Top Local and National News Stories category, Page 695
Allegheny County had nation’s 10th biggest population loss, census estimates show
Allegheny County is among the biggest population losers in the country, according to census estimates released Thursday. The county’s population dropped by 12,192 people between July 2021 and July 2022, the estimates show. Its estimated population stood at 1,233,253 on July 1, the census said. The decrease was the 10th...
Senators reintroduce bipartisan journalism antitrust bill
Two U.S. senators are reviving a bipartisan effort to allow local news outlets to negotiate for fair compensation from large digital platforms that use their content. Senators Amy Klobuchar, a Democrat from Minnesota, and John Kennedy, a Republican from Louisiana, on Friday announced they have reintroduced the Journalism Competition and...
Trump to be arraigned Tuesday to face N.Y. indictment
NEW YORK — Former President Donald Trump will be arraigned Tuesday after his indictment in New York City, court officials said Friday, his formal surrender and arrest presenting the historic, shocking scene of a former U.S. commander in chief forced to stand before a judge. While Trump and his lawyers...
Republicans show widespread support for Trump amid indictment
In the hours since the news broke that former President Donald Trump has been indicted by a New York state grand jury, top Republicans lawmakers took to social media quickly showing their support for the former president. Trump was indicted Thursday on charges involving payments made during his 2016 presidential...
Trump’s indictment in New York: Here’s what to know
NEW YORK — Donald Trump has become the first former U.S. president to be charged with a crime, the culmination of a political rise defined by unprecedented scandal. The vote of a Manhattan grand jury to indict the Republican former president on charges related to hush money payments made on...
Justice Department sues Norfolk Southern over derailment
The federal government filed a lawsuit against railroad Norfolk Southern over environmental damage caused by a train derailment on the Ohio-Pennsylvania border that spilled hazardous chemicals into nearby creeks and rivers. The U.S. Department of Justice said it’s seeking to hold the company accountable for “unlawfully polluting the nation’s waterways...
Fortuneteller to remain in custody pending court hearing
A fortuneteller accused of bilking clients will remain in the Westmoreland County Prison after she was arrested earlier this month in Florida. Alexis Mitchell, 29, was charged with theft and other offenses after a North Huntingdon man claimed he paid her $10,000 for illegal fortunetelling services last August. Police said...
5 things to do in Pittsburgh this weekend: March 31-April 2
We say goodbye to March and hello to April this weekend. Here are some ways to spend it. Final chance This is the last weekend for the 58th Carnegie International, “Is it morning for you yet?” at the Carnegie Museum of Art in Oakland. The Carnegie International is the longest-running...
Morning Roundup: High wind watch issued for Saturday
Here are some of the latest news items from this morning, Friday, March 31, 2023: High wind watch The National Weather Service has issued a high wind watch for parts of Western Pennsylvania from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday. The watch is in effect for the ridges until 2...
New Stanton warehouse construction continues; operator remains unidentified
Motorists traveling along the Pennsylvania Turnpike near New Stanton or along Arona Road parallel to the turnpike can see what a $120 million warehouse project covering more than 1 million square feet looks like. The walls have been constructed, and doors for loading docks are visible. The extensive earthmoving that...
Arnold Palmer airport awarded $855K for control tower improvements
The control tower at Arnold Palmer Regional Airport will receive an $855,000 upgrade funded by federal money. “The tower was built in ’81 and it’s going to be a general refurbishment of the tower’s integrity,” said Gabe Monzo, Westmoreland Airport Authority director. The Unity airport has received more than $5...
Western Pa. political leaders react to Trump indictment
Some called the criminal charges long overdue. Others called for caution. Still, others described the indictment of former President Donald Trump as “partisan” and unfair. Western Pennsylvania political leaders on Thursday had various takes on the historic indictment. Trump was indicted by a New York state grand jury Thursday on...
Gwyneth Paltrow not at fault for ski collision, jury decides
PARK CITY, Utah — Gwyneth Paltrow won her court battle over a 2016 ski collision at a posh Utah ski resort after a jury decided Thursday that the movie star wasn’t at fault for the crash. A jury dismissed the complaint of a retired optometrist who sued Paltrow over injuries...
Trump’s legal worries extend far beyond charges in New YorkVideo
The hush money case in New York that has led to criminal charges against Donald Trump is just one of a number of investigations that could pose legal problems for the former president. Joe Tacopina, a lawyer for Trump, confirmed Thursday that he had been informed that the former president...
Donald Trump indicted; 1st ex-president charged with crimeVideo
NEW YORK (AP) — Donald Trump has been indicted by a Manhattan grand jury, a historic reckoning after years of investigations into his personal, political and business dealings and an abrupt jolt to his bid to retake the White House. The exact nature of the charges was unclear Friday because...
Turkey’s parliament ratifies Finland’s membership in NATO
ANKARA, Turkey — Turkey’s parliament on Thursday ratified Finland’s application to join NATO, lifting the last hurdle in the way of the Nordic country’s long-delayed accession into the Western military alliance. All 276 lawmakers present voted in favor of Finland’s bid, days after Hungary’s parliament also endorsed Helsinki’s accession. “This...
Congresswoman Summer Lee speaks out on House floor about hoax shooting reports
U.S. Rep. Summer Lee, D-Swissvale, decried Wednesday’s hoax shooting reports that shut down schools in Pittsburgh and other Pennsylvania communities in remarks on the House floor. “Active shootings aren’t normal. Shooting hoaxes aren’t normal. The evacuations and drills are not normal. There’s nothing about this that’s normal,” Lee said Wednesday....
911 calls reveal terror at Nashville school during attackVideo
NASHVILLE — Authorities released 911 recordings on Thursday that capture the terror inside a Nashville elementary school during a mass shooting this week, as callers pleaded for help in hushed voices while sirens, crying and gunfire could be heard in the background. Police released recordings of three 911 calls made...
Joint Base Andrews on lockdown after armed person reported
WASHINGTON — Joint Base Andrews, one of the nation’s most sensitive military bases and home to Air Force One, has been locked down after reports of a man carrying an “assault-style” rifle on Thursday, authorities said. The Maryland base was locked down after the person was reportedly seen near the...
George Wolfe, Wolfie’s Pizza owner, to be honored by foundation for rock drummer he admired
One of the first things George Wolfe said to Hannah Isenberg was that he was not a “total weirdo.” Each already had heard of the other. Isenberg knew Wolfe was a big fan of the Canadian rock band Rush; Wolfe knew Isenberg was a niece of the band’s legendary drummer,...
Chicago woman accused of being part of catalytic converter theft ring
A Chicago woman was jailed this week in connection with a catalytic converter theft ring in Southwestern Pennsylvania that authorities said caused $200,000 worth of damage. Westmoreland County authorities initially sealed the arrest papers for Maria D. Padilla, 37, because of ties to a street gang in Chicago and concerns...
Former Washington Township man accused of trying to rip off Richland family by posing as wealthy homebuyer arrested in Rhode Island
A former Alle-Kiski Valley man accused of posing as a wealthy homebuyer to scam a Richland Township family who agreed to sell their home and other property to him for $5.1 million was arrested in Rhode Island on Friday, according to authorities. Timothy Paul Bierly, 27, who previously lived along...
Opening Day: 5 things to know before Pirates’ 1st pitch in CincinnatiVideo
At just after 4 p.m. today, the Pittsburgh Pirates will embark on their 142nd season, hoping to improve on back-to-back 100-loss campaigns behind a new group of veteran voices and a talented pool of young players. Bucco fans’ expectations again are a mix of cautions optimism for a new season...
Connellsville native among 7 victims in massive chocolate factory explosion in Pa.
PHILADELPHIA — The Berks County Coroner’s Office on Wednesday released the names of the remaining victims of the explosion at the R.M. Palmer chocolate factory in West Reading that killed seven people. The remaining five were identified as: Susan H. Halvonik, 63, a Connellsville native who lived in Upper Providence...
Greensburg’s SummerSounds concert season opens with 2 tribute acts
Organizers of Greensburg’s SummerSounds concert series don’t like to book the same act two years in a row. They’re making an exception this year, though, to bring back the top draw from 2022. Elton Rohn, the Canadian Elton John tribute artist who packed St. Clair Park on July 7, is scheduled...
