Top Local and National News Stories category, Page 1247
U.S. carries out its 1st execution of female inmate since 1953
TERRE HAUTE, Ind. — A Kansas woman was executed Wednesday for strangling an expectant mother in Missouri and cutting the baby from her womb, the first time in nearly seven decades that the U.S. government has put to death a female inmate. Lisa Montgomery, 52, was pronounced dead at 1:31...
2nd suspect arrested in Nashville killing of Butler County native
Nashville police arrested a second suspect in the killing of Caitlyn Kaufman, a Butler County native who was shot on her way to work as a nurse at a Tennessee hospital. James Cowan, 28, was arrested at a Nashville area apartment complex, according to the Metro Nashville Police Department. BREAKING:...
Group of House Republicans, led by Pa. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, wants Trump censured
WASHINGTON — A group of moderate House Republicans has introduced a resolution to censure President Donald Trump for his role in last week’s attack at the Capitol and for “attempting to unlawfully overturn the 2020 presidential election.” The group, led by Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick of Bucks County, said in a...
House urges Mike Pence to help oust Trump; impeachment next
WASHINGTON — The U.S. House rushed ahead Tuesday toward impeaching President Donald Trump for the deadly Capitol attack, taking time only to try to persuade his vice president to push him out first. Trump showed no remorse, blaming impeachment itself for the “tremendous anger” in America. Already scheduled to leave...
Controversy over comments on election, Capitol attack rocks debate at Carnegie Mellon
Carnegie Mellon University officials on Tuesday issued a harsh statement condemning speech that may have incited last week’s attack on the U.S. Capitol, as debate over comments by some of its leading scholars raised eyebrows in academic circles across the country. In a letter issued to the university community, a...
U.S. prosecutors weighing sedition charges in Capitol riotVideo
WASHINGTON — The FBI warned law enforcement agencies ahead of last week’s breach of the U.S. Capitol about the potential for extremist-driven violence and prosecutors are now weighing sedition charges against at least some of the Trump loyalists who stormed the building, U.S. officials said Tuesday. The statements by FBI...
Trump’s grip on GOP loosens as No. 3 Republican Liz Cheney backs impeachment
WASHINGTON — As President Donald Trump denied responsibility for the U.S. Capitol riot that left five people dead and the FBI vowed to prosecute hundreds of his supporters who took part in the attack, the No. 3 House GOP leader announced she was voting for impeachment. It marked the starkest...
Westmoreland Democrats call for GOP congressmen to step down
Westmoreland County’s Democratic Committee called on two local Republican congressmen to resign in response to their votes last week objecting to Pennsylvania’s presidential election results following the violent riot at the U.S. Capitol. Committee chairwoman Tara Yokopenic said in a statement released late Monday that Reps. Guy Reschenthaler and John...
Pittsburgh FBI ‘not aware of any threats’ locally leading up to inauguration
Federal agents in Pittsburgh said they are not aware of any violent threats in the region as rumors circulate online about attacks before the presidential inauguration in specific cities. In addition, an individual in the Pittsburgh area was named in the weekend’s federal report that warned of possible further violence,...
Western Pa. teachers grapple with current events lessons after Capitol riot
Going over current events is one of Barak Naveh’s favorite parts of teaching. It’s an honor and a privilege, he said, to be able to help his history students at Pittsburgh Obama Academy understand the world in the context of the past, to show them how history is relevant in...
Special election set to fill Mike Reese’s state House seat
A special election to fill the vacancy in the state House 59th District left by the sudden death of Rep. Mike Reese will be conducted May 18. Pennsylvania House Speaker Bryan Cutler, R-Lancaster, announced Tuesday the special election will be held along with the regularly scheduled primary the same day....
New Pa. websites promote restaurants and show violators of covid measures
New interactive dashboards announced Tuesday by state officials allow users to find open Pennsylvania restaurants, which are offering takeout and those accused of violating covid-19 mitigation measures. The Covid Inspection Dashboard allows users to search restaurants by name, county, city or ZIP code. The dashboard lists whether any violations have...
FBI says it sent stark warning to law enforcement about Capitol ‘war’Video
WASHINGTON — The FBI warned law enforcement agencies ahead of last week’s breach of the U.S. Capitol about the potential for extremist-driven violence, U.S. officials said on Tuesday, contradicting earlier statements that they were caught off guard by the assault by supporters of President Donald Trump. Nearly a week after...
Michigan plans to charge ex-Gov. Rick Snyder in Flint water scandal
DETROIT — Former Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder, his health director and other ex-officials have been told they’re being charged after a new investigation of the Flint water scandal, which devastated the majority Black city with lead-contaminated water and was blamed for a deadly outbreak of Legionnaires’ disease in 2014-15, The...
Pa. State Police try to identify racial disparities in policing
The Pennsylvania State Police said Tuesday the department has embarked on a data collection program designed to identify patterns of racial/ethnic disparities in policing. Troopers statewide have begun documenting additional information during traffic stops, regardless of whether the encounter results in a citation or written warning. The contact data includes...
Officials: UPMC ‘absolutely prepared’ to give more covid vaccinations
UPMC officials said Tuesday they are “absolutely prepared” to distribute more covid-19 shots now that the federal government has encouraged states not to hold back vaccines reserved for second doses and to prioritize anyone age 65 and up. “We are absolutely prepared to administer those vaccines,” Chief Quality Officer Tami...
‘We need to be uniters,’ Pittsburgh council says in addressing Capitol insurrectionVideo
Three of the nine Pittsburgh City Council members Tuesday addressed last week’s insurrection at the Capitol and the potential for more violence leading up to and during President-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration on Jan. 20. Public Safety leaders have said they are prepared for more unrest, should there be protests or...
Pa. sets record for 7-day covid death total
With 227 additional covid deaths reported Tuesday in the state, Pennsylvania has set a record. The newly reported coronavirus-related deaths bring the seven-day death total to 1,534, a record for that statistic, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Health. Of the newly reported deaths, 143 are from January, 82 are...
Ziccarelli concedes, Brewster to be sworn in Wednesday morning
State Sen. Jim Brewster, who will be sworn in Wednesday to the 45th District seat, said it has been a long two months of legal maneuvering as he defended his seat from court challenges raised by Republican challenger Nicole Ziccarelli. The incumbent Democrat said Tuesday — hours after a federal...
Westmoreland County reports 8 new covid deaths, most in a week
Westmoreland County reported eight new covid deaths Tuesday, tying the second largest daily total this month. The most coronavirus-related deaths thus far in January were reported Jan. 6, when 16 were reported. Eight deaths were also reported Jan. 5. Tuesday also saw 207 new covid cases reported in Westmoreland County....
Allegheny County sees increase in new covid cases after days of decrease
After new reported covid cases decreased for three days, they went up again in Allegheny County. There were 694 new cases reported Tuesday, following 849 cases reported Saturday, 519 cases on Sunday and 368 cases on Monday. In addition to cases, there were 15 new deaths reported Tuesday in the...
Trump takes no responsibility for riot as he heads to Texas
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump on Tuesday took no responsibility for his part in fomenting a violent insurrection at the U.S. Capitol last week, despite his comments encouraging supporters to march on the Capitol and praise for them while they were still carrying out the assault. “People thought that what...
House races to oust Trump as he says effort angers nation
WASHINGTON — The U.S. House pressed swiftly forward Tuesday toward impeachment or other steps to forcibly remove President Donald Trump from office, even as Trump blamed Democratic foes and not himself for last week’s deadly attack on the Capitol. He targeted the lawmakers who are pushing for his ouster, saying...
Tractor-trailer crashes, falls down hill in DonegalVideo
A driver suffered minor injuries and was trapped in the cab of a tractor-trailer that tumbled over a hillside along Route 31 in Donegal Township Tuesday, according to Westmoreland County 911. The crash on Route 31 near the intersection of Route 381 happened just after 9:20 a.m. No other vehicles...
Editorial: The opioid crisis has not gone anywhere
It sometimes seems like the coronavirus pandemic devoured every other problem, leaving nothing in its wake. While it is hard to find a news story — whether health or politics, local government or education — that doesn’t have the word “covid” in it somewhere, that isn’t what happened. Instead of...
