Top Local and National News Stories category, Page 1397
White House pushes narrow virus aid; Pelosi blasts GOP delay
WASHINGTON — House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Sunday assailed Republican “disarray” over a new pandemic relief package as the White House suggested a narrower effort might be necessary, at least for now. The California Democrat panned the Trump administration’s desire to trim an expiring temporary federal unemployment benefit from $600...
Westmoreland Big Brothers Big Sisters group gets creative to raise cash during the coronavirus pandemic
Raising money isn’t easy in the era of a pandemic. But after canceling several fundraising events in the last few months, Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Laurel Region couldn’t forego its annual Bowl for Kids’ Sake bowlathon. It’s the biggest fundraiser of the year, said Director Stephanie Mihleder. “It’s...
Police: 27-year-old man shot and killed in Wilkinsburg
A 27-year-man died after he was shot Sunday morning in Wilkinsburg, according to Allegheny County Police. Police said the man was shot inside his vehicle at the intersection of Ardmore Boulevard and Marlboro Avenue shortly before 11:30 a.m. He was taken to an area hospital where he later died. Witnesses...
Westmoreland County reports 31 new cases of covid-19
Westmoreland County saw 31 new cases of covid-19 added to its total Sunday, the Pennsylvania Department of Health reported, with no new deaths. The county’s death toll remains at 43. There was one new death reported on Saturday. The new cases make a total of 1,302 cases in the county...
Pennsylvania reports 800 new coronavirus cases, 4 new deaths
The Pennsylvania Department of Health reported 800 new cases of covid-19 and four new deaths in the state on Sunday. The new data brings the total cases to 107,425 with a death toll of 7,118. Sunday’s report of 800 cases comes after the state had reported back-to-back days (Friday and...
Allegheny County reports 133 new coronavirus cases, no new deaths
Allegheny County Health Department officials reported 133 new covid-19 cases and no new deaths on Sunday. The latest case numbers were out of 1,750 test results, according to the department. New cases range in age from 2 to 95 years with a median age of 53 years. The department also...
AP-NORC poll: U.S. course at record low, Trump sinks on coronavirusVideo
WASHINGTON — With the November election 100 days away, more Americans say the country is heading in the wrong direction than at any previous point in Donald Trump’s presidency, putting the incumbent in a perilous position as his reelection bid against Democrat Joe Biden enters a pivotal stretch. A new...
Photos: Carrie Carpool Cinema drive-in held at Carrie Blast Furnaces
Rivers of Steel kicked off its Carrie Carpool Cinema series at the Carrie Blast Furnaces this weekend with movies shot in Pittsburgh. On Friday, “Flashdance” and “Out of the Furnace” were projected onto a large screen at the Rankin site, followed by “The Perks of Being a Wallflower” and “Kingpin”...
Woman, 4-year-old girl hospitalized after Fineview hit-and-run
A woman and her 4-year-old daughter were hospitalized late Saturday after being hit by a car in Fineview, according to Pittsburgh police. Officers were called to the intersection of Belleau Drive and Belleau Street around 11:45 p.m., according to a public information officer Cara Cruz. The woman and her daughter...
30 years later, Americans with Disabilities Act still lauded but ‘work is never done’
When Dick Thornburgh witnessed the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act 30 years ago, he knew his son’s life would be changed forever. The Pittsburgh native and former Republican Pennsylvania governor was the U.S. attorney general at the time. Leading the Justice Department, he was integral in working out...
Police declare riot at Seattle protests, make arrests
SEATTLE — Seattle police declared a riot Saturday following large demonstrations in the city’s Capitol Hill neighborhood and deployed flash bangs and pepper spray to try to clear an area near where weeks earlier people had set up an “occupied protest zone” that stretched for several blocks. Via Twitter, police...
Virus-weary Texas hit by Category 1 Hurricane Hanna
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Hurricane Hanna roared ashore onto the Texas Gulf Coast on Saturday, bringing winds that lashed the shoreline with rain and storm surge, and even threatening to bring possible tornadoes to a part of the country trying to cope with a spike in coronavirus cases. The first...
Mnuchin: Virus aid package soon, $1,200 checks by August
WASHINGTON — Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said Saturday that Republicans were set to roll out the next covid-19 aid package Monday and assured there was backing from the White House after he and President Trump’s top aide met to salvage the $1 trillion proposal that floundered only days before. Mnuchin...
Virginia panel recommends Lee statue removal at U.S. Capitol
RICHMOND, Va. — A Virginia panel has recommended Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee’s statue in the U.S. Capitol be replaced with another yet-to-be named Virginian amid national discussions about removing controversial symbols. The eight-member Commission for Historical Statues in the United States Capitol voted unanimously Friday to take down the...
Photos: Black Lives Matter, Back the Blue rallies held in Shaler
Competing Black Lives Matter and Back the Blue rallies were held in Shaler on Saturday. The Black Lives Matter rally formed outside of Shaler Middle School and was organized by Suburban Action, a group of local Shaler students and recent graduates who “saw a need to take action, not just...
VP Mike Pence set to make Greensburg campaign stop
Vice President Mike Pence is set to make a campaign stop Thursday in Greensburg. As part of a Cops for Trump event, Pence will make an appearance at the city’s police station at noon. Doors will open at 10 a.m. and close at 11:30 a.m. Cops for Trump describes itself...
Regis Philbin, television personality and host, dies at 88
NEW YORK — Regis Philbin, the genial host who shared his life with television viewers over morning coffee for decades and helped himself and some fans strike it rich with the game show “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire,” has died at 88. Philbin died of natural causes Friday night,...
Expiring lease, covid-19 concerns spur decision to close Shiloh Grill on Mt. Washington
An expiring lease and concerns over the coronavirus pandemic combined to shutter a restaurant that has stood on Mt. Washington for a decade. Shiloh Grill, one of three Harris Grill locations, announced Saturday that it will be closing on Tuesday. The other locations, in Shadyside and Downtown, are not affected....
Monroeville man killed in crash at Keystone Raceway in Derry Township
A Monroeville man was killed Friday after crashing at Keystone Raceway in Derry Township, according to the Westmoreland County coroner. James R. Baker, 69, was driving a 1936 Ford Roadster on the raceway’s drag track at 2:50 p.m. when the car made a quick right turn. The car hit a...
U.S. meatpackers don’t have many answers for lack of distancing
As part of an investigation into the spread of coronavirus at U.S. meat plants, Democratic Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Cory Booker released responses from major producers that defended their operations during the pandemic. The four biggest meatpackers — Tyson Foods Inc., JBS USA, Cargill Inc. and Smithfield Foods Inc. —...
WPXI, Dish Network exchange barbs as Pittsburgh NBC affiliate goes dark on satellite service
Dish Network customers in Pittsburgh are no longer able to view NBC affiliate WPXI on their satellite television service. Each side is blaming the other. WPXI claims it was removed from Dish after the satellite provider refused to agree to a deal for a new retransmission consent agreement with its...
Chestnut Ridge golf resort near Blairsville sells for $2.4 million at auction
Chestnut Ridge Golf Resort & Conference Center sold to an online bidder Saturday for $2.4 million. But the winning bidder’s identity will not be available until paperwork and payment is finalized, said Sherman Hostetter, owner of Hostetter Auctioneers of Beaver Falls. The auction of the 345-acre golf course and resort...
Fleetwood Mac blues guitarist Peter Green dies at 73
LONDON — Peter Green, the dexterous blues guitarist who led the first incarnation of Fleetwood Mac in a career shortened by psychedelic drugs and mental illness, has died at 73. A law firm representing his family, Swan Turton, announced the death in a statement Saturday. It said he died “peacefully...
PennDOT extends expiration dates on driver licenses, ID cards, learner permits
PennDOT has again extended the expiration dates on driver licenses, identification cards and learner permits because of covid-19, the agency announced Friday. Driver licenses, photo identification cards and learner permits scheduled to expire from March 16 through Aug. 31 have been extended until Aug. 31. The extensions are in addition...
Pennsylvania reports 1 million negative virus test results, 13 new deaths
A week after reaching the milestone of 1 million tests administered, the state of Pennsylvania has reported 1 million negative tests for the coronavirus. Saturday’s report shows a total of 1,016,705 tests have come back with negative results for the new virus in the Keystone State. The commonwealth also reported...
