Top Stories category, Page 693
Trump makes video appearance in New York criminal case, trial date set for March primary seasonVideo
NEW YORK — Donald Trump threw up his hands in frustration Tuesday as a judge scheduled his criminal trial for March 25, putting the former president and current candidate in a Manhattan courtroom in the heat of next year’s presidential primary season. Trump, appearing by video conference at a pretrial...
Pittsburgh to get more nonstop flights to Los Angeles via Breeze Airways
Pittsburgh International Airport is getting more direct flights to Los Angeles International Airport because of a shift in service from Breeze Airways. The airport said Monday that Breeze, a low-cost carrier, is starting nonstop service between Pittsburgh and LAX starting Sept. 8. The move comes after Breeze will shift service...
Morning Roundup: Police say Cranberry woman stole thousands from dentist office
Here are some of the latest news items from this morning, Tuesday, May 23: Police say Cranberry woman stole thousands from dentist office An employee of a dentist office in Cranberry Township has been charged with felony theft for allegedly stealing about $20,000 from Generational Dental Associates. Police said Kimberly...
Knoch school principal accused of failing to report alleged abuse of 5-year-old placed on leave
A school principal in Butler County was charged with failing to report child abuse after learning that his adult son was accused of sexually assaulting a 5-year-old, according to authorities. State police charged Knoch Primary School Principal Gregory G. Mandalas with a misdemeanor count of failing to report suspected child...
Vandergrift Pool delays opening; others ready for Memorial Day
Some area pools are making a splash in time for traditional opening day — Memorial Day weekend — but at least one has to come up for air. Vandergrift Pool, along La Belle Vue Road, will not open its gates as scheduled. The board announced on social media that unforeseen...
Pa. Sen. Doug Mastriano on GOP opposition to his U.S. Senate bid: ‘It’s irrelevant to me’
Republican state Sen. Doug Mastriano on Monday shrugged off calls from inside his party to oppose his potential U.S. Senate bid, including one from a current legislative colleague. “Of any of the detractors, none have had the cojones to look me in the eye and have a conversation,” Mastriano told...
Judge dismisses Kari Lake’s final claim in election loss for Arizona governor
PHOENIX — A judge on Monday dismissed the only remaining legal claim in Republican Kari Lake’s challenge of her loss in last year’s race for Arizona governor, affirming the election of Democrat Katie Hobbs. Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Peter A. Thompson said Lake failed to prove her claim that...
No debt ceiling agreement in White House meeting, though Biden, McCarthy call talks productiveVideo
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy both said they had a productive debt ceiling discussion late Monday at the White House, but there was no agreement as negotiators strained to raise the nation’s borrowing limit in time to avert a potentially chaotic federal default. It’s a...
E. Jean Carroll adds Trump’s post-verdict comments to pending defamation case
NEW YORK — E. Jean Carroll, the advice columnist who won a $5 million sexual abuse and defamation award against former President Donald Trump, is seeking at least $10 million more in a court filing Monday that seeks to hold him liable for remarks he made after the verdict. The...
Allegheny County to close Smithfield Shelter in summer
The temporary overnight homeless shelter at Smithfield United Church of Christ will close by the end of June, officials from Allegheny County Department of Human Services said Monday. The shelter typically is open only during the winter months, but officials in March announced it would remain open longer this year....
TikTok files lawsuit to overturn Montana’s 1st-in-nation ban on the video sharing app
HELENA, Mont. — Social media company TikTok Inc. filed a lawsuit Monday seeking to overturn Montana’s first-in-the-nation ban on the video sharing app, arguing the law is an unconstitutional violation of free speech rights and is based on “unfounded speculation” that the Chinese government could access users’ data. The lawsuit...
La Roche University President Sister Candace Introcaso remembered as leader, friend
La Roche University President Sister Candace Introcaso died Monday afternoon. Introcaso was named the university’s seventh president in 2004. “We all mourn the loss of a great woman, our longtime president and our friend, Sister Candace Introcaso,” Acting President and Provost Howard Ishiyama said at the start of a 2...
Breakthrough proposal would aid drought-stricken Colorado River as 3 Western states offer cutsVideo
LAS VEGAS — Arizona, California and Nevada on Monday proposed a plan to significantly reduce their water use from the drought-stricken Colorado River over the next three years, a potential breakthrough in a year-long stalemate that pitted Western states against one another. The plan would conserve an additional 3 million...
Democrats advance gun-control bills in Pennsylvania House
HARRISBURG — Authorities could temporarily seize firearms and background checks would be expanded for gun buyers, under two bills passed Monday in the Pennsylvania House, where Democrats are using their razor-thin majority to push gun-control measures after a yearslong standstill in the politically divided government. The party describes the proposals...
Closed-door meeting is latest in pattern of potential Sunshine Act violations by Penn State trustees
This story first appeared in The Investigator, a weekly newsletter by Spotlight PA featuring the best investigative and accountability journalism from across Pennsylvania. Sign up for free here. In a February memo to university leaders, Penn State President Neeli Bendapudi wrote that last year university leaders “brought forward a $245...
Turnpike officials break ground on next phase of Mon/Fayette ExpresswayVideo
On Monday , Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission officials broke ground on the next phase of the Mon/Fayette Expressway, a $214 million contract for a three-mile section from Route 51 to Coal Valley Road in Jefferson Hills. The current expressway runs 54 miles from I-68 near Morgantown to Jefferson Hills. When completed,...
5 things to watch as Steelers begin organized team activities
Football — at least the version that is played in shorts and sans shoulder pads — returns for the Pittsburgh Steelers on Tuesday when they conduct the first of 10 scheduled organized team activities at UPMC Rooney Sports Complex. The workouts, which are voluntary yet heavily attended, represent the first...
Pittsburgh mother charged in fentanyl death of baby
A Pittsburgh woman faces involuntary manslaughter charges after her 4-month-old baby died of fentanyl toxicity, officials said. Katie Lynn Grimes, 33, of Pittsburgh’s Carrick neighborhood, was charged Sunday with several crimes in relation to the death of her son, including involuntary manslaughter and endangering the welfare of children. An investigation...
Pittsburgh may need to reevaluate city pools, official says
Pittsburgh officials are still recruiting additional lifeguards in an effort to open all of the city’s pools this summer, and spray parks are slated to open next weekend. City Council President Theresa Kail-Smith acknowledged it’s been difficult for the city to recruit enough lifeguards. Kail-Smith said she’d like to see...
Excela, Butler change name to Independence Health System
After merging to create Western Pennsylvania’s third-largest health system, Excela Health and the Butler Health System have a new name: Independence Health System. The system includes Butler, Clarion, Frick, Latrobe and Westmoreland hospitals, with 7,300 employees and more than 1,000 physicians and advanced practice providers. “Having the wider resources of...
Pittsburgh City Council to vote on Larry Scirotto’s appointment as police chief
Pittsburgh City Council is scheduled to vote Tuesday on Larry Scirotto’s nomination as the city’s new police chief. Mayor Ed Gainey earlier this month announced Scirotto as his nominee to be the city’s police chief. Scirotto, 49, retired from the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police in 2018 as an assistant chief,...
Morning Roundup: Fire damages 2 homes in Ford City
Here are some of the latest news items from this morning, Monday, May 22: 2 homes in Ford City damaged in fire A fire damaged two homes in Ford City on Saturday night. Borough firefighters fought the fire for several hours, but no injuries were reported, according to Tribune-Review news...
Memorial Day weekend weather could go in 2 different directions, forecasters say
Pittsburghers might want to wait a few days before solidifying their Memorial Day plans. The forecast for the next few days shows highs reaching 79 degrees and sunny skies, but there is some uncertainty for what direction the weather will head for the Memorial Day weekend. The Pittsburgh office of...
Madden Monday: Anger over Pirates’ decisions a matter of perspective on team’s potential
The Pittsburgh Pirates lost two out of three games to the Arizona Diamondbacks this weekend. They have played six series this month and have lost five. The only series they didn’t lose was splitting a two-game road trip to Detroit last Tuesday and Wednesday. The team’s 20-8 start has been...
Invasive Asian tiger mosquito loves the standing water near your house
As spring comes into full bloom, flowers aren’t the only thing popping up. Mosquitoes are also spawning in small, mostly natural pools of standing water. After those pools dry out, a cousin moves in. And it’s known to be an aggressive biter. The Asian tiger mosquito, an invasive species first...
