WJPA News Archive

Clemente Bridge Will Close Thursday

May 28, 2025 12:11 pm

(WPXI) PITTSBURGH — The Roberto Clemente Bridge in Downtown Pittsburgh will close on Thursday for the Post Malone concert at PNC Park. The bridge will be closed from 7 a.m. to 11:59 p.m.

Walmart Buys Bethel Park Shopping Center

May 28, 2025 11:31 am

(WPXI) BETHEL PARK, Pa. — When it comes to buying real estate in western Pennsylvania, Walmart isn’t stopping with the Monroeville Mall. After the world’s largest retailer bought the region’s largest shopping mall last year for $34 million in cash as a future redevelopment project, according to real estate records, Walmart has now bought the Bethel Park Shopping Center on Library Road, a retail property, unlike Monroeville Mall, in which it already operates a store as a major anchor. According to real estate records, an affiliate of the big box retailer called Wal-Mart Real Estate Business Trust paid $39.6 million, which translates to more than $5 million more for a shopping center of a little more than 200,000 square feet, a retail complex around one-sixth the size of the more than 1.2 million-square-foot Monroeville Mall. A spokesman for the Bentonville-based retailer confirmed the company bought the retail property and indicated to expect no changes to the Bethel Park Shopping Center. “Walmart wants to continue to operate in Bethel Park, and purchasing the store provided the best opportunity to continue serving our customers in the long-term,” said Mark Rickel, director of corporate communications for Walmart, in an email, adding, “there are no plans to expand the store.” He further added that “Walmart owns most of its store properties and generally prefers to do so.” But a site plan for Bethel Park Shopping Center detailed on the website of the property’s leasing representative, Echo Retail, show a store that’s smaller that typical Walmart supercenters and larger than its smaller neighborhood market prototype.

US Consumer Confidence Rebounds Amid Tariff Anxiety

May 28, 2025 5:12 am

WASHINGTON (AP) — Americans’ views of the economy improved in May after five straight months of declines sent consumer confidence to the lowest level since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, largely driven by anxiety over the impact of President Donald Trump’s tariffs. The Conference Board said Tuesday that its consumer confidence index rose 12.3 points in May to 98, up from April’s 85.7, its lowest reading since May 2020. A measure of Americans’ short-term expectations for their income, business conditions and the job market jumped 17.4 points to 72.8, but remained below 80, which can signal a recession ahead.

SpaceX Rocket Tumbles Out Of Control

May 28, 2025 5:12 am

SpaceX has launched its Starship mega rocket again after back-to-back explosions. It made it through the entire test flight Tuesday evening, but fell short of its main objectives when the spacecraft tumbled out of control. SpaceX had hoped to release a series of mock satellites following liftoff from Texas, but that got nixed because the door failed to open all the way. Then the spacecraft began spinning as it skimmed space toward an entry in the Indian Ocean. The first-stage booster ended up in the Gulf of Mexico in pieces. There were no plans to catch the booster this time.

Trump Moves To Cut $100 Million In Contracts For Harvard

May 28, 2025 5:08 am

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration is asking federal agencies to cancel contracts with Harvard University worth about $100 million. The move intensifies the president’s clash with the nation’s oldest and wealthiest university. 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. A letter sent Tuesday from the General Services Administration directed agencies to review contracts with the university and seek alternate vendors. President Donald Trump has railed against Harvard, calling it a hotbed of liberalism and antisemitism. The school filed a lawsuit over the administration’s calls for changes to the university.

Zelenskyy Visits Berlin As He Seeks More Support

May 28, 2025 5:07 am

BERLIN (AP) — Ukrainian President Zelenskyy will visit Berlin to meet with new German Chancellor Friedrich Merz. The talks on Wednesday come amid an escalation in Russia’s bombing campaign despite U.S.-led attempts at peace talks. Germany has been the second-biggest supplier of military aid to Ukraine after the United States. Zelenskyy’s visit on Wednesday comes two days after Merz said his country and other major allies are no longer imposing any range restrictions on weapons supplied to Ukraine as it fights the Russian invasion. Russian forces launched an attack overnight on Ukraine using five Iskander ballistic missiles, one guided air-launched missile and 88 drones.

Driver Arrested On Suspicion Of Attempted Murder

May 28, 2025 5:06 am

LIVERPOOL, England (AP) — Police say 65 people were injured when a car rammed into a crowd of Liverpool soccer fans celebrating their teams Premier League championship and 11 remained hospitalized on Tuesday. Assistant Chief Constable Jenny Sims of Merseyside Police said the patients were all stable. Fifty of the casualties required hospital treatment. The 53-year-old car driver has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder, police said. Detective Chief Superintendent Karen Jaundrill said the man is also being held on suspicion of dangerous driving and driving on drugs. The driver followed an ambulance to get through road blocks that had been set up during Liverpool’s championship parade.

Kennedy; COVID Vaccines Not Recommended For Some

May 28, 2025 5:05 am

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.

Officials Call For Safety Changes After Drowning

May 28, 2025 5:00 am

WASHINGTON COUNTY, Pa. — (WPXI) – The drowning death of 12-year-old Rontae Lester has sent shockwaves through Washington County after the young boy lost his life while swimming with friends in the Monongahela River near Donora in May. State Sen. Camera Bartolotta, R-Washington, is leading a multi-level conversation with state, county and local leaders on how to make the area safer and prevent future tragedies. One key focus is improving education about water safety. Washington County Commissioner Electra Janis emphasized that although Pennsylvania doesn’t have oceans for drownings, the risks in local rivers and parks are real. Leaders are hoping to provide water safety education in schools, teaching students about hidden dangers like water temperatures, currents and drop-offs. Another immediate step being taken is signage. Bartolotta said she personally ordered warning signs online while visiting the site. Beyond signage and education, Bartolotta is seeking grant funding to build a proper launch point for water rescue operations in Donora, as the site where Lester drowned is also where local emergency crews access the river and right now it’s just a clearing.

South Strabane To Address Sidewalks

May 28, 2025 4:56 am

The South Strabane Township Board of Supervisors voted to add a discussion item regarding sidewalks in the Burkett Manor development to a future meeting agenda, following concerns raised about safety and compliance with township codes. Supervisor Jeff Bull, joined by other board members, led the push to address the issue, citing that sidewalks in Burkett Manor do not meet the minimum width requirement of 5 feet as mandated by the Township’s Subdivision and Land Development Code. Currently, the sidewalks measure only 4 feet in width and also lack required structural reinforcement as outlined in township construction specifications. Bull emphasized the importance of addressing these inadequacies for the safety of residents. If the sidewalks are rebuilt to meet compliance standards, the cost will be covered by the developers, meaning there would be no financial impact on taxpayers. In other business, Vice-Chairman Mark Murphy and Supervisor Bull motioned to table the approval of the final land development plan from the Washington County Transit Authority (Freedom Transit) for its proposed operations facility at 375 Berry Road. Bull cited the need for further review due to ongoing changes in the project’s details. The board also approved, by a 4-1 vote, the annual resolution for the destruction of specific public records. Supervisor Bull cast the lone dissenting vote, expressing concern over the permanent loss of potentially important documentation.