May 27, 2025 6:07 pm
NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. says COVID-19 vaccines are no longer recommended for healthy children and pregnant women. In a 58-second video posted on the social media site X, Kennedy said he removed COVID-19 shots from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s recommendations for those groups. No one from the CDC was in the video. U.S. health officials, following recommendations by infectious disease experts, have been urging annual COVID-19 boosters for all Americans ages 6 months and older. A CDC scientific advisory panel is set to meets in June and will consider recommending vaccination for high-risk groups but still giving lower-risk people the choice in getting a shot. But Kennedy decided not to wait. (Photo: AP)
May 27, 2025 5:57 pm
National Weather Service officials confirm a fourth tornado blew through a Western Pennsylvania community during storms on May 21st. In addition to a single tornado that hit in the East Finley area, the NWS says there was also a “brief tornado” just east of Cross Creek County Park. Through damage reports and radar data, the agency labeled the tornado as an EF-0 with estimated peak winds of 65 mph. NWS officials say the tornado, which was on the ground for less than two miles, mostly damaged trees and removed the fascia from a home.
May 27, 2025 5:16 pm
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — U.S. Sen. David McCormick says an arrangement for Japan-based Nippon Steel to invest in U.S. Steel will guarantee an American CEO, a majority of U.S. board members and U.S. government approval over certain corporate functions. McCormick spoke Tuesday on CNBC, four days after President Donald Trump suggested that an agreement on a “partnership” was at hand to resolve Nippon Steel’s nearly $15 billion bid to buy U.S. Steel that has been blocked on national security grounds. Trump said Sunday that U.S. Steel will be “controlled by the United States.” Many aspects outlined by McCormick and Trump have been floated previously by Nippon Steel, but Nippon Steel isn’t saying if it’s agreed to this deal.
May 27, 2025 12:31 pm
FAIRMONT, W.Va. (AP) — American gymnastics icon Mary Lou Retton faces a misdemeanor charge of driving under the influence following her arrest in her West Virginia hometown. Fairmont police stopped Retton on May 17 following a report about a person in a Porsche driving erratically. According to the criminal complaint, Retton smelled of alcohol and was slurring her words, and she failed a field sobriety test. Officers also reported observing a container of wine in the passenger seat. Retton, 57, refused a roadside breath test and a blood test. She was released from custody after paying a $1,500 personal recognizance bond. Her attorney listed in court records, Edmund J. Rollo of Morgantown, did not immediately respond to phone and email requests from The Associated Press seeking comment. Retton was 16 when she became the first American female gymnast to win the all-around at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics. She also won two silver and two bronze medals to help bring gymnastics into the mainstream in the United States. (Photo: AP)
May 27, 2025 10:26 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration is asking federal agencies to cancel remaining contracts with Harvard University worth about $100 million. That’s according to a senior administration official Tuesday. The official spoke on condition of anonymity to describe internal deliberations. The government already has canceled more than $2.6 billion in federal research grants for the Ivy League school, which has pushed back on the administration’s demands for changes to several of its policies. Cuts to contracts could take away millions more from Harvard’s budget.
May 27, 2025 10:27 am
NEW YORK (AP) — National Public Radio and three local stations are suing President Donald Trump, arguing that an executive order aimed at cutting federal funding for the organization is illegal. The lawsuit was filed Tuesday in federal court in Washington by NPR, Colorado Public Radio, Aspen Public Radio and KUTE, Inc. It argues that Trump’s executive order to slash public subsidies to PBS and NPR violates the First Amendment. Trump issued the executive order earlier this month that instructs the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and other federal agencies “to cease Federal funding for NPR and PBS” and requires that they work to root out indirect sources of public financing for the news organizations.
May 27, 2025 4:50 am
A Southwest Airlines flight bound for Maryland returned to Pittsburgh International Airport after receiving a “maintenance indication,” officials say. A Southwest spokesperson says Flight 1399 landed safely after receiving the indication Monday morning. The crew followed safety procedures, and the plane landed without issue, the spokesperson says. The plane will be evaluated before returning to service. The flight was bound for Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport. Southwest apologizes for any inconvenience to customers and will accommodate them to their final destination as soon as possible, the spokesperson says.
May 27, 2025 4:44 am
CLAIRTON, Pa. — (WPXI) – A man was shot and killed at a picnic in Clairton on Sunday. The Allegheny County Police Department said officers were called to the 300 block of Division Street at 9:32 p.m. for the reported shooting, finding a man dead on scene. The medical examiner later identified that man as Brendan Parsons, 23. Police said Parsons was shot during an argument at the picnic. Another man was detained on scene, but was later released. Parsons was a star quarterback in high school. Anyone with information concerning this incident is asked to call the county police tip line at 1-833-all-tips. Callers can remain anonymous.
May 27, 2025 4:51 am
PITTSBURGH — If you are spending any time outside, you likely are feeling symptoms like watery and itchy eyes or inflamed sinuses. It’s a prime time for allergies and doctors told Channel 11 this year is much worse. “We have really high counts of pollen allergies, like tree pollen, grass pollen and flower pollen are starting to come out now. So, what is happening now, although it’s getting beautiful outside, those of us with allergies are starting to suffer,” said Dr. Brian Lamb with Allegheny Health Network. Spring has sprung early when it comes to the pollen count outside, which means more people are suffering the symptoms. So, no matter the weather right now, the pollen will impact you, so what can you do? “If it’s going to be nice and warm for a few days, actually think about keeping your windows shut, and if you have air conditioning, use that instead. If you just have your furnace running low without heat, that’s good to circulate the air through the filters,” Dr. Lamb said. When it comes to medication, Dr. Lamb recommends a steroid nasal spray or just a traditional over-the-counter antihistamine. He suggests avoiding the decongestants, as they can lead to other medical problems if overused.
May 26, 2025 4:55 am
ARLINGTON, Va. (AP) — President Donald Trump has paid tribute to fallen service members during a Memorial Day ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery. He honored what he called the “great, great warriors” Monday, yet veered into politics, boasting that he’s fixing the country after “a long and hard four years.” Although the holiday is typically a solemn one, Trump began it with an all-caps Memorial Day message that attacked his predecessor and called federal judges who have blocked his deportation initiatives “monsters who want our country to go to hell.” More than 400,000 are laid to rest at Arlington National Cemetery, and there he commemorated the sacrifice of the fallen.
