4 newish Pittsburgh book releases to keep on your radar
All This Time by Mikki Daughtry and Rachael Lippincott Released Sept. 29 via Simon & Schuster Books for Young ReadersTeen Fiction/Contemporary Romance, 336 pages The authors of No. 1 New York Times bestseller Five Feet Apart are back, this time with a teen romance novel that wonders if true love can be found after everything…
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How to Get a Medical Marijuana Card in Pennsylvania
If you want to become a medical marijuana patient in Pennsylvania, it starts with seeing a medical marijuana doctor. As a patient, you get the perks of going to dispensaries, ordering from delivery services, and consuming cannabis without risking run-ins with law enforcement. Pennsylvania weed doctors perform medical evaluations on patients to determine whether they’re…
Helpin Aht! Records releases second compilation album: Helpin’ Aht x Prevention Point Pittsburgh
When Pittsburgh City Paper chatted with Sheridan Woika in July, after the release of Helpin Aht! Records’ first compilation album, BAIL, the label owner said that their hope for the next project would be for a cause that fits “an immediate need.” Helpin’ Aht x Prevention Point Pittsburgh, the second album to come from the…
Alexis Johnson, Pittsburgh journalist banned from covering protests, lands job at Vice
This summer, journalist Alexis Johnson made national headlines after management at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, where she worked, banned her from covering the ongoing anti-police brutality protests over the killings of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor. Today, she has announced her new position at Vice News. Shortly after the protests had begun in Pittsburgh in late…
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AHN Harmar Neighborhood Hospital Opens in Western Pennsylvania
HARMAR, Pennsylvania — The Western Pennsylvania region offers Harmar residents many things to treasure: Among them are the beautiful Trillium Trail — a virtual living museum of wildflowers — and the nearby Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium, with its 77 acres of lush, tropical land that houses more than 9,000 animals across 900 species. Harmar residents who’ve…
Report: Pennsylvania’s rate of uninsured children grew between 2016-19
The number of uninsured children in Pennsylvania has grown slightly over the last three years, matching a nationwide increase that’s wiped out the progress the nation made when it reached a historic low in 2016, a new report has found. After reaching a national low of 4.7% in 2016, the rate of children without insurance…
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Put away your pumpkins, we’re going on a cocktail trail
Put away your pumpkins because this year, we’ve got a better way to celebrate the season. The Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership and Pittsburgh City Paper have partnered up on the perfect way to experience fall: a cocktail trail. From Oct. 15-25, you can support the Downtown Pittsburgh restaurant scene on the first-ever Downtown Fall Cocktail Trail,…
Talkin’ Snack: Where’s the Be’f? Birds Eye Meatless Lasagna review
Over the course of working various office jobs, I’ve had my fair share of pre-packaged, frozen meals able to be eaten quickly at a desk or in a break room. In my meat-eating days, I’d grab some Lean Cuisine “healthy” entree, kidding myself into thinking they were a better alternative to fast food, ignoring that…
Pittsburgh-area mail carrier under investigation is apparent QAnon conspiracy theorist
Yesterday, the Baldwin home of Sean Troesch was raided by special agents from the United States Postal Service, who confiscated eight large garbage bags of suspected undelivered mail, according to KDKA. KDKA also reported that the post office said this latest haul didn’t contain any discarded mail-in ballots, but neighbors told the station trash bags…
With rental reforms stalled in the Legislature, Gov. Wolf announces a workaround
Gov. Tom Wolf on Tuesday said he would use regulatory powers to remedy one of the most problematic elements of Pennsylvania’s troubled housing assistance program, a move he says will allow more tenants and homeowners to stay in their homes during the COVID-19 pandemic. But the changes his office announced in a statement appear to…
New music roundup: Three Pittsburgh releases we’re loving
Lindsay Dragan — “Solitary Thrill” Lindsay Dragan’s first release in over a year picks up right where the band left off with 2019’s “Radiant Light” and “The Rage Inside.” Like the feeling of taking a solo trip on the open road, the latest single, “Solitary Thrill” brings to mind images of wide canyons, warm wind,…
Lynn Cullen Live – 10/13/20
Video Archive <iframe width="560" height="315" Lynn and Susan are discussing Amy Coney Barrett’s confirmation hearing, what was said yesterday, and what is expected to happen today. They are also talking about the Republican Party in California putting out fake ballot boxes, and a judge in Texas blocking the governor’s order closing all but one ballot…
PHOTOS: Protesters call for the tearing down of Christopher Columbus statue on Indigenous Peoples’ Day
Mere hours after an Italian-American group in support of Pittsburgh’s Christopher Columbus statue in Schenley Park convened at the monument, another protest was held in the same location, calling for its removal on Indigenous Peoples’ Day. Various POC-led groups organized the gathering with multiple speakers talking of the racist actions and ideals the monument stands…
The Third Round: Pittsburgh’s political podcast
It’s The Third Round, Pittsburgh’s classic political podcast, returning to podworld for the 2020 Election. Every four years, our Fair Swing State has the dubious pleasure of out-of-state political pundits, organizations, and other experts descending like buzzards on Pennsylvania to try to tell us locals what’s what. The Third Round gives Pennsylvania voters, politicians, and…
Pittsburgh youth activists oppose confirming Barrett to U.S. Supreme Court
On Oct. 12, a small number of protesters gathered in Downtown Pittsburgh to protest the confirmation of U.S. Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett. The organizers are part of Sunrise Pittsburgh, the local hub of a nationwide youth activism group focused on environmental and social justice. Elise Silvestri, 15, led the protest as her peers…
FestivalAFRICANA celebrates Black creatives in new virtual event series
Pittsburgh-based FashionAFRICANA has teamed up with Paris, France-based retail company MoonLook to present the inaugural FestivalAFRICANA, a series of programming “created to magnify the talents of African creatives and to give audiences an up-close-and-personal look at African culture through fashion and design,” according to a press release. The first installment of the four-part event series,…
Pa. Second Lady Gisele Fetterman subject to racist attack at the grocery store
Pennsylvania’s second lady Gisele Barreto Fetterman tweeted Sunday that she had been the target of a racist attack while shopping at her local Aldi, and shared a video she filmed of a woman shouting a racial slur at her, the Washington Post reported. The verbal assault happened after 5:30 p.m., around two miles away from…
Lynn Cullen Live – 10/12/20
Video Archive Due to a technical problem Lynn Cullen Live was cut off after about 20 minutes. You can still hear what Lynn was able to talk about during that time. There are 22 days until the election, and estimates range up to a third of people who are going to vote already have. In…
New Pittsburgh label Walker Records is “run by artists for artists”
Over the past few years, Pittsburgh musicians Isaiah Ross and Matthew Williams would frequently talk about how they felt there is so much talent in the city that’s not given the opportunity to showcase themselves because they don’t have a label to help. “As the years went on and we learned more and more, we…
Hambone’s bar in Lawrenceville has closed permanently
The coronavirus pandemic hit Hambone’s bar particularly hard. The longtime bar and venue on Butler street, beloved as a universally friendly dive, struggled like most bars during the beginning of the pandemic closures. Those struggles continued and became insurmountable after Hambone’s owner Jeff Holt passed away in late September at the age of 46 from…
Living Dead Museum to close its Evans City location, will return to Monroeville Mall
The Living Dead Museum has spent the last several years hosting events, tours, and special occasions in it’s Evans City location, with the goal of honoring the legacy of late filmmaker George A. Romero, who filmed Night of the Living Dead in the nearby Evans City Cemetery. Now the Living Dead team has announced that…
PA Black Votes Matter to host first-ever early in-person voting event in Allegheny County
This election year has been fraught with voting issues, from the confusing logistics of mail-in ballots during the pandemic, to worries about voter intimidation. To help inspire confidence in the process and get people to the polls, the PA Black Votes Matter coalition is making history with a two-day festival in Homewood. The festival – taking place from…
Mayor Bill Peduto calls for removal of Pittsburgh Columbus statue
Today, Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto announced an agreement with the city’s Arts Commission to formally remove the Christopher Columbus statue in Schenley Park. In a press release, Peduto directed that the statue be displayed in a private location that has yet to be determined. Peduto notes his own Italian heritage and that all four of…
House GOP leadership calls for Western Pa. Rep. Bernstine to resign over Snapchats of son
A Republican lawmaker from western Pennsylvania who recorded himself encouraging his five-year-old son to smoke a cigar and use vulgar language about women is now defying calls for his resignation and instead asking voters to make up their own minds with less than a month until the election. On Wednesday, The Beaver County Times reported…
Pork & Beans closes, new tenants for “the O,” and more Pittsburgh food news
Openings Pennsylvania Libations Wine Shop Looking for Pennsylvania-made wine or cider? The recently-opened Pennsylvania Libations Wine Shop, a sister store to the Strip District’s Pennsylvania Libations Spirit Shop, now carries over 200 different varieties. The shop is located at 1700 Penn Ave, across from Wholey’s Market. Eventually, the massive space – currently home to a…
What happens when marching season ends?
Thursday night’s Trans YOUniting march through downtown from the City County building to Market Square and back was a fairly small one. Despite its size, the group didn’t want to give up on mobilizing and marching. They wanted to educate those driving by, walking the streets, or out to dinner about injustices the Black and…
Yes, it’s still legal for businesses to discriminate against gay people in most of Pa.
On Monday night, a political ad for a local state House seat hit Pittsburgh TV screens informing viewers that candidate Rob Mercuri (R-Pine) supports allowing businesses to “actively discriminate against gay people.” The ad (see below) was paid for by the Pennsylvania Leadership Committee, which is part of a political group supporting Democratic candidates. Political…
D.C. man possibly carrying infectious disease to travel to Pittsburgh during pandemic
UPDATE — 1:20 p.m. Oct. 10: According to multiple sources, a Washington, D.C.-area man who is possibly infected with COVID-19 has canceled plans to visit the Pittsburgh area. The man, President Donald J. Trump, was planning to visit the Port Ambridge Industrial Park on Mon, Oct. 12, but it was never officially announced and now, sources tell the Beaver…
Pittsburgh-made tarot deck CULT uses horror to explore gender and sexuality
Watching horror movies is a favorite pastime for many film fans, especially during when Halloween is around the corner and spooky vibes are high. But for Genevieve Barbee-Turner, a local illustrator and owner of the KI11ERPANCAKE art studio, diving into the genre served a professional purpose as research for CULT, her latest tarot deck. “Oh,…
Sen. Casey: Affordable Care Act in “grave danger” if Barrett confirmed to Supreme Court
U.S. Sen. Bob Casey (D-Sranton) raised alarms Wednesday about the possibility of the Affordable Care Act being overturned if a conservative U.S. Supreme Court justice is confirmed in the next few weeks. “I don’t care if people are sick of me saying it over and over again; This is bad for America, this is bad…
Author Terry Tempest Williams stresses importance of upcoming election, engaged youth to environmental movement ahead of Pittsburgh appearance
Like any writer, Terry Tempest Williams wants her books and essays to be read. But Williams, whose latest book Erosion: Essays of Undoing (Sarah Crichton Books) is a collection of elegiac paeans about the environment, is not only writing for the present. “I feel like I’m writing to the future, and that matters to me,”…
Peduto and Fitzgerald urge Trump to avoid campaigning in Pittsburgh next week
According to New York Times reporter Maggie Haberman, the Trump campaign is considering traveling to Pittsburgh for a campaign event, not a rally, on Mon. Oct. 12. President Donald Trump tested positive for coronavirus on Oct. 1, and since then at least 34 people tied to the White House have been infected by COVID-19, according…
Lynn Cullen Live – 10/8/20
Video Archive Trump is calling for Attorney General Barr to arrest Obama and Biden. Lynn is starting off by discussing his latest Twitter blitz. She is also talking about last night’s Vice Presidential Debate. After watching the majority of it Lynn isn’t sure that we shouldn’t hold these any more. It doesn’t seem like Pence…
Lynn Cullen Live – 10/7/20
Video Archive Lynn will be speaking with The Pittsburgh City Paper’s Ryan Deto about some of the other things on your ballot later in the show. Before Ryan joins her, Lynn is sharing some good news. The finalists for National Book Awards have been announced, and the list includes “The Secret Lives of Church Ladies”…
Best Locally Designed Masks: Knotzland
Since 2014, Knotzland has been gracing the necks of fashionable people with its bespoke bow ties made from recycled fabrics. When COVID-19 hit, the Wilkinsburg-based business quickly shifted gears to create thousands of face masks that combine functionality with eye-catching designs. And now, Pittsburgh City Paper readers have voted Knotzland as the winner in the…
Best LGBTQ-owned business: Leona’s
No summer is complete without a hearty helping of ice cream. For Leona’s, makers of locally beloved, lactose-free ice cream sandwiches, the demand for frozen treats continued all summer long, even in the middle of a pandemic. Like most businesses, owners Katie Heldstab and Christa Puskarich dealt with the stress of implementing COVID-19 safety protocols…
Best of Pittsburgh: People and Places
Best Business Makeover Spak Brothers 5107 Penn Ave., Garfield spakbrothers.com 2nd: The Dog Stop thedogstop.com 3rd: Thriftique ncjwpgh.org/programs/thriftique Best City Council Member Corey O’Connor pittsburghpa.gov/council/oconnor 2nd: Erika Strassburger pittsburghpa.gov/council/strassburger 3rd: Theresa Kail-Smith pittsburghpa.gov/council/kail-smith Best Community Leader Sidney Crosby nhl.com/player/sidney-crosby-8471675 2nd: John Fetterman facebook.com/JohnFettermanPA 3rd: Gisele Fetterman facebook.com/gisele.fetterman Best Community Nonprofit 412 Food Rescue 6140 Station…
Best COVID fundraiser: PGH Artists Emergency Fund
When COVID-19 began impacting Pittsburgh in March, the economic impact was immediate. Suddenly, thousands of people were out of work without a clear answer when they might receive help or get their jobs back. In the arts community, actors, musicians, DJs, venue staff, and others who relied on income from gig performances had no way…
FREE WILL ASTROLOGY: Oct. 8-14
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Libran author Ursula K. Le Guin said that we don’t just naturally know how to create our destinies. It takes research and hard work. “All of us have to learn how to invent our lives, make them up, imagine them,” she wrote. “We need to be taught these skills; we need…
Best of Pittsburgh: Culture and Nightlife
Best Accessible-Friendly Event Zoo Brew, Pittsburgh Zoo 7370 Baker St., Morningside pittsburghzoo.org 2nd: gFx, In The Weeds, Ace Hotel facebook.com/girlfx 3rd: Oakland for All Annual Ramp Crawl oaklandforall.org Best Accessible-Friendly Venue Carnegie Museums of Art and Natural History 4400 Forbes Ave., Oakland cmoa.org and carnegiemnh.org 2nd: Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh pittsburghkids.org 3rd: Level Up Studios…
Best BBQ: Two Brothers Bar-B-Q
Seasoning, wood smoke, and barbecue sauce. This is what JP Mackovich, part of the team behind Two Brothers Bar-B-Q, believes makes good barbecue; match the flavors together, he says, and you’re guaranteed tasty results. Clearly, this year’s winner of Best BBQ is on to something. Mackovich, who runs Two Brothers Bar-B-Q with his wife, Terri,…
Best of Pittsburgh: Goods and Services
Best Adult Store Sassy Sensations 4136 Library Road, Castle Shannon and 6080 Steubenville Pike, Robinson sassysensations.com 2nd: AdultMart adultmart.com Best Alterations Shop/Seamstress Alterations Express Multiple locations alterations-express.com 2nd: Topaz Thimble topazthimble.com 3rd: Anita-Stitch anitastitch.com Best Antique Shop Wexford General Store Antiques 150 Church Road, Wexford wexfordantiques.com 2nd: Emma Jean’s Relics emmajeansrelics.com 3rd: Who New Retro…
Best Black-Owned Barbershop: JP’s Barbershop
Barbershops are known to be sacred spaces in many Black neighborhoods, often serving as community centers where customers hang out while getting their hair done. Joe Patterson, a Black man who grew up in the predominantly white Bridgeville area, didn’t have that kind of place growing up. So, after six years of working out of…
Seven Days of Arts+Entertainment: Oct. 8-14
Thu., Oct. 8 Celebrating ADA Commemorate the 30th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act with Exclusion to Autonomy: The History & Future of Accessible Transportation, a virtual event from the Heinz History Center will be discussing the “unique innovations in accessible transportation that were forged in Pittsburgh.” The event will feature a short film…
Seven Days of Music: Oct. 8-14
Thu., Oct. 8 (Virtual) GPAC Live Happy Hour: Sounds by Treble and Jane. 5-6 p.m. Zoom. Free. pittsburghartscouncil.org/events-and-workshops-etc Mix and mingle with members of the Pittsburgh arts community during the first-ever virtual happy hour from the Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council. Treble NLS, the head teaching artist at 1Hood Media, and singer Jane West are set…
Best Legacy Band: Anti-Flag
When he heard the term “legacy band,” the first thing that popped into Anti-Flag vocalist and guitarist Justin Sane’s head was all of the “bad-ass classic rock bands” that he grew up listening to on WDVE. “Like Boston and Kiss! So I was into it,” says Sane of Anti-Flag’s first-place Best Legacy Band win in…
Best Blues Band or Performer: Miss Freddye
Miss Freddye has been called “Lady of the Blues” in Pittsburgh since her 2017 release of an album with the same name. Now, that title has some backing, as she has been voted Best Blues Band or Performer in Pittsburgh City Paper’s 2020 Best of Pittsburgh readers’ poll. “I am humbled and honored,” says Miss…
Best Next Big Thing: Girls Running Shit
Markeea “Keea” Hart, Janita Kilgore, and Mia Marshall work to promote self-care and increase opportunities for Black women and femmes in Pittsburgh with their podcast Girls Running Shit. Maybe this is why Pittsburgh City Paper readers voted the local podcast — launched in 2018 — as the Best Next Big Thing. And their efforts are…
Best of Pittsburgh: Food and Drink
Best Bakery Oakmont Bakery 1 Sweet St., Oakmont oakmontbakery.com 2nd: La Gourmandine Bakery lagourmandinebakery.com 3rd: Prantl’s Bakery prantlsbakery.com Best BBQ Two Brothers Bar-B-Q 5228 Thoms Run Road, Collier 2brosbbq.com 2nd: Walter’s BBQ Southern Kitchen walterspgh.com 3rd: Pittsburgh Barbecue Company pghbbq.com Best Black-Owned Restaurant Walter’s BBQ Southern Kitchen 4501 Butler St., Lawrenceville walterspgh.com 2nd: Carmi Soul…
Best Macaron: Jean-Marc Chatellier’s French Bakery
Jean-Marc Chatellier basically pioneered macarons in the Pittsburgh area, so it’s only fitting that his Millvale bakery be awarded Best Macaron by Pittsburgh City Paper readers. “I was pretty surprised, I’ve never won anything,” said Chatellier, who has been running his bakery for more than 30 years and baking macarons for nearly a decade. “It…
Best of Pittsburgh readers’ poll 2020
When people from across the world are asked about Pittsburgh, they usually talk about the Steelers, the Pirates, or the Penguins. Sports have a strong grip on Pittsburgh’s culture, but Pittsburgh City Paper wants readers to understand that the region has so much more to offer. Pittsburgh is the City of Champions, and to CP,…
Best Place For a Girls Night Out, Best Outdoor Dining, and Best Wine List: Narcisi Winery
Wine isn’t the first thing that comes to mind when thinking of the rolling hills in Western Pennsylvania. But nestled in those hills is Narcisi Winery, a Tuscan-inspired vineyard with a near 19-year legacy. The winery’s history, however, dates further back than 2001. In 1911, Raphael Narcisi and his two brothers immigrated to the United…
Best Local Podcast: YaJagoff! Podcast
John Chamberlin says Merrian-Webster got “jagoff” wrong when they put it in the dictionary. Jagoff isn’t just a “stupid, irritating” person, but a term of endearment. “Ask any Pittsburgher,” he says. “You’re like, ‘Hey! How have you been, jagoff?” Chamberlain and his partner, Rachael Rennebeck, are the stars of YaJagoff!, this year’s readers’ choice for…
Best Steakhouse and Best Latin American Restaurant: Gaucho Parrilla Argentina
Before the coronavirus pandemic, a familiar Pittsburgh sight was a long line stretching outside of Gaucho Parrilla Argentina restaurant in the Strip District. It could be a weekday in the cold, and it didn’t matter. The line of people waiting to order Argentinian-style steak was always long. And anyone who had eaten at Gaucho understood…
