Top Local and National News Stories category, Page 1361
Goodbye, ugly Christmas sweater — hello, holiday-themed mask
Forget the ugly Christmas sweater — the holiday-themed mask is the hot, new look this year. “We can’t even keep them stocked,” said Beth DeNillo, manager of Bella Unique Boutique in downtown Greensburg. “They’re very popular,” she added. “Our customers are saying, ‘If we have to wear them, we might...
Pa. posts highest single-day covid-19 deaths since May
Pennsylvania on Tuesday reported the most covid-related deaths in a single day since May. There were 180 new deaths attributed to covid-19 — surpassing any single-day mark since 275 were posted May 14 — according to the Health Department. Hospitalizations continue to climb as well. According to the state’s covid-19...
Pa. Supreme Court hears argument in case against Bill Cosby
An attorney for actor and comedian Bill Cosby argued to the Pennsylvania Supreme Court on Tuesday that five women called to testify about prior bad acts by the man led to “unquantifiable prejudice” against him. During oral argument, Cosby’s attorney, Jennifer Bonjean, asked the court to find that the prior...
Westmoreland County eclipses 200 total deaths attributed to covid-19
Westmoreland County on Tuesday surpassed 200 deaths attributed to the coronavirus — more than half of which were reported since Nov. 1. The county reported five new deaths and 199 additional cases of covid-19, according to the state Health Department. Since Nov. 1, Westmoreland County has reported 101 covid-19 deaths,...
Strong start to December as S&P 500 index sets another high
Stocks scored more record highs on Wall Street on Tuesday, a day after the S&P 500 closed out November with its biggest monthly gain since April. The benchmark index climbed 1.1% while the tech-heavy Nasdaq added 1.3%. Both beat the all-time highs they set on Friday. Stocks have been ramping...
Allegheny County reports 603 new coronavirus cases, 5 new deaths
The number of coronavirus cases in Allegheny County jumped Tuesday after a slight lull over the holiday weekend, according to the county Health Department. The county reported 603 additional cases of covid-19 on Tuesday and five additional deaths. That’s compared to 920 cases — 400 on Monday and 520 on...
China says probe sent to retrieve lunar rocks lands on moon
BEIJING — A Chinese robot probe sent to return lunar rocks to Earth for the first time since the 1970s landed on the moon Tuesday, the government announced, adding to a string of increasingly bold space missions by Beijing. The Chang’e 5 probe “successfully landed” at its planned site, state...
Casino gambling revenue increased across Pennsylvania in October, report shows
As casinos work to rebound after being forced to shutter this spring because of the coronavirus pandemic, overall gaming revenues were up in October compared to the same period last year, according to new figures from Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board. Total gaming revenues from across the state hovered around $320.2...
TV Q&A: Where has WTAE’s Janelle Hall been?
Q: We have noticed Janelle Hall missing from the evening news for a few weeks. Is she OK? — Diane via email Rob: She is now. Hall posted to her Facebook page on Monday that she and her husband were diagnosed with covid-19 four weeks ago. She described the first...
European regulator to decide Dec. 29 on 1st virus vaccine
BERLIN — The European Medicines Agency will convene a meeting Dec. 29 to decide if there is enough data about the safety and efficacy of the covid-19 vaccine developed by Pfizer and BioNTech for it to be approved, the regulator said Tuesday. The agency also said Tuesday it could decide...
Snow falling with 3 to 4 inches expected in Pittsburgh area
Snow fell as expected in the Pittsburgh area Tuesday morning, but it did not have much impact on the morning rush hour. “Because the ground temperature is slightly warmer than the air, it doesn’t look like it’s accumulating on the roads,” said National Weather Service meteorologist Shannon Hefferan. “We still...
Police: Man shot in the face in Pittsburgh’s South Side
A man was hospitalized in critical condition after being shot in the face in Pittsburgh’s South Side neighborhood Monday night. Public Safety spokesman Maurice Matthews said officers responded to a Shotspotter alert for a shooting around 9:30 p.m. along the 1500 block of Bingham Street. Responding officers were later notified...
Report: Dr. Atlas formally resigns as Trump’s special adviser on the coronavirus pandemic
President Donald Trump’s special adviser to the coronavirus pandemic has formally resigned. According to a resignation letter dated for Dec. 1 and obtained by Fox News, Dr. Scott Atlas said he “worked hard with a singular focus – to save lives and help Americans through this pandemic.” BREAKING—Trump’s pandemic advisor...
National Guard providing covid-19 assistance at Twin Lakes Rehabilitation and Healthcare Center in Unity
The Pennsylvania National Guard has spent the last several days at Twin Lakes Rehabilitation and Healthcare Center in Unity, providing emergency assistance to the facility because of the coronavirus outbreak. The staff assistance mission at Twin Lakes started Saturday. It is scheduled to end Wednesday. A group of eleven guard...
Nonprofits count on Giving Tuesday to balance out a tough year
Hot on the tail of Cyber Monday, nonprofits across the region are looking for a hand on Giving Tuesday. The event, a celebration of giving observed the Tuesday after Thanksgiving, typically is a high-profile opportunity for charities and nonprofits to make a case for year-end donations. It takes on special...
Pennsylvania GOP lawmakers continue election attacks, promise report on ‘sizable irregularities’
A group of state GOP lawmakers contesting the result of the Nov. 3 election is continuing a “forensic investigation,” even as their efforts to bring a resolution seeking to overturn the Pennsylvania election certification failed. The 26 Republican state representatives, including Daryl Metcalfe, Eric Nelson, Eric Davanzo and Cris Dush...
Pa. counties reported no major issues with Dominion voting machines, a target of Trump and his campaign
SpotlightPA 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. This article is made possible through Votebeat, a nonpartisan reporting project covering local election integrity and voting access. HARRISBURG — In their latest attempt at sowing doubt in...
Retired Alcoa smelter, long displayed at Station Square, moves to New KensingtonVideo
A retired Alcoa aluminum smelting pot that had been displayed at Station Square in Pittsburgh for about 30 years is now part of downtown New Kensington. The smelter, which originated from an Alcoa plant outside of Massena, N.Y., was placed Monday in the beer garden outside Voodoo Brewery on Fifth...
Steelers-Ravens game is on the move again, heading to Wednesday afternoon
Are you ready for some football? Some Wednesday afternoon football? The NFL is postponing the Pittsburgh Steelers game against the Baltimore Ravens for a third time, shifting it to Wednesday at Heinz Field. The game will start at the unusual time of 3:40 p.m. on NBC, presumably so it won’t...
Wisconsin confirms Joe Biden as winner as a result of recount
MADISON, Wis. — Joe Biden’s victory in battleground Wisconsin was confirmed Monday following a partial recount that only added to his 20,600-vote margin over President Donald Trump, who has promised to file a lawsuit seeking to undo the results. Confirmation of the results by the Democratic chairwoman of the Wisconsin...
Westmoreland elections board certifies more Nov. 3 ballots — but not 344 in undated envelopes
Westmoreland County on Monday certified the remainder of votes from the Nov. 3 election that are not subject to legal challenges. That does not include 344 mail-in ballots that didn’t have a date written on them. Attorney Marco Attisano argued the board of elections should count those undated ballots in...
Unity man accused of nearly hitting ambulance and spitting on, kicking state troopers
A Unity man remained in jail Monday after state police accused him of being high over the weekend when he nearly hit an ambulance in Derry Township and spit on and kicked two troopers, according to court papers. Marshal Corb Wherry, 24, is charged with aggravated assault, resisting arrest, driving...
2 men accused of not calling for help following Greensburg overdose that proved fatal
Greensburg police charged two men with reckless endangerment and other offenses after accusing them of not calling an ambulance after a woman overdosed at a Greensburg home. Nicholas Anthony Iapalucci, 31, of Greensburg, called Christopher Love, 43, of Southwest Greensburg, and requested opioid overdose antidote naloxone for his unconscious girlfriend...
Arizona certifies Biden’s narrow victory over Trump
PHOENIX —Arizona officials certified the state’s election results Monday, formalizing Democrat Joe Biden’s narrow victory over Donald Trump even as the Republican president’s attorneys continued making baseless claims of fraud in the state’s vote count. Democratic Secretary of State Katie Hobbs certified the election results alongside Gov. Doug Ducey and...
Levine: Pa. has reached ‘concerning milestone’ in covid-19
Pennsylvania has reached a “concerning milestone” in covid-19 infections and hospitalizations, Health Secretary Rachel Levine said Monday. Levine said the state’s percent positivity rate — measuring the number of covid-19 tests that come back with positive results — is over 12%. Health experts have said any rate above 5% is...
