Top Stories category, Page 221
Some House Republicans threaten Trump’s ‘big, beautiful’ budget and tax cut bill ahead of floor vote
WASHINGTON — Despite a shove from President Donald Trump, House Republicans abruptly postponed a vote late Wednesday on their budget framework, unable to convince conservative GOP holdouts who had raised grave misgivings over allowing trillions of dollars in tax breaks without deeper spending cuts. Speaker Mike Johnson almost dared the...
Former Indiana Township man who induced sexually explicit images from minor sentenced to 20 years
A former Indiana Township resident was sentenced Wednesday to two decades in prison for receiving material depicting the sexual exploitation of a minor, according to federal prosecutors in Pittsburgh. Cam John Zmenkowski, 28, persuaded a minor to send him nude and sexually explicit images and videos from August to September...
‘I only have a semester left’: Carnegie Mellon student among those whose visas were terminated
Jayson Ma received the same email as everyone else at Carnegie Mellon University on Monday afternoon. The message, sent by the provost, announced the federal government had terminated the visas for two of Carnegie Mellon’s current international students, making them ineligible to continue studying in the United States. “I was...
Judges to bar U.S. from using Alien Enemies Act to deport some Venezuelans held in Texas, New York
McALLEN, Texas — Judges in Texas and New York on Wednesday said they would temporarily bar the U.S. government from deporting Venezuelans jailed in parts of those two states while their lawyers challenge the Trump administration’s use of a rarely-invoked law letting presidents imprison and deport noncitizens in times of...
Trump administration appeals court decision ordering AP journalists back into White House events
The Trump administration said Wednesday it would appeal a federal court decision that ordered it to re-admit Associated Press journalists to White House events on First Amendment grounds. The government filed a notice of appeal early Wednesday afternoon on behalf of the three officials sued by the AP — White...
Driver run over by own garbage truck sues Penn Township, property owner for negligence
A garbage truck driver has filed a lawsuit against Penn Township and a resident, claiming he was run over by his own truck after it struck a leaning and overhanging tree. Tyler Spade of Uniontown, a driver for Republic Services, which provides garbage removal services in Penn Township, claims he...
Joe Rutter: Discarded Bucco Bricks are more than just pieces of stone
My father didn’t like to ruin surprises, which is why I learned about my Bucco Brick from a fellow sportswriter on Opening Day of the 2001 season. While PNC Park was being constructed late last century, the Pirates held a campaign to sell personalized bricks that would adorn the sidewalks...
Independence Health cuts 151 workers, locations not specified
Independence Health System is laying off 151 employees as it looks to cut costs. Kelly Skoloda, chief marketing and communications officer for the financially challenged regional health care provider, confirmed the staff cuts Wednesday in a statement mirroring a message sent to employees by the system’s president and CEO, Ken...
‘We keep the country running’: Federal workers rally in Pittsburgh for union rights
Maria Snell feels her work as an Internal Revenue Service contact representative is under attack. She worries about her job, given President Donald Trump’s recent efforts to slash the size of the federal workforce and end collective bargaining with federal labor unions. “Federal jobs, they used to be secure,” Snell...
Trump limits tariffs on most nations for 90 days, raises taxes on Chinese imports
WASHINGTON — Facing a global market meltdown, President Donald Trump on Wednesday abruptly backed off his tariffs on most nations for 90 days even as he further jacked up the tax rate on Chinese imports to 125%. It was seemingly an attempt to narrow what had been an unprecedented trade...
‘It is a public hazard’: Waste-filled New Kensington sinkhole alarms neighbors
What started as a sewer repair in a New Kensington alley has devolved into a public safety and health hazard, neighbors say. “It’s technically not a sinkhole, but it turned into one,” said Vince Davis, who owns property nearby. “The hole originally was like (the width of) a manhole, 13...
New Pittsburgh Airport terminal cost now pegged at $1.7B as project nears completion
The $1.7 billion Pittsburgh International Airport modernization project is hundreds of millions more than initially planned. Inflation isn’t solely to blame for the rising cost of the project, Allegheny County Airport Authority CEO Christina Cassotis said in a statement. Instead, the authority is performing other maintenance and improvement work at...
Fetterman writes column on importance of weight loss drugs
U.S. Sen. John Fetterman says there is a drug on the market that has changed his life: Mounjaro. The drug, generally prescribed for Type 2 diabetes and weight loss, has also been touted for its heart health benefits. Fetterman suffered a stroke in May 2022. In a New York Times...
Wall Street surges to one of its best days since WWII after Trump pauses many of his tariffsVideo
NEW YORK — Stocks soared to one of their best days in history on a euphoric Wall Street Wednesday after President Donald Trump said he would back off on most of his tariffs temporarily, as investors had so desperately hoped he would. The S&P 500 surged 9.5%, an amount that...
Are you smarter than a 6th grader? Western Pa. middle schoolers compete in Civics Bee
Which unmet constitutional standard did James Madison and Thomas Jefferson cite in their arguments against establishing a national bank? If your answer to that query was not the “Necessary and Proper Clause,” you may not have performed well against the 18 middle school students who competed in the Civics Bee...
Allegheny County chief public defender placed on administrative leave
Allegheny County Chief Public Defender Lena Bryan-Henderson is on paid administrative leave pending an ongoing human resources investigation. “The county prioritizes dignity and respect for all our employees, and we will not comment on personnel matters,” said county spokeswoman Abigail Gardner. Bryan-Henderson, who was appointed in January 2024, had no...
China raises its retaliatory tariff on the U.S. to 84% as it vows to ‘fight to the end’
BANGKOK — China again vowed to “fight to the end” Wednesday in an escalating trade war with the U.S. as it announced it would raise tariffs on American goods to 84% from Thursday. Beijing also added an array of countermeasures after U.S. President Donald Trump raised the total tariff on...
Trump disrupts global economic order even though U.S. is dominant
WASHINGTON — By declaring a trade war on the rest of the world, President Donald Trump has panicked global financial markets, raised the risk of a recession and broken the political and economic alliances that made much of the world stable for business after World War II. Trump’s latest round...
At $24.5 million, Norwin stadium project bids come in lower than expected
Demolishing the Norwin Knights stadium’s home grandstand, rebuilding the bleachers and renovating the multisport facility is expected to cost less than the $25 million estimate the district received last year. R.A. Glancy & Sons Inc. of Hampton submitted the apparent low bid of $19.9 million for the general construction work. There...
‘An officer-wellness move’: Local police departments transitioning to longer shifts
When Washington Township police officers had the idea more than a year ago to work longer shifts, Chief Jason Montgomery was all ears. Since January 2024, Montgomery has been scheduling officers for three 12-hour shifts per week instead of five eight-hour shifts. Officers say they have a better work-life balance...
Pirates left to explain why personalized ‘Bucco Bricks’ from PNC Park ended up on scrap heap
In the latest of a series of events aggravating the team’s fans, the Pittsburgh Pirates issued a statement Tuesday explaining the appearance of commemorative bricks once displayed outside PNC Park at a recycling center. The “Bucco Bricks” program began in 1999. For $75-$150, fans could personalize a message on a...
Pa. mine safety, research offices targeted for closure as president touts coal
The health and safety of coal miners could be in danger if the Trump administration eliminates mine safety employees, including those working at the Mine Safety and Health Administration office in Hempfield that oversees nine states, according to a union official. The Trump administration’s Department of Government Efficiency has trumpeted...
IRS acting commissioner resigning after deal to share immigrants’ tax information with ICE
WASHINGTON — The acting comissioner of the Internal Revenue Service is resigning over a deal to share immigrants’ tax data with Immigration and Customs Enforcement for the purpose of identifying and deporting people illegally in the U.S., according to two people familiar with the decision. Melanie Krause, who had served...
Lawsuit filed against driver, delivery company by family of woman killed in Oakland hit-and-run
The estate of a woman struck and killed in Oakland last year is suing the driver and his employer. Brian Maroney’s wife, Jessie Maroney, was killed on Dec. 5 as she crossed the road at Darragh and Terrace streets. According to the lawsuit, she was near the middle of the...
Staff cuts, health care savings put dent in Pine-Richland’s budget deficit
Savings in health care and those expected from staff cuts are putting a dent in the deficit that the Pine-Richland School District is forecasting for the 2025-26 school year. In addition to not replacing several departing employees, the school board also is being asked to consider increases in student activity...
