Tom Davidson stories, Page 2
Medical experts sound alarm over CDC turmoil
Political maneuvering has overtaken disease as the greatest threat to national and global health, three public health experts told TribLive. The experts, Drs. Amesh Adalja, Paul Offit and Syra Madad, are among those sounding alarms after the new director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention was fired by...
Pittsburgh’s Catholic leaders on alert after school shooting in Minneapolis
A Pittsburgh-area native leads the Minneapolis-St. Paul archdiocese, where gunfire during a back-to-school Mass Wednesday killed two students and injured more than a dozen others. Archbishop Bernard Hebda grew up in Brookline. His counterpart in Pittsburgh, Bishop Mark Eckman, offered prayers for Hebda and everyone else reeling from the latest...
‘Happy where we are’: enrollment steady at Pittsburgh area Catholic schools, superintendent says
With enrollment seemingly stabilizing after a post-pandemic dip, the superintendent the Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh’s schools said there are no plans for school closures on the table in the near future. “As of right now, we are pretty stable and happy where we are,” said Superintendent Lauren Martin. Martin was...
What’s in a brand? Cracker Barrel stock tanks 10% after booting Uncle Herschel from logo
Since Cracker Barrel cleaned up its logo a week ago, it has been dressed down by those averse to the change. The restaurant and gift shop, a staple of roadside rest stops throughout the homeland, prides itself on a homey atmosphere that’s emblematic of an episode of “The Waltons.” Locally,...
Washington High School teacher and coach Ron Todd remembered for dedication to community
William Ronald Todd was more than a football coach and teacher in the Washington, Pa. School District. “Ron Todd was a great guy. He’s going to be dearly missed,” said one of his colleagues, Mike Bosnic Sr. The elder Bosnic, like Todd, is on the Prexies coaching staff led by...
Summer Stock: Now’s the time to make the most of the final days of the season
As Labor Day looms, it’s time to take stock of summer. Beyond the big-ticket activities — like trips south to the Outer Banks, Gulf Coast or Disney — are staples of the season that fill the memories of Pittsburghers. They’re things as simple (and sumptuously satisfying) as hot Potato Patch...
Ragweed near full bloom in Western Pa. as fall approaches
Blessings to each and every one with allergies. And tissues. And nasal spray. And eye drops. And neti pots. And Claritin or Zyrtec or Allegra. Or if sleep is desired, Benadryl. “‘Tis the season,” said Dr. Thomas Mertz of Allergy and Asthma Associates of Pittsburgh, a practice based in Harmar....
Feds working to thwart southern invasion of New World Screwworm
The latest threat to the southern border has wings and lays eggs that hatch into flesh-eating maggots that can kill people. At least five Central Americans have died from myiasis of the New World Screwworm this year. Myiasis is the term used when maggots infest human flesh and cause an...
Is Pittsburgh ready for Savannah Bananas? Things to know before a winner comes to PNC Park
There’s a hot ticket this weekend at PNC Park. Nope, it isn’t Bob Nutting bobblehead night. Nor is it Beyoncé to make up for the canceled August 2023 show. It’s not the Pirates, who are on the road for a series at Fenway Park in Boston. While they’re away, it’s...
Allegheny County Health Department confirms first human West Nile case of year
A Plum resident’s fever, malaise and digestive trouble since mid-July was confirmed to be the first human case of West Nile this year, according to the Allegheny County Health Department. The person’s name and gender were not released, but the health department said the person is recovering at home. West...
Hold your horses: Danish zoo seeks domestic animals as fodder, but U.S. zoos eschew practice
The way lions, tigers, bears and eagles hunt, kill and ultimately eat their prey can be a grisly, brutal business that some humans prefer not to think about. When these animals are kept captive in zoos and animal parks, they aren’t exactly spoon-fed meals. In Denmark, people can donate their...
Other recent accidents at Clairton, where coke is made at near 2,000 degrees
Coke is the fuel used to generate the 2,912-degree heat needed to melt iron ore to make steel. Making coke requires coal to be superheated to nearly 2,000 degrees itself so it becomes pure carbon. U.S. Steel’s Clairton Coke Works is the largest producer of high-grade metallurgical coke in the...
What they’re saying about explosion at U.S. Steel’s Clairton Coke Works
Local leaders and officials expressed concern and support following Monday’s explosion at U.S. Steel’s Clairton Coke Works. Emergency teams are engaged in rescue operations as the situation continues to unfold. Here’s what they said: “My team and I are aware of the tragic explosion at the U.S. Steel Clairton Coke...
More than $100K raised to help 16 snared in ICE raids at Emiliano’s
About 2,300 people combined to donate more than $100,000 to help 16 people who were taken into custody after federal agents raided two of Emiliano’s four Mexican restaurants in the Pittsburgh area. “We stand by our team. We are working with legal experts and community partners to support the people...
Barrage of weekend violence not a bellwether for Pittsburgh or region, officials say
The first weekend in August was the most violent weekend of the summer in and around Pittsburgh thus far, a TribLive analysis found. There were six separate shootings: four in Pittsburgh, one in Scott and one in Monroeville. “Isolated incidents of violence are tragic, but do not define a neighborhood...
Is Trump’s revival of fitness test ‘bold effort’ or ‘one more thing’ to add to students stress levels?
President Donald Trump is the latest occupant of the Oval Office to be dismayed by the physical fitness of American youth. Trump’s approach to the issue is to hearken back to the Cold War and revive the President’s Council on Sports, Fitness and Nutrition and the Presidential Fitness Award. He...
John Fetterman’s memoir, ‘Unfettered,’ is latest offering in Library of Congress
“Unfettered” — described by its publisher as an unapologetic account of the unconventional life of U.S. Sen. John Fetterman, as written by Fetterman — will become part of the canon of the literal Library of Congress when it comes out on Veterans Day. It’s Fetterman’s maiden memoir, but the second...
Sweat bee or corn fly? What’s bugging you if it isn’t a mosquito
The surefire way to know whether it’s a sweat bee or a corn fly buzzing around is if it stings. The halictid bee stings, but the corn fly, also called a hover fly, does not. “They’re mimics of bees, just annoying as all get-out,” said Michael Skvarla, a Penn State...
Rep. Summer Lee questions use of masks in ICE raids
When federal agents use unmarked vehicles and wear masks during raids that are part of the Trump administration’s crackdown on illegal immigration, it violates basic civil rights and contradicts democratic principles, two members of Congress wrote U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem in a letter released Friday. The letter was...
Summer sounds for the dog days as Pittsburgh’s weather heats back up
Should we talk about the weather? Fans of alternative rock pioneers REM might smile at the oblique reference to “Pop Song 89,” opener to the band’s major label debut “Green.” Others might sigh, get up or stand as they sip a tall glass of Turner’s tea from a glass dripping...
WQED leader vows to continue work in face of possible federal funding cuts
Pittsburgh’s public radio and television stations will remain in business even if federal financial support ends, their leaders maintain. They’re also encouraging their listeners and viewers to lobby their legislators to preserve the $1.1 billion the government provides the Corporation for Public Broadcasting each year. The matter remained unsettled Wednesday...
Pittsburgh’s Astrobotic snags NASA contract for solar array as it shoots again for moon landing
A leaky valve in January 2024 may have scuttled a Pittsburgh-based space company’s mission to become the first private enterprise to complete a lunar landing. But Astrobotic’s leaders made the most of its Peregrine mission despite the equipment failure. “So, we had a day that wasn’t quite what we wanted....
Pittsburgh’s new bishop takes over, likens job to conducting a symphony
The bishops of the Roman Catholic Church can be thought of as regional managers. They oversee geographical areas and serve as administrators overseeing dozens of priests. They also serve as the spiritual leaders of the church in places like the Diocese of Pittsburgh, which covers six counties in Southwest Pennsylvania....
Scholarship fund to honor retiring Pittsburgh Bishop David Zubik
As Bishop David A. Zubik celebrates the end of his ecclesiastical career as leader of the Pittsburgh Catholic diocese, his colleagues are honoring him with a scholarship named in his honor. Zubik celebrated his 75th birthday on Sept. 4, 2024. It’s the mandatory retirement age for bishops. On Monday, the...
‘Overkill is OK’ when it comes to heeding flood warnings, McCandless father says
After about 100 Girl Scouts were evacuated June 17 from a North Park cabin, some people made light of the move. “Water was ankle deep. Get real people,” wrote a South Greensburg man, commenting on the TribLive story about the incident posted on Facebook. It spurred other commenters to marvel...
