Free Republic

Pittsburgh’s transformation from Rust Belt phoenix to progressive tech stronghold was supposed to be the Democrats’ long-term ace in the hole for Pennsylvania. Instead, hubris might just hand the Keystone State to the GOP in 2024. As Allegheny County limps toward another election cycle, Republicans are eyeing an opportunity born not of their own strength, but of Democratic complacency and voter disillusionment.The numbers paint a grim picture. Allegheny County hemorrhaged nearly 7,800 residents last year alone, placing it in the top 10 for population loss nationwide. Even more alarming, the county has shed 50,000 jobs in the past five years...

Charleroi, Pennsylvania, a small town of roughly 4,200 residents, has found itself at the heart of an immigration crisis. Over the past two years, the migrant population has surged by a staggering 2,000%, primarily due to an influx of Haitian immigrants. This massive growth is linked to the Biden administration's expanded Temporary Protected Status (TPS) program, which allowed migrants from countries like Haiti to seek refuge in the United States. While intended to provide safety for those fleeing dire circumstances, this policy has placed an immense strain on local resources. The once quiet, blue-collar town is now grappling with a...

Charleroi, Pennsylvania, like Springfield, Ohio, is also experiencing a growing number of problems from a tidal wave of Haitian migrants flooding into their small town. While the media focuses on the woes of Springfield, Ohio, and its recent flood of Haitian migrants putting pressure on the small town, other small towns are experiencing similar problems. One of them is Charleroi, Pennsylvania, nestled on the banks of the Monongahela River south of Pittsburgh in the western part of the state. According to the activist group America-2100, the rural town has suffered a 2,000-percent increase in its population of Haitian migrants —...

After days spent in a hotel Downtown preparing for a high-stakes presidential debate, Vice President Kamala Harris and her husband, second gentleman Douglas Emhoff, traveled to an airbase next to Pittsburgh International Airport for a stroll on Sunday night. The Democratic nominee’s motorcade arrived at the airbase, which is used by the 171st Air Refueling Wing of the Pennsylvania Air National Guard, shortly before 5 p.m., according to pool reports. Ms. Harris, wearing a black hat and a scarf, and Mr. Emhoff, wearing a “Harris/Walz” sweatshirt, walked the grounds of the military base in Coraopolis. When a reporter asked...

Avideo of Vice President Kamala Harris embracing a crying woman on Saturday in Pennsylvania, a critical battleground state amid this year's presidential election, has taken off online. **SNIP** In a video posted to X, former Twitter, user Julia Hamelburg shared a video of Harris meeting with locals at a small business in Pittsburg as she hugged a woman who began crying. In the video, Harris can be seen embracing the woman and reassuring her that "we are going to be good, we are going to be fine. We are all in this together." As of Saturday afternoon, the video has...

President Kamala Harris made her way to the Omni William Penn Hotel where she will be staying for a few days. That certainly caused some commotion, with roads closed and spectators hanging around to see if they could get a glimpse of Harris. And, of course, this activity draws those crowds to the surrounding businesses. "It was good to know that she’s going to be here for a few days, so hopefully that will bring more money, more business," said Shalona Kennedy, assistant manager at Jimmy John's. "It’s not a terrible thing. It’s not terrible for business or anything," Talia...

Just what the keffiyeh sanctions and inspires. The new academic year has scarcely begun, and Hamas supporters on campus are already signaling that they haven’t lost a bit of their fanaticism. If anything, they’re even more menacing. An incident at the University of Pittsburgh Friday evening shows that American college and university campuses are becoming increasingly dangerous places for Jewish students and other supporters of Israel, who are being threatened and brutalized all in the name of the “liberation” of “Palestine.”The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported recently that a man named Jarrett Buba, who at 52 years old is unlikely to be...

After 50 years, the Thomas Merton Center will cease operations but has pledged to continue its work through its community-run thrift store in Garfield. The center, named for the 20th century American trappist monk, activist and writer, announced it will close due to budget constraints.

resident Biden introduced Kamala Harris at a campaign rally on Labor Day, Monday in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN: I know I trust her. Not a joke! I trust her. Number two, the frst decision I made as the nominee back in 2020 was selecting here as my vice president. It was the single best decision I made as president United States America. I was watching something sent to me when they asked Barack, they said Barack picked me as vice president because he knew I could be president. I know she'll be a good president. I've watched her with...

Legendary NFL quarterback turned FOX broadcaster Terry Bradshaw officially switched political parties a couple of years ago. Bradshaw, a Hall of Fame quarterback with the Pittsburgh Steelers, hasn't shied away from voicing his opinion on controversial topics over the years. The former Steelers great turned NFL broadcaster admitted to switching political parties back in 2020. He was formerly a registered Republican. However, he's since switched to being a registered independent. "I've been a Republican, but now I'm a registered independent. I don't want to alienate anyone, and the minute you say, “I'm a Democrat” or “I'm Republican,” you're kicking off...

Three weeks ago, Acting Secret Service Director Ronald Rowe angrily pushed back on senators’ calls to immediately fire or discipline key agents directly responsible for the security failures that led to the assassination attempt against former President Trump at last month’s campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. Since that time, Secret Service leaders have placed several members of the Pittsburgh Field Office on administrative leave, according to three sources in the Secret Service community. (Administrative leave occurs when a federal employee temporarily leaves their position and work duties – either because of a misconduct investigation or medical or mental health issue....

Who’s going to win? Voters in a handful of battleground swing states will decide whether former President Donald Trump will return to the White House or if Democrats’ gamble of replacing President Biden with Vice President Harris as their nominee will keep him out. A Morning Edition team visited Pittsburgh and some of its suburbs to hear from voters in Pennsylvania about how they’re feeling about the revamped race. We knocked on doors, visited local parks and attractions and even attended a family dinner. Voter turnout here in Allegheny County was critical to Biden winning the state four years ago....

BETHEL PARK, Pa. — For Thomas Crooks, the suburban Pittsburgh nursing home where he served meals and washed dishes for $16 an hour was another solitary corner of a nearly invisible life. He was polite but distant, a former co-worker said, ate lunch alone in the break room and rarely spoke with anyone. But as western Pennsylvania geared up last week for the boisterous spectacle of hosting a rally for former President Donald Trump, Crooks approached his bosses with a request, law enforcement officials said: He wanted to take Saturday off. He told them he had something important to do....

A new city ordinance in Berkeley, Calif., that officially changes the name from ‘manhole cover’ to ‘maintenance cover’ has stirred up a media commotion. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu). It is not every day that a change to a municipal code for a medium-sized city makes international news. But when city council in Berkeley, Calif., had its first reading of a proposal to remove gendered language from its municipal code, the media went to town. The 14-page proposal provides a rationale for the changes, cites legal and grammatical support, specifies the wording that will change and estimates the cost of the initiative...

The suspected gunman in the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump was a registered Republican from Bethel Park who donated money to a politically liberal group before he was old enough to vote.The FBI identified Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20, as the shooter early Sunday. He was killed by the Secret Service.Crooks lived in Bethel Park, a South Hills suburb of more than 33,000 people that is about 50 miles south of the Butler Farm Show grounds where the attempted assassination took place.Kevin Rojek, FBI special agent in charge in Pittsburgh, said during a news conference early Sunday that investigators...

CNN: FBI Identified Thomas Matthew Crooks as PA shooter

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- Former President Trump will be in the Pittsburgh area for a rally next weekend. The Trump campaign announced that a rally will be taking place on Saturday, July 13 at the Butler Farm Show grounds. Doors are set to open at 1:00 p.m. The rally will begin at 5:00 p.m. You can register for tickets to the rally online.

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- Cleanup is underway throughout the Pittsburgh area as several communities were hit with suspected tornado damage on Wednesday evening. At least three tornadoes have been confirmed in the Pittsburgh area so far. We have confirmed three tornadoes so far. The areas highlighted indicate where NWS Storm Surveys or Doppler Radar Tornado Debris Signatures have validated the tornado damage. pic.twitter.com/lWRD8NXROW — NWS Pittsburgh (@NWSPittsburgh) June 27, 2024 An EF-2 with winds up to 115 mph touched down south of Route 22 in Westmoreland County, tearing a path from Delmont to Shieldsburg to New Alexandria.

An individual who is believed to have purposely butchered the national anthem at a Pittsburgh Pirates game has been taking heat after controversially changing the words to the patriotic song. The performer altered the words of the ‘Star Spangled Banner’ before the game, changing “and the rocket’s red glare” to “And the rocket’s blue glare.” Needless to say, Pittsburgh Pirates fans were not best pleased. “At the :50 mark. This is totally embarrassing and self-important. This guy — Bethany Hallam’s boyfriend — sang the anthem last night at the Pirates game and changed the lyrics to “…and the rockets’...

Life in the Inflated Apple got you down? According to a new study, the most affordable city in the country is barely a half day’s drive away — hours closer to home comforts than the current hotspots popular with fleeing New Yorkers. Say hello — and maybe move to — Pittsburgh. Currently boasting a median house price of $274,900, the mostly-former steel town remains comfortable with its blue collar roots, while also leaning into a uniquely quirky, artsy heritage — this is the birthplace of Andy Warhol and a training ground for a young Keith Haring, home of Fred “Mister”...