Top Local and National News Stories category, Page 425
Old family friends become killer and victim, leading to prison for Braddock man
Cecil Foreman’s family had a longtime relationship with the Kelleys. They all grew up together and had remained friends for decades. Foreman considered 22-year-old Michael Kelley to be like a nephew. But those bonds weren’t enough to stop an argument between the men from turning into a fatal shooting more...
Casey, McCormick agree to 3 debates across Pa. in U.S. Senate race
With the primary election just barely in the rearview mirror, the candidates for Pennsylvania’s U.S. Senate wasted no time in thinking ahead to November. Incumbent Democratic U.S. Sen. Bob Casey announced Thursday he wants to participate in three debates this fall. Casey, of Scranton, proposed holding debates in Pittsburgh, Philadelphia,...
‘I just worked, worked, worked.’ Harrison’s Erin McClelland scores upset in Pa. treasurer primary
Outspent and facing an opponent who had won a slew of major endorsements, Erin McClelland engineered the biggest upset in Pennsylvania during Tuesday’s primary, securing the Democratic nomination for state treasurer. McClelland, 49, of Harrison said her public speaking skills, the missteps of her Democratic opponent and her travel across...
Strict new EPA rules would force coal-fired power plants to capture emissions or shut down
WASHINGTON — Coal-fired power plants would be forced to capture smokestack emissions or shut down under a rule issued Thursday by the Environmental Protection Agency. New limits on greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuel-fired electric plants are the Biden administration’s most ambitious effort yet to roll back planet-warming pollution from...
Higher internet costs could be on the way for low-income Pa. residents as federal subsidies run out
Spotlight PA is an independent, nonpartisan, and nonprofit newsroom producing investigative and public-service journalism that holds power to account and drives positive change in Pennsylvania. HARRISBURG — Thousands of Pennsylvanians could soon be hit with higher internet bills when a federal program that gives a discount to low-income households starts...
USC cancels graduation ceremony as college officials worry about pro-Palestinian protest disruptionsVideo
The University of Southern California canceled its main stage graduation ceremony Thursday as college officials across the U.S. worried that ongoing campus protests against the Israel-Hamas war could disrupt May commencement ceremonies. Some universities called in police to break up the demonstrations, resulting in ugly scuffles and dozens of arrests,...
Fayette County district attorney working with forensic anthropologist in death of 17-year-old
It will take some time before authorities can come to an official conclusion about what led to the death of 17-year-old Kaitlin Whoolery, according to Fayette County District Attorney Michael Aubele. Whoolery’s remains were found this month in North Union, months after she was last seen in November. Local authorities...
Pittsburgh police arrest victim’s neighbor in West End homicide
Pittsburgh police have arrested a West End man in the fatal shooting last month of his 22-year-old friend and neighbor. Lontae Smith was shot March 25 in the 1400 block of Harlow Street, where he lived, in Pittsburgh’s Chartiers City neighborhood. Police responded after an alert at 9:54 p.m. by...
Cornel West speaks at pro-Palestine encampment in Oakland
Professor, philosopher and activist Cornel West spoke Thursday at the encampment in Oakland where pro-Palestinian demonstrators are demanding that the University of Pittsburgh divest from any war-related investment in Israel. West, who is also running for president as an independent, showed up at Schenley Plaza to speak during a rally...
Supreme Court seems skeptical of Trump’s claim of absolute immunity but decision’s timing is unclear
WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court on Thursday appeared likely to reject former President Donald Trump’s claim of absolute immunity from prosecution over election interference, but it seemed possible Trump could still benefit from a lengthy trial delay, possibly beyond November’s election. Chief Justice John Roberts was among at least five...
40th annual Sewickley House Tour features net zero home
A Sewickley couple transformed a row of neighborhood garages into a net zero home, meaning the residence makes as much electricity as it uses. “We were driven by energy savings,” said Greg Kaminski, who owns the house with his wife Susan. ”We are climate change people. We want a low...
Western Pennsylvania bookstores celebrate Independent Bookstore Day on Saturday
Lovers of reading have a chance to celebrate their favorite booksellers — and get some fun giveaways in the process — with the nationwide Independent Bookstore Day on Saturday. Independent Bookstore Day, now in its 11th year, is an event conceived by the American Booksellers Association. Participating bookstores offer giveaways,...
Ex-tabloid publisher testifies he scooped up possibly damaging tales to shield his old friend Trump
NEW YORK — As Donald Trump was running for president in 2016, his old friend at the National Enquirer was scooping up potentially damaging stories about the candidate and paying out tens of thousands of dollars to keep them from the public eye. But when it came to the seamy...
Victim: Man ‘went crazy all of a sudden’ in stabbing at Hostetter Hotel in Unity
A man accused in a stabbing Wednesday at the Hostetter Hotel in Unity told state troopers that he wished the wounded person would have died, according to court papers. William Kennet Evans Jr., 62, was arrested after the altercation with another man and charged with attempted homicide, aggravated assault and...
Morning Roundup: Police say Texas man brought undeclared firearm, marijuana to Pittsburgh airport
Here are some of the latest news items from this morning, Thursday, April 25: Police: Texas man brought undeclared firearm, marijuana to Pittsburgh airport A Texas man was arrested Wednesday after Allegheny County Police said he brought an undeclared firearm and a “large amount of marijuana” into Pittsburgh International Airport....
New West Deer amphitheater means more summer concerts on tap
Outdoor concert venues in West Deer and East Deer are ready to draw visitors — and their money — into the area, organizers say. No Offseason Sports along Little Deer Creek Valley Road in West Deer will open its summer concert series July 13 with country music star Justin Moore,...
Some say it’s time for the Norwin stadium project, others ask if district can afford possible $15M cost
An architect will begin designing improvements to Norwin’s Knights Stadium that could cost more than $15 million. But some school board members are questioning what the scope of the project should be and whether the district can afford it. The school board this week approved an agreement with DRAW Collective,...
Man caught with 9 pounds of heroin in 2016 sentenced to 6½ years in prison
A native of the Dominican Republic who was caught with 9 pounds of heroin in 2016 but escaped back to his homeland only to be extradited was sentenced this week for his crimes. Habys Omar Meran, 38, was sentenced to 6½ years in federal prison for possession of drugs with...
Principals: 2 kids brought 6 small knives to Kiski Area Intermediate School; no threats made
Two Kiski Area Intermediate School students brought six small knives to school with them “in order to show them off to one another” on Wednesday afternoon, according to a statement released by the school’s principals. “The investigation, thus far, has not uncovered any threat — either in person or through...
Pittsburgh region sees lowest presidential primary turnout since 2012
It’s not your imagination if your polling place seemed emptier than usual on Tuesday. This week’s primary ranks as one of the sleepiest in recent memory during a presidential election year in Allegheny and Westmoreland counties. Not since 2012 have the counties seen lower voter turnout for a primary when...
Arizona indicts 18 in case over 2020 election, including Rudy Giuliani and Mark Meadows
PHOENIX — An Arizona grand jury has indicted former Donald Trump chief of staff Mark Meadows and lawyer Rudy Giuliani along with 16 others in an election interference case. The indictment released Wednesday names 11 Republicans who submitted a document to Congress falsely declaring that Donald Trump beat Joe Biden...
Police tangle with students in Texas and California as wave of campus protest against Gaza war growsVideo
AUSTIN, Texas — Police tangled with student demonstrators in Texas and California while new encampments sprouted Wednesday at Harvard and other colleges as school leaders sought ways to defuse a growing wave of pro-Palestinian protests. At the University of Texas at Austin, hundreds of local and state police — including...
Will TikTok survive in the U.S.? ‘It’s not over till it’s over’
The clock is ticking on the fate of the wildly popular TikTok social media app after the U.S. Senate voted this week in favor of legislation that could potentially result in its ban in the United States, and a local lawmaker and an IT expert have differing opinions on concerns...
Pennsylvania redesigned its mail-in ballot envelopes amid litigation. Some voters still tripped up
HARRISBURG — A form Pennsylvania voters must complete on the outside of mail-in ballot return envelopes has been redesigned, but that did not prevent some voters from failing to complete it accurately for this week’s primary, and some votes will not count as a result, election officials said. The primary...
Some Nikki Haley voters are hanging on to her candidacy and, like her, refuse to endorse Trump
HARRISBURG — When Nikki Haley suspended her presidential campaign, she refused to endorse Donald Trump as the last remaining major candidate for the 2024 Republican nomination — and apparently so did some of her supporters in Pennsylvania. Haley won almost 17% of Pennsylvania’s primary vote Tuesday, or 1 in 6...
