than 2019 enrollment numbers, increasing from 46,313 students last year...
Pittsburgh’s Light Up Night returns
Light Up Night festivities returned to Pittsburgh this year after being canceled in 2020 due to the covid-19 pandemic. The event, which has historically taken place on a Friday evening, was moved to Saturday this year. Highlights of the event included the City of Pittsburgh’s 106th Tree Lighting ceremony and...
Conflict over abortion laws won’t abate if Roe v. Wade falls
On both sides of America’s abortion debate, activists are convinced that Roe v. Wade — the 1973 Supreme Court ruling establishing a nationwide right to abortion — is imperiled as never before. Yet no matter how the current conservative-dominated court handles pending high-profile abortion cases — perhaps weakening Roe, perhaps...
Tarentum-Brackenridge holiday parade wows crowds with Grinches, clowns and Santa
Dressed in a green Grinch sweatshirt and leggings spattered with red poinsettias, Maria Hoscheid was the image of Christmas at the 16th annual Tarentum-Brackenridge holiday parade Saturday. “We never miss this,” said Hoscheid, who lived in Tarentum for 28 years before recently moving to East Deer’s Creighton neighborhood. “It’s not...
Greensburg Holiday Parade returns after 2020 hiatus
The Greensburg Holiday Parade returned this year after being canceled in 2020 due to the covid-19 pandemic. Thousands of people gathered downtown Saturday afternoon to celebrate the holiday season as floats, bands and groups from local organizations traveled along Main Street. A visit by Santa and Mrs. Claus capped off...
Car crashes into Derry Borough house, driver airlifted to hospital
The driver of a car that crashed into a house Saturday afternoon in the 500 block of W. Fourth Avenue in Derry Borough was airlifted to a local hospital with injuries he suffered in the accident. A spokesman for the Derry Volunteer Fire Department said the gas company was called...
Poll: More American adults say they don’t expect to have a child
A growing share of U.S. adults who aren’t already parents say they probably won’t have children, citing reasons such as apathy, financial instability or the lack of a partner. A new survey from the Pew Research Center found that 44% of non-parents ages 18 to 49 say it’s not too...
Cyclists brave cold for Pantry Pedal on Greensburg Trail
Call them the few, the hardy, the Flat Tire Co. Fellows. On Saturday morning, while much of the rest of the region might have been sipping hot chocolate, nursing a strong cup of coffee or reluctantly rolling out of a warm bed, Ashley Reefer was layering up, preparing to lead...
New welcome sign lights way to downtown Latrobe
It’s appropriate that Latrobe’s new community entrance sign greets downtown visitors with the message, “Welcome to the neighborhood.” Illuminated for the first time Friday night, the sign is the work of homegrown talent from the city and neighboring areas — much of it donated. Motorists and pedestrians will spot the...
2 top executives quit giant Pa. pension fund amid FBI, SEC probes
Spotlight PA is an independent, nonpartisan newsroom powered by The Philadelphia Inquirer in partnership with PennLive/The Patriot-News, TribLIVE/Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, and WITF Public Media. Sign up for our free newsletters. HARRISBURG — Following months of controversy and amid an ongoing federal investigation, Pennsylvania’s biggest pension fund on Thursday announced that its...
Cyclist dead in early morning collision in Pittsburgh
Authorities are investigating a collision that left a bicyclist dead shortly after 1 a.m. Saturday when he collided with a vehicle on the 5700 block of Stanton Avenue in Pittsburgh. First responders from Pittsburgh EMS, fire and police said they found the cyclist unconscious when they arrived and began CPR....
Cranberry man, 44, dies after being rescued from fire on Pittsburgh’s South Side
A Pittsburgh man who was in critical condition early Saturday morning after firefighters rescued him from a burning South Side building has died, authorities said. Joseph B. Traynor, 44, of Cranberry died on Sunday of injuries sustained in the fire in the 1100 block of East Carson Street. Authorities said...
Downtown Pittsburgh winter homeless shelter reopens, but covid limits capacity to 68 people per night
Amid bouts of chilly wind, icy rain and temperatures dipping into the 30s, several dozen people showed up at the steps of Downtown Pittsburgh’s Smithfield United Church of Christ this past week in need of a warm place to sleep. An average of 25 to 35 people who are homeless...
Senate GOP hires firm to review Pennsylvania’s 2020 election
HARRISBURG — Republicans in the Pennsylvania Senate said Friday they will pay up to $270,000 over the next six months to have an Iowa consulting firm examine the 2020 election with an eye toward developing changes to state election law. The “forensic investigation” is being launched in response to pressure...
Fake energy company jilts investors out of $2M used to buy boats, jewelry, wedding gifts; 1 of 3 indicted pleads guilty
A Greene County man admitted bilking Western Pennsylvania investors out of more than $2 million under the guise of funding a promising renewable energy company, only to use the money to pay for lavish personal items and the living expenses of he and his fellow schemers. Authorities say the money...
Lots drawn to declare winners in 39 tied election races in Westmoreland County
Lady Luck eluded Nancy Peters on Friday afternoon. Peters, an incumbent councilwoman in Jeannette, was one of 30 people who tied with one write-in vote in the Nov. 2 election for city controller. Ties were broken Friday afternoon through a random casting of lots for that race — and 38...
How will the Penguins be different under Fenway Sports Group?
For Fenway Sports Group LLC, adding the Pittsburgh Penguins, a hockey team that takes pride in the value of its brand, would be another high-profile entity in their realm. Led by billionaire businessman John Henry, Fenway Sports Group owns — to some degree — some of the most iconic sports...
