Top Local and National News Stories category, Page 955
Key particle weighs in a bit heavy, confounding physicists
The grand explanation physicists use to describe how the universe works may have some major new flaws to patch after a fundamental particle was found to have more mass than scientists thought. “It’s not just something is wrong,” said Dave Toback, a particle physicist at Texas A&M University and a...
Jackson confirmed as 1st Black female high court justice
The Senate confirmed Ketanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme Court on Thursday, shattering a historic barrier by securing her place as the first Black female justice and giving President Joe Biden a bipartisan endorsement for his effort to diversify the court. Jackson, a 51 year-old appeals court judge with nine...
University of Pittsburgh Chancellor Patrick Gallagher to step down
After nine years of leading the University of Pittsburgh, Patrick Gallagher announced Thursday that he intends to step down as chancellor in the summer of 2023. “Serving as chancellor at one of the greatest public research universities in the nation is deeply fulfilling and rewarding,” wrote Gallagher in a message...
Penn Township man accused of killing father, aunt facing competency exam after tantrum in court
A Westmoreland County judge on Thursday ordered a competency exam for a Penn Township man accused in a double homicide following his removal from a courtroom after shouting obscenities and insults at a sheriff’s deputy. Neal M. Hubish, 41, was in the courtroom for a few minutes before he grew...
Pelosi positive for covid-19, was at White House with Biden
WASHINGTON — House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has tested positive for covid-19, a day after appearing unmasked at a White House event with President Joe Biden. Pelosi, D-Calif., received a positive test result for covid-19 and is currently asymptomatic, her spokesman Drew Hammill said Thursday in a tweet. He said she...
New Kensington-Arnold teachers set to strike beginning Monday
Teachers in the New Kensington-Arnold School District will walk off the job Monday if they and the district can’t agree on a new contract by then. The New Kensington-Arnold Education Association sent a formal strike notice to district Superintendent Chris Sefcheck after talks Wednesday night failed to produce a settlement,...
Hopelessness springs eternal for Pirates fans
It’s been a winter of discontent for Pirates fans. It started Dec. 1 when the Pirates traded catcher Jacob Stallings, a player beloved by fans and his teammates, not long after he won a Gold Glove award for his excellent 2021 season. It was perceived by the Pirates faithful as...
McKnight Road reopens after closure for vehicle-pedestrian crash in Ross
A pedestrian was in critical condition after being struck by a vehicle Wednesday evening in Ross Township. The crash happened just after 8 p.m. in the 4500 block of McKnight Road, according to an Allegheny County 911 supervisor. The supervisor said one person was taken from the scene by ambulance...
Arizona AG Mark Brnovich’s letter offers no proof of 2020 election fraud
PHOENIX — Arizona’s Republican attorney general issued an interim report Wednesday on his review of the 2020 election in Maricopa County that outlined his concerns with some election procedures but did not provide proof of any major issues despite six months of investigation. Attorney General Mark Brnovich, who is in...
Dan Scavino, Peter Navarro held in contempt of Congress in Jan. 6 probeVideo
WASHINGTON — Former Trump advisers Peter Navarro and Dan Scavino were held in contempt of Congress on Wednesday for their monthlong refusal to comply with subpoenas rendered by the House committee’s investigation into the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. The two men became the latest members of former...
Greensburg police looking for Indiana County man in connection with daylight SUV theft
Greensburg police have obtained an arrest warrant for an Indiana County man who they accuse of stealing a woman’s SUV as she was filling it with gas Tuesday after receiving a tip regarding the theft, according to court documents. Police are still looking for the suspect, Darryl L. Higgins, 38....
Discrimination lawsuit and investigation dropped against Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
After former Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reporter Alexis Johnson said she was removed from covering Black Lives Matter protests in 2020, she filed a discrimination lawsuit claiming her former employer violated her civil rights. Now, she is dropping the case. Johnson, who is Black, requested to drop her lawsuit in March. On...
It’s just about blooming time for North Park’s cherry blossoms
Each spring, the drab colors of fall and winter are overtaken in North Park by vibrant hues of pink, as the blooms on hundreds of cherry trees planted in the park since 2009 begin flowering. But exactly when the dramatic transformation will happen is a mystery. “We’ve got our best...
Attorneys for accused Tree of Life gunman say they won’t be ready for trial before late 2023
Federal prosecutors say the man accused of killing 11 people at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh’s Squirrel Hill should go to trial in the fall. But defense attorneys for the accused gunman, Robert Bowers, told the newly assigned judge in the case Wednesday that they don’t anticipate being...
No charges to be filed in Jeannette man’s 2019 killing, district attorney says
No criminal charges will be filed in connection with the October 2019 shooting outside a Jeannette home that left one man dead, Westmoreland County District Attorney Nicole Ziccarelli announced Wednesday. Mariell McGowan, 29, an aspiring rapper and former basketball and football star at Jeannette High School, was killed and two...
Pittsburgh poised to adopt ban on plastic grocery bags
Pittsburgh City Council on Wednesday advanced a measure to ban plastic grocery bags, after amending the legislation to drop the costs of paper bags for low-income individuals. The legislation, introduced by Councilwoman Erika Strassburger in November, would ban single-use plastic bags in most instances. Shoppers would instead have to bring...
Pirates to serve up Pittsburgh food and drink this season at PNC Park
The Pirates and PNC Park teamed with restaurants and chefs to bring a taste of Pittsburgh into the stadium this baseball season. New menu items include Fat Head’s beer from the South Side, a burger from Station in Bloomfield, and a Reuben hot dog topped with house-made corned beef from...
Feds announce disruption of Russian malware attack in operation aided by Pittsburgh FBI, U.S. Attorney’s office
The U.S. Department of Justice announced a series of measures Wednesday to combat Russian criminal activity, including an operation to disrupt a malware program that officials said would have allowed the Russian government to control thousands of infected security devices around the world. The operation to disrupt the “Cyclops Blink”...
Westmoreland DA says solving Cassandra Gross case from 2018 remains a priority
Westmoreland County District Attorney Nicole Ziccarelli said solving the 2018 disappearance of Cassandra Gross is a priority for prosecutors. “This is one of the cases that was at the forefront of my mind when I took office (in January),” Ziccarelli said. “We are very committed to this case.” She’s had...
Trial for New Florence man accused of assault of deputy sheriff delayed
The trial of a former New Florence man previously acquitted of killing a police officer and now accused of assaulting a Westmoreland County deputy sheriff has been delayed until at least June. Ray Shetler Jr., 37, appeared in court this week for a procedural hearing to determine if his trial...
Victim in fatal Butler crash identified
A 47-year-old woman was the victim in a fatal crash near Slippery Rock in Butler County early Tuesday morning, state police at Butler said. Ruth A. Alben of Slippery Rock was killed when the vehicle she was driving eastbound on Branchton Road went through a flashing red traffic signal without...
Mariupol’s dead put at 5,000 as Ukraine braces in the east
ANDRIIVKA, Ukraine — The mayor of the besieged port city of Mariupol put the number of civilians killed there at more than 5,000 Wednesday, as Ukraine collected evidence of Russian atrocities on the ruined outskirts of Kyiv and braced for what could become a climactic battle for control of the...
Trib Total Media to co-host political debates ahead of Pa. primary election
Trib Total Media, in partnership with Spotlight PA and its founding members, will co-host debates this month featuring candidates for Pennsylvania governor and the state’s open U.S. Senate seat ahead of the spring primary. The gubernatorial debate features Republican candidates Joe Gale, Charlie Gerow, Melissa Hart and Nche Zama. It...
Future of covid boosters comes down to crucial meeting of FDA advisers
An all-star panel of covid-19 experts will convene this week to hash out how and when vaccines should be updated to address future variants as the virus continues to rapidly mutate. The meeting of U.S. Food and Drug Administration advisers should provide some of the first hints of its strategy...
Woman taken to hospital after car goes into Monongahela River in Braddock
Braddock police reported that a woman’s car went into the Monongahela River from a boat launch ramp late Tuesday night. Police said they are investigating the incident that occurred around 11:30 p.m. Tuesday but declined to discuss details. The woman was rescued and taken to an area hospital, a police...
