Port Authority announces 2 new employee COVID-19 cases, bringing total to 39 since March
Update: 5:46 p.m. on Wed., Aug. 12: Port Authority announced this week that two more employees have tested positive for COVID-19, bringing the total of Port Authority employees that have tested positive since March to 39. A press release stated that both employees that tested positive on Aug. 6 work at a facility in Manchester,…
Fine Wine & Good Spirits curbside pickup expands to most stores
Updated 1:25 p.m., Fri., April 24: After initially launching curbside pick-up at a portion of Fine Wine & Good Spirits stores across the state, the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board announced on Fri., April 24 that they would be expanding the program to 389 more stores, which is most of the stores in the state. The expanded…
Quarantunes with TV’s NORM
We’re stuck at home. Musicians are stuck at home. We’re looking for entertainment. Musicians are looking to entertain. So Pittsburgh City Paper is working with Pittsburgh artists and bands to bring you Quarantunes, a series of at-home performances to bring a little enjoyment to your day. After four years together, TV’s NORM has a few singles,…
Report: Pittsburgh ranked 8th worst for air pollution among US cities
Just in time for Earth Day, the American Lung Association released its annual State of the Air report, analyzing air quality and associated risks across the country with data from 2016-2018. While Pittsburgh has made a lot of progress in terms of air quality since the city’s industrial heyday, there is still a lot of…
Lower Youghiogheny River named the 10th most endangered river in the U.S.
The Pittsburgh region has come a long way from its industrial past when pollution was the norm, but it still has a long way to go. The region still has some of the worst air quality in the nation, and extractive industries like natural gas are contributing to methane links and environmental degradation. And recently,…
Top 10 things that are completely fine
Listicles are hyperbolic for a reason. Big opinions and hot takes elicit clicks and strong, shareable responses. And that’s good for businesses (read: media) whose revenues are predicated upon users and clicks. But what if I, as a professional, seasoned journalist, and we, as a country, took a more measured, reasonable approach to life? What…
1Hood Media distributing thousands of KN95 masks to essential workers in Pittsburgh
As of Tue., April 21, 1 Hood Media will distribute 2,000 KN95 masks at no cost to essential workers throughout Allegheny County. Yesterday, the local arts and activism organization launched a county-wide campaign to help protect frontline workers as they perform essential duties during the COVID-19 pandemic. This campaign comes at a time when many…
Jam to Chrome Cable’s ‘Mother Earth’ this Earth Day
To market “Mother Earth” the newest single from Chrome Cable, the Pittsburgh-based musician placed adverts (see above) in random places around the city. Those who called the toll-free number heard a preview of the synth-laden, ’80s-leaning song, and had the option to leave a voicemail. Chrome Cable, whose real name is Cole McCloskey, then complied…
Portraits of the Pandemic: The second installment of a photo essay featuring essential workers on Pittsburgh’s frontlines
As the global coronavirus pandemic hits our city, Pittsburgh City Paper is celebrating the essential workers on the frontlines. They’re driving your buses, delivering your mail, making sure you’re fed, helping you heal. The following series of photographs, taken by CP photographer Jared Wickerham, is our second installment of Portraits of the Pandemic, featuring some of those essential…
Local nightclub owners receive backlash for armed appearance at Pittsburgh protest
Members of the Pittsburgh LGBTQ community and others have expressed outrage on social media when it was discovered that two local nightclub owners were prominent figures at the Pittsburgh “Take Back Control” anti-quarantine protest yesterday. Posts circulated today alleging that Paul Martinez and his wife, Leah, who co-own the Strip District clubs CAVO and Cake,…
On Earth Day, Pittsburgh’s youth climate strike goes virtual
Over the past year, youth-led climate strikes have spread to cities around the world, including here in Pittsburgh. Last September, hundreds of students walked out of school to march Downtown. A similar climate rally was planned for Earth Day on Wed., April 22, but the event had to adapt to this crowdless era, so the…
Report says traditional buses would serve Hazelwood corridor better than autonomous shuttles
For the last few years, Pittsburgh city officials have been met with significant pushback on their proposal to run autonomous shuttles from Oakland to Hazelwood. The proposal is called the Mon-Oakland Connector, and the goal is to run driverless shuttles from central Oakland, through the Junction Hollow trail in Schenley Park, and onto Hazelwood. Proponents…
Takeout review: big honkin’ sandwiches from Smoke
For most of this quarantine, I have been cooking all of my meals every day. I get takeout about once a week, as a treat. I don’t use food delivery services and don’t have a car, so I get what’s in walking distance. But I think often about the last meal I ate out before…
Quarantunes with the PSO’s Kyle Mustain
We’re stuck at home. Musicians are stuck at home. We’re looking for entertainment. Musicians are looking to entertain. So City Paper is working with Pittsburgh artists and bands to bring you Quarantunes, a series of at-home performances to bring a little enjoyment to your day. Say hello to Kyle Mustain, the Principal English Horn for the Pittsburgh…
Lynn Cullen Live – 4/21/20
Video Archive Governors planning to reopen their states is the first topic Lynn and Susan are discussing today. They are also talking about the small business stimulus plan funds going to large restaurant chains like Ruth Chris Steakhouse instead of the small business it was intended to support. Fear of hospitals is also something they…
If I Had Your Face shows an unseen side of Korean culture
There’s a line in Frances Cha’s debut novel If I Had Your Face that speaks to the release as a whole, without having much to do with the plot: “In New York, you can talk to anyone about anything at any time and have a conversation so long you’ll fall a little bit in love with…
60-Second Documentary: How COVID-19 has affected my mother’s ESL Teaching Career
The following video is part of a series of 60-Second Documentaries, produced by Point Park University students in collaboration with the student-run Point Park News Service. Meet the filmmaker: Name: Makenzie Farleo Year: Senior Major: Public Relations and Dance Resides: Flint, Michigan Career Aspiration: Dance on cruise ships around the world
PHOTOS: About 120 protest in Downtown Pittsburgh, calling for Pennsylvania to reopen during coronavirus pandemic
Today, about 120 protesters took to Grant Street in Downtown Pittsburgh, calling for Pennsylvania to reopen its businesses during the coronavirus pandemic. The protesters stood on the sidewalks in front of the City-County Building, as several Pittsburgh Police Officers looked on. Another dozen or so cars drove back and forth on Grant Street during the…
Armed civilian group at Pittsburgh’s reopen protest sports symbols linked to white nationalism
At a protest outside of Pittsburgh’s City County building, about 120 people gathered on the sidewalk to demand that Pennsylvania reopen and halt the coronavirus closures. Dozens of cars also drove back and forth on Grant Street, honking and waving American flags and signs that read “End Excessive Lockdown” and “Freedom Trumps the Virus.” The…
Pittsburgher channels Lizzo for “Bored As Hell” parody video
How are you spending the boundless amount of free time you have in your home? Cooking? Cleaning? Discovering new hobbies? Laying in bed, staring into space, bored? After being temporarily laid off from his job at City Theatre, Pittsburgh resident Ryan Ferrebee knew he was going to become bored. So as a joke, he proactively wrote…
Allegheny County Councilors introduce countywide paid sick-leave legislation
The coronavirus pandemic has done more than just placed dozens of countries under lockdown and taken over 150,000 lives; it has laid bare the necessity of many social services and labor protections some Americans might take for granted. For example, despite the fact that many grocery store and food service workers have been deemed essential,…
Frontline Foods lifts up Pittsburgh restaurants and keeps healthcare workers well fed
On April 1, Anne Kelly and a team of Pittsburghers launched the city chapter of Frontline Foods. The organization was designed to lift up restaurants while feeding healthcare workers risking their lives. The first delivery, just 11 days after the launch, delivered 165 meals to healthcare workers at Allegheny General Hospital and AHN West Penn…
Pittsburgh residents express frustration over PPE litter found throughout city
Jessica LaVecchia has noticed something while biking or going on her daily walks in various Pittsburgh neighborhoods. “Everywhere I go, I see the same thing: discarded gloves and face masks aimlessly blowing around before piling up on top of our pre-existing litter problem,” says LaVecchia. Besides her own neighborhood of Lawrenceville, she has seen it…
Quarantunes with Ugly Blondes
We’re stuck at home. Musicians are stuck at home. We’re looking for entertainment. Musicians are looking to entertain. So City Paper is working with Pittsburgh artists and bands to bring you Quarantunes, a series of at-home performances to bring a little enjoyment to your day. If you’re never seen Ugly Blondes perform in their eight years…
At Home With: Wilkinsburg Mayor Marita Garrett
“Volunteer with local organizations that are providing direct services to residents, support businesses that are closed by ordering online and/or purchasing gift cards to use later.”
Lynn Cullen Live – 4/20/20
Video Archive <iframe width="560" height="315" Lynn is remembering Paul O’Neill, former Treasury Secretary and Alcoa CEO, who died over the weekend at the age of 84. She is also discussing the Covid-19 quarantine protest scheduled to take place in Harrisburg today. Audio Only Archive Stream or download the last 5 shows on the MP3 downloads…
Vigil held at Point State Park for those who have passed away inside the Allegheny County Jail
This evening, about 16 people met at Point State Park in Downtown Pittsburgh to hold a vigil to extend their grief for inmates who have died in the Allegheny County Jail. Pittsburgh City Paper photographer Jared Wickerham documented the vigil in photographs, but attendees held a solemn vigil and were not taking questions from reporters.…
The Original Hot Dog Shop in Pittsburgh’s Oakland neighborhood has closed for good
An Oakland institution has closed up shop, with no plans of reopening after the coronavirus closures are lifted. The Original Hot Dog Shop, known affectionately as “The O,” has cleared out the two-story restaurant that has sat at the corner of Forbes Avenue and Bouquet Street for more than 60 years. According to The Pitt…
Giant Eagle to convert Parkway Mall location into pickup and delivery fulfillment center
Local grocery stores that offer curbside pickup have seen a huge increase in customers using the service since the pandemic hit Pittsburgh. Giant Eagle in particular has had such high demand that pickup slots are often unavailable for weeks. To expand its curbside services, Giant Eagle will convert its location at Parkway Center Mall to…
Allegheny County is sending all county voters mail-in ballot applications with prepaid postage
UPDATE: 3:40 p.m., April 17: Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald announced today that the county election division is finalizing mailings, and will send no-excuse mail-in ballot applications to every registered voter in the county who has not already applied for a mail-in or absentee ballot. The mailings will include prepaid postage. On April 13, Fitzgerald…
Gov. Wolf introduces plan to reopen Pennsylvania
Today, Gov. Tom Wolf outlined a plan for reopening much of Pennsylvania. In a press conference, Wolf acknowledged that the commonwealth has the fifth highest amount of coronavirus cases among states but said, “We have not had the explosive growth of our neighboring states thanks to your sacrifices.” Wolf said he is ready to start…
Digital Drag Brunch sashays into Pittsburgh homes with live-streaming shows
Being able to brunch with friends and family can be the highlight of any weekend, with everyone catching up over bottomless mimosas and savory egg dishes before heading home for a mid-afternoon nap. Because this cherished activity is on hold due to the coronavirus, people have to settle for brunching at home, which, admittedly, just…
Baking bread as a means of self-care during the pandemic
The pandemic has changed many aspects of daily life for people, including how and what we eat. While restaurants are still open for takeout, we have turned to the contents of our pantries and cupboards asking, “What should I make today?” You might have an entire family to cook three meals for a day. You…
60-Second Documentary: A performing arts university student learns online during the pandemic
The following video is part of a series of 60-Second Documentaries, produced by Point Park University students in collaboration with the student-run Point Park News Service. Meet the filmmaker: Name: Vanessa Vivas Year: Junior Major: Theatre Arts with Broadcast Reporting Minor Resides: International student currently in Pittsburgh Career Aspiration: Dramatic Writing and Performance, Nonfiction Writing,…
Video Premier: Buffalo Rose “Seven Nation Army” and “Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)” mashup
You’ve probably heard a variation of the White Stripes’ “Seven Nation Army” at some point in your life. Pittsburgh’s Buffalo Rose takes the popular track in a stunning new direction on its latest EP, Borrowed & Blue, in which the folk-band mashes up “Seven Nation Army” with Eurythmics’ “Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This).” Borrowed…
This year, celebrate Record Store Day with an at-home screening of Other Music
Sat., April 18 was scheduled to be the 12th annual Record Store Day. To coincide with the international event, Other Music, a documentary by Puloma Basu and Rob Hatch-Miller, was set to open in 30 cities around the world on Fri., April 17. But things are looking a little different this year for vinyl lovers.…
At Home With: Ed Piskor
“Remember when something like COVID-19 was sci-fi? It even has a sci-fi name.”
Are you an LGBTQ+ resident? PGH Equality Center needs you to fill out its Community Needs Survey
The PGH Equality Center (PEC) – formerly the Gay & Lesbian Community Center (GLCC) – launched a new survey to help better serve LGBTQ groups in the Western Pennsylvania region. The LGBTQ+ Community Needs Survey includes questions about gender and sexual identity, preferred pronouns, ethnicity, educational background, and current employment status, as well as the…
Pittsburghers for Public Transit calls for increased bus frequency, hazard pay for workers
In a time when Pittsburghers are trying to avoid physical contact and social settings as much as possible, taking public transportation can be a daunting task. This is especially true for those without a car, many of whom still need to access essential services or get to work, including the transit operators themselves. Local advocacy…
You can make Kennywood’s famous Potato Patch Fries at home, but should you?
On April 1, Kennywood Park announced the delay of its 2020 opening due to the outbreak of coronavirus in Pennsylvania. The amusement park postponed the May start date without setting a new one, noting that it was “too soon to confidently provide an opening date” but that they were “committed to reopening Kennywood this summer.” …
Mayor Peduto looks ahead to Pittsburgh’s “new normal” in speech on COVID-19
During a brief speech today from the City-County building, Mayor Bill Peduto touted the city’s response to COVID-19 related restrictions and quarantines, noting that as of yesterday, 327 ICU beds remained open across the county. “Thank you to all who have been staying home and working to flatten the curve,” said Peduto. “It has not…
60-Second Documentary: Point Park Student’s Living Nightmare
The following video is part of a series of 60-Second Documentaries, produced by Point Park University students in collaboration with the student-run Point Park News Service. Meet the filmmaker: Name: Kelsey Braun Year: Senior Major: Journalism and Mass Communications Resides: Swissvale Career Aspiration: Multimedia Journalist
At Home With: Matt Galluzzo, president and CEO of Riverlife
“Riverlife is a nimble and very merry band of rebels.”
Conservation Voters of PA highlights three endorsed Pittsburgh state House candidates
Environmental policy is an area where state legislators have considerable sway. With an EPA controlled by President Donald Trump that is set on rolling back regulations, a lot of environmental protections in Pennsylvania currently fall to elected officials in Harrisburg. With that in mind, statewide environmental group Conservation Voters of Pennsylvania (CVPA) has endorsed three…
What Pittsburghers are eating during quarantine
Earlier this week, I sent an SOS text to my mom: “Help! I need dinner ideas.” With the Stay-at-Home order in place, I (along with many other people) have had to confront the fact that my cooking skills are miserable. But thanks to many Instagram stories, I also know that being stuck at home has…
Lynn Cullen Live – 4/16/20
Video Archive Sally Wiggin will be joining Lynn later in the show. Before she gets here Lynn is talking about how yesterday was the single deadliest day in not only the United States but the world, over 2,000 Americans died from Covid-19. She is also covering the protests over social distance orders, which have taken…
For Sale With Baggage: Who let the dogs out?
Stuff can be complicated, especially when trying to get rid of it. The process can remind us that our things can have worth that’s hard to put a dollar amount on; they can call to mind other people from our lives; they can bring up memories of what they were (or weren’t) used for. For…
DIY record label Autumn Sounds likes it weird
Experimental label Autumn Sounds started out of a shoebox — a shoebox full of cassette tapes, to be exact. The idea came to founder Stephen Matejka after thinking about how there is so much great music in the world but not everyone has the ability or access to release their music physically, or even digitally. And Matejka,…
August Wilson African American Cultural Center invites world to view recent exhibitions with first-ever virtual tours
In response to the COVID-19 shutdown, the August Wilson African American Cultural Center has launched its first-ever virtual tours to provide access to its two recent visual arts exhibitions. Today, the Center announced that Vanishing Black Bars & Lounges and I came by Boat so Meet me at the Beach are now available for anyone…
Lynn Cullen Live – 4/15/20
Video Archive Lynn is starting off today by talking about a piece in the Post Gazette by Robert Hill. It’s about a friend of Lynn’s who is fighting for his life against Covid-19 in New York, Clyde Jones. In addition, she is discussing Trump’s decision to withhold World Health Organization funding. Audio Only Archive Stream…
At Home With: Gia Fagnelli
Everybody is dealing with the COVID-19 quarantines and restrictions in different ways. While there’s no single right way to cope — social distancing and staying TF home aside — connecting with friends, family, and neighbors is a good place to start. You can contact your loved ones on your own, but you might also be…
What to do when you get too high
Cannabis is all fun and games until that one inhale, bite, or drop pushes you over the edge. Maybe you have a low tolerance. Maybe you misjudged the strength of that edible. Maybe it’s your first time trying tinctures. Either way, you’re anxious, your heart is pounding in your ears, and … is that a…
The Marijuana Issue
When scheduling this year’s Marijuana Issue, we originally planned for it to hit stands during the week of April 20. (That’s 420, a popular slang term for weed, for those not in the know.) Let’s go ahead and add this week’s stoners’ holiday to the long list of events ruined by the global pandemic. Or…
Rep. Jake Wheatley’s bill could boost Pennsylvania’s economy following pandemic turmoil
Getting a recreational cannabis bill passed is no easy feat. Only 11 states have done it, while 33 have legalized medical marijuana. Bills have been introduced in Pennsylvania over the years without ever realistically coming close to passing. But the turmoil caused by the pandemic could actually bolster the argument for legal cannabis in the…
Should PMS qualify for medical marijuana?
A few years ago, an article went viral featuring a statement from a doctor claiming that periods can be as painful as a heart attack. There is no research to verify the claim, and he was just one doctor in one article, but it was shared nonetheless because so many people felt validated by a…
How Pennsylvania’s medical marijuana program is proving itself essential during coronavirus
On March 19, Gov. Tom Wolf announced that all “non-life-sustaining” businesses in Pennsylvania would be forced to close operations to help slow the spread of coronavirus. There was a lot of anxiety and confusion about what businesses were deemed essential during the pandemic and which were not. Luckily for Pennsylvania’s medical marijuana patients, the program…
Grab these great local CBD products online
Stuck in quarantine, but need a CBD fix? Support local businesses from the comfort of your own home with these mail-order products. Lip Balm Singles $8 from Simply CBD Pittsburgh Lavendar Body Bar $5.20 from Steel City Naturals Roasted CBD Coffee $35 from Hippie and French CBD Face Mask $12.95 from CBD Wellness Store CBD…
How to get a medical marijuana card in Pennsylvania
1. Create an online patient profile Adult patients (18+) must first fill out a form with accurate and up-to-date personal information, including name, address, and date of birth, at the Pennsylvania Department of Health website. Tip: Make sure addresses are inputted exactly how they appear on a patient’s driver’s license or state-issued ID. Do not…
Local medical marijuana patients and reviewers weigh in on their preferred products, dispensaries, and resources
For new or interested patients, navigating the world of medical marijuana can be intimidating. What are the best products for pain or anxiety? How should you take it? What dispensaries are available, and where? Pittsburgh City Paper spoke to local patients and cannabis product reviewers about what works for them. Jen Webster, founder of Keystone…
Edible Engagements
For the past six weeks or so, I’ve been collecting answers to a survey about Pittsburghers’ favorite healthy-ish munchies. I used a three-pronged approach: ask for answers on Twitter, ask for answers on Reddit, and then write those answers down. I’ve learned a lot, most notably that far more people than I expected eat frozen…
Hippie & French releases CBD hand sanitizer that supports the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank
Lindsay French, founder of local CBD boutique Hippie & French, started selling her first batch of hand sanitizer last week. With the release, the store was following in the footsteps of many local distilleries who stepped in to produce sanitizer in light of shortages. But unlike distilleries, the Hippie & French version included 100 milligrams…
Sensi publisher Gina Vensel covers cannabis culture and more in Pittsburgh
Starting a magazine is difficult enough on its own. But starting a magazine only to weather a pandemic less than six months after launching it, would be a mammoth task for anyone. But that’s the situation Gina Vensel, publisher of Sensi Pittsburgh, faced when the COVID-19 outbreak became a full-blown crisis for both large and…
WYEP’s The Local 913: Anti-Flag
There’s no shortage of material for punk stalwarts Anti-Flag to write about these days. Of course, the band’s twelfth album 20/20 Vision was written and released when we were still blissfully unaware of the COVID-19 crisis, but there was still plenty of material for an album’s worth of three-minute aggressive and progressive punk songs. And…
Free Will Astrology (4-15 – 4-22)
ARIES (March 21-April 19): Aries artist Vincent van Gogh got started on his life’s work relatively late. At ages 25 and 26, he made failed attempts to train as a pastor and serve as a missionary. He didn’t launch his art career in earnest until he was 27. During the next ten years, he created…
Op-Ed: To protect people from COVID-19, halt unnecessary air pollution
People living in and near Pittsburgh are at greater risk in the COVID-19 pandemic because of the poor air quality. That’s a fact, but we don’t have to just sit still and accept our fate. Governor Tom Wolf has the legal power — and the duty — to improve the situation. The governor should act…
