Top Stories category, Page 828
Supreme Court’s Alito says abortion opinion leak made justices ‘assassination’ targets
WASHINGTON — U.S. Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito said the leak of his draft opinion eliminating the constitutional right to abortion made members of the majority “targets for assassination.” Speaking in Washington at the conservative Heritage Foundation, Alito gave no indication the court has determined who gave the opinion to...
Fetterman, Oz face off in chaotic debate
In the only debate of Pennsylvania’s Senate race, Democrat John Fetterman and Republican Dr. Mehmet Oz battled in a chaotic event where the candidates lobbed countless attacks at each other in between answering questions from the moderators. Fetterman and Oz squared off for an hour Tuesday night on the WHTM-TV...
Police get DNA from Belle Vernon man accused in New Year’s road rage killing
DNA from three people was found on the gun used to kill a motorist in a New Year’s Day road rage incident in Rostraver, a Westmoreland County detective testified Tuesday. Since August, investigators have attempted to secure a DNA sample from Anthony Hairston, who was charged with first-degree murder and...
Judge denies defense motion to conduct survey on jurors’ religious affiliation in Tree of Life mass murder case
A federal judge on Monday denied a request by defense attorneys for the man accused of killing 11 people at the Tree of Life synagogue four years ago to conduct an anonymous survey of potential jurors to determine their religious affiliation. In a seven-page opinion, U.S. District Judge Robert J....
Penn State the latest university to grapple with controversial speech
After violent protests erupted Monday night on Penn State’s main campus, the university became the latest to allow a controversial event and bet wrongly that civil discourse would trump unrest. The situation at Penn State unraveled quickly before a scheduled appearance by Proud Boys founder Gavin McInnes, with police —...
Carrick man acquitted in Club Erotica homicide
A jury deliberated for four days before finding a Carrick man not guilty of all counts on Tuesday in the 2021 shooting death of another at Club Erotica in McKees Rocks. Khalil Walls, 27, left the Allegheny County Courthouse a free man. “I truly believe it is the proper verdict,”...
Derry Township man convicted of attempted murder
A Derry Township man told a judge on Tuesday he just wanted to scare a man who he believed had started a fire near his camper when he fired a series of “warning shots” across a rural field. But at least one round struck Jonathan David Corey in the buttocks...
Judge hears closing arguments in federal bird poisoning case
Defense attorneys for two men accused of poisoning dozens of birds at a Lawrence County farm in 2020 because the birds were damaging their soybean crop said that the government’s theory of the case doesn’t make sense. “We’re supposed to believe Robert Yost was so spiteful he just laid that...
Pittsburgh police respond to gunshots fired near 2 Downtown schools
Police responded Tuesday afternoon to gunfire in front of two Downtown Pittsburgh schools. The incident occurred at 3:30 p.m. in the 900 block of Penn Avenue, in front of Urban Pathways K-5 College Charter School and Passport Academy Charter School. “At this time it is not known what led to...
Justices to sort out if mail-in ballot envelopes need dates
HARRISBURG — Senior Pennsylvania elections officials argued in a new court filing Tuesday that handwritten dates on the envelopes that many state voters use to mail in ballots should not be deemed mandatory, in part because of a half-century-old legislative ruling deemphasizing their importance. The filing, made under a compressed...
As Election Day approaches, Wolf and Pa. lawmakers look to push through massive tax incentives for natural gas
Spotlight PA 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. Sign up for our free newsletters. HARRISBURG — Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf and top state lawmakers are hurriedly negotiating a massive economic development package that would encourage...
Jane’s Addiction cancels more concerts following Pittsburgh no-show
If you’re a Jane’s Addiction fan still disappointed about the cancellation of their show scheduled for last Saturday in Pittsburgh, you are not alone. The ‘90s alternative rockers, who were set to open for the Smashing Pumpkins as part of the “Spirits on Fire” tour, have also announced the cancellation...
Allegheny County councilwoman disputes claim that Shuman closure led to spike in gun, youth violence
In the aftermath of last week’s triple homicide on the North Side, Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey blamed increased gun and youth violence, in part, on the closure of Shuman Juvenile Detention Center. “We should have never closed Shuman without a plan,” Gainey said during a news conference related to the...
Building the Valley: David’s Diner in Springdale Twp. marking 10th year of serving crowd-pleasing favorites
There are a lot of reasons to love David’s Diner in Springdale Township. In the 10 years since opening its doors, the tiny diner just downriver from the Ninth Street Bridge has become a neighborhood gathering place with a reputation for serving big portions of delicious food. It also has...
Man found fatally shot in Duquesne
An 18-year-old man was found fatally shot early Tuesday in Duquesne, according to Allegheny County police. Authorities responded about 5:55 a.m. to a report of a man slumped over the driver’s wheel of a car on High Street. When they arrived, they found a man suffering from gunshot wounds. He...
Adidas ends partnership with Ye over antisemitic remarks
LONDON — Adidas ended a partnership that helped make the artist formerly known as Kanye West a billionaire and lent the German sportswear an edgy appeal, but ultimately couldn’t survive a mounting outcry over the rapper’s offensive and antisemitic remarks. The split will leave Adidas searching for another transcendent celebrity...
No Powerball winner — jackpot climbs to $700M
With no one matching all six numbers in Monday night’s Powerball drawing, the jackpot has climbed to $700 million. That would make it the fifth largest Powerball pot of all time and the eighth-largest lottery jackpot ever. Before Monday’s drawing, the jackpot had grown to $625 million, but no one...
State police say Indiana County man was kidnapped, killed
State police are investigating after they say a 19-year-old man was kidnapped and killed in Indiana County. Hayden Robert Garreffa was first reported missing from his East Wheatfield Township home on Thursday. Police found Garreffa’s body early Saturday morning in a remote, wooded area of Brush Valley Township. Indiana County...
Penn State protests lead to last-minute cancellation of Proud Boys founder’s appearance
Penn State University officials canceled a Monday evening appearance by Proud Boys founder Gavin McInnes as protests gained steam outside of the event. “Due to the threat of escalating violence associated with tonight’s event, Penn State University Police determined that it was necessary to cancel the speaking event in the...
Mon Valley air quality prompts another pollution warning
Unfavorable weather conditions led the Allegheny County Health Department to extend a weekend warning about Mon Valley air quality through at least Tuesday morning. On Monday morning, the Mon Valley “experienced one of the strongest weather inversions in some time,” the health department said in a countywide email alert. A...
What’s behind worrying RSV surge in U.S. children’s hospitals?
Children’s hospitals in parts of the U.S. are seeing a surge in a common respiratory illness that can cause severe breathing problems for babies. RSV cases fell dramatically two years ago as the pandemic shut down schools, day cares and businesses. With restrictions easing in the summer of 2021, doctors...
Chinese officers charged in plot to obstruct U.S. Huawei probeVideo
WASHINGTON — Two men suspected of being Chinese intelligence officers have been charged with attempting to obstruct the U.S. criminal investigation and prosecution of Chinese tech giant Huawei, according to court documents unsealed Monday. The cases were announced at a news conference that featured the heads of both the FBI...
Pa. acting secretary of state deals with threats as election approaches
Pennsylvania Acting Secretary of State Leigh M. Chapman said Monday that her office has received threats over the upcoming election. “It is the misinformation that is really fueling these threats,” said Chapman in a press call. She said the Department of State has been in communication with the FBI and...
First defendant sentenced for unlawful restraint of North Huntingdon teen
A Greene County man was sentenced to three and a half to seven years in a state prison Monday for his role in the kidnapping of a 17-year-old North Huntingdon resident last year. James K. Maskil, 28, of Graysville, pleaded guilty to unlawful restraint, criminal trespass and a weapons violation....
Allegheny Township man gets up to 73 years for multiple rapes
Three women who Eric A. Wright was convicted of sexually assaulting pleaded with Judge Meagan Bilik-DeFazio on Monday to hand down a harsh sentence, saying they feared he would continue racking up more victims if freed. “The man probably should never see the light of day again,” one said in...
