Top Local and National News Stories category, Page 1442
Editorial: When protests become riots
A protest can be a volatile situation. With tensions high and nerves raw, it doesn’t take much to strike a spark and have anger or pain or righteous indignation flash over to the violent unpredictability of a confrontation or from there to a riot. That makes people who show up...
‘Justice for George’ rally held in Upper St. Clair
Several hundred protesters participated in a “Justice for George” rally in the parking lot of the Upper St. Clair municipal complex on Saturday. Protesters kneeled for nine minutes of silence for George Floyd, the Minneapolis man who was killed by police on May 25, before listening to several speakers discuss...
Jeannette, Irwin racism protests peaceful, well-attendedVideo
Allyson Dinsmore of Unity had reservations about throwing her support behind her father Ron’s idea: to hold a rally in downtown Jeannette calling for justice for George Floyd. “As a white woman, I wasn’t sure if it was my place to ask for people to come out in support,” she...
Greensburg Salem students and parents try to stop band cuts
A group of Greensburg Salem School District students and parents is trying to prevent district leaders from making cuts to the music program. “We love these programs. They mean the world to us,” said Ryann Shirey, who just finished her sophomore year at Greensburg Salem High School. She’s been involved...
Cameron Barnett: 7 tips for white allies from a black Pittsburgher
Dear Potential White Ally, It’s me, your black friend/neighbor/co-worker/family member/acquaintance/person in the world. 2020 has been a lot to handle — an election year, a pandemic, economic depression, and now this. Brutal civilian and police killings of black Americans have punctuated the first half of this year. In Georgia, three...
Pennsylvania adds 701 new coronavirus cases, 45 deaths
The Pennsylvania Department of Health on Saturday reported 45 new deaths and 701 additional cases of the coronavirus. The state has now had 75,086 total cases and 5,931 deaths. Deaths have been recorded in 55 of the state’s 67 counties, and every county has had a positive case. More than...
Feds charge Pittsburgh man, 52, with placing bag full of homemade bombs Downtown, having supplies at home
A Pittsburgh man has been charged with a federal crime after police said he placed a backpack containing several homemade bombs in Downtown Pittsburgh on May 31. U.S. Attorney Scott W. Brady announced Saturday that Matthew Michanowicz, 52, of the city’s Duquesne Heights neighborhood, was charged with possession of an...
Biden formally clinches Democratic presidential nomination
WASHINGTON — Joe Biden has formally clinched the Democratic presidential nomination, setting him up for a bruising challenge to President Donald Trump that will play out against the unprecedented backdrop of a pandemic, economic collapse and civil unrest. “It was an honor to compete alongside one of the most talented...
Allegheny County reports 16 new covid-19 cases, no new deaths
Allegheny County Health Department officials reported 16 new covid-19 cases and no new deaths Saturday. The total number of deaths countywide is 168, while the total number of confirmed and probable cases rose to 1,989, according to the county. The first cases were reported in Allegheny County on March 14....
Authorities re-apprehend Pittsburgh bomb suspect after apartment search
The Allegheny County Sheriff’s Office Friday re-apprehended a man charged with leaving a backpack full of homemade explosives in downtown Pittsburgh after a search of his apartment allegedly turned up new evidence. Matthew Michanowicz, 52, of Pittsburgh, originally was arrested by Pittsburgh police this week and charged with three counts...
Social media threat discovered toward end of Apollo-Ridge graduation ceremony
A threat made via social media had Apollo-Ridge School District officials err on the side of caution during the finale of Friday night’s graduation ceremony and cut it short. School Director Paul King said the district skipped its traditional return of seniors’ caps and gowns in exchange for diplomas after...
NFL commissioner Goodell says league was wrong for not listening to players on racial issuesVideo
NEW YORK — NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said the league was wrong for not listening to players fighting for racial equality and encouraged them to peacefully protest. One day after 2018 NFL MVP Patrick Mahomes and several of his peers released a video demanding the league condemn racism, Goodell made...
In-person Masses at the Shrines of Pittsburgh canceled this weekend due to potential covid-19 exposure
In-person Masses at the the Shrines of Pittsburgh churches have been canceled due to potential covid-19 exposure, Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh officials announced Friday night. Diocese officials said the spouse of an employee at the Shrines of Pittsburgh grouping has been tested for the coronavirus and is awaiting test results....
Mayor downplays rough police treatment of NYC protesters
NEW YORK — Another day of protests over the death of George Floyd brought more examples of New York City officials downplaying or denying the police department’s rough treatment of protesters — even when it was caught on video. Mayor Bill de Blasio said Friday he had personally seen “no...
Shaler man accused of inciting riot during Pittsburgh protests faces federal charges
A Shaler man accused of inciting a riot during the protests in Pittsburgh last Saturday now faces federal charges. Federal charges of obstruction of law enforcement during a civil disorder have been filed against Brian Bartels, authorities announced Friday evening. Bartels, 20, is accused of initiating the destruction of a...
Pittsburgh police say rioters tossed bomb, molotov cocktail during initial protests
Pittsburgh police officers narrowly escaped potentially serious injuries during rioting in Pittsburgh last week when someone tossed what was believed to be a homemade bomb that hit one officer and blew up at the feet of another, city officials said. The city Public Safety Department on Friday announced the creation...
Pennsylvania AG: residents filed over 5,000 price gouging complaints during pandemic
More than 5,000 Pennsylvania residents have reported price hikes in essential products during the covid-19 pandemic, Attorney General Josh Shapiro announced Friday. The Office of the Attorney General has issued 466 cease and desist letters, as well as subpoenas to 200 targets for further investigation, according to a news release....
Several malls, like Pittsburgh Mills, open Friday, but Westmoreland, Monroeville waiting until Tuesday
Several malls in the region, including the Pittsburgh Mills mall in Frazer, reopened their doors to shoppers on Friday, but two malls have decided to delay reopening for four days. Westmoreland Mall in Hempfield and Monroeville mall, both owned by CBL Properties, are scheduled to reopen Tuesday, a spokeswoman said....
Pitt expert, others warn coronavirus remains lethal despite falling numbers
Suggesting the coronavirus is less lethal now than it was two months ago — as a UPMC doctor appeared to do on Thursday — would be a mistake, other experts warned. Although the prevalence and severity of covid-19, the respiratory illness caused by the coronavirus, has declined across the region,...
Cedar Point, Kalahari Resorts sue Ohio over coronavirus restrictions
Three Ohio amusement and water parks are arguing that the state’s Department of Health does not have the constitutional authority to keep them closed despite the coronavirus pandemic, according to a lawsuit filed Friday. The 1851 Center for Constitutional Law, which filed the suit on behalf of Cedar Point, Kalahari...
UN agency: Iran violating all restrictions of nuclear deal
VIENNA — Iran has continued to increase its stockpiles of enriched uranium and remains in violation of its deal with world powers, the United Nations’ atomic watchdog said Friday. The International Atomic Energy Agency reported the finding in a confidential document distributed to member countries and seen by The Associated...
Legislation would allow Pa. fishing licenses to be displayed on mobile devices
State Sen. Jim Brewster, D-McKeesport, is calling for Pennsylvania to modernize fishing licenses so anglers can display them on mobile devices. Anglers now have to carry paper licenses. Senate Bill 1074, authored by Brewster, would delete the phrase “written in ink” so that an angler could use his or her...
Pennsylvania coronavirus death toll rises by 69
Sixty-nine more people have died from the coronavirus, bringing Pennsylvania’s death toll to 5,886, state Department of Health department officials said Friday. The department reported 443 new cases of the virus, bringing the state’s total case count to 74,385. More than 424,000 people have tested negative. Health officials said more...
Allegheny County reports 8 new coronavirus cases, 3 more deaths
Allegheny County Health Department officials reported eight new covid-19 cases and three new deaths Friday, the day the county entered the least restrictive phase of Gov. Tom Wolf’s reopening plan. That increased the total number of deaths countywide to 168, while the total number of confirmed and probable cases rose...
Abby Lee Miller issues apology amid ‘Dance Moms’ co-star’s claim of racist comments
Abby Lee Miller has apologized on social media for racially insensitive “words.” The former Penn Hills reality star put up a statement Thursday on Instagram. “I genuinely understand and deeply regret how my words have effected and hurt those around me in the past, particularly those in the Black...
