Ryan Deto stories, Page 23

An Allegheny County pilot program geared toward lower-income transit riders has experienced high demand in its first six months and advocates say the statistics make a strong case for expanding the program. Nearly 16,000 people applied to take part in a program that provides free and discounted rides to people...

State Rep. Sara Innamorato declared victory Tuesday night in the crowded Democratic primary race for county executive, unofficial tallies showed. With more than 169,000 votes tallied and 98% of precincts reporting results, Innamorato had collected 37.6% of the votes counted compared with 29.5% for John Weinstein, 19.8% for Pittsburgh Controller...

Pittsburgh’s largest tech company is expanding, but not in the sense the language app’s users might think. The East Liberty-based Duolingo is opening a full-service Mexican restaurant and bar next door to its offices on Penn Avenue. The restaurant, called Duo’s Taqueria, will be open starting Tuesday. Duolingo’s venture into...

Voters will go to the polls Tuesday with a slew of political races on the ballot. Allegheny County will be picking a Democratic nominee in a six-candidate race for county executive, while the county’s longtime district attorney is facing possibly his toughest primary challenge in more than two decades. There...

Longtime Allegheny County District Attorney Stephen A. Zappala Jr. is facing chief public defender Matt Dugan in a Democratic primary race featuring candidates with widely divergent views. Zappala has garnered headlines during the campaign for targeting security measures at Kennywood amusement park, while Dugan has been boosted by large sums...

Allegheny County executive candidates — and groups aggressively campaigning on behalf of some of them — are making their closing arguments to voters with less than a week to go until Tuesday’s primary. State Rep. Sara Innamorato, D-Lawrenceville, has appeared to gain some momentum, with a recent poll showing her...

Two political rivals in Allegheny County government are sparring again, this time over a proposal to raise the minimum wage for county workers to $20 an hour. Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald claims the county council bill is legally flawed. Allegheny County Councilwoman Bethany Hallam, one of the sponsors of...

The Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority filed for a proposed rate increase Tuesday that could raise water rates by nearly 60% for more than 300,000 customers in Pittsburgh and surrounding areas. PWSA said the proposed rate increases would pay for mandated infrastructure improvements, as well as bring water and sewer...

The popular gastropub Fuel and Fuddle in Oakland announced Tuesday that it will close this month, citing increased rent and other issues. The restaurant at 212 Oakland St. in Pittsburgh is a favorite with college students and located close to the University of Pittsburgh’s campus. It has been open for...

Candidates for Allegheny County executive have raised more than $3 million this year, a record haul for the race for the county’s top elected position. Five of the six Democratic candidates submitted campaign finance reports by the May 5 deadline. They included former County Councilman Dave Fawcett, state Rep. Sara...

Get your wheels ready, Bike to Work Day hits Pittsburgh on May 19. And hosts and sponsors of the event are offering a litany of perks to encourage as many cyclists to commute to work as possible. The nonprofit advocacy group Bike Pittsburgh and other sponsors are hosting four pop-up...

After a protracted battle appeared to be settled over a proposed 10-story apartment building in Pittsburgh’s Shadyside neighborhood, another barrier has been put up by a neighborhood resident. Last month, Lania Rubio of Shadyside appealed a March Pittsburgh zoning board ruling in Allegheny County Common Pleas Court. She is asking...

The country’s most prominent progressive politician is endorsing state Rep. Sara Innamorato in the race for Allegheny County’s highest elected office. The endorsement from U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., came Tuesday as a poll in the race for county executive showed Innamorato surging into the lead among Democratic candidates. Sanders,...

The U.S. House passed a resolution last week honoring America’s relationship with Israel on the 75th anniversary of its independence, but U.S. Rep. Summer Lee, D-Swissvale, was part of a small group of representatives to vote against the bill. House Resolution 311 passed with bipartisan support on a 401-19 vote....

The new combination of two beloved Pittsburgh beverages — Turner’s iced tea and Iron City Beer — is back on the shelves. Pittsburgh Brewing Company’s new creation, IC’d Tea, hit shelves across Southwestern Pennsylvania in mid-April. Demand was strong and about a week later it had completely sold out, said...

The U.S. House passed a resolution last week honoring America’s relationship with Israel on the 75th anniversary of its independence, but U.S. Rep. Summer Lee, D-Swissvale, was part of a small group of representatives to vote against the bill. House Resolution 311 passed with bipartisan support on a 401-19 vote....

Pennsylvania created a new law Monday that will require insurers to cover preventive breast and ovarian cancer screenings for high-risk women at no cost. In doing so, the state became the first in the nation to establish such a law. The bill was introduced by Senate President Pro Tempore Kim...

The polio vaccine was created by Dr. Jonas Salk at a University of Pittsburgh laboratory about 70 years ago, and Pitt is honoring that legacy by opening a public exhibit of Salk’s personal equipment to remind visitors and students of the importance of vaccines to public health. The exhibit spans...

The state House nearly unanimously passed a bill Wednesday to officially recognize Diwali, the Hindu Festival of Lights celebrated in the fall. State Rep. Arvind Venkat, D-McCandless, introduced the bill and celebrated its passing. Venkat is the first Indian-American representative in Pennsylvania state House history. “This legislation is important in...

President Joe Biden announced his reelection campaign Tuesday, and the Pittsburgh region could again prove pivotal for his chances at returning to the White House. “There is no doubt that Allegheny County is going to be pivotal to whoever the candidates are on both sides,” said Duquesne University political science...

A train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio near the Pennsylvania border in February spilled toxic chemicals into a stream, immediately prompting concerns about the area’s soil and water quality. Initial testing done by federal agencies showed treated municipal water, well water, and soil in the area were safe. Additional testing...

Three-term Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald has finally doled out support for who he wants to replace his position as the top elected official in the county. Fitzgerald, a Democrat, on Monday endorsed Pittsburgh Controller Michael Lamb in the Democratic primary for Allegheny County Executive. Fitzgerald is term-limited and has...

A $280 billion pot of federal funding was made available last year when the federal CHIPS and Science Act was signed into law, and at least one Westmoreland County manufacturer is ready to expand rapidly if it can gain access to some of those funds. Powerex Inc. said it could...

A Pittsburgh animal shelter got an unwanted visitor sometime overnight, and it wasn’t an animal. The East Side domestic shelter of the Humane Animal Rescue of Pittsburgh was apparently hit by a vehicle after the Homewood shelter closed on Wednesday evening. The exterior brick wall of the shelter suffered significant...

The Allegheny County Election Division is opening its over-the-counter voting kiosk Thursday for people to complete and submit mail-in ballots for the May Primary Election. The kiosk is located in the Allegheny County Office Building in Downtown Pittsburgh and functions as a de facto early vote center where registered voters...