Top Local and National News Stories category, Page 597
Pittsburgh Regional Transit drops covid vaccine requirement
Pittsburgh Regional Transit is ending its covid-vaccine requirements for existing and future employees this week after implementing the policy for over a year and a half. The policy change comes after a protracted battle with the transit-worker union, which opposed the vaccine mandate and filed an unsuccessful injunction and more...
Allegheny County Jail must address shortage of corrections officers, health care workers, audit says
An audit released Tuesday said Allegheny County Jail is short-staffed by more than 125 corrections officers, while more than half of the jail’s budgeted health care positions are unfilled. Allegheny County Controller Corey O’Connor, D-Squirrel Hill, acknowledged in the audit that hiring has been a challenge across all employment sectors,...
Pa.’s state-owned universities now offering Google Career Certificates
Students attending Pennsylvania’s state-owned universities can now earn tech industry-recognized certificates during their undergraduate studies through a new partnership with Google, Gov. Josh Shapiro announced Tuesday. The initiative is intended to move students more quickly and less expensively from campuses into good-paying, high-demand jobs. It also would help employers meet...
Pittsburgh looking to allow limited deer hunting in some city parks
In an effort to curb Pittsburgh’s deer population, city officials are looking to allow limited deer hunting in some city parks this fall. Legislation before Pittsburgh City Council would clear the way for a targeted hunting program in the city’s Frick and Riverview parks, said Maria Montaño, a spokeswoman for...
2 of 3 people accused in Tarentum robbery hoax have prior felony arrests for theft
Two of the three people accused of staging an armed robbery at Asay’s newsstand in Tarentum last week already were facing felony theft charges when the alleged crime was committed, according to court records. Connor Whited, 26, and his girlfriend, Leah Baczynski, 24, are accused of hatching a plan for...
Rapper Eminem tells GOP presidential candidate to stop using his music at campaign events
The real Slim Shady is standing up and telling a Republican presidential candidate to sit down. Grammy Award-winning rapper Eminem recently sent a cease-and-desist letter to Vivek Ramaswamy. The GOP presidential candidate, who has been polling in third behind former President Donald Trump and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, is known...
Job vacancies, quits plunge in July in stark sign of cooling trend in the U.S. job market
WASHINGTON — Businesses posted far fewer open jobs in July and the number of Americans quitting their jobs fell sharply for the second straight month, clear signs that the labor market is cooling in a way that could reduce inflation. The number of job vacancies dropped to 8.8 million last...
See which drugs President Biden is targeting for Medicare price-lowering talks
WASHINGTON — The Biden administration is targeting the blood thinner Eliquis, diabetes treatment Jardiance and eight other medications for Medicare’s first-ever drug price negotiations as it seeks to lower medical costs for Americans. The administration on Tuesday released a list of the 10 drugs for which prices will be negotiated...
Conservative groups draw up plan to dismantle U.S. government and replace it with Trump’s vision
WASHINGTON — With more than a year to go before the 2024 election, a constellation of conservative organizations is preparing for a possible second White House term for Donald Trump, recruiting thousands of Americans to come to Washington on a mission to dismantle the federal government and replace it with...
Category 4 Hurricane Idalia projected to hit Florida with ‘catastrophic’ storm surgeVideo
TAMPA, Fla. — Hurricane Idalia strengthened to a dangerous Category 4 storm Wednesday morning as it steamed toward Florida’s Big Bend region and threatened to unleash life-threatening storm surges and rainfall. Florida residents living in vulnerable coastal areas were ordered to pack up and leave as Hurricane Idalia gained strength...
Roundup: 2nd tornado confirmed in Fayette County
Here are some of the latest news items from this morning, Tuesday, Aug. 29: 2nd tornado confirmed in Fayette County A second tornado in Fayette County during Friday’s storms has been confirmed by the National Weather Service. The two tornadoes struck around 2:30 a.m. in the Mill Run area and...
Old Farmer’s Almanac predicts cold, snowy winter for Pennsylvania
The Old Farmer’s Almanac has been issuing weather predictions since 1792, and the forecast for the 2023-24 winter is calling for plenty of snow. “Most areas of the United States that typically see snow should be prepared for crisp temperatures and oodles of fluffy white throughout the season,” almanac officials...
E-bike sales in high gear, no signs of slowing down
Ashley Reefer, 35, owner of Flat Tire Co. Bike Shop in Greensburg, recognized the advantages of electric bikes after her friend broke his arm. “We’re all mountain bikers,” Reefer said. “The only reason we really started picking up locally was because our buddy broke his arm and then he couldn’t...
Police: Ambridge man accused of pointing shotgun at people, attempting to enter church
An Ambridge man is accused of pointing a shotgun at two women and a police officer Sunday morning as a tried to get into a Black church, according to court documents. Jeffrey Harris, 38, is lodged in the Beaver County Jail on $975,000 bail, according to online court documents. He...
WVU President E. Gordon Gee defends cuts, despite growing dissent and potential no-confidence vote
E. Gordon Gee says he’s not afraid to walk the campus of West Virginia University these days, unpopular president or not. “I am not someone who has fear,” he said. ”What I do fear is whether or not I’m doing the right thing, especially in the golden years of my...
Whistleblower claims Westmoreland prison inmates lack sufficient mental health treatment
A former behavioral health clinician claims inmates at Westmoreland County Prison received substandard mental health care and that she was fired when she reported her allegations to the facility’s private medical provider. In a whistleblower lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in Pittsburgh, Carla Rhodes, a licensed social worker, says...
Prosecution says speeding caused 2020 fatal Hempfield crash
Nick Rossi said he was asked to drive his friend’s car nearly three years ago because he knew the location of the destination they never reached. Westmoreland County prosecutors said Rossi was speeding as he drove on Arona Road in Hempfield, drifted up an embankment and crashed into a tree....
Proposal aims to make Pittsburgh a ‘sanctuary city’ for gender-affirming care
Legislation set to be introduced to Pittsburgh City Council on Tuesday aims to make Pittsburgh a “sanctuary city” for gender-affirming health care. The measure, sponsored by Councilwoman Barb Warwick, D-Greenfield, would shield gender-affirming care providers, recipients and legal guardians from out-of-state investigations or prosecution. The legislation mirrors a measure approved...
Bell Acres businessman who admitted to $15M in tax fraud asks for house arrest or probation
A Bell Acres man who built what the federal government called the largest house in Pennsylvania with proceeds from a $15 million tax fraud thinks he should serve his sentence on either probation or house arrest. Joseph Nocito, 81, filed the motion seeking alternatives to federal prison earlier this month....
Trump gets March 4 trial date in federal case over efforts to overturn 2020 electionVideo
WASHINGTON — Former President Donald Trump will face trial on March 4, 2024, for four felony charges related to his alleged efforts to stay in power after he lost the 2020 election. That means jury selection would begin a day before Super Tuesday on March 5, when California, Texas and...
Florida governor declares widespread state of emergency ahead of Idalia’s expected landfallVideo
TAMPA, Fla. — Florida residents loaded up on sandbags and evacuated from homes in low-lying areas along the Gulf Coast as Tropical Storm Idalia intensified Monday and forecasters predicted it would hit in days as a major hurricane with potentially life-threatening storm surges. As the state prepared, Idalia thrashed Cuba...
Labor Day drivers likely to find higher gas prices, AAA says
Drivers taking road trips this Labor Day weekend will likely see slightly higher gas prices compared to last year, according to AAA. The national average for a gallon of regular was $3.78 on Labor Day 2022, but has been above $3.80 for the past couple of weeks, AAA said in...
Pittsburgh sculptor Thaddeus Mosley recognized as artist, inspiration
Thaddeus Mosley is a strict but loving father, a World War II veteran and an internationally recognized sculptor, friends and family said Monday. Mayor Ed Gainey recognized the 97-year-old Pittsburgh artist on Monday in a small ceremony at the City-County Building. “You have changed this city,” Gainey told Mosley, whose...
Faculty member shot and killed in a campus building, says University of North Carolina officialVideo
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — A University of North Carolina faculty member was shot and killed in a campus building, officials said Monday. A suspect was arrested about an hour and a half after shots were reported, UNC Police Chief Brian James said at a news conference. Students and faculty at...
70-year-old dead following Derry Borough apartment fire
A 70-year-old man was pronounced dead at 1:05 p.m. Monday at Independence Health-Latrobe after he was hurt in an apartment fire in Derry Borough. The cause and manner of William S. Trout III’s death remain undetermined, Westmoreland County Coroner Tim Carson said. An autopsy is scheduled for Wednesday, Carson said....
