Top Local and National News Stories category, Page 1365
Holiday trends to watch: Adult Play-Doh; stores that ship
NEW YORK — The pandemic is turning this into a holiday shopping season like no other. Toy companies are targeting stuck-at-home grown-ups with latte-smelling Play-Doh and Legos that turn into Warhols. Those who added a puppy to their family during the pandemic will see tons of gift options for their...
Steelers’ JuJu Smith-Schuster delivers turkeys to seniors after Thanksgiving game canceledVideo
Turkey with a side of JuJu? Thanksgiving turned out to be an off day for Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster. So, he delivered turkeys to seniors. “Giving back to the community has always been a thing in my heart,” Smith-Schuster said. He gathered with volunteers Thursday morning at Dive...
Pennsylvania firearms hunting season for bear closes as 2020 bear kill tops 3,100
Hunters killed 78 black bears on Tuesday, the final day of the 2020 firearms hunting season for bear, according to the Pennsylvania Game Commission. That bumped the total harvest for the four-day season to 1,155 — a relatively low number for the firearms season — and to 3,135 for all...
Pedestrian in critical condition after being struck in Strip District
A man is in critical condition after being struck by a vehicle in Pittsburgh’s Strip District late Wednesday night. Police said officers from Zone 2 were called to Liberty Avenue and 21st Street around 11:30 p.m.. Investigators said the man was walking in front of a stopped Port Authority bus...
Holiday baking traditions survive changing times amid growing coronavirus casesVideo
Large family gatherings might be out for some because of covid-19, but many in the region aren’t giving up on baking and other holiday food traditions. Pat Frye, 75, of Monroeville, sitting with a friend over a coffee at Oakmont Bakery, said she and her daughter will still get together...
Food for thought: Your Turkey Day menu, by the numbersVideo
A trip around the Thanksgiving menu is like a trip around the United States, as American farmers produce much of what we savor on this national holiday, according to USAFacts.org. Below are some facts and figures about some of the popular foods to be shared today, with figures from 2019....
Operation Santa Claus returns in year of extreme need
Operation Santa Claus has been helping Western Pennsylvania families with the gift of a holiday meal for 36 years, and this year may prove to be the most challenging in the long history of the nonprofit organization. “The need is greater than ever this year. We’re trying our best to...
TV Talk: Filmed-in-Pittsburgh ‘Happiest Season’ debuts; Kaley Cuoco impresses in ‘The Flight Attendant’Video
Many movie theaters are still closed but several filmed-in-Pittsburgh, intended-for-theaters films make their way to smaller screens over the next month, beginning with this week’s debut of Christmas romantic comedy “Happiest Season,” now streaming on Hulu. “Happiest Season” pushes its Pittsburgh setting from its first frames — a pastel painting...
Search to continue for missing Jefferson Hills teen
Dive teams from several places in Western Pennsylvania spent part of Tuesday and all of Wednesday traversing the Monongahela River in the area of the Elizabeth Bridge, searching without success for a 15-year-old Jefferson Hills boy reported missing earlier this week. Jeno Moretti was reported missing by his family. He...
Soured: Pittsburgh pickle balloon popped when it was being installed for the holiday seasonVideo
2020 continues to deflate. A giant pickle ornament that was supposed to be the perfect backdrop for a selfie in Downtown Pittsburgh was canned before its planned debut Friday, according to the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership. The ornament was being tested Wednesday for a final time when installers heard a loud...
Trump doubles down on allegations of election fraud in Pennsylvania as Biden begins transition
President Trump doubled down on unfounded allegations of widespread voter fraud in Pennsylvania in a phone call from the Oval Office, broadcast to Wednesday’s state Senate Republican postmortem hearing on the Nov. 3 election. “This election was rigged and we can’t let that happen for our country and we’ve got...
Pa. sending covid-19 alerts on cell phones
The first covid-19 alert sent via the national Wireless Emergency Alert system landed on cellphones Wednesday, interrupting a live briefing by Allegheny County officials on the local rise in covid-19 cases. “In PA, covid-19 rates are rising and hospitals could soon be at capacity,” the alert read. “Stay home if...
Pittsburgh forms task force to enforce new covid-19 restrictions
Pittsburgh Public Safety has formed a task force to enforce new covid-19 restrictions. It was formed at the request of Mayor Bill Peduto to help enforce Gov. Tom Wolf’s renewed coronavirus mitigation efforts, Public Safety Spokesman Chris Togneri said Wednesday. “The task force will conduct random, unannounced compliance checks at...
UPMC reports $17B revenue despite pandemic
The covid-19 pandemic does not appear to be threatening the financial strength nor slowing the growth of UPMC, according to the health giant’s executives and newly released documents. Buoyed by federal aid and insurance revenue gains, UPMC’s total revenue from January through October reached nearly $17 billion — 11% higher...
As covid cases rise, overwhelmed case investigators and contact tracers forced to adaptVideo
The rapid influx of new covid-19 cases in Allegheny County has resulted in changes to the health department’s case investigation procedure, as overwhelmed case investigators and contact tracers work to keep up with the pace of the virus. “They haven’t been able to reach every case, and they’re spending less...
Trump pardons Michael Flynn, taking direct aim at Russia probe
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump pardoned former national security adviser Michael Flynn on Wednesday, taking direct aim in the final days of his administration at a Russia investigation that he has long insisted was motivated by political bias. “It is my Great Honor to announce that General Michael T. Flynn...
Joe Biden appeals for unity in Thanksgiving-eve address
WILMINGTON, Del. — In a time of plague and raw division, President-elect Joe Biden appealed for unity Wednesday in a Thanksgiving-eve address to the nation asking Americans to “steel our spines” for a fight against the coronavirus that he predicted would continue for months. But even as he implored Americans...
Commonwealth Court orders pause to further certification of Pa. election results
A Pennsylvania judge on Wednesday ordered a pause to any election certification proceedings still pending in the state as part of a lawsuit brought by a number of Republican candidates and legislators, including Rep. Mike Kelly and candidate Sean Parnell. The judge’s action does not affect the outcome of the...
Wiping down groceries? Experts say keep risk in perspective
NEW YORK — Cleaning wipes are harder to find on store shelves, and businesses are reassuring customers with stepped up sanitation measures. In New York, the subway system is shut down nightly for disinfecting. To avoid any traces of the coronavirus that might be lurking on surfaces, Americans have been...
NFL postpones Steelers-Ravens game over coronavirus concerns, sets new game time
The Pittsburgh Steelers will have to wait to host a Thanksgiving Day game for the first time. Their fans will have to wait until 2021 to see them in person. In the wake of several members of the Baltimore Ravens organization testing positive for coronavirus this week, the NFL announced...
Pennsylvania surpasses 10,000 covid-related deaths
With 144 new covid-related deaths added Wednesday, Pennsylvania became the eighth state to reach 10,000 fatalities related to the coronavirus. The additions bring the death toll to 10,095, according to the Department of Health. Of the deaths reported Wednesday, 142 are from November and two are from October. Officials report...
Westmoreland sets new record for daily covid cases
With a total of 273 new coronavirus cases added Wednesday, Westmoreland County set a new daily record. The Pennsylvania Department of Health reported the new cases included 206 that were confirmed with PCR tests and 67 were listed as probable. In the past 14 days, the county has seen more...
TSA agents catch 2 guns in 1 hour at Pittsburgh International
Security screeners at Pittsburgh International Airport caught two guns in one hour Tuesday, leading to charges against one woman for carrying a gun in her purse without a license, authorities said. Transportation Security Administration agents found the first firearm, a loaded .25-caliber handgun, about 5:30 p.m. in a woman’s purse...
Unchanged from early estimate, U.S. economy grew 33.1% in Q3
WASHINGTON — The second of three estimates on U.S. growth for the July-September quarter was unchanged at a record pace of 33.1%. But a resurgence in the coronavirus is expected to slow growth sharply in the current quarter with some economists even raising the specter of a double-dip recession. While...
Allegheny County adds 555 new covid cases, 12 deaths
Allegheny County added 555 new cases of covid-19 Wednesday, according to the Health Department. The new cases include 480 cases confirmed from 2,420 new PCR tests conducted from Nov. 4-24; 10 of the tests are more than a week old. There were 75 cases listed as probable. Health officials define...
