UPDATE: Parent union of Post-Gazette union endorses strike, now awaits OK from union committee and president
UPDATE – 3:05 p.m., Mon. Sept., 14: About a month after the union of journalists at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette voted to authorize a strike request, their parent union has officially endorsed that decision. Today, the NewsGuild-CWA Executive Council unanimously endorsed the Newspaper Guild of Pittsburgh members’ request to strike by a 10-0 vote. In August,…
Pittsburgh students criticize universities pushing what some see as COVID-19 ‘liability forms’
When Olivia Enders tried to log into her University of Pittsburgh email account, something odd happened. Instead of the usual login page, she was met with a statement containing two online forms: a Pitt Community Compact and a Return to Campus Student Acknowledgment. She says she wanted to access an email containing a mandatory COVID-19…
Allegheny County assistant district attorney dies of COVID after alleging that coronavirus protocols were too lenient
Russ Broman, an Allegheny County assistant district attorney, died yesterday due to complications from COVID-19. He had been hospitalized for over a month, and was placed on a ventilator for the last several days before his death. Broman was 65, lived in Upper St. Clair, and was respected and beloved by his colleagues and the…
No, the Steelers are not fining players who kneel during the national anthem, as claimed in a satirical article
This year, the NFL rolled back its rule saying it would fine players who knelt during the national anthem after widespread Black Lives Matter protests broke out following the deaths of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor. The NFL even issued an apology to former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who started kneeling in protest…
Burgh’ers Brewing releases its first canned beers, Black is Beautiful and Pittsburgh artist C.B. Perry’s Palette
Pittsburgh’s popular smash burger joint and brewery, Burgh’ers Brewing, has released its first two canned beers. The first can debuts the brewery’s version of Black is Beautiful, a nationwide collaboration brew designed to bring awareness to the daily injustices faced by people of color and to raise funds for police reform and legal defenses. Similar…
A baklava delivery service, a new community cafe in the Hill District, and more Pittsburgh food news
Opening Bakluva If you’ve been craving baklava in quarantine, then this is explicitly for you. Bakluva is a new baklava delivery company, founded by the Neofotistos family, owners of the Main Street Diner in Grove City. The recipe comes from Kelly, matriach of the Greek-American family, and is available in 12-piece or 8-piece orders. Each…
How to fill out the U.S. Census and why it’s important
The U.S. Census deadline is coming up soon. After a move by the Trump administration, census data collection will end on Oct. 31. The Census, which attempts to count every single U.S. resident and only happens once every 10 years, is an important tool for determining funding and representation in your hometown, region, and state.…
Dance fans can stay socially distant during The Pillow Project’s Thought Pockets pop-up performance
In a time when live performances have been put on hold or moved online, Pearlann Porter of The Pillow Project realized her modern dance company could still bring one work to the public — Thought Pockets. “It was socially distant to begin with,” says Porter of Thought Pockets, a pop-up performance that spreads dancers out along…
5 ways to celebrate National Vinyl Record Day
Sure, it seems like every day is national “something or other” day, but National Vinyl Record Day on Wednesday is a good excuse as any to cut loose halfway through your week and spend some time with some of your favorite tunes. Here are 5 ways to help you celebrate. 1. Dance it out Maybe…
New poll shows majority of Pennsylvanians oppose fracking
Any conversation around natural-gas drilling, aka fracking, in Pennsylvania and politics is a tinderbox. Many pundits have proclaimed that opposition to fracking is a political taboo in the commonwealth, and some candidates even try to project that an opponent is opposed to fracking for political gain. But those political maneuvers and opinions appear largely out of…
Yes, you can roast leftover watermelon seeds and they’re an interesting delight
It’s been a long and hot summer under quarantine, but there are still ripe and juicy watermelons to enjoy. And I recently discovered even more ways to enjoy them. This morning, while chomping down on some watermelon I cut up last night (cold, with lime juice squeezed over), I was getting annoyed about all the…
City Theatre creates pandemic-proof live theater experience with Drive-In Arts Festival
City Theatre will venture into new territory when it brings its Drive-In Arts Festival to Hazelwood Green. City Theatre Company recently announced the festival — currently taking place from Sept. 10-Oct. 18 — as its first in-person programming since March, when COVID-19 forced the organization to go online. Unlike at its South Side space where…
Lynn Cullen Live – 8/11/20
Video Archive Happy 98th birthday to Lynn’s mother! Lynn and Susan are being joined by the birthday girl for the first part of the show. On a more serious note they are discussing the looting in Chicago. A story that has caught Lynn’s attention is a TV Reporter who discovered she had cancer thanks to…
Pittsburgh Pride celebration canceled due to coronavirus; new leadership announced
Earlier this year, Pittsburgh’s Pride festival was postponed due to coronavirus, and today it was announced that the annual LGBTQ festival and parade has been canceled. Pride in the Streets, the state’s largest LGBTQ pride event, was originally set for July, and then was rescheduled to this fall when the pandemic hit. But now, the…
Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra and arts partners encourage mask wearing in #MaskUp video
The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra (PSO) has partnered with 13 Pittsburgh arts and culture organizations to encourage the use of masks in a new video, #MaskUp. The video, released August 5, comes as a response to public health recommendations to wear masks in public to reduce the spread of COVID-19. The short 30-second video features “Praeludium”…
Trump legal adviser purposely misgenders Dr. Rachel Levine
A lawyer affiliated with President Donald Trump and his re-election campaign harassed and misgendered Pennsylvania health secretary Dr. Rachel Levine today. Levine, who is transgender, has repeatedly faced harassment from public figures and internet commenters alike throughout her time leading the state’s COVID-19 response. Jenna Ellis, a senior legal adviser to the Trump campaign, tweeted…
Lynn Cullen Live – 8/10/20
Video Archive A fascinating and uplifting piece on the common swift is where Lynn is starting the week. It’s a reminder of how amazing nature is, as well as how humbling it can be. She is also discussing New Zealand reaching 100 days without a new case of Covid-19, and mosquitoes in the Pittsburgh area…
Take a bite out of these locally-made treats for Shark Week
While COVID-19 has canceled sports, for the most part, there’s still one event that Americans can rally around — Shark Week. And what better way to celebrate this watery spectacle — airing this year from Sun. Aug. 9 through Sun., Aug. 16 – than to have your own social-distance hangout complete with shark-themed snacks. Launched in…
Pittsburgh makerspaces adjust to creating during COVID-19
Concerns over the spread of COVID-19 have halted concerts, community events, festivals, and other in-person activities for the foreseeable future. Makerspaces and DIY workshops are no exception, meaning these hubs of creativity and innovation, with their focus on hands-on learning and interaction, have had to adapt in response to the pandemic. “The types of lessons…
Mt. Lebanon native Jim Towns shares Western Pennsylvania ghost stories in American Cryptic
Most kids spend summer vacations at amusement parks or beaches, swimming pools, or playgrounds. But Jim Towns’ mom took him to historic landmarks and cemeteries. “My mom was in the Daughters of the American Revolution,” says Towns, a Mount Lebanon native. “And some of my earliest memories on trips with her are of standing in…
Mayor Bill Peduto issues letter to congress in support of local independent music venues
Over the past few months, Pittsburgh concert promoters and independent venues have been working together as part of the National Independent Venue Association (NIVA) to push congress to pass bills that would offer relief to venues and theaters in danger of closing permanently due to the pandemic. Now, Mayor Bill Peduto has joined the efforts by issuing a…
Death Rehearsal: Dannielle Brown stages mock funeral procession on day 34 of hunger strike
On the 34th day of her hunger strike, Dannielle Brown marched from her spot at Freedom Corner in the Hill District to Brottier Hall on the campus of Duquesne University, the site of her son Marquis Jaylen Brown’s death in October of 2018. Ms. Brown is still seeking information to be released from the university…
Pittsburgh bike ridership sees slight increase during the COVID pandemic
Commuting is one of the many daily habits Americans have had to adjust over the past few months because of the coronavirus pandemic. More people are working from home, driving less, and figuring out the best way to get around safely during the pandemic. One of the traveling modes that has been heralded among the…
Call for artists: Submit to social justice-focused Pittsburgh Solidarity for Change mural project
Kyle Holbrook and Carlow University are calling on artists to submit proposals for Pittsburgh Solidarity for Change, an ambitious new mural project focused on solutions to social-justice issues. Pittsburgh Solidarity for Change would place 10 highly visible murals in neighborhoods throughout the city. Each work would examine actionable ways to combat three chosen issues —…
An American Pickle has some flavor, but could have brined a little longer
In the fall of 2018, which feels like another lifetime ago, it felt like a big deal that Seth Rogen was filming a movie in Pittsburgh. Not just that, but a pickle-themed movie in a city with a prominent annual pickle festival. An American Pickle, which debuts on HBO Max on Aug. 6, brings Pittsburgh-as-New-York…
Lynn Cullen Live – 8/6/20
Video Archive The newest list of possible symptoms for Covid-19 in the New York Times this week seems to be never ending. It’s impossible to not have at least one from it at any given time. The craziness of this list is the first topic Lynn is discussing. She is also talking about a scathing…
Lynn Cullen Live – 8/5/20
Video Archive Lynn is marking the passing of journalist Pete Hamill. Protests are still occurring all over the country, including this area. Last week there was a Black Lives Matter protest in Shaler organized by students. A small counter protest set up across the street, and yelled anti – trans, and LGBTQ threats and slurs.…
Pittsburgh Police have arrested dozens of BLM protesters over the past few months, including prominent organizers, and they don’t seem to be slowing down
On July 28, Pittsburgh Police were seeking help from the public in identifying two suspects for a crime relating to a Black Lives Matter protest that had occurred two months prior. The police even solicited local media to help bring in these suspected criminals. The alleged crime: spray painting the outside of some Downtown businesses.…
Independent music venues come together to save their industry
Adam Valen, the marketing manager for local concert promotions company Drusky Entertainment, had to get honest with himself about the state of the live music scene. “The reality of it is that we’re not going to have full-scale shows until at least next year,” he says. But without help, many independent venues will not make…
Takeout review: People’s Indian Restaurant
A few weeks ago, People’s Indian Restaurant added pizza to its menu. This fusion of Italian and Indian cuisine from the Penn Avenue restaurant makes immediate sense; Indian dishes are often paired with naan, a flatbread comparable to the crust of a thin pizza. Its menu of five pies models the makeup of traditional slices…
Seven Days of Arts + Entertainment: Aug. 6-12
Thu., Aug. 6 Zoom Theater City Theatre and Pittsburgh Playhouse are coming together for a night of digital theater, as part of City of Asylum’s series, The Show Must Go On(line). The evening features a collection of 10-minute Zoom plays that respond to the current climate. The plays are free, but registration is required. 7:30…
Welcome to Pittsburgh: Philadelphia’s Gina Range joins August Wilson African American Cultural Center
Black Pittsburghers have been protesting in the streets for months, demanding the city’s police and politicians do better for their communities. Yet in the middle of the largest civil rights battle of the 21st century, Gina Range chose to make the move across the state from Philadelphia, taking on a new role at the August…
At Home With: Stew Frick, artist and fashion designer
Everybody is dealing with COVID-19 quarantines and restrictions in different ways. You can contact your loved ones on your own, but you might also be curious how your favorite strangers in Pittsburgh are coping, so Pittsburgh City Paper is reaching out to artists, activists, workers, and makers to see how they’re doing. Today, it’s artist…
Pittsburgh Mask Maker Spotlight: Glitter Grandpa
Since the beginning of the pandemic, designers, artists, and sewing hobbyists have taken to their sewing machines to fill the demand of masks for the public to wear. Pittsburgh City Paper is taking a look behind the scenes and highlighting local mask makers. Name: Noah Riley Business: Glitter Grandpa Neighborhood: Forest Hills glittergrandpa.etsy.com instagram.com/glittergrandpa What…
Seven Days of Music: Aug. 6-12
Thu., Aug. 6 (IRL) Laser Galactic Odyssey. 2:30 p.m. Carnegie Science Center, North Side. $2-8 carnegiesciencecenter.org Fly through space to the soundtrack of interstellar tunes during this all-ages show. Tickets are available on-site and seating capacity is extremely limited. Seats and armrests are sanitized between each show. Fri., Aug. 7 Save Our Stages. saveourstages.com According…
FREE WILL ASTROLOGY: Aug. 6-13
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): At times in our lives, it’s impractical to be innocent and curious and blank and receptive. So many tasks require us to be knowledgeable and self-assured and forceful and in control. But according to my astrological analysis, the coming weeks will be a time when you will benefit from the former…
