January 31, 2026 4:28 am
[PITTSBURGH] Bishop Mark Eckman of the Catholic Diocese is Pittsburgh is urging church goers to take heed this weekend for services. Eckman is reminding the faithtul to prioritize person health and safety when deciding on whether to attend Mass this weekend. The church encourages the obligation to attend mass is serious and important, this also includes circumstances such as dangerous weather conditions. The Diocese also says that some areas still have snow-covered streets icy parking lots and dangerously cold wind chills. Eckman says that that parishoners should be prudent when deciding to attend mass. If parishioners are unable to attend Mass in person, they are encouraged to sanctify the Lord’s day through prayer, reading Sacred Scripture or participating in livestreamed or televised Mass.
January 31, 2026 3:59 am
GOMA, Congo (AP) — Rebel authorities in eastern Congo say at least 200 people were killed in a landslide at coltan mines. The collapse happened Wednesday due to heavy rains at the Rubaya mines, controlled by M23 rebels. Many victims remain buried in the mud. Several others were injured and taken to health facilities in Rubaya. The rebel-appointed governor has halted mining and ordered relocations near the site. Congo is a major supplier of coltan, a black metallic ore that contains the rare metal tantalum, a key component in the production of smartphones, computers and aircraft engines. Rubaya alone provides more than 15% of the world’s supply of the metal. Conflict in eastern Congo has created one of the world’s largest humanitarian crises with more than 7 million people displaced. [AP Photo]
January 31, 2026 4:17 am
HARRISBURG — Attorney General Dave Sunday announced Friday that the former director of a southwestern Pennsylvania youth football league is charged with diverting nearly a quarter-of-a-million dollars in league assets to personal accounts. William Spencer, 57, was director of the Washington/Greene Youth Football League — now known as the Western Pennsylvania Youth Football League (WPYFL) — from 2013 until he resigned in March 2025. During that time, Spencer diverted league funds to his accounts to fund credit cards, bolster a retirement account, and make various purchases at Amazon, restaurants, and other retailers. The Office of Attorney General’s Financial Crimes Section charged Spencer this week with felony and misdemeanor counts of theft by unlawful taking and receiving stolen property, and two misdemeanor counts of misapplication of entrusted property. He is currently not in custody. In total, Spencer is accused of fraudulently wroting 187 checks payable to himself from WPYFL’s accounts, totaling about $230,000, from January 4, 2020, through February 18, 2025. Additionally, Spencer made direct payments totaling over $3,000 from WPYFL’s accounts to accounts in his and/or his wife’s name, without the knowledge or consent of WPYFL.
January 30, 2026 10:39 am
NEW YORK (AP) — A judge has ruled that federal prosecutors can’t seek the death penalty against Luigi Mangione in the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. U.S. District Judge Margaret Garnett’s ruling Friday foiled the Trump administration’s bid to see Mangione executed for what it called a “premeditated, cold-blooded assassination that shocked America.” Garnett dismissed a federal murder charge against Mangione, finding that it was technically flawed. She left in place stalking charges that carry a maximum punishment of life in prison.
January 30, 2026 2:30 am
An investigation by the DEP and the EPA is underway into an explosion at the Langeloth Metallurgical Plant Thursday evening. Smith Township Fire Chief Brandon Kriznik said the explosion – in the 10 block of Langeloth Plant Road happened just after six, while a tanker was trying to transport chemicals. Firefighters said the spill was brought under control quickly, and because all chemicals were contained, nothing dangerous was released into the air and there is no threat to the public. Authorities say four people were hurt and taken to the hospital, and that included the truck driver and three plant employees, but they didn’t release any information on the nature of the injuries. The plant is currently shut down. Authorities say the blast was heard for miles.
January 30, 2026 6:55 am
PITTSBURGH — The woman pulled from her vehicle after it plunged into the Mon River died at the hospital late Thursday night. An Allegheny County dispatcher said emergency crews were called to the area of the 900 block of Second Avenue in Pittsburgh’s Bluff neighborhood around 4:36 p.m. Dive teams began entering the water at around 5:20 p.m. The victim was removed at around 5:45 p.m. Divers used a rope system and stokes basket to bring up the woman. Medics resuscitated her, and she was taken to a hospital, where she later died. The Medical Examiner’s Office identified the woman who died as Jacinta Stevens, 31, of the West End. Gilchrist commended first responders, including off-duty paramedics who responded and divers who operated in ice and sub-zero temperatures.
January 30, 2026 5:10 am
A Washington man has been sentenced to federal prison for drug trafficking in the northern panhandle of West Virginia. James Howard, 37, was sentenced to 77 months for distributing methamphetamine. Prosecutors say he sold 32 grams of meth to someone in Marshall County. He has multiple prior drug convictions. Howard’s arrest was part of Operation Take Back America.
January 30, 2026 2:40 am
Governor Josh Shapiro called on the Pennsylvania General Assembly on Thursday to take action and send a bill to his desk requiring schools to implement a bell-to-bell ban on cell phones and mobile devices. In a post on X, Governor Shapiro said: “It’s time for us to get distractions out of the classroom and create a healthier environment in our schools. “Students need to spend time focused on learning, on socializing with their peers, and on developing the critical skills they’ll need later in life. “I’m calling on the State Legislature to send a bill to my desk requiring our schools to implement policies that take cell phones and mobile devices out of kids’ hands from the time they start class until the time they leave for home — helping teachers and kids focus on learning.” (Photo: AP)
January 30, 2026 5:16 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — Senate leaders were scrambling to save a bipartisan spending deal and avert a partial government shutdown at midnight Friday as Democrats have demanded new restrictions on federal immigration raids across the country. Democrats struck a rare deal with President Donald Trump Thursday to separate funding for the Homeland Security Department from a broad government spending bill and fund it for two weeks while Congress debates curbs on the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency. The deal came as irate Democrats had vowed to vote against the entire spending bill and trigger a shutdown in the wake of the deaths of two protesters at the hands of federal agents in Minneapolis.
January 30, 2026 8:41 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — Journalist Don Lemon has been arrested after he entered a Minnesota church and recorded anti-immigration enforcement protesters who disrupted a service. The protest Jan. 18 increased tensions between residents and the Trump administration. It is unclear what charge or charges Lemon is facing. The arrest came after a magistrate judge last week rejected prosecutors’ initial bid to charge the journalist. Lemon was taken into custody by federal agents in Los Angeles, where had been covering the Grammy Awards. His lawyer said Lemon will “fight these charges vigorously and thoroughly in court.”
