Cuban Intelligence Exploited Sister Cities Partnerships in an Attempt to Influence Public Officials

Cuba

The Cuban regime could be trying to exploit sister city partnerships to influence U.S. policy throughout the United States and advance its agenda, an ADN investigation cross-referencing documents and public records shows. Sister Cities International is registered as a nonpartisan 501(c)(3) nonprofit that was founded by President Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1956 and serves as the national membership organization for individual sister cities, counties, and states across the United States.

The organization facilitates agreements based on cultural, educational, information, and trade exchanges between two geographically and politically distinct localities, but the concept of sister cities has been used by other organizations as well, and has long been scrutinized by Congress due to concerns about how China might exploit sister-city partnerships in the U.S. for espionage or to gain influence.

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Pennsylvania U.S. Senate Candidate Dave McCormick Unveils Plan to Move Department of Energy to Pittsburgh

Dave McCormick

Republican U.S. Senate nominee Dave McCormick on Tuesday announced a plan to “shake up” Washington, D.C. that will include relocating the Department of Energy (DOE) to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

McCormick on Tuesday stressed his two decades of experience in the private sector in an editorial published by Real Clear Pennsylvania. He confirmed his plans to achieve permanent change in Washington include moving federal agencies away from the capital.

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Biden Vows to Block Foreign Acquisition of Iconic American Company

President Joe Biden

President Joe Biden promised on Wednesday to block the acquisition of U.S. Steel by a Japanese competitor in remarks to a crowd in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, made up of unionized steelworkers.

The Japanese Nippon Steel Corporation, the fourth-largest steel producer, first announced that it would be acquiring U.S. Steel in December for around $14.9 billion after turning down other offers, including from American steel company Cleveland Cliffs. The president, in his remarks, emphasized the importance of the American steel industry and called out China for subsidizing their own steel producers.

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Pittsburgh to Get Twice-a-Day Amtrak Service to New York

Thanks to an agreement between Norfolk Southern and Amtrak — and a $200 million investment from the commonwealth — western Pennsylvania will have more passenger rail coming through Pittsburgh.

On Friday, Gov. Josh Shapiro announced a passenger rail expansion for Amtrak’s New York City-Harrisburg-Pittsburgh service, going from once daily to twice daily.

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Innovation Hyper-Focused in Philly, Pittsburgh, State College

Pennsylvania could become a national leader in innovation — if the support is there and state leaders embrace reform.

“Innovation matters so much to economic performance, yet the state’s innovation drift is resulting in a broader economic drift,” Brookings Metro Senior Fellow Mark Muro told legislators Friday at a Senate Majority Policy Committee hearing on innovation. “We’re really challenging the state to, above all, commit to innovation…the state needs to try harder on this front. We think you could win — if you actually tried harder.”

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Hunter Biden Prosecutor’s Office Briefed on Bribery Allegation Before 2020 Election, Senator Says

The office of a Trump-era federal prosecutor who has led the investigation of Hunter Biden was briefed two weeks before the 2020 election that the FBI had allegations from an informant suggesting Joe Biden was involved in a bribery scheme involving Ukrainian business interests, according to new information released by a top Republican senator.

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Poll: Taxes, Cost of Living Driving Away Young Residents from the Keystone State

A new survey suggests the price residents pay to live in Pennsylvania tempts younger generations to move.

Results from the Commonwealth Foundation poll conducted last month show more than half of respondents between the ages of 18 and 44 have considered moving to another state – or know someone who wants to do the same.

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Pittsburgh Mayor Gainey’s Office Pressed on Violence, Damage in Mellon Square Park

Pittsburgh Democratic Mayor Ed Gainey’s record on crime and city-property oversight are receiving heightened scrutiny in light of conditions at Mellon Square Park. 

In an email shared via Twitter by KDKA radio host Marty Griffin and Allegheny Councilman Sam DeMarco (R-At-Large) on Wednesday, Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy Chief Executive Officer Catherine Qureshi urged city officials to address violence and damage at the park. Located in Pittsburgh’s Golden Triangle business district, the modernist plaza that sits atop a parking garage has existed since the mid-20th century and regional leaders have deemed it a major feature of their open-space preservation efforts. It reopened for the season about two weeks ago, Qureshi noted, and already problems abound. 

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Report: Reliability, Low Fares, Short Trips Key to Transit in Pittsburgh, Philadelphia

As transit agencies across the country struggle to recover from pandemic-induced ridership loss, getting back to the basics of reliability might matter most.

A new report from Moovit, a trip-planning app, analyzed user data in 2022 in 10 major American cities. Transit riders complained of unreliable systems, fare prices, trip time, safety, and cleanliness, among other issues.

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Philadelphia, Pittsburgh Struggle to Fill Open Police Positions

Pennsylvania’s struggles to fully staff police departments extend statewide, from the biggest departments to rural areas losing population.

While Republicans and Democrats on the local and state levels have boosted funding for police departments, as The Center Square previously reported, the bigger issue has been a lack of police recruits. 

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Pittsburgh Loosens Residency Requirement for Firefighters

Union disputes in Pittsburgh over residency requirements for city workers have weakened requirements for police and firefighters to live in the city proper.

A policy brief from the Allegheny Institute for Public Policy detailed the shift away from residency requirements. Pittsburgh voters approved an amendment to the home rule charter in 2013 to require city residency for all municipal workers. However, a union grievance weakened that requirement for firefighters.

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Pittsburgh Joins Philadelphia in Banning Plastic Bags

The two largest cities in Pennsylvania have prohibited single-use plastics at businesses after Pittsburgh City Council passed legislation on Tuesday, joining Philadelphia’s ban approved last year. 

“This landmark piece of legislation will sharply curtail litter, mitigate stormwater risk, reduce the amount of microplastics in our soil and water, improve the city’s recycling efficacy, and begin to break our dependence on fossil fuel-based products,” Councilwoman Erika Strassburger said in a press release.

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Pittsburgh’s Frick Park Bridge Collapses Ahead of Biden Visit

Viral images are circulating of a bridge collapse outside of Pittsburgh, just before President Joe Biden is slated to visit the city. 

Greg Barnhisel, a professor at Duquesne University, first posted images of the collapsed bridge over Frick Park in Point Breeze. He said several vehicles were still on the bridge after the collapse.

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Scientists Believe Meteor Exploded over Pittsburgh

aerial view of Pittsburgh, Pa.

Scientists believe a meteor exploded early New Year’s Day over Pittsburgh, causing mysterious loud noises and vibrations that shook the city.

“The loud explosion heard over SW PA earlier may have been a meteor explosion,” the U.S. National Weather Service tweeted Saturday, posting an image showing a flash of light it claimed was “not associated with lightning.”

“No confirmation, but this is the most likely explanation at this time,” the agency said.

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Bail Calculator Developed by Leftist Billionaire Used for Accused Waukesha Murderer Also Used in Two Pennsylvania Counties

Two Pennsylvania counties use the same lenient bail-calculation system that is used in Milwaukee County, WI and that is now being scrutinized in the wake of the Nov. 21 Waukesha Christmas-parade massacre.

Suspect Darrell E. Brooks Jr. faces homicide charges for killing six people at the holiday celebration with his car. Earlier that month, prosecutors handling a case of physical abuse and vehicular assault regarding Brooks asked a court to set bail bond for the defendant at a mere $1,000, to which the court agreed.

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