January 1, 2023 1:10 am
PITTSBURGH (WPXI) — Excitement spanned 14 blocks through Pittsburgh’s Cultural District for Highmark First Night, the 29th year for the event. From two rounds of fireworks to plenty of activities for children, including an ice maze and New Year’s Eve parade, there was something for everyone. The parade started at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center, turning onto Stanwix Street and towards the Allegheny River. People from all over the country had their reasons for wanting to ring in the New Year downtown. Plenty of performers took several outdoor stages throughout the night, with thousands of people projected to attend, most of whom waited patiently until 11:59 for the “Future of Pittsburgh” ball to drop.
February 18, 2022 2:06 pm
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – Daunte Wright’s parents have expressed anger after a judge sentenced the former police officer who killed their son to two years in prison, well below what prosecutors sought. Katie Wright said Friday that Kim Potter “murdered my son” adding, “today the justice system murdered him all over again.” Potter was convicted of manslaughter for fatally shooting Wright, a 20-year-old Black man, as he sought to drive away from police last April at a traffic stop. Potter, who is white, said she meant to grab her Taser. Prosecutors had sought about seven years. Judge Regina Chu said several factors warranted a lesser sentence for Potter. Wright’s father, Arbuey, called the sentence “a slap on the wrist.” (Photo: AP)
March 26, 2021 4:13 am
PITTSBURGH — (WPXI) – Both United Airlines and Southwest Airlines announced passengers will be able to fly to new destinations from Pittsburgh International Airport. According to airport officials, United announced travelers will be able to fly nonstop to Pensacola, Florida; Portland, Maine; and Charleston and Hilton Head, South Carolina. Several hours later, Southwest announced it was adding a route to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. United officials said these seasonal routes will be offered starting Memorial Day and will operate until Labor Day weekend. They will be served using the new Bombardier CRJ-550 jets. Southwest will begin Saturday nonstop service to Myrtle Beach in late May. It will ramp up to five times weekly starting in early June. Spirit and Allegiant both also offer flights to Myrtle Beach from Pittsburgh.
May 27, 2020 9:50 am
WASHINGTON (AP) – President Donald Trump is threatening social media companies with new regulation or even closure after Twitter added fact checks to two of his tweets. Claiming tech giants “silence conservative voices,” Trump tweeted Wednesday that, “We will strongly regulate, or close them down, before we can ever allow this to happen.” The president can’t unilaterally regulate or close social media companies, as that would require action by Congress or the Federal Communications Commission. Trump and his campaign are lashing out after Twitter on Tuesday added a warning phrase to two Trump tweets that called mail-in ballots “fraudulent” and predicted that “mail boxes will be robbed.”
August 8, 2019 9:27 am
WILLOW GROVE, Pa. (AP) – A small plane has crashed in the backyard of an eastern Pennsylvania home, killing three people aboard the aircraft. The single-engine plane went down around 6:20 a.m. Thursday in Willow Grove, shortly after taking off from Northeast Philadelphia Airport. It wasn’t immediately known where it was headed. Upper Moreland Police Chief Michael Murphy says the plane hit several trees before it finally came to rest. He said everyone aboard the plane was killed. The Federal Aviation Administration said three people died in the crash. No one on the ground was injured, and no homes or property were damaged. Officials say the pilot reported a problem shortly after takeoff, but further details were not disclosed. The cause of the crash remains under investigation. The town is about 30 miles north of Philadelphia.
September 20, 2024 4:57 am
As the general election draws near the lawsuits for election voting rules continue to get played out in court. Thursday a ruling was clarified by the Pennsylvania State Supreme Court that effectively dismisses a filing by the Republican National Committee that would require a handwritten date on each mail-in ballot. The ACLU was representing the group of 9 community organizers that were challenging the RNC’s assertion in Allegheny and Philadelphia counties. Originally the ACLU lawyers were seeking to add all 67 counties to the lawsuit but in the move late Thursday afternoon the State Supreme court clarified their ruling so the move is now unnecessary. The other lawsuit in question filed on behalf of the RNC Wednesday was a request for a King’s Bench by the State Supreme Court to make a definitive ruling to not allow ballot curing in the Commonwealth. The current law states counties are “not required” to alert voters of minor mistakes on mail-in ballots, but the law does not state that it is disallowed. ACLU Attorney Vic Walczak (Pictured) says this is a clear voter suppression issue. The King’s Bench power is a discretionary power of the PA Supreme Court that allows the court to consider cases that are not pending so they can address issues of immediate public importance
November 22, 2023 5:07 am
JERUSALEM (AP) — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s national security adviser says a planned hostage-for-prisoner swap with Hamas has been delayed until at least Friday. In a statement released late Wednesday, Tzachi Hanegbi said that contacts on the deal were continuing. “The release will begin according to the original agreement between the parties, and not before Friday,” he said. The swap is to take place as part of a four-day truce expected to begin on Thursday. Hanegbi gave no explanation for the delay, and it was not immediately clear when the cease-fire might begin.
December 31, 2022 5:21 am
VATICAN CITY (AP) – The Vatican says Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI has died. He was 95. Benedict was the first pope in 600 years to resign. Benedict had become increasingly frail during his almost 10 years of retirement. Benedict’s dramatic decision in 2013 to resign paved the way for the conclave that elected Pope Francis. The two popes then lived side-by-side in the Vatican gardens in an unprecedented arrangement that set the stage for future “popes emeritus” to do the same. The former Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger never wanted to be pope. But he was forced to follow in St. John Paul II’s footsteps, running the church during a period of scandal and indifference.
February 18, 2022 4:16 am
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) – A Texas grand jury has indicted 19 Austin police officers on charges of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon for their actions during 2020 protests over racial injustice that spread nationwide after the killing of George Floyd, according to people familiar with the matter. Multiple people spoke to The Associated Press Thursday on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the case publicly. It ranks among the most indictments on a single police department in the U.S. over tactics used by officers during the widespread protests. Word of the indictments came hours after Austin city leaders approved paying $10 million to two people injured by police in the protests.
March 26, 2021 4:10 am
Pennsylvania is ordering vaccine providers to work with agencies that serve older adults to help clear a backlog of people 65 and over who have spent months waiting for COVID-19 shots. The state has speeded up its overall rollout after a series of early stumbles, but only 35% of older people are fully vaccinated against the coronavirus. Hundreds of thousands of them still need to be inoculated before Pennsylvania plans to expand eligibility. The state ordered vaccine providers to collaborate with county-level agencies on aging to schedule appointments for people who want them but haven’t able to get them.
