2 debates set for U.S. Senate seatHARRISBURG — Katie McGinty, the Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate, is agreeing to join two debates in October after Republican incumbent Pat Toomey pushed for a four-debate schedule.The McGinty campaign said Monday that she would join debates on Oct. 17 at Pittsburgh TV station KDKA and Oct. 24 at Philadelphia TV station WPVI. It says both debates will be available for broadcast statewide.The campaign had no immediate explanation for why she would not join debates on Oct. 6 at Bucknell University and on Oct. 13 in Harrisburg.In 2010, Toomey joined two debates with Democrat Joe Sestak.Polls show the race is virtually tied, and the winner of the Nov. 8 election could tip control of the U.S. Senate.

Trump to speak this week in PittsburghPITTSBURGH — Organizers say Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump will speak Thursday at the annual Shale Insight conference at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center.Conference officials said that Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton was also invited but declined, citing a scheduling conflict.The pro-drilling Marcellus Shale Coalition is co-sponsoring the event with the Ohio Oil and Gas Association and the West Virginia Oil and Natural Gas Association.Trump claims he’ll promote coal production, safe fracking and energy exploration in “appropriate” parts of federal lands. But his proposal didn’t say how he would do that.