Top Local and National News Stories category, Page 1469
Wilford Brimley, ‘Cocoon’ and ‘Natural’ actor, dies at 85
LOS ANGELES — Wilford Brimley, who worked his way up from movie stunt rider to an indelible character actor who brought gruff charm, and sometimes menace, to a range of films that included “Cocoon,” “The Natural” and “The Firm,” has died. He was 85. Brimley’s manager Lynda Bensky said the...
The next coronavirus may already be circulating in bats, study suggests
While the exact origin of the coronavirus remains murky, scientists have been racing to determine how it jumped from animals to humans so they can prevent another pandemic. The next one could just be a matter of time, a new study suggests. The authors said a virus with similar ability...
Trump suggests he might want to take on income inequality
President Trump suggested he might be interested in pushing for policy that addresses the widening income gap in the U.S., but didn’t suggest a plan. Trump commented in a retweet about how much some prominent billionaires have increased their net worth during the coronavirus pandemic, while tens of millions of...
Fauci: Henry Ford Health’s hydroxychloroquine study ‘flawed’
DETROIT — Dr. Anthony Fauci told federal lawmakers Friday a study by Henry Ford Health System that showed hydroxychloroquine was effective in lowering the death rate among covid-19 patients was “flawed.” Health officials should instead rely on the “gold standard” of a randomized, placebo controlled study to determine whether the...
Isaias weakens, may strengthen on path to virus-hit Florida
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Isaias snapped trees and knocked out power Saturday as it blew through the Bahamas and churned toward the Florida coast, threatening to complicate efforts to contain the coronavirus in places where cases are surging. Isaias weakened from a hurricane to a tropical storm Saturday afternoon, but...
Salmonella outbreak linked to red onions, health officials warn
Check your refrigerator and kitchen for raw onions and products that contain them. Get ready to toss them out. Federal health official have linked red onions as the source of the current nationwide salmonella newport outbreak being investigated. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention late Friday said the onions...
Tornadoes possible as severe thunderstorm watch issued for Pittsburgh area
Pittsburgh and communities south of the city are under a severe thunderstorm watch until 11 p.m. Saturday, according to the National Weather Service. Those areas could experience isolated tornadoes, hail and high winds. “What’s making it unpredictable is how much heating is going to occur,” said Jason Frazier, meteorologist with...
Volunteers clean graffiti from Beam Rocks in Forbes State ForestVideo
The volunteers came to the woods with scrubbers, buckets, gloves, a banjo and five gallons of Elephant Snot. The “snot” is a graffiti remover that’s powerful yet safe for the environment — perfect for scrubbing spray paint off the Beam Rocks overlook in Forbes State Forest in Somerset County, which...
Editorial: PIAA and WPIAL set good examples for playing by coronavirus rules
Are you ready for some football? Well, you have to wait. Thanks, covid-19. And even when it starts, you probably won’t get to see it in person. At least not for high school games. The same goes for other fall sports like soccer and cross country. This week, the Pennsylvania...
Negotiators report progress in covid-19 aid talks
WASHINGTON — Lawmakers participating in rare weekend talks on a huge coronavirus relief measure reported progress Saturday, as political pressure mounts to restore a newly expired $600-per-week supplemental unemployment benefit and send funding to help schools reopen. “This was the longest meeting we had, and it was more productive than...
Arizona congressman tests positive for virus; 2nd this week
WASHINGTON — The chairman of the House Natural Resources Committee said Saturday he tested positive for the coronavirus days after he sat close to another member of the panel, Texas Rep. Louie Gohmert, who also tested positive. Rep. Raul Grijalva, D-Ariz., said in a statement he has the virus but,...
Westmoreland adds 13 new coronavirus cases
Westmoreland County added 13 new coronavirus cases on Saturday, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Health. The county’s total grew to 1,422 positive covid-19 cases. They include 1,384 confirmed case and 38 probable. There were no new deaths added to the county’s toll, so deaths attributed to coronavirus remain at...
Resident of Bellevue apartment house accused of setting fire that destroyed building
A resident of a five-unit apartment house that was destroyed by fire last week has been charged with intentionally setting the blaze, according to Allegheny County Police. Investigators have issued an arrest warrant for Michael Holleran, 44, who is accused of setting fire to the apartment house along Grant Avenue...
Pennsylvania reports 888 coronavirus cases, 15 deaths
The Pennsylvania Department of Health reported 888 new positive cases of covid-19 and 15 deaths on Saturday. The new cases bring the state’s total to 112,936, with all 67 counties having reported cases, and 7,204 deaths. The state health department reported increases in deaths related to covid-19 in only nine...
Allegheny County reports 66 new coronavirus cases, fewest since June
Allegheny County reported its lowest new number of coronavirus cases since late June. The county’s health department added 66 new cases, 12 new hospitalizations and one death on Saturday. The new cases bring the total to 8,160 since the first cases were reported in March when the pandemic began. Saturday’s...
Texas developer buys Chestnut Ridge resort
A Houston developer who bought the Chestnut Ridge Golf Resort and Conference Center in southern Indiana County in a July 25 auction wants to maintain the site as a golf course and conference center, the developer’s attorney said Friday. RRH Development also wants to market it more and possibly use...
Murrysville veteran organizes ‘Vets for Black Lives’ protest Downtown on Sunday
When Aryanna Hunter of Murrysville organized a protest in her hometown to speak out against the police killing of George Floyd, she wasn’t sure what to expect. More than 100 people showed up to the event and marched down Old William Penn Highway. “I was overwhelmed with the turnout,” said...
Trump says he’ll act to ban TikTok in U.S. as soon as Saturday
NEW YORK — President Trump said he will take action as soon as Saturday to ban TikTok, a popular Chinese-owned video app that has been a source of national security and censorship concerns. Trump’s comments were made after published reports that the administration is planning to order China’s ByteDance to...
Engel subpoenas Pompeo for records on Biden’s role in Ukraine
NEW YORK — The Democratic chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee subpoenaed Secretary of State Mike Pompeo for State Department records already given to Republican-led Senate committees that are trying to tie former Vice President Joe Biden to wrongdoing in Ukraine. “Secretary Pompeo has turned the State Department into...
Pittsburgh rescue crew recovers body of man who fell into Allegheny RiverVideo
Divers recovered the body of a man in his mid-20s who either jumped or fell from a boat into the Allegheny River near the docks at Washington’s Landing, officials said. At 9:54 p.m., emergency dispatchers received a call about a man in the river under the 31st Street Bridge, Pittsburgh...
Police: Fight at Kennywood results in 7 arrests; 150 escorted out
Seven people were arrested after a large fight broke out Friday inside and outside of Kennywood, West Mifflin police reported. Officers said about 150 people were also escorted out of the amusement park, which closed about a half-hour early as a result of the incident. Kennywood spokesman Nick Paradise wrote...
Study: Children of all ages susceptible to coronavirus
WASHINGTON — Children of all ages are susceptible to the coronavirus, according to a study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that warned youngsters “might play an important role” in spreading the disease. The study released Friday comes amid an increasingly tense debate in the U.S. about reopening...
Pandemic prompts shortened Sept. 11 program at Flight 93 National Memorial
The annual Sept. 11 observance at Somerset County’s Flight 93 National Memorial will be abbreviated this year as park officials look to limit in-person attendance at the event because of covid-19 guidelines. The event will be shown virtually, as will other programs sponsored by the memorial Friends group. In past...
Midair collision kills state legislator, 6 others in Alaska
ANCHORAGE, Alaska — Seven people, including an Alaska state lawmaker, died Friday when two small airplanes collided in midair near the airport in Soldotna, a small community on Alaska’s Kenai Peninsula. Alaska State Troopers said state Rep. Gary Knopp, 67, of Kenai was the sole occupant of one plane. The...
Bridge work will close Pa. Turnpike between Allegheny Valley, Pittsburgh exits early Sunday
The placement of beams for the Unity-Trestle Road bridge in Plum will require a five-hour closure of the Pennsylvania Turnpike’s eastbound lanes beginning late Saturday night. The Turnpike will be closed between the Allegheny Valley (Exit 48) in Harmar and Pittsburgh (Exit 57) exit in Monroeville, from 11:49 p.m. on...
