Top Local and National News Stories category, Page 1318
Allegheny County reports 425 additional covid cases, 4 deaths
Allegheny County on Thursday reported four new coronavirus-related deaths, bringing the total number for the county to 1,249. The county also reported 425 new coronavirus cases. The health department said that the dates of death ranged from Jan. 12 to Tuesday. The ages of the deceased were listed as one...
Jeannette man arrested on drug charges after foot chase in city
A Jeannette man under investigation by police for dealing drugs was arrested Wednesday after a foot chase in the city, according to court papers. Rashaad Ricardo Shepard, 41, is being held in the Westmoreland County Prison without bond. City police and agents from the state Attorney General’s office said they...
Biden puts forth virus strategy, requires mask use to travel
WASHINGTON — As the U.S. enters “what may well be the toughest and deadliest period of the virus,” President Joe Biden is putting forth a national covid-19 strategy to ramp up vaccinations and testing, reopen schools and businesses and increase the use of masks — including a requirement that they...
TV Talk: Pittsburgh TV production bounces back; CMU grad stars in ‘Bridge and Tunnel’Video
Netflix’s horror series “Archive 81” has been filming in and around Pittsburgh since November and will be joined in a couple of weeks by another Netflix program, “The Chair.” Showtime’s “Rust” expects to film in March. Beyond these three series, 2021 local big-budget TV/film production is in a holding pattern....
‘Just move on’: Republicans grapple with post-Trump future
For the first time in more than a decade, Republicans are waking up to a Washington where Democrats control the White House and Congress, adjusting to an era of diminished power, deep uncertainty and internal feuding. The shift to minority status is always difficult, prompting debates over who is to...
Harrisburg woman accused of helping steal Pelosi laptop freed from jail
HARRISBURG — A Pennsylvania woman facing charges that she helped steal a laptop from the office of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi during the attack on the U.S. Capitol will be released from jail, a federal judge decided Thursday. U.S. Magistrate Judge Martin Carlson directed that Riley June Williams be released...
Powerball jackpot winner worth $731.1M sold in Maryland
DES MOINES, Iowa — A single Powerball ticket sold in Maryland is the winner of an estimated $731.1 million jackpot, the first to get the top prize in months. Thanks to math and bad luck, lottery players had another shot at a giant jackpot Wednesday night that earlier had been...
Where to eat during Greensburg Restaurant Week
This time around, you won’t have to wait until dinner to enjoy a Greensburg Restaurant Week deal. For the first time, there will be breakfast and lunch options, courtesy of first-time participants Yumzio Bistro and South Greensburg Restaurant. Olives and Peppers at the Greensburg Train Station is the third new...
Military helicopter crash kills 3 in training exercise in New York
MENDON, N.Y. — Three National Guard members on a training flight were killed Wednesday when their helicopter crashed in a farmer’s field in western New York. The craft, a UH-60 Black Hawk medical evacuation helicopter, crashed around 6:30 p.m. in Mendon, N.Y., a rural town south of Rochester, officials said....
Arconic donates more than $80K to local nonprofits for sustainability and social equity
Pittsburgh-area nonprofits were among organizations worldwide benefiting from $360,000 in grants from the Arconic Foundation promoting environmental sustainability and social equity. Arconic, an Alcoa spinoff with roots in the Alle-Kiski Valley, is headquartered in Pittsburgh. It has a research center in Upper Burrell and a building and systems business site...
Ted Cruz brings back Paris vs. Pittsburgh in criticism of Biden; Peduto scoffs
“Are you kidding me? Here we go again…” That was Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto’s reply to Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, after the senator evoked a familiar refrain Wednesday during criticism of President Joe Biden’s signing of an executive order to rejoin the Paris Climate Accord. Are you kidding me? Here...
Confederate Soldiers, Richard Nixon and Chelsea Manning: a look back at famous presidential pardonsVideo
The list of pardons and commutations issued Wednesday by President Donald Trump includes some household names, like rapper Lil Wayne and political strategist Steve Bannon. They’re not the only notable people to receive clemency from the president. Here’s a look back at some famous examples of pardons past: Every Confederate...
Pittsburgh Public Schools Board expected to push in-person learning back to April
Pittsburgh Public Schools Board members are expected to make the “tough decision” next week to postpone the return of in-person learning until April 6, after the district’s spring break, board president Sylvia Wilson said Wednesday. “No one wants students back in school more than I do,” Wilson said. With covid-19...
Presidential pardons have roots in Southwestern Pennsylvania
When former President Donal Trump issued more than 140 acts of clemency in his final hours in the White House, he was exercising a presidential power that has its roots in Southwestern Pennsylvania. “George Washington, his first pardons were — ironically enough — two individuals that participated in the Pennsylvania...
On Day One, Biden targets Trump policies on climate, coronavirusVideo
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden is moving swiftly to dismantle Donald Trump’s legacy on his first day in office, signing a series of executive actions that reverse course on immigration, climate change, racial equity and the handling of the coronavirus pandemic. The new president signed the orders just hours after...
‘Trump House’ creator Leslie Baum Rossi seeks nod to run for open Pa. House seat
Former President Donald Trump might have left the Oval Office, but his influence could color the special election to fill the vacancy in Pennsylvania’s 59th legislative district this spring. Leslie Baum Rossi, the Unity woman who created the Trump House — the red, white and blue shrine to the former...
New Kensington family recalls Biden sharing their grief, comforting a mother who lost son to brain cancer
Dolly Regoli wiped away a tear, paused and composed herself during an interview Wednesday as Joe Biden prepared to take the oath of office. The new president many hope will heal the nation’s wounds has a special place in the heart of the 81-year-old New Kensington woman. Three years ago,...
Allegheny Co. health director says ‘long way to go’ to meet covid vaccine demands
Echoing the concerns of health professionals across the region, the Allegheny County Health Department director said it is not prepared to accommodate Pennsylvania’s expansion of covid-19 vaccine distribution. “I would love to tell you that we can vaccinate all of you who now meet these expanded criteria today,” Dr. Debra...
Not enough covid vaccine to go around, top Western Pa. doctors warn
Top medical leaders in Western Pennsylvania warned Wednesday there is no adequate vaccine supply to meet demand prompted by expanded eligibility in the state, according to a strongly worded letter from the group. Leaders issued the letter in response to the state’s push to get more vaccines into arms, including...
Pa. Supreme Court: Mt. Washington billboard can remain
The state Supreme Court on Wednesday sided with Lamar Advertising, finding that a large vinyl banner the company put on its Mt. Washington billboard nearly five years ago does not violate a Pittsburgh zoning ordinance. The banner in question was placed over a previous electronic billboard overlooking the city in...
Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald attends ‘very emotional’ Biden inaugurationVideo
Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald said he was moved beyond words to witness Wednesday’s presidential inaugural events in person. “Standing in the shadows of the Capitol, you could feel the weight of our history on the shoulders of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris,” Fitzgerald said. At 78, Biden is the...
Next up: $730M Powerball prize after no Mega Millions winner
DES MOINES, Iowa — Thanks to math and bad luck, lottery players will have another shot at a giant jackpot tonight as a $730 million Powerball prize is on the line. The Powerball jackpot is the fifth-largest ever, and it will come only a day after nobody won the even-larger...
Style, fashion play at President Biden’s inauguration
Inauguration Day was a bold and blue day. The new first lady Jill Biden on Wednesday wore an ocean-blue dress by designer Alexandra O’Neill and matching long coat and gloves as she accompanied her husband, President Joe Biden. President Biden donned a blue tie and blue suit and overcoat by...
Pa. game commission proposes ‘unlimited’ antlerless tags for deer hunters statewide
Year-in and year-out, Pennsylvania’s deer hunters look forward to July, which marks the start of the antlerless deer license application process. This year, they may need to pay close attention to the process, especially if they apply for more than one or two permits, because the state is considering revamping...
Inaugural poet Amanda Gorman: ‘Even as we grieved, we grew’Video
The country has a new president and may well have a new literary star. In one of the inauguration’s most talked about moments, poet Amanda Gorman summoned images dire and triumphant Wednesday as she called out to the world “even as we grieved, we grew.” The 22-year-old Gorman referenced everything...
