Top Local and National News Stories category, Page 1131
Gen. Milley defends calls to Chinese at end of Trump presidency
WASHINGTON — The top U.S. military officer told Congress on Tuesday that he knew former President Donald Trump wasn’t planning to attack China and that it was his job to reassure the Chinese of that fact in the phone calls that have triggered outrage from some lawmakers. Army Gen. Mark...
Powerball jackpot climbs to $570 million, which would be 8th largest ever
No one won Monday night’s Powerball drawing, with the jackpot growing to what would be the eighth largest ever for the lottery game. The jackpot climbed from $545 million to $570 million — with a cash payout of $410.1 million — for the next drawing on Wednesday night. Monday’s numbers...
Neighbors join hunt for macaw on the lam from Stanton Heights home
The Steller’s sea eagle that escaped from the National Aviary isn’t the only exotic bird in the region on the lam. Before Kodiak slipped out of a breach in its outdoor enclosure at the Aviary on the North Side Saturday morning there was Filo — a 3-month old macaw that...
Burrell middle school students help draft legislation calling for mandatory recess statewide
Students at Burrell’s Huston Middle School have co-authored proposed state legislation that would make recess a protected right for young students like them. What started as a persuasive writing exercise turned into the students crafting the would-be legislation with state Rep. Bob Brooks, R-Murrysville. Brooks is looking for co-sponsors before...
Longtime Hempfield family business goes up in flamesVideo
A Hempfield family business started in 1949 by Greensburg’s longtime fire chief went up in flames early Tuesday. John Hutchinson, whose father and uncle now run Hutchinson & Gunter, said two sections of the building at the corner of Grove and Russell streets appear to be OK, but a third...
FBI: 2020 homicides up nearly 30%, largest 1-year jump ever
WASHINGTON — Homicides in the U.S. in 2020 increased nearly 30% over the previous year, the largest one-year jump since the FBI began keeping records, according to figures released Monday by the agency. Homicides and non-negligent manslaughters climbed an estimated 29.4% to 21,570, an increase of 4,901 over 2019, FBI...
GOP blocks bill to keep government going; new try aheadVideo
WASHINGTON — Republican senators blocked a bill Monday night to keep the government operating and allow federal borrowing, but Democrats aiming to avert a shutdown pledged to try again — at the same time pressing ahead on President Joe Biden’s big plans to reshape government. The efforts are not necessarily...
State trooper charged with assault, resisting arrest in Washington County
A trooper assigned to the state police barracks in Belle Vernon was charged with aggravated assault following a disturbance call Monday morning in Claysville, Washington County. In addition to the second-degree felony assault charge, Trooper Dustin Schumacher, 30, of Claysville, is charged with misdemeanor counts of resisting arrest and disorderly...
17-year-old critical after Penn Hills shooting; police release image of suspect
Police are seeking the public’s help in identifying a male suspect in the Monday afternoon shooting of a 17-year-old boy in Penn Hills. According to authorities, the boy was shot multiple times near the gas pump of a BP station. Penn Hills Police Chief Howard Burton said the shooting took...
New Kensington police say man evicted from sober home oinked at them, growled at police dog
New Kensington police on Monday arrested a man being thrown out of a recovery home who they said oinked at officers and growled at a police dog. Police charged Ronald Dominic Festa III, 29, with felony counts of taunting a police animal and contraband, and misdemeanor counts of trespass and...
Westmoreland County assistant public defender suspended with pay after assault arrest
An assistant public defender in Westmoreland County was suspended with pay following his arrest this month in connection with allegations he assaulted a police officer. According to records obtained Monday, all three county commissioners signed off on the indefinite suspension of David Mulock, 36, of Murrysville. Mulock was charged Sept....
Pittsburgh Columbus Day Parade returns in Bloomfield
Liberty Avenue in Bloomfield will become a festive atmosphere for a Columbus Day parade filled with 100 bands, floats, organizations and businesses showcasing the region’s Italian history – known as the city’s “Little Italy.” Pittsburgh Steelers’ great Franco Harris, will serve as Grand Marshal. The Pittsburgh Columbus Day Parade begins...
Hospitals fear staffing shortages as vaccine deadlines loom
Hospitals and nursing homes around the country are bracing for worsening staff shortages as state deadlines arrive for health care workers to get vaccinated against covid-19. With ultimatums taking effect this week in states such as New York, California, Rhode Island and Connecticut, the fear is that some employees will...
To avoid Wolf’s veto, Pa. GOP proposes giving voters final say on stricter ID rules, other election changes
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 — Republicans in the state House are advancing a proposal that would give Pennsylvania voters the opportunity to significantly change...
Pittsburgh police announce death of officer following illness
A Pittsburgh police officer died Sunday night after what officials called “a brief illness.” Brian Rowland, 47, served 21 years with the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police. He was assigned to Zone 6 in the West End section of the city. Chief Scott Schubert called Rowland a dedicated officer and loyal...
DEA warns of flood of fake, potentially lethal prescription pills
The Drug Enforcement Administration on Monday warned of an increase in fake prescription pills containing fentanyl and methamphetamine in an effort to raise public awareness of the tablets’ lethality and availability. Westmoreland County Detective Tony Marcocci said law enforcement officials locally have been seeing a rise in fake pills created...
R&B superstar R. Kelly convicted in sex trafficking trial
R. Kelly, the R&B superstar known for his anthem “I Believe I Can Fly,” was convicted Monday in a sex trafficking trial after decades of avoiding criminal responsibility for numerous allegations of misconduct with young women and children. A jury of seven men and five women found Kelly guilty of...
Turner Dairy Farms is 1st in Pa. to take advantage of shelf-life law for milk
Grocery shoppers with a habit of seeking out the milk carton with the longest shelf life soon will be able to reach even further into the future — at least if they’re fans of Turner Dairy Farms. The Penn Hills dairy is the first in the state to take advantage...
National Aviary’s Steller’s sea eagle remains missing, believed to still be in Pittsburgh area
The National Aviary is still looking in the Pittsburgh area for the missing Steller’s sea eagle known as Kodiak and Kody, a huge bird that is noticeably larger than its relative, the bald eagle. The bird escaped from a breach in its outdoor enclosure Saturday morning, said Molly Toth, a...
4 guns caught in 4 days ‘an epidemic’ at Pittsburgh International Airport
Security agents caught four guns over four days in carry-on baggage at Pittsburgh International Airport, two of which were loaded, according to Transportation Security Administration officials. Firearms cannot be brought to the checkpoint or transported in carry-on baggage. They must be packed, unloaded, in a hard-sided case and declared at...
Vaccination deadline arrives for NY healthcare workersVideo
ALBANY, N.Y. — As the deadline closed in for hospital and nursing home workers in New York state to be vaccinated against covid-19, Gov. Kathy Hochul made an 11th-hour plea to holdout health care workers to get inoculated. “To those who have not yet made that decision, please do the...
Cousins plead guilty in beating death of 63-year-old Pittsburgh man
Two cousins pleaded guilty to third-degree murder on Monday stemming from a man’s beating death in Pittsburgh last year. Marlon Johnson, 33, and Madera Johnson, 48, will be sentenced by Allegheny County Common Pleas Judge Kevin G. Sasinoski on Dec. 13. Roger Brown, 63, was found with severe head trauma...
TV Q&A: Where’s WPXI’s Mike Holden been? Who’s the new WTAE-TV weekend morning anchor?
Trib Total Media TV writer Rob Owen answers reader questions at TribLive.com in a column that also appears in the Sunday Tribune-Review. Q: Have you heard any updates on WPXI’s Mike Holden’s health? He hasn’t updated his Instagram in a while. — Krissy via Facebook Rob: In early September Holden,...
2 jailed in Loyalhanna drug bust
Two men are behind bars after a weekend drug bust at a Loyalhanna home. Donald Wayne Baker, 41, of Saltsburg, and Michael James Buchinsky, 28, of Loyalhanna, are facing drug charges. State police said they arrived at Buchinsky’s Noel Drive home at 10:15 p.m. Saturday to serve a bench warrant...
Federal prosecutors, defense spar over evidence review in Tree of Life case
Defense attorneys for the man charged in connection with the killing of 11 people at the Tree of Life synagogue in Squirrel Hill have said that they will forego a review of hundreds of pieces of physical evidence in the case to protect the health and safety of themselves and...
