Michael Sallah
Verified- Deputy Managing Editor and Investigations, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
- Senior Reporter, The International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ)
Washington, D.C.
Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter & investigations editor @PittsburghPG. Formerly of @washingtonpost and @miamiherald. Dad. On The Streets. The underdog matters.
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Articles by Michael Sallah
With more than 1,000 measles cases, Pennsylvania now has the largest U.S. outbreak in 3 decades
For weeks, Pennsylvania has led the nation in the number of measles cases this year, with hundreds of people sickened in more than half the counties in the state. Five people died after contracting the disease and nearly 200 have been hospitalized. Now, the state has reached another grim milestone: The outbreak has grown to 1,004 cases — more than any other state in the last three decades — with no sign of slowing down.
Fifth Pennsylvania resident dies after contracting measles
Alexandra Wimley/Post-Gazette Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Got a news tip? 412-263-1601 Sep 30, 2026 7:15 PM As measles cases continue to increase in Pennsylvania, another resident has died after contracting the disease — the fifth fatality in an outbreak that has swept the state since late April.
The tragic death of a Pennsylvania Amish woman stricken by measles
LEWISTOWN, Pa — In an aging, white Pennsylvania farmhouse at the end of a long gravel driveway, the Amish couple brought their 18-year-old daughter home to die. She had just been released from the intensive care unit at the Geisinger Medical Center in Danville, her brain swelling from the measles infection that had ravaged her body for weeks. Breathing faintly and hooked to a feeding tube, "there was nothing they could do," said her mother. The next day, on Sept.
How did nine children die in a 1991 Pennsylvania measles outbreak?
Several years ago, vaccine expert Paul Offit gave a speech to medical staff at a pediatric hospital, saying some parents choose not to immunize their children against measles because they don’t fear the virus.
Political feud between Gov. Shapiro and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. erupts into high-stakes battle over vaccine safety
Amid a worsening measles outbreak that has sickened hundreds throughout the state, Gov. Josh Shapiro stepped to the podium during a press conference in Lancaster and delivered a somber message that would draw the nation’s attention to the unfolding crisis. The disease, he said, had led to the deaths of two people in Pennsylvania.
In Lancaster, some saw Pennsylvania’s deadly measles outbreak coming as opinions on vaccines shifted
LANCASTER, Pa. — For Eugene Johnson, a high school teacher in Lancaster County, the news this week that two people had died after contracting measles evoked memories of the coronavirus pandemic from six years ago. “This feels like COVID all over again,” he said For years, he watched as school vaccination rates fell while more families chose not to immunize their children in favor of alternative treatments — some unproven — against childhood illnesses.
What to know about the Pennsylvania measles outbreak and keeping yourself safe
Pennsylvania’s current measles outbreak, which started in Lancaster County, continues to grow. With schools reopening for the fall semester, experts are particularly concerned that the state’s reported case count of 424 will continue to rise. The latest numbers published by the state Wednesday afternoon showed that the disease has spread to Westmoreland County for the first time this year.
'It's all hands on deck' as Pennsylvania records first 2 measles deaths in more than 3 decades
In a massive measles outbreak that has spread across Pennsylvania, two unvaccinated people have died after contracting the disease — the first deaths related to the illness in the United States this year. The fatalities are also the first in Pennsylvania since a surge in cases more than three decades ago that left nine children dead and hundreds of people sickened.
Vaccine enforcement gaps in Pennsylvania charter schools put thousands of children at risk
With Pennsylvania steeped in one of the largest measles outbreaks in the country, charter schools across the state are allowing children into classes without the required vaccines or the exemptions to avoid the shots, posing critical risks to thousands of students.
Vaccine enforcement gaps in Pennsylvania charter schools put thousands of children at risk
Northern California 10 hours ago 15-Year-Old Arrested Following Shooting at California High School Football Game That Left Another Teen Dead People - Charlotte Phillipp • 10h A 17-year-old has died, and a 15-year-old is in custody, after a shooting broke out at a California high school football game.
Pa. measles outbreak has reached Allegheny County
Commonwealth Media Services, Anthony Grove The state, as of Wednesday, had reported 340 cases this year — with 75 in the past week Hanna Webster & Jimmy Cloutier Got a news tip? 412-263-1601 Aug 20, 2026 8:44 PM Measles has reached Allegheny County, a UPMC spokesperson confirmed Thursday.
Measles outbreak intensifies across Pennsylvania
With thousands of Pennsylvania students about to embark on another school year, the measles outbreak is intensifying at a remarkable rate, spreading to two more counties and infecting more than two dozen people in just the past week. At least 167 people have been sickened this year — the fifth highest number of cases of any state — as Pennsylvania health officials wage a widening battle to stem the virus. So far, 32 people have been hospitalized, including young children.
The viral online attack on Pittsburgh doctors that sparked a national debate over vaccines
One by one, the faces of the doctors splashed across the screen in a dramatic video created to reach thousands of viewers with a simple message. The HPV vaccine can save your life. It can beat back the cells of cancer. It can ultimately cut down on the thousands of deaths taking place each year in the country impacting mostly women. "We wanted to create a conversation," said Todd Wolynn, a longtime pediatrician who was a member of the group that launched the 90-second video in 2017.
Pennsylvania measles cases surpass 100, now spreading in 7 counties
Pennsylvania has surpassed 100 measles cases this year — a grim milestone reached this week as a dozen new infections were confirmed by state health officials. Most of the cases — 89 — are tied to an ongoing outbreak that started in Lebanon County in late April and has since spread to six other counties across central and southeastern Pennsylvania.
Lingering distrust, low vaccine rates threaten containment of Lancaster measles outbreak
LANCASTER, Pa. — A growing distrust of health professionals seems to be undermining their efforts in central and southeastern Pennsylvania to stop the state’s worst measles outbreak in more than three decades. “It’s becoming more and more them versus us as opposed to us being on the same team,” Dr. Joan Thode, who practices at Roseville Pediatrics in Lancaster, said of those who question vaccine safety.
As Pa. measles outbreak worsens, state health officials issue strong call to action: 'We are not just sitting back and watching this virus spread'
LANCASTER, Pa. — State Health Secretary Debra Bogen on Friday issued a strong call to action in the wake of a measles outbreak not seen in Pennsylvania in more than 30 years. “We are not just sitting back and watching this virus spread,” she said at Lancaster State Health Center.
Pa. measles cases jump, spread to Northumberland County
An unprecedented measles outbreak in the state has spread to an additional county, the Pennsylvania Department of Health announced Wednesday. Health officials confirmed six measles cases in Northumberland County, just north of Harrisburg. Another two cases were confirmed in Lancaster over the last two days, bringing the statewide total this year to 81 — the highest number in more than 30 years. Since Monday, 14 total cases have been reported in the state.
How Pennsylvania lawmakers are trying to tighten school vaccine exemptions as measles cases spike
With the spread of dangerous childhood diseases rising across Pennsylvania, top lawmakers say they want to rein in the legal exemptions that have allowed students to avoid school vaccines and placed hundreds of classrooms at risk. The legislators say they want parents to seek the guidance of a healthcare provider before getting the waivers, saying families should be informed about the risks before allowing their children to skip the vaccines.
Amid a measles resurgence, Pennsylvania leaders say plunging vaccine rates in thousands of schools will be made public Original
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready... By Michael D. Sallah, Jimmy Cloutier, Hanna Webster and Mike Wereschagin, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette As measles cases in Pennsylvania spike to levels not seen in decades, state officials say they will disclose the vaccination rates in classrooms across the state in a move that will allow parents to track the safety of their children’s schools.
Amid a measles resurgence, Pennsylvania leaders say plunging vaccine rates in thousands of schools will be made public
As measles cases in Pennsylvania spike to levels not seen in decades, state officials say they will disclose the vaccination rates in classrooms across the state in a move that will allow parents to track the safety of their children’s schools.
As vaccination rates plunge in Pennsylvania schools, measles cases surge in largest outbreak in three decades
LANCASTER — Day after day, cases of measles are spiraling in Pennsylvania: Three people hospitalized and 16 others sickened by the highly infectious disease in Lebanon County. Two students from a Mennonite school falling ill in neighboring Lancaster County. In just the past six weeks, the virus has spread to more than three dozen people in both counties — 22 in the last week — in an outbreak that has spurred state health agents to track the infections and try to rein in the disease.
Pennsylvania schools shared widely debunked vaccine claims with thousands of parents
With vaccination rates plummeting in Pennsylvania schools and the nation on the verge of a massive measles outbreak, state health officials three years ago created a sweeping plan to drive up protections for thousands of children. Armed with millions of federal dollars, they launched a statewide advertising campaign that touted vaccines as critical safeguards to fight disease.
Measles cases continue to spread in Pa., hitting the highest number since 1991
As vaccination rates plummet in hundreds of schools across Pennsylvania, state health officials say 32 cases of measles have been reported so far this year — the highest total since 1991. Twenty of those cases are part of an ongoing outbreak that started in Lebanon County over the past month and has spread to three other counties: Berks, Dauphin and Lancaster.
Pennsylvania lawmakers: Falling school vaccine rates need to be made public
With hundreds of children sickened by measles nationwide, top Pennsylvania lawmakers say the state needs to disclose the vaccination rates of all schools to protect the most vulnerable students and warn the public when critical protections fail. In just five years, the number of children immunized against measles in Pennsylvania has fallen to levels that medical experts say pose risks to students in every corner of the state. “This issue is too important,” said state Rep.
11 measles cases are confirmed in Pa.'s Lebanon County
Pennsylvania health officials confirmed Wednesday that Lebanon County has 11 new cases of measles, with three hospitalizations. Nearly all of the measles diagnoses in the state this year have been in unvaccinated individuals, said state health officials. The outbreak comes as Pennsylvania recovers from a dozen measles cases that were reported earlier this year in Lancaster, Montgomery and Chester counties — and as vaccination rates plummet in hundreds of schools across the state.
How Pa.'s falling school vaccination rates and enforcement failures put thousands of children at risk
By Jimmy Cloutier, Michael D. Sallah, Mike Wereschagin and Hanna Webster | POST-GAZETTE Melissa Dai, Isaiah Steinberg | MEDILL INVESTIGATIVE LAB, NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY April 19, 2026 Just two years after a deadly outbreak of polio raged across the country, the children lined up in the basement gymnasium of a Pittsburgh elementary school for what became the largest medical experiment in America.
Post-Gazette investigation of government enforcement failures in coal mining industry receives national recognition
Benjamin B. Braun/Post-Gazette Joint project with Medill Investigative Lab is semifinalist for 2026 Goldsmith Prize for Investigative Reporting Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Got a news tip?
Deadly Toxic Trail: Thousands of miners left in danger by critical enforcement gaps
In the battle against one of the deadliest outbreaks of black lung disease in decades, the federal mine inspectors play a critical role: testing the coal dust levels in the vast underground tunnels to protect the lives of the workers. In case after case, the inspectors found the air posed no dangers to the miners who were allowed to keep working in what were believed to be safe conditions.
Coal miners with black lung fight Trump administration rollback of safety protections
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Carolyn Kaster/Associated Press Carolyn Kaster and Margie Mason Associated Press OAK HILL, W.Va. — Deep in the hills of West Virginia, coal mining and the dangers that come with it have been a part of families’ lives for generations. Death and tragedy are woven into history, but there’s also a fierce legacy of miners fighting for — and winning — protections that have benefitted workers nationwide.
By Michael Sallah Verified, Mike Wereschagin Verified, Jimmy Cloutier, Anavi Prakash, Carolyn Kaster Verified, Margie Mason
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Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Verified
Deadly Dust: Missed inspections, enforcement failures imperil the lives of coal miners
Deep in the earth's crust, the toxic substance rises in the air as miners drill into massive layers of rock. As they work the controls of the big machines, dust from the ancient sandstone fills the caverns and slips into the nose and mouth, down the throat and into the chest. A stealth intruder, the tiny particles invade the pink membranes of the lungs, posing incalculable harm to workers who are prone to developing the most dreaded disease of their time: black lung.
Pope Leo XIV calls for peace in Ukraine and Gaza, saying: ‘Never again war’
VATICAN CITY — Pope Leo XIV called for a genuine and just peace in Ukraine and an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, in his first Sunday noon blessing as pontiff that featured some symbolic gestures suggesting a message of unity in a polarized Catholic Church. “I too address the world's great powers by repeating the ever-present call ‘never again war,’” Leo said from the loggia of St. Peter’s Basilica to an estimated 100,000 people below.
Pennsylvania priest's friendship with Pope Leo XIV was forged in the poverty of Peru
The Rev. Rich Mullen was still mourning the death of his brother two years ago when his close friend, then Archbishop Robert Prevost, pulled him aside at the St. Thomas of Villanova Monastery near Philadelphia. For a moment, the two men shut out the commotion around them. “He said, 'I know your brother died, and I prayed for him,’” Father Mullen recalled.
PG Special Report: Feds slash landmark law that targeted billions in dirty dollars
The firm that poured millions of dollars into a massive steel factory in the heart of Appalachia had no office, no phone, no website, nor any employees. To nearly everyone, Veroni Alloys LLC, was a mystery. In an elaborate scheme, the company moved the money through a network of more than a dozen bank accounts to finance the purchase of the bustling facility that had employed generations of steelworkers, records show.
Trump wants to reverse coal's long decline. It won't be easy.
President Donald Trump last week issued executive orders designed to revive the use of coal in power plants, a practice that has been steadily declining for more than a decade. But the effort is likely to fail, energy experts said, because the fossil fuel faces some hurdles. The power that coal plants produce typically can't compete with cheaper, cleaner alternatives. And many plants that burn coal are simply too old and would need extensive and expensive upgrades to continue running.
Coal miners' health and safety on the chopping block amid drastic staffing cuts
Amanda Lawson’s 45th birthday gift to herself was a new tattoo. Her right forearm now bears a coal miner’s helmet shining a light with the words: “When you can't make them see the light, make them feel the heat.” For Ms. Lawson, a black lung benefits counselor in West Virginia, the quote from former President Ronald Reagan represents the battle she has been fighting for the past seven years: helping miners with the disease get critical benefits and protections.
Philips to lay off 14 at Mt. Pleasant facility
Philips Respironics will lay off 14 workers at a Westmoreland County facility after it eliminated a shift. The company filed a Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act “WARN” notice announcing the layoffs at its facility at 174 Tech Center Drive in Mount Pleasant. “It is anticipated that these will be permanent terminations and that employee separations will commence on May 23, 2025,” the company wrote in the WARN notice in late March.
Deep fear in coal country: DOGE cuts put region's miners and families on edge
For federal safety inspectors, the urgent call to their sprawling mining office near Pittsburgh was bleak: Man crushed in the rubble of an aging mine in the heart of coal country. Agents from the Mount Pleasant office arrived at the scene shortly after the body of Joseph Guzzo Jr. had been pulled from under the massive chunk of earth that collapsed in the mine tunnel four years ago.
Pardoned for Jan. 6, 'Pink Hat Lady' came home to a new reality in Western Pa.
On her 15th day of freedom as a pardoned participant in the Jan. 6 riot, Rachel Powell drove through western Pennsylvania to the county courthouse in Franklin. She needed to check off applying for a gun permit from her homecoming to-do list.
Trump's pledge of pardons for Capitol rioters sparks deep divide as he prepares to take office again
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By Michael Sallah Verified, Mike Wereschagin Verified, Laura Esposito Verified, Benjamin Kail Verified
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MSN
Verified
Trump offered a bountiful batch of campaign promises that come due on Day 1
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WASHINGTON — After Donald Trump becomes president again on Monday, he’s on the hook for achieving a hefty chunk of his promises even before the day is out. One of those promises is to make you dizzy. “Your head will spin when you see what’s going to happen,” he said of Day 1. Steady yourself. This is some of what he promised voters he would get done on his first day in office: • Launch the largest deportation in U.S. history to remove all people in the country illegally. • Close the border.
By Benjamin Kail Verified, Michael Sallah Verified, Mike Wereschagin Verified, Laura Esposito Verified
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Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Verified
A change in plans: Here's what to know about the indoors inauguration
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WASHINGTON — Sub-freezing temperatures forecast for Monday in Washington are prompting President-elect Donald Trump to take the oath of office from inside the Capitol Rotunda. Almost everyone visiting Washington won’t be able to see it in person. The decision to move Monday’s event indoors marks the first time in 40 years that a president will not be sworn in on the Capitol steps. Plans are underway to accommodate some attendees at the city’s pro basketball and hockey arena.
By Benjamin Kail Verified, Michael Sallah Verified, Mike Wereschagin Verified, Laura Esposito Verified
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Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Verified
Trump's pledge of pardons for Capitol rioters sparks deep divide as he prepares to take office again
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WASHINGTON — Amid the smoke and haze and shattered glass of the Capitol building, Sgt. Aquilino Gonell was covered in blood and gasping for breath from the chemicals burning his lungs as the rioters surged forward in the west tunnel. Clutching his shield and a baton, he thought he was going to die. "I'm getting crushed," recalled the former U.S. Capitol Police supervisor. "The officers are crying, screaming. I didn't think I was going to make it." Four years after the infamous attack Jan.
By Michael Sallah Verified, Mike Wereschagin Verified, Laura Esposito Verified, Benjamin Kail Verified
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Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Verified
Japan's Nippon Steel sets sights on a growing overseas market in its bid to acquire U.S. Steel
KASHIMA, Japan — The signs at Nippon Steel read: “The world through steel,” underlining why Japan’s top steelmaker is pursuing its $15 billion bid to acquire U.S. Steel. “We can’t expect demand in Japan to grow as the population is declining. We need to invest in production that leads to growth,” a company official, Masato Suzuki, said Friday while giving reporters a look at a Nippon Steel plant in Ibaraki prefecture, north of Tokyo. Nippon Steel Corp.
U.S. Steel review targeted by Republicans for potential probe
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Battle rages over Nippon-U.S. Steel deal as deadline looms
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Philips Respironics to move manufacturing operations to Thailand, slashing hundreds of local jobs
Years after launching one of the most tumultuous recalls of its kind, Philips Respironics will move its manufacturing operations to Thailand and end its reign in the Pittsburgh area as one of the nation's leading makers of breathing machines, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette has learned.
Feds probe millions in public dollars to Philips for defective breathing machines
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PG investigation: Feds probe millions in public dollars to Philips for defective breathing machines
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Prosecutors: grand jury targeting oligarch's massive stake in U.S. steel industry
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Mission failure: What went wrong at the July 13 Trump rally in Butler
The mission was the kind that the Secret Service has handled time after time. Protect a former president. Use well-tested protocols. Rely on modern communications equipment and local law enforcement officers. And, yet, on the grounds of a small-town farm show in Western Pennsylvania, it all went wrong. Mission failure What went wrong at the July 13 Trump rally in Butler Township An empty roof. A lurking suspect. A breakdown in communication.
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