May 22, 2025 4:49 am
PITTSBURGH — The summer travel season kicks off today as travelers hit the road for their Memorial Day Weekend destinations. If you’re planning to use the Pennsylvania Turnpike during the holiday weekend, you’ll be joining a projected 2.19 million other motorists on the roadway. Turnpike officials say that’s a 2.9% increase from the same holiday last year. Officials say the days with the most cars on the road with be Friday and Saturday. Due to the increased traffic, all construction on the Turnpike will be suspended from 3 p.m. Thursday to 11 p.m. Monday. Turnpike personnel will also increase their patrols on the roadway, along with Pennsylvania State Police.
May 22, 2025 2:48 pm
(WPXI) SHALER TOWNSHIP, Pa. — A replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C., is now on display in Shaler Township. You can see the “Wall That Heals” at Anderson Field at Shaler Area High School over Memorial Day weekend, along with a mobile education center. “The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund is pleased to bring The Wall That Heals mobile exhibit to Shaler Township to allow local veterans and their family members a chance to experience The Wall,” said Jim Knotts, president and CEO of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund. “Hosting The Wall That Heals provides an opportunity to honor and remember all those who served and sacrificed in the Vietnam War and educate visitors on the continuing impact of the Vietnam War on America.” The wall is transported in a 53-foot trailer. When it arrives, the trailer opens with the exhibit built onto its sides. It is 375 feet in length and 7.5 feet high at its tallest point. It will be open 24 hours a day through May 26 at 2 p.m. Admission is free. The last time the wall was in Pittsburgh was in 2019.
May 21, 2025 2:19 am
‘Tis the season for fun and fresh fruits and vegetables. The Main Street Farmers Market in Washington opens Thursday at the Main Street Pavilion on South Main Street, and will run from 3 to 6 p.m. every Thursday through Oct. 31st. Tracee Malik is the president of the market and she says they are looking forward to another wonderful season with many new vendors. In addition to new vendors, Malik says all of last year’s vendors will be back and they have a full slate of entertainment lined up for adults and children. She says various musical acts will be featured throughout the season, plus special events such as First Responder Day, Back to School celebration, Vet Appreciation Day, and a Halloween Party to wrap up the market.
May 22, 2025 2:22 pm
(WPXI) PITTSBURGH — This year’s Picklesburgh festival will be the biggest celebration yet. The Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership announced plans for the 10th anniversary of Picklesburgh on Thursday. The festival returns July 11-13, with what PDP calls its most ambitious footprint to date. The festival will now span two of Pittsburgh’s iconic Sister Bridges, Allegheny Landing, Fort Duquesne Boulevard, PPG Plaza, Market Square, Sixth Street and Heinz Hall Garden. If you’re looking to take a memorable selfie, the iconic giant pickle balloon will soar above the Sixth Street Bridge this year. “Picklesburgh brings tens of thousands of people to Downtown each year, and has raised Pittsburgh’s profile as a summer destination,” said Jeremy Waldrup, President and CEO of the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership. “With this expanded footprint, featuring two of our city’s most iconic bridges and beautiful PPG Plaza, we can’t wait to DILL-iver the best festival experience possible. As a signature event for Pittsburgh and the region, with fans from near and far, it’s exciting to see the festival continue to grow and evolve.”
May 22, 2025 5:06 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — House Republicans stayed up all night to pass their multitrillion-dollar tax breaks package. Speaker Mike Johnson defied the skeptics within his ranks and muscled President Donald Trump’s priority bill to approval Thursday. Last-minute concessions and a stern warning from Trump appeared to win over the hold outs to salvage what he calls the “big, beautiful bill.” The outcome caps an intense time on Capitol Hill, with days of private negotiations and public committee hearings. Democrats, without the votes to stop Trump’s package, tried to stall it. The Congressional Budget Office says the tax provisions would add $3.8 trillion to federal deficits.
May 22, 2025 4:58 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal judge says the White House violated a court order on deportations to third countries with a flight linked to the chaotic nation of South Sudan. The Trump administration says it expelled eight immigrants convicted of violent crimes in the United States but refused to reveal where they would end up. Judge Brian E. Murphy in Boston said the eight migrants aboard the plane were not given a meaningful opportunity to object that the deportation could put them in danger. He ordered a new set of interviews with the migrants, either back in the U.S. or abroad. Before Wednesday’s hearing, administration officials accused “activist judges” of advocating the release of dangerous criminals.
May 21, 2025 5:00 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump has used a White House meeting to confront South African President Cyril Ramaphosa with baseless claims of the systematic killing of white farmers in that country. Trump said during Wednesday’s meeting that people are fleeing South Africa for their own safety. At one point, Trump dimmed the lights in the Oval Office to play a video of a far-left politician playing an anti-apartheid song that included lyrics about killing farmers. Ramaphosa pushed back against Trump’s accusation, saying of the behavior alleged by the U.S. president, “We are completely opposed to that.”
May 21, 2025 5:03 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Pentagon says Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has accepted a gifted Boeing 747 from Qatar for President Donald Trump to use as Air Force One. Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said Wednesday that the department will “work to ensure proper security measures” on the aircraft to make it safe for use by the president. He said the plane was accepted “in accordance with all federal rules and regulations.” Trump has defended the gift as a way to save tax dollars. Others have raised concerns about the aircraft being a violation of the Constitution’s prohibition on foreign gifts. They also have noted the need to retrofit the plane to meet security requirements.
May 22, 2025 4:56 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — Two staff members of the Israeli Embassy in Washington were shot and killed Wednesday evening while leaving an event at a Jewish museum, and the suspect yelled, “Free, free Palestine” after he was arrested, police said. Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar identified the victims as Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Milgrim. They were leaving an event at the Capital Jewish Museum when the suspect approached a group of four people and opened fire, Metropolitan Police Chief Pamela Smith said. The suspect, identified as Elias Rodriguez, 30, of Chicago, walked into the museum after the shooting and was detained by event security. Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu’s office says he is “shocked” by the “horrific, antisemitic” shooting.
May 22, 2025 2:18 pm
WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. Mint has made its final order of penny blanks and plans to stop producing the coin when those run out. That word comes from a Treasury Department official who wasn’t authorized to discuss the matter publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity to preview the news. An immediate annual savings of $56 million in reduced material costs is expected by stopping penny production, according to the official. In February, President Donald Trump announced that he had ordered his administration to cease production of the 1-cent coin. The Treasury says there are about 114 billion pennies currently in circulation in the United States — that’s $1.14 billion — but they’re greatly underutilized. (Photo: AP)
