News
Democrat Lindsay Powell projected winner of Allegheny County special election
PITTSBURGH – Democrats appear to have regained control of the state House of Representatives, as unofficial results of a special election in Allegheny County show Lindsay Powell defeating Republican Erin Autenreith. The Associated Press called the race for Powell shortly after polls closed at 8 p.m. “This is not just about the 21st District, this […]
U.S. House GOP spending bills falter as Congress struggles to avoid a shutdown
WASHINGTON — U.S. Senate Democrats said Tuesday they are preparing their own short-term spending bill that they believe will garner bipartisan support, a decision that could stave off a partial government shutdown — and as House Republicans failed to advance two spending bills. The Senate move would work as long as the House votes to […]
Vice President Kamala Harris urges Reading students to lead peers to the polls
READING., Pa. — In a national political climate that is breeding threats to fundamental rights and freedoms, young people have the power to decide the direction of the country by voting, Vice President Kamala Harris told an audience of largely Latino college students on Tuesday in Reading. Harris called on the students to speak with […]
Temple University Acting President JoAnne Epps dies suddenly
Temple University acting President JoAnne Epps died suddenly on Tuesday, after collapsing at an event on campus, the university said in a news release. She was 72. “There are no words that can describe the gravity and sadness of this loss,” Mitchell L. Morgan, chair of Temple’s Board of Trustees said in a statement. “President […]
Pa. Senate committee advances bill to restrict children’s access to social media
A state Senate committee on Tuesday unanimously voted to advance a bill that would add restrictions to children’s social media use. Sen. Kristin Phillips-Hill (R-York), one of the prime co-sponsors of SB 22 along with with Sen. Vincent Hughes (D-Philadelphia), said during the Communications and Technology Committee hearing that the goal of the legislation was […]
UAW president sets new deadline for automakers, promising more strikes
Shawn Fain, president of the United Auto Workers union (UAW), on Monday night announced that more locations may be called to join the union’s strike on Friday. The UAW declared a historic strike against all three members of the Big Three automakers at midnight Thursday, after contracts expired with Ford, General Motors and Stellantis. Fetterman […]
Consumers face higher car prices, lower inventory with auto workers on strike
Economic experts and researchers say that the auto workers strike could have far-reaching economic consequences for businesses and consumers, depending on its duration. In addition to workers’ job losses, consumers could see higher prices for cars and depleted inventory. The United Auto Workers union, representing about 150,000 auto workers, walked off the job Sept. 15 […]
Pennsylvania adds automatic voter registration
Pennsylvania will now automatically register eligible residents to vote when they renew their driver’s licenses or ID cards at PennDOT driver and photo license centers, Gov. Josh Shapiro announced Tuesday. “When running for governor, I made a commitment to bring automatic voter registration to Pennsylvania,” Shapiro said in a statement, noting it was National Voter […]
Records show Allegheny County Medical Examiner did not perform full autopsy on incarcerated man
Daniel Pastorek died nearly three years ago, on Thanksgiving Day, 2020, in a mental health unit in the Allegheny County Jail. He struggled with housing and suffered from schizophrenia. He was arrested and booked at the jail after failing to appear for an appeal in magistrate’s court on a public drunkenness case. He was 63 years old. […]
Traffic camera programs in Pa. are reducing fatalities and speeding, officials say
Pennsylvania transportation officials told lawmakers that pilot programs for the automatic enforcement of traffic laws have led to improvements in traffic safety over the last three years. In a Senate Transportation Committee hearing on Monday, Pennsylvania Transportation Secretary Mike Carroll said the programs, which allow the use of cameras in work zones and on school […]
Despite public outcry, WVU will cut 28 majors, 143 faculty jobs
West Virginia University will lose 28 academic programs and 143 faculty jobs from its flagship Morgantown campus following a vote from the Board of Governors. The decision on Friday, which university leaders acknowledged had been done under an “accelerated” timeline, is the board’s effort to deal with WVU’s $45 million deficit largely driven by declining […]
A new COVID-19 booster is here. Will those at greatest risk get it?
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends new COVID-19 booster vaccines for all — but many who need them most won’t get them. About 75% of people in the United States appear to have skipped last year’s bivalent booster, and nothing suggests uptake will be better this time around. “Urging people to get boosters […]