Top Local and National News Stories category, Page 822
5 things to know about updated covid-19 booster shots
Two weeks after the federal government signed off on covid-19 booster shots targeting the most dominant strains of the virus, clinics and health care providers in Southwestern Pennsylvania have begun offering the shots to eligible recipients. The newly authorized bivalent vaccines are updated boosters that specifically target the BA.4 and...
Kimberly Clark-Baskin sworn in as Pittsburgh’s city clerk
Pittsburgh City Council voted unanimously Tuesday to appoint Kimberly Clark-Baskin as city clerk. Clark-Baskin, a former assistant city clerk, has served as acting clerk since her predecessor Brenda Pree left the post last month. “I look forward to continuing to work with you all and paving a new lane for...
Eiffel Tower to go dark earlier as Paris saves energy
PARIS — Lights on the Eiffel Tower will soon be turned off more than an hour earlier at night to save electricity, the Paris mayor announced Tuesday, as Russia’s war in Ukraine deepens an energy crisis in Europe. Mayor Anne Hidalgo said the iconic tower that is normally illuminated until...
Steelers coach Mike Tomlin optimistic T.J. Watt’s injury isn’t season-endingVideo
When T.J. Watt walked off the field with 16 seconds to play in the fourth quarter Sunday and pointed to his left pectoral muscle, the Pittsburgh Steelers suspected they might be without the NFL’s Defensive Player of the Year for a significant amount of time. That might still be the...
Westmoreland sheriff warns new round of scam calls are posing as department
Westmoreland County Sheriff James Albert is warning residents that more scam calls are apparently making the rounds claiming to be originating from his department. In the latest one, the caller identifies themselves as “Officer Chris Hawkins” from the sheriff’s department calling from 724-484-6211, he said. It has been reported that...
Child finds loaded gun on playground at McKeesport day care
Police are investigating after a child found a loaded handgun on a playground at a McKeesport day care center. No one was injured in the incident that happened sometime last week, according to Jasmine Smith, a teacher at the McKeesport Child Development Center. She said McKeesport police were notified. The...
Michael Keaton wins 1st Emmy on funny, entertaining night
Michael Keaton picked up his first Emmy Award for his role in Hulu’s opioid crisis drama “Dopesick” at Monday night’s 74th annual Emmy Awards. That was only after a cringeworthy song-and-dance opening number — set to TV theme songs that only got worse as it went on. Fortunately after that,...
Man killed in Sheraden shooting; 3 wounded in unrelated Pittsburgh shootings
A man was killed Monday night in a shooting in the Sheraden neighborhood, Pittsburgh police said. The man was found on the street in the 1300 block of Pritchard Street around 8:40 p.m. and was pronounced dead at the scene, police said. Pittsburgh EMS was called to the scene. The...
Pine-Richland parents voice concerns following racist social media incident involving students
In the first school board meeting since a Pine-Richland student’s racist homecoming proposal went viral on social media and made national news, several parents made it clear to the board on Sept. 12 that they want more education on diversity and inclusion in the district. “This district has been made...
Debate talks in Pennsylvania governor, Senate races devolve into trash talk, predawn tweets
They can’t even agree on when, where or how to disagree. In two of the most important races in the country, Pennsylvania’s candidates for U.S. Senate and governor are hurling insults at each other over what was once a relatively routine process: negotiating a time and place for debates. Mehmet...
Labor Relations Board issues complaint of Starbucks intimidating workers who unionized
The National Labor Relations Board has issued an unfair labor practices complaint against Starbucks and its treatment of workers who unionized at four Pittsburgh stores. The stores are located in Market Square, Oakland, East Liberty and Bloomfield. The baristas are represented by Workers United, an affiliate of the SEIU. In...
Thousands sign letter supporting CMU professor who wished ‘excruciating’ death on Queen Elizabeth II
More than 3,000 people have signed a letter rallying around Uju Anya, a Carnegie Mellon University professor whose tweet last week wished Queen Elizabeth II an excruciating death and sparked outcry from some and support from others. The signatures — just over 3,800 as of 5:30 p.m. Monday — came...
Trial begins in death penalty case against man accused of starting Homewood fire that killed 3
Cecil Douglas Sr. was asleep in his third-floor bedroom on Dec. 20, 2017, when he heard his step-son’s girlfriend call out, “‘Mom, mom, the house in on fire.’” At first, Douglas told an Allegheny County jury on Monday, he thought maybe Shamira Staten had burned something in the kitchen as...
Pa. election 2022: Your complete guide to the candidates for governor
Spotlight PA is an independent, nonpartisan newsroom powered by The Philadelphia Inquirer in partnership with PennLive/The Patriot-News, TribLIVE/Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, and WITF Public Media. Sign up for our free newsletters. HARRISBURG — The 2022 election for Pennsylvania governor is coming soon, and Spotlight PA wants to make sure you are prepared...
Biden hopes ending cancer can be a ‘national purpose’ for U.S.
BOSTON — President Joe Biden on Monday urged Americans to come together for a new “national purpose” — his administration’s effort to end cancer “as we know it.” At the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum, Biden channeled JFK’s famed moonshot speech 60 years ago, likening the space race...
Hempfield man in clown wig carrying loaded gun arrested at Delmont Dairy Queen
Three loaded handguns and 62 rounds of ammunition were seized from a Hempfield man Saturday after Delmont police said he took one of the weapons into the Route 66 Dairy Queen. Officers were responding to the area about 1:30 p.m. after a motorist reported an erratic driver wearing a bright...
Pa. high court tells Wolf it won’t fast track amendments lawsuit
HARRISBURG — Pennsylvania’s highest court on Monday rejected a request from Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf that it immediately take up his challenge to Republican legislation that has bundled a constitutional amendment regarding abortion with four unrelated proposed changes. In turning down Wolf’s request, the justices said he was free to...
Pitt, UPMC officials tap Dr. Freddie Fu recruit to fill ‘irreplaceable’ doctor’s orthopedic roles
The University of Pittsburgh and UPMC ended a yearlong search Monday for a successor for Dr. Freddie Fu, who helped catapult orthopedics at the university and health system to international renown during his tenure, which ran from 1998 until his death in 2021. Officials have tapped Dr. MaCalus V. Hogan...
Tarentum police seek help finding woman missing for 2 weeks
Tarentum police are seeking help to find a woman missing for two weeks. Tonya Lynn Sadecky, 43, was last seen when a friend dropped her off in the area of Ninth Avenue and Morgan Street in Brackenridge, Chief Bill Vakulick said. She was last seen before noon on Aug. 28....
5 things learned about Steelers: Matt Canada’s offense takes shape against Bengals
Five things we learned from Steelers 23, Bengals 20: 1. Motion sensors The mobility that Mitch Trubisky was supposed to bring to the Steelers offense — a trait that Ben Roethlisberger lacked in his final seasons — was on display in the opener. So was the constant motion and moving...
Justice Department OK with 1 Trump pick for Mar-a-Lago arbiter
WASHINGTON — The Justice Department said Monday that it was willing to accept one of Donald Trump’s picks for an independent arbiter to review documents seized during an FBI search of the former president’s Florida home last month. The accommodation could help accelerate the selection process and shorten any delays...
Herminie man accused of witness intimidation
A Herminie man is accused of intimidating a witness during a July revocation hearing in a 2021 case against him, according to court papers. Michael Wichelmann, 59, was denied bond during his arraignment Friday. Westmoreland County detectives said several witnesses were subpoenaed for a July 7 revocation hearing for Wichelmann...
Queen hailed in service as a ‘constant in all our lives’
EDINBURGH, Scotland — As Queen Elizabeth II’s four children walked silently behind, a hearse carried her flag-draped coffin along a crowd-lined street in the Scottish capital Monday to a cathedral, where a service of thanksgiving hailed the late monarch as a “constant in all of our lives for over 70...
‘I cannot mourn’: Former colonies conflicted over the queen
NAIROBI, Kenya — Upon taking the throne in 1952, Queen Elizabeth II inherited millions of subjects around the world, many of them unwilling. Today, in the British Empire’s former colonies, her death brings complicated feelings, including anger. Beyond official condolences praising the queen’s longevity and service, there is some bitterness...
Americans give health care system failing mark: AP-NORC poll
WASHINGTON — When Emmanuel Obeng-Dankwa is worried about making rent on his New York City apartment, he sometimes holds off on filling his blood pressure medication. “If there’s no money, I prefer to skip the medication to being homeless,” said Obeng-Dankwa, a 58-year-old security guard. He is among a majority...
