Top Stories category, Page 8
Springdale Council members say they legally had little choice in data center approval
Despite significant pushback from residents and environmental groups, Springdale Council members said they were powerless to reject a proposed data center project in the borough. Council voted, 5-2, Tuesday to approve a conditional-use application from land developer Allegheny DC Property Co. to build a massive AI data center at the...
Kettle bell ringers in short supply as Salvation Army struggles to meet area donation goals
Salvation Army leaders in Latrobe, Greensburg and the Allegheny Valley are looking to make up ground in their annual Red Kettle Campaigns, as donations to date are far short of the amounts they’re hoping to raise by Christmas. As of Dec. 17, the Salvation Army service center in Latrobe had...
Annual Christmas Bird Count channels ‘addictive’ activity for scientific good
As Annie Lindsay drove her black Honda CR-V Saturday morning on a road splitting a Cook Township meadow, she had a premonition, earned by roughly two decades of studying birds. “There should be hawks in here,” she said. A few seconds later, the car was in park. Lindsay, 44, of...
U.S. military launches strikes in Syria targeting Islamic State fighters after American deaths
WASHINGTON — The Trump administration launched military strikes Friday in Syria to “eliminate” Islamic State group fighters and weapons sites in retaliation for an ambush attack that killed two U.S. troops and an American civilian interpreter almost a week ago. A U.S. official described it as “a large-scale” strike that...
Justice Department begins releasing long-awaited files tied to Epstein sex trafficking investigation
WASHINGTON — The Justice Department released thousands of files Friday from its investigation into convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein even as it acknowledged that its documents disclosure about the wealthy financier, known for his connections to President Donald Trump and other influential people, was incomplete. The records arrived with public...
Pittsburgh Public Schools student dies after being hit by sliding vehicle in Carrick
A Pittsburgh Public Schools student has died after being struck by a vehicle in Pittsburgh’s Carrick neighborhood. District officials said the deceased girl is Ishara Kami, 17, a senior at Carrick High School. Police responded to a vehicle versus pedestrian accident at about 2:50 p.m. Friday at the intersection of...
Hoffmann group agrees to buy Penguins from Fenway Sports Group
The long-speculated sale of the Pittsburgh Penguins has been formally agreed to. On Friday, incumbent owner Fenway Sports Group and prospective owner Hoffmann Family of Companies announced they had “entered into a definitive agreement for the Hoffmanns to acquire a controlling interest in the Pittsburgh Penguins.” Any deal would require...
Shapiro designates $5M to state-funded research to tackle neuro diseases
Gov. Josh Shapiro chose the University of Pittsburgh as the backdrop Friday to unveil a new $5 million research grant in the state’s 2025-26 budget — a nod to Pitt’s prominent role in neurodegenerative disease research. Scientists based in Pitt’s Biomedical Science Tower in Oakland walked Shapiro and state Health...
District attorney seeks temporary closure of New Kensington Elks Lodge
Thirty-two incidents at the New Kensington Elks Lodge over the past three years — including a fatal shooting this month — have led the Westmoreland County District Attorney’s Office to ask a judge to temporarily shut down the club for at least one year. The district attorney’s office Friday filed...
Amazon launches Western Pa. same-day delivery facility
The first-ever Amazon same-day delivery facility in Western Pennsylvania has launched in Imperial — aligning with last-minute holiday shopping. The fulfillment center is 191,000 square feet, and it will bring over 100 full- and part-time jobs across Allegheny County, according to Amazon. “The opening of this new facility in Imperial...
Strip District scaffolding collapse damages vehicles
A section of scaffolding collapsed Friday morning at a Strip District construction site, damaging multiple vehicles. The developer of the six-story, mixed-use building told TribLive it’s “too soon to say” whether gusty winds triggered it. No injuries were reported after the scaffolding fell around 10 a.m., according to the developer...
Supreme Court sides with immigration judges in speech case for now, rebuffing Trump administration
WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court sided with immigration judges on Friday, rebuffing the Trump administration for now in a case with possible implications for federal workers as the justices weigh expanding presidential firing power. The decision is a technical step in a long-running case, but it touches on the effects...
Pitt’s new AI hub aims to make artificial intelligence practical for students and their careers
The University of Pittsburgh’s strategy surrounding artificial intelligence will be practical, supporting students and the workforce, said Michael Colaresi, newly named director of the academic Hub for AI and Data Science Leadership. “We’re going to be a welcoming and visible front door for AI in the academic mission,” Colaresi said...
Brown attack suspect died the two days before his body was found, autopsy finds
An autopsy determined that the man suspected in last weekend’s attack at Brown University and the fatal shooting of a Massachusetts Institute of Technology professor days later had been dead for two days when his body was found, New Hampshire’s attorney general’s office said Friday Authorities found Claudio Neves Valente,...
Pirates acquire big bat in 2-time All-Star second baseman Brandon Lowe in 3-team deal
The Pittsburgh Pirates entered the offseason seeking to add a hitter with pop to their anemic offense, with the expectation that it would address their needs for a corner infielder and outfielder. After swinging and missing on sluggers Josh Naylor and Kyle Schwarber in free agency, the Pirates opted to...
Mark Madden: Mario Lemieux doesn’t need to save the Penguins again
The Pittsburgh Penguins’ ownership transition from Fenway Sports Group to the Chicago-based Hoffmann Family of Companies could be tricky. (Like any transfer of a business worth over a billion dollars.) But one thing is certain: Mario Lemieux will not ride in on a white horse to save the Penguins. Hasn’t he...
Murrysville approves $7 monthly stormwater fee despite equity concerns
Murrysville property owners will see a new $7 monthly stormwater fee starting next year, after council members approved a measure aimed at fixing the municipality’s aging infrastructure and meeting state environmental mandates. Prior to the 5-1 vote this week, council members debated whether the fee — which the Pennsylvania Commonwealth...
Students say arts programs at PennWest California are in jeopardy
Students at Pennsylvania Western University’s California campus fear that planned academic program changes could result in the loss of its art programs. Koa Knopsnider, 19, is petitioning the university to not sunset the arts programs at the California campus. The online petition has purportedly reached more than 1,100 signatures within...
Pittsburgh media personality Guy Junker turned love of sports into a winning career
Editor’s note: The following story was submitted for the Shaler Area Student Section, a collaboration between TribLive and The Oracle, the student newspaper of Shaler Area High School. Pittsburgh sports have changed a lot over the past 45 years, but one thing has managed to stay the same: Guy Junker....
Morning Roundup: Police arrest 2 suspects over gun, drugs; pet owners warned of scammers targeting missing animals
Here are some of the latest news items from this morning, Friday, Dec. 19: Police arrest 2 suspects over gun, drugs Pittsburgh police say they arrested two men and confiscated a gun and drugs Thursday after reports that one of the men brandished a gun at a maintenance worker Downtown...
Trisha Yearwood melds country and Christmas spirit with PSO at Heinz Hall
We’re on the one-week countdown to Christmas, and yet, it can still be a struggle to get into the holiday spirit for some. Clearly, country superstar Trisha Yearwood sensed the need for a boost in all things merry and bright — with her “Christmastime with Trisha Yearwood: 12 Days of...
Salem teen bullish on rodeo riding competition, claims national title
Jack Brentzel has suffered bruised legs, a broken wrist and has been thrown too many times to count. But that hasn’t stopped the Greensburg Salem High School sophomore from pursuing his passion for competitive bull riding. Brentzel, 16, has been at it for 10 years, perfecting his skill at hanging...
Trump suspends green card lottery program that let Brown University, MIT shootings suspect into U.S.
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump suspended the green card lottery program on Thursday that allowed the suspect in the Brown University and MIT shootings to come to the United States. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said in a post on the social platform X that at Trump’s direction she is...
Flight 93 National Memorial completes ‘Flight Path’ renovation in advance of 25th anniversary
A critical piece of the Flight 93 National Memorial in Somerset County has been restored to its original vision just in time for a milestone year. The nonprofit Friends of Flight 93 announced the completion of a $500,000 renovation of the “Flight Path,” a walkway that traces the final trajectory...
Trump’s blockade of sanctioned Venezuelan oil raises new questions about legality
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump’s “blockade” of sanctioned oil tankers off Venezuela’s coast is raising new questions about the legality of his military campaign in Latin America, while fueling concerns that the U.S. could be edging closer to war. The Trump administration says its blockade is narrowly tailored and not...
