May 9, 2025 4:57 am
WEST MIFFLIN, Pa. — (WPXI) – Kennywood’s record-setting rollercoaster, the Steel Curtain, is set to reopen at the end of this month. The park made the big announcement on Thursday morning, saying the work is officially complete and that test runs have already begun. The Steel Curtain will reopen on Saturday, May 24, at 11 a.m. The coaster has been closed since April of last year, before the 2024 season started. The park called it an extensive modification project “to increase ride reliability and longevity” as the reason for closing. The Steel Curtain was introduced to Kennywood in 2019 and quickly became a flagship attraction.
May 8, 2025 1:37 pm
Pope Leo XIV, the American Robert Prevost, said “Peace be with you” in his first words as pope, offering a message of peace and dialogue “without fear.” From the loggia of St. Peter’s Basilica, history’s first American pope recalled he was an Augustinian priest, but that he was above all a Christian above all and a bishop, “So we can all walk together.” He spoke in Italian and then switched to Spanish, recalling his many years spent as a missionary and then archbishop of Chiclayo, Peru. The crowd in St. Peter’s Square erupted in cheers, priests made the sign of the cross and nuns wept as the crowd shouted “Viva il papa!” after the white smoke wafted into the sky.
May 8, 2025 2:32 pm
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump has agreed to cut tariffs on British autos, steel and aluminum in a planned trade deal. But the Republican on Thursday played down the possibility of other nations receiving similarly favorable terms on his import taxes, which are roiling the global economy. The announcement provides a political victory for U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer and a degree of validation for Trump’s claims his turbulent approach on trade may be able to rebalance the global economy on his preferred terms. Terms of the deal have yet to be completed so it can be signed. Trump says the agreement would lead to more beef and ethanol exports to the U.K.
May 8, 2025 2:27 pm
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump’s administration is asking the Supreme Court to allow it to end humanitarian parole for hundreds of thousands of immigrants from four countries. The emergency appeal filed Thursday asks the justices to halt a lower-court order keeping in place legal protections for more than 500,000 people from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela. The Republican administration argues the decision wrongly intrudes on the Department of Homeland Security’s authority. The order from U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani in Boston blocked the administration from putting an early end to the immigrants’ temporary legal status.
May 8, 2025 4:47 am
WASHINGTON, Pa. — The Washington County Coroner has a preliminary identification on the human remains found in a wooded area next to Interstate 70. Coroner Tim Warco is reassuring the public that there’s nothing to be concerned about regarding this case, after receiving multiple calls. “I want to reassure the community there is no danger of an actor out there hurting anyone,” said Warco. “The skeletal remains have been there for a number of years, just haphazardly found by a walker, a passerby, who got lost, and came across what I’m sure was very earth-shattering to her.” The coroner’s office is working with an anthropologist and the team from Mercyhurst, who carefully collected and removed the remains. While early forensic reports don’t know show anything suspicious, Warco says it will still be hard to determine the exact cause of death. “We probably will never know the cause of death, simply because of the advanced age of the skeletal remains found in the woods,” said Warco. Warco believes the body may be that of a person who was reported missing during what he called, ‘the Covid period.’ And they have contacted a family member. However, he won’t be making an official identification until a lengthy and thorough investigation.
May 8, 2025 4:41 am
Pennsylvania State Police troopers gathered with community members Tuesday morning for a solemn memorial service honoring fallen officers at the Fraternal Order of Police National Lodge 47 in Eighty Four. Troopers from surrounding barracks, including Uniontown and Washington, joined together to commemorate their fellow officers who gave their lives in the line of duty. The ceremony served as a powerful reminder of the risks law enforcement officers face daily and the deep sense of solidarity among them. “I hope people take a moment to realize that police officers lay down their lives every day,” said Lieutenant Michael Irwin of the Uniontown barracks. “We took an oath and we hold to that oath year in and year out.” Seventeen fallen officers were recognized during the service. Their names were read aloud, each one echoing through the crowd, followed by the traditional playing of “Taps.” A ceremonial gun salute was also held, with troopers firing blanks in a time-honored tribute to the fallen. Local officials and residents joined in the ceremony which emphasized the unity between law enforcement and the communities they serve. The event was hosted as part of an annual ongoing commitment to honor the legacy of those who served with dedication and bravery.
May 8, 2025 4:53 am
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Pennsylvanians 21 or older would be allowed to legally purchase and use marijuana under a bill that has passed the state House on Wednesday. It is the first time a recreational cannabis proposal has been approved by either legislative chamber. All Republicans voted no, but the bill was advanced from the Democratic majority to the Senate by a single vote. Democratic supporters say the proposal will create jobs, ensure a safe product and maintain affordable prices for consumers. But Republican opponents counter that legalization will increase marijuana usage, cause health issues and create safety problems at workplaces. The bill seems likely to see changes if senators decide to act on it.
May 7, 2025 4:57 am
VATICAN CITY (AP) — Black smoke is again pouring out of the Sistine Chapel chimney. That indicates no pope was elected on second or third ballots of the conclave to choose a new leader of the Catholic Church. The smoke billowed out at 11:50 a.m. on Thursday after the morning voting session to elect a successor to Pope Francis to lead the 1.4 billion-member church. No one has secured the necessary two-thirds majority or 89 votes. That means the 133 cardinals will return to the Vatican residences where they are being sequestered. They will have lunch and then return to the Sistine Chapel for the afternoon voting session. Two more votes are possible Thursday.
May 8, 2025 4:51 am
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman was meeting recently with representatives from a teachers union when things quickly devolved. Fetterman began repeating himself, shouting and slamming his hands on a desk. That’s according to two people who were briefed about the meeting and were granted anonymity to discuss it. Fetterman said in a statement through his office that he and the officials “had a spirited conversation” and said he will always support teachers. The interaction adds to the questions being raised about the Democratic senator’s mental health and behavior barely three years after a he survived a stroke and two years after being treated for depression.
May 8, 2025 4:56 am
A deadly midair collision in January between a military helicopter and a commercial airliner, and several crashes since, have prompted officials to focus on fixing the nation’s outdated air traffic control system and hiring more controllers. They say doing so would help ensure safety and prevent the kind of problems that have plagued the Newark, New Jersey, airport since its radar system failed briefly last week. The Federal Aviation Administration is also working on a more immediate fix for the technology and staffing problems in Newark while a broader overhaul is in the works. A broader multibillion-dollar plan will be announced Thursday for long-overdue upgrades to the nation’s air traffic control system.
