Top Local and National News Stories category, Page 1127
Covid vaccine mandate takes effect for NYC teachers, staff
NEW YORK — New York City teachers and other school staff members were all supposed to be vaccinated against covid-19 when the bell rang Monday morning in one of the first school district mandates in the country requiring employees to be inoculated against the coronavirus. Mayor Bill de Blasio gave...
Rain could impact fans plans for the Rolling Stones concert at Heinz Field
Tailgating could be a problem for fans attending Monday’s Rolling Stones concert at Heinz Field. Those hot dogs, hamburgers and kielbasa might be a little soggy. Lee Hendricks, meteorologist for The National Weather Service in Moon, said there is a 50% chance of rain between 3 and 6 p.m. “That...
Eligible for a covid-19 booster? Here’s how to get one in Pa.
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. Anywhere from one to two million Pennsylvania adults are now eligible for a covid-19 booster, and state officials say it should...
Braddock man charged in case of missing 2-year-old
A 36-year-old Braddock man is facing charges after a 2-year-old boy was reported missing early Sunday morning. Davon Xavier Brown is charged with interference with the custody of a child, concealing the whereabouts of a child and kidnapping, according to a release from Allegheny County police. Brown was also found...
Embattled Pa. teacher pension fund subpoenaed by SEC over ‘compensation and gifts’ to staff
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 U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has widened the federal scrutiny of Pennsylvania’s mammoth public school pension plan, demanding...
Ex-Facebook manager alleges social network fed Capitol riotVideo
Facebook prematurely turned off safeguards designed to thwart misinformation and rabble rousing after Joe Biden defeated Donald Trump in last year’s elections in a moneymaking move that a company whistleblower alleges contributed to the deadly Jan. 6 invasion of the U.S. Capitol. The whistleblower, former Facebook product manager Frances Haugen,...
Kody, Steller’s sea eagle that escaped National Aviary, found in Pine
Kody, the Steller’s sea eagle that escaped from an outdoor enclosure last month, has been found. National Aviary spokesperson Molly Toth said the bird was located by a team of animal care experts Sunday afternoon at a home in Pine. Kody, short for Kodiak, got out of his habitat Sept....
Western Pa. oil companies not happy about steep price increase kicking in
The price of natural gas isn’t the only thing that’s going up. The cost of home heating oil is about 80% higher than it was a year ago, and that isn’t making local oil companies very happy. Representatives of companies such as Glassmere Fuel in West Deer and Export Fuel...
Fauci says U.S. is turning the corner on covid surgeVideo
WASHINGTON — The U.S. is turning the corner on the most recent surge in covid-19 cases and more people need to get vaccinated to keep infections on a declining trend, infectious disease specialist Anthony Fauci said. Fauci, who is President Joe Biden’s chief medical adviser, said that while the full...
Leaked records open a ‘Pandora’ box of financial secretsVideo
Hundreds of world leaders, powerful politicians, billionaires, celebrities, religious leaders and drug dealers have been hiding their investments in mansions, exclusive beachfront property, yachts and other assets for the past quarter-century, according to a review of nearly 12 million files obtained from 14 different firms located around the world. The...
Hempfield family celebrates Apple Fest with friends
When Pete and Linda Hillis built an apple press at least 25 years ago, it became a drawing point for their family. Now it’s the main attraction at the Hempfield couple’s home every October. “Everybody’s so busy, but they take time to come to the Apple Fest,” said daughter Timi...
Major oil spill off Southern California fouls beachesVideo
HUNTINGTON BEACH, Calif. — One of the largest oil spills in recent Southern California history fouled popular beaches and killed wildlife while crews scrambled Sunday to contain the crude before it spread further into protected wetlands. At least 126,000 gallons of oil spilled into the waters off Orange County, according...
Virus surge hits New England despite high vaccination rates
Despite having the highest vaccination rates in the country, there are constant reminders for most New England states of just how vicious the delta variant of covid-19 is. Hospitals across the region are seeing full intensive care units and staff shortages are starting to affect care. Public officials are pleading...
Alaska allows hospitals to ration care amid covid spike
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — Alaska on Saturday activated emergency crisis protocols that allow 20 medical facilities to ration care if needed as the state recorded the nation’s worst covid-19 diagnosis rates in recent days, straining the state’s limited health care system. The declaration covers three facilities that had already announced...
No winner: Biggest Powerball jackpot in months grows larger
DES MOINES, Iowa — The biggest lottery prize in months grew larger after no ticket matched all five numbers and the Powerball drawn on Saturday night. The estimated jackpot for the next drawing on Monday is $670 million. Saturday night’s numbers were 28, 38, 42, 47 and 52. The Powerball...
Westmoreland Democrats prepare for last stand as Republicans seek full government takeover
It’s a last stand of sorts for Democrats in Westmoreland County. The once-dominant political party in November will try to hold on to its last vestiges of power as Republicans seek to claim every elected office at the courthouse. Four row office seats are up for grabs Nov. 2, including...
Boy, 2, missing from Braddock found safe, police say
A 2-year-old boy who was reported missing Sunday morning has been found safe, according to state police. Investigators were seeking the child who was last seen with a 36-year-old man. Braddock police said the pair were last seen on Saturday at 11 a.m. and state police issued a missing person...
Clues about how society emerges from covid-19 can be gleaned by looking back on 1918 Spanish flu, experts say
Karen Baldridge rolled up her sleeve to get her covid-19 booster vaccine. “I’m trying to baby myself and (am) doing everything that I can to keep healthy,” she said this past week while at Excela Square at Norwin. “I feel there’s about a 90% chance I wouldn’t get (covid), but...
‘Everybody is frustrated,’ Biden says as his agenda stalls
WASHINGTON — President Biden on Saturday acknowledged frustrations as Democrats strain to rescue a scaled-back version of his $3.5 trillion government-overhaul plan and salvage a related public works bill after frantic negotiations failed to produce a deal. “Everybody’s frustrated, it’s part of being in government, being frustrated,” Biden told reporters...
TV Talk: WTAE-TV adds Kasey Reigner as 5th meteorologist
Kasey Reigner will join WTAE-TV this month as the ABC affiliate’s fifth meteorologist, giving the station bragging rights in a market where four weathercasters is the norm. (Currently WPXI-TV is down to three meteorologists since the May departure of Danielle Dozier, a position that has yet to be filled.) Reigner,...
Southmoreland’s female running back, Lilly Wasmund, scores TD in win over Derry
The play simply was called, “Lilly.” Southmoreland put it in place Thursday at practice, running it once as a rehearsal in case junior Lilly Wasmund had the opportunity to run it in Friday night’s home game against Derry. Wasmund was up to the task when her number was called with...
ScareHouse, at Pittsburgh Mills, brings back crowd-favorite characters to celebrate 20 years of scares
ScareHouse is holding a reunion with its original characters this year in celebration of providing 20 years of scares in Western Pennsylvania. Longtime ScareHouse visitors will be able to take a trip down memory lane as all-time favorite characters, including the original ScareHouse bunny and Creepo the Clown, make an...
West Newton postal clerk gets special send-off at funeral
This postal route didn’t have a mailbox or package to deliver. Instead, the mail truck, with black bows fluttering from their perches on the side mirrors, turned into the West Newton Cemetery on Saturday, leading a funeral procession of those mourning Edmund Minkus, a longtime employee of the West Newton...
Pharmacies face 1st trial over role in opioid crisis
CLEVELAND — So many prescription painkillers were dispensed in Lake County, Ohio, between 2012 and 2016 that the amount equaled 265 pills for every resident. Just to the south, the flood of prescription opioids during the same period equated to 400 pills for every resident of Trumbull County. Attorneys say...
Powerball jackpot is biggest lottery prize in over 8 months
DES MOINES, Iowa — The biggest lottery prize in more than eight months will be up for grabs in Saturday night’s Powerball drawing. The Powerball jackpot has slowly climbed to an estimated $635 million thanks to 39 consecutive drawings without a grand prize winner, a record streak for the game...
