Top Local and National News Stories category, Page 1376
AG Shapiro, Sen. Casey won’t back down on Postmaster General, even as changes scrappedVideo
Postmaster General Louis DeJoy’s announcement that he is suspending changes to the postal system until after the November election was met with skepticism by Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro. The announcement Tuesday afternoon came as Shapiro and Washington state Attorney General Bob Ferguson were announcing a pair of multi-state federal...
Tales from ‘The Cage’: Bartenders chronicle the Squirrel Hill Café, Pittsburgh’s classic watering hole
When Anthony Bourdain asked novelist Stewart O’Nan to appear on the Pittsburgh episode of his “Parts Unknown” CNN program in 2017, O’Nan insisted on recording the interview at the Squirrel Hill Café. There are a lot of other places he could have picked. Why the Squirrel Hill Cafe? “It’s not...
2 Pitt students test positive for covid-19
Two University of Pittsburgh students tested positive for covid-19 in the school’s first round of surveillance testing, according to data released by the university. The university had announced it would choose students at random to participate in the self-administered testing. In the first round of testing conducted Aug. 12-13 as...
Flu vaccines are important, safe in midst of pandemic, experts say
With flu season rapidly approaching and covid-19 still spreading, health experts say it’s imperative — and safe — to get a flu shot this year. Dr. Marc Itskowitz, an internal medicine physician with Allegheny Health Network, said he recommends the flu vaccine this and every year. “It gives the immune...
Postal Service halts some operational changes amid outcry
WASHINGTON — Facing public pressure and state lawsuits, the Postmaster general announced Tuesday he is halting some operational changes to mail delivery that critics warned were causing widespread delays and could disrupt voting in the November election. Postmaster General Louis DeJoy said he would “suspend” his initiatives until after the...
Amazon’s hiring of 1,500 in Pittsburgh region provides boost during pandemic
Amazon announced Tuesday that more than 1,500 people will be hired to work in its new 1 million-square-foot fulfillment center and a new delivery station, both of which are in Findlay and are set to open later this year. When Amazon broke ground on the fulfillment center in October, the...
Move over pumpkin spice, Primanti’s and East End Brewing bring back pickle beer
Primanti Bros. and East End Brewing Co. are bringing back their “Almost Famous Pickle Beer” collaboration. They hope the second serving is as good as the first. “Last year, it was bonkers how fast it went,” said Scott Smith, owner of East End Brewing in Larimer. “People came to the...
Pennsylvania adds 735 new coronavirus cases, 31 deaths
The Pennsylvania Department of Health added 735 coronavirus cases and 31 deaths on Tuesday. The counts come a day after the state reported its lowest number of new coronavirus cases in more than a month and no deaths Monday. Those figures were slightly skewed because data from Philadelphia County —...
Pennsylvania to launch ‘Covid Alert PA’ contact tracing appVideo
The Pennsylvania Department of Health will launch a mobile app in September that will use Bluetooth technology to assist state officials in contact tracing efforts, to curb the spread of covid-19. The state partnered with experts at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and University of Pennsylvania and the developer NearForm...
Allegheny County posts lowest new covid case count since June
On Tuesday, Allegheny County continued its trend of lower daily covid-19 case numbers in August. The county Department of Health reported 45 new cases — the lowest number of new cases since June 25. In the month of August, the county has added 1,455 covid-19 cases, as compared to 3,365...
State’s health secretary says Gov. Wolf won’t mandate cancellation of high school sports
If the PIAA ignores Gov. Tom Wolf’s advice and allows fall sports to continue, his administration won’t turn his strong recommendation into a mandate. “The governor has been very clear about that: There are no plans to do that,” state Health Secretary Dr. Rachel Levine said Tuesday. Wolf’s administration wants...
Greensburg’s Lynch mansion, with 38 rooms and carriage house, on market for $900KVideo
A historic three-story brick Greensburg mansion built by an associate of industrialist Henry Clay Frick, replete with seven bedrooms, seven bathrooms, parlor room and a brick carriage house, is on the market for a mere $895,000. The 38-room, 6,000-square-foot stately manor was built for Thomas Lynch between 1905 and 1907...
Former Latrobe firefighters sue city, allege misconduct by fire chief
Five former Latrobe volunteer firefighters filed a federal lawsuit alleging they were kicked out of the department after speaking out against Chief John Brasile. The suit accuses Brasile of routinely showing up late to emergency scenes, falsely claiming to have responded to scenes where he wasn’t present, attempting to manage...
Plan to replace Abraham Lincoln statue in Wilkinsburg moving along
Abraham Lincoln could be back on his Wilkinsburg perch in time for his Feb. 12 birthday next year. For the past 18 months, a group of Wilkinsburg residents have been working to raise $70,000 to build a new bronze, life-size statue of the 16th president of the United States. The...
Owners of Live! Casino Pittsburgh release online gaming site prior to casino opening
A new online gaming site will give a “sneak peek” into two casinos being built on opposite ends of Pennsylvania, including one under construction at Westmoreland Mall. PlayLive!, which launched this week, features more than 100 gaming options, including classic slots and table games, along with online-only titles and jackpot...
Editorial: Low-visibility arrest a high-visibility failure
It was supposed to be a low-visibility arrest. That didn’t really work out. On Saturday afternoon, Matthew Cartier, 24, was in the Oakland section of Pittsburgh as part of the weekly protests for racial justice. Pittsburgh plainclothes police officers apprehended him and hustled him into an unmarked white van, which...
Police: Woman grazed by bullet in Garfield
A woman was in stable condition after being found with a bullet wound in Pittsburgh’s Garfield neighborhood Monday night, according to city police. Officers responded shortly after 9 p.m. to an alert of shots fired in the 5300 block of Hillcrest Street, where police said they found evidence of a...
Westmoreland leaders mull solutions to accommodate expected volume of mail-in ballots
Additional opportunities for Westmoreland County’s mail-in voters this fall are being considered as local officials plan for potential slowdowns related to budget cuts at the U.S. Postal Service. Commissioners said Monday no plans have been finalized, but they might consider creating satellite elections bureau locations to allow voters another option...
Michelle Obama assails Trump as Democrats open conventionVideo
NEW YORK — Michelle Obama delivered a passionate broadside against President Donald Trump during Monday’s opening night of the Democratic National Convention, assailing the Republican president as unfit for the job and warning that the nation’s mounting crises would only get worse if he’s reelected. The former first lady issued...
Conor Lamb among 17 ‘rising stars’ to deliver Tuesday’s keynote speech for Democratic National Convention
U.S. Rep. Conor Lamb is among 17 Democrats deemed “rising stars” who will take turns delivering the 2020 national convention’s keynote address Tuesday night. “It’s a great honor,” Lamb, 36, of Mt. Lebanon told the Tribune-Review by phone Monday afternoon. “I do think that it matters because I have heard...
Latrobe centenarian surprised with birthday paradeVideo
Audrey Spangler found several birthday surprises waiting for her Monday evening when she stepped outside her apartment at Laurel Highlands Village, an independent senior living community in Latrobe. Family and friends geared up to celebrate the Philadelphia native’s 100th birthday in a big way, despite pandemic-related restrictions on social activities....
Democratic National Convention strives to build enthusiasm despite going all-virtual
Pennsylvania’s political leaders, power brokers and delegates kicked off the Democratic National Convention as they usually do, with a breakfast event peppered with calls to action aimed at galvanizing support and momentum leading up to the presidential election. But the breakfast, like everything about the convention this year, was virtual....
Pennsylvania increases contact tracing staff
Pennsylvania has increased its contact tracing staff to 1,205 people, the Department of Health announced Monday. Of that number, 955 are already working, while an additional 250 are being hired and trained through a partnership with the private firm Insight Global, according to a news release. “Pennsylvania has prioritized and...
Virtual teaching: Be improvisational, engage students, experts say
As teachers get ready to return to a school format in which many will have to do virtual instruction, area experts in online teaching offer some advice. Connect with students, offer rigorous instruction, be a bit improvisational and refrain from simply providing students at home with the same lesson as...
Can Trump win without winning the most votes? Yes. Pennsylvania shows how
PHILADELPHIA — Few people think President Donald Trump will win the most votes in the 2020 election. But he could still become the first president to serve two terms without ever winning a majority of the country’s support. And Pennsylvania is a big reason why. It’s older and whiter than...
