Local Stories

 Pennsylvania will start imposing criminal penalties on people who use drones to spy on other people.

The state plans to spend more to help families impacted by the opioid epidemic raise children.

Pennsylvania's Republican candidate for governor has released a video of himself saying he wants to stomp on the sitting governor's face with golf spikes.

A state House Democrat negotiating legislation to help victims of child sexual abuse is rejecting an approach recently circulated by the top-ranking Senate Republican.

Urban Redevelopment Authority Chairman Kevin Acklin resigned from his post Thursday in anticipation of his new role as senior vice president of the Pittsburgh Penguins. Acklin will oversee the Penguins' development of the former Civic Arena site in the Hill District -- a project that has caused strife between the URA and the Penguins in the past.

Authorities say a crew member working on a movie about Mister Rogers has died after he suffered an apparent medical emergency and fell two stories off a balcony in western Pennsylvania.

Allegheny County officials say James Emswiller fell around 7:30 p.m. Thursday during a break in filming. The 61-year-old Pittsburgh man died later at a hospital.

Emswiller was involved in the sound production of "You Are My Friend," which was shooting a scene in Mount Lebanon. The film is based on the life of Fred Rogers, the genial host of "Mister Rogers' Neighborhood."

Pope Francis has accepted the resignation of Washington Cardinal Donald Wuerl after he became entangled in two major sexual abuse and cover-up scandals and lost the support of many in his flock.

The state Department of Community and Economic Development has rejected an Office of Open Records decision that it must release its proposal to attract Amazon’s second headquarters, or HQ2, to Pennsylvania. 

As the Nov. 6 midterm election fast approaches, Lyft and Uber are trying to make getting to the polls a whole lot easier. In addition to casting ballots in local, state and congressional races, Pennsylvania voters also will elect a governor.

Health care is one of the dividing issues between Guy Reschenthaler and Bibiana Boerio, the two candidates hoping to become the U.S. Representative in the new 14th Congressional district.

Comedian Bill Cosby, now inmate No. NN7687 in a Pennsylvania prison, was not slapped with a chicken patty during a food fight, despite stories circulating online.

Westmoreland Coal Company, one of the oldest mining companies in the country, became the second major coal bankruptcy of the Trump presidency Tuesday when the company filed Chapter 11 bankruptcy in a Texas court.

Pennsylvania is finalizing the first major update to the organ donation law that's been in place for a quarter century.

The historic architecture of 25 churches, mosques and other buildings will be highlighted this weekend at the Wilkinsburg Sacred Spaces Tour.

A new documentary wades into the issues around the pollution and protection of Pennsylvania’s waterways. 

About a month before Election Day, Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf has raised significantly more money than Republican challenger Scott Wagner.

Wolf has raised $15 million, compared to Wagner’s $8.5 million.

Wolf’s edge is especially pronounced based on the number of large donations that he has received.

Scott Perry has won his conservative district by no fewer than 25 percentage points on his way to three terms in Congress, but a sweeping redraw of Pennsylvania's House district boundaries has forced several Republican congressmen into newly competitive seats, Perry as much as anyone.

Now, Perry — a member of the Freedom Caucus, a particularly conservative group of House Republicans — is battling for his political life in conservative central Pennsylvania, and the state has emerged as a keystone for Democrats aiming to recapture a House majority.

Donald Trump didn’t unveil any of his famous nicknames for Democratic foes in Erie on Wednesday night. He didn’t need to.

In 1998, researcher Yaacov Barak noticed a mutated gene in mice placentas that led to fatal heart defects in the fetus. The University of Pittsburgh researcher found that by fixing the mutation, he could correct the heart abnormality.

Pennsylvania lawmakers are voting to repeal the requirement that incumbent district judges must collect signatures when running for re-election, a measure prompted by security concerns.

The House voted 128 to 65 Wednesday to eliminate the need for sitting district judges to collect 100 signatures to qualify for the ballot.

District judges set bail, preside over lower-level criminal and civil matters and preliminary hearings for more serious charges.

They don't have to be lawyers, and many are former police officers.

A new poll shows U.S. Rep. Conor Lamb (D - Mt. Lebanon) maintaining a double-digit lead over U.S. Rep. Keith Rothfus (R - Sewickley) in the closely-watched race for Pennsylvania’s 17th Congressional District.

A measure that would reduce penalties for possessing small amounts of marijuana has passed out of a House committee. 

It almost certainly won’t get through the full legislature before the session ends next month—but its backers still see this as an important step forward.

In the waning days of the legislative session, House lawmakers are hurrying to push priority bills out of their chamber and on to the governor.

The latest bills queued up to likely become law include revamped graduation readiness standards and an anti-hazing measure.

The hazing bill has been in the works since March—about a year after Penn State Student Tim Piazza died following a hazing ritual at a campus fraternity.

The executive director of the Allegheny County Democratic Committee has resigned from his post, just weeks after being hired, amid outcry over his social media posts.