Pets and fireworks: dealing with summer stress
Kellie Snider, the director of behavior services at Humane Animal Rescue, has a dog with an extreme storm phobia. “I came from Texas and we use to have big firework shows that weren’t far from our house that was pretty scary,” says Snider. “We would find out what times the shows would be and figure…
Photos: Pittsburgh Action for Black Trans and LGBQIA+ Lives protest 941 Saloon
Protesters gathered in front of 941 Saloon in Downtown Pittsburgh this afternoon in opposition to the bar’s dress code policies, which the group say are racist. “If we don’t drink, they don’t drink!” was shouted as the crowd of about 150-200 stood outside of the front doors of the well-known Liberty Avenue gay bar. Duane…
Heinz History Center set to reopen with debut of Smithsonian’s Portraits of Pittsburgh: Works from the National Portrait Gallery
The Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C., remains temporarily closed as part of the COVID-19 shutdown, even as restrictions have started to relax. So now, if you want to see paintings, photographs, and digital images of historic Americans, the place to go is the Heinz History Center, which will soon reopen with the debut…
Why Trump’s new immigration restrictions could devastate Pittsburgh
No city in the U.S. relies on highly educated and skilled immigrants as much as Pittsburgh. According to census figures, over 57 percent of the region’s immigrants have college degrees, more than every major metro area in the country. Additionally, immigrants moving to Pittsburgh are basically the only reason the region isn’t leading the nation…
RMU student IDs will no longer be named ‘freedom cards’ after a petition calls it dehumanizing
It’s not unusual for universities to give a thematic name to their student ID cards. At the University of Pittsburgh, for example, they’re called Panther Cards, named for the school’s mascot. But at Robert Morris University (RMU), they have always been known as Freedom Cards, a name that some students take issue with. Melanie Hall,…
Nate Cross’ new album Honey was written during quarantine but sounds nothing like it
Nate Cross’s debut solo album, Honey, is a quarantine release purposefully not about quarantine. “I just wanted Honey to be a very positive and fun listening experience,” says Cross. “When I started writing, we were on total lockdown, so things felt really bleak and uncertain. A lot of artists were releasing music that I would…
Kim Rooney named City Books’ second Writer-in-Residence
City Books has named Kim Rooney as its second Writer-in-Residence. Spanning from July 1-November 30, Rooney will have a permanent desk in the North Side bookstore and spend 3-5 hours a week on-site, during COVID-adapted business hours, to initiate new writing or to advance existing works-in-progress. City Books offers the residency twice a year, providing writers…
Best of Pittsburgh is back, and we’re asking for your help to make this year’s poll better than ever
It’s Best of Pittsburgh time, baby! If you’re rolling your eyes a bit, hear me out. You think these things are rigged, right? You think advertising controls the winners? You’re tired of the same people winning every year? Or, you’ve just seen too many of these, and you’re bored with them? I’ve been working at…
DNC releases new ad criticizing Trump’s trade war effects on Pennsylvania
President Donald Trump has been slumping in the polls, and Americans are generally giving him low ratings on how he is handling the coronavirus pandemic. On Sunday, Trump told a crowd in Tulsa that he wanted to slow down COVID-19 testing. Some states like Florida and Arizona, though, have seen cases rising rapidly. But this…
Local legislators call for Port Authority to implement emergency low-income fare program
While Allegheny County has moved into its green phase of reopening, many Pittsburghers are still feeling the financial hardship brought on by the pandemic. Even a small expense, like bus fare, can be unaffordable for people who have lost jobs or wages during the past few months. On Tue., June 23, a group of local…
These streets in Pittsburgh are offering extra space for patio dining
Allegheny County may be in the green phase of the state’s coronavirus recovery plan, but the area is not out of the woods. Yesterday, county officials announced 45 new coronavirus cases counted on June 22, and said the minor spike in cases was likely driven by people visiting restaurants and bars. With the possibility of…
Yinz City comic creator higu rose on being a Black transmasculine artist in Pittsburgh
When it comes to comics, higu rose, a Black transmasculine artist in Pittsburgh, has an interesting take. “Comics are just dumb and gay,” rose says with a laugh. But rose, who recently put out the second issue of Yinz City, their self-published comic about transmasculine life in Pittsburgh, believes these qualities are what make the…
For Sale With Baggage: $10,000 is a small price to pay to avoid walking in high heels
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…
Lynn Cullen Live – 6/23/20
Video Archive As the coronavirus continues to be a factor, Lynn and Susan are discussing how they are still maintaining their vigilance, and what risks they are willing to take. Now that many places are reopen the age groups currently spiking are 20s and 30s. Surprisingly, it appears that the protests are not the cause…
Photos: Protesters gather in Oakland to demand removal of police officers from Pittsburgh Public Schools
As Pittsburgh nears a month of ongoing protests, demonstrations have splintered off to tackle more specific issues, while continuing to center the Black Lives Matter movement. A protest today outside the Pittsburgh Public Schools (PPS) administration building in Oakland brought together people and organizations across the city with the goal of removing police officers from…
Artist Jeremy Raymer brings larger-than-life mural of Pittsburgh’s own horror king Tom Savini to Lawrenceville
When I got a text from Pittsburgh muralist Jeremy Raymer asking if I’d photograph him and his most recent subject — special effects makeup artist, actor, and director Tom Savini — I was stoked. The mural, located between 40th Street and Almond Way in Lawrenceville, is a larger-than-life homage to Savini’s work on the Friday the 13th movies.…
Meet Pittsburgh’s newest label, Dig Sonic Records
In 2018, Bill Zeker ran into a problem. A steamfitter by day, he spent the better part of the last 10 years playing in Pittsburgh rock bands like Fallen Monument. This meant that he always had a place to practice and store the music equipment he’s acquired over the years. But two years ago, Zeker…
Allegheny County officials encourage vigilance after minor spike in COVID-19 cases
Today, Allegheny County reported 45 new coronavirus cases, the single largest one-day increase in more than two months. Allegheny County officials, including county executive Rich Fitzgerald and health secretary Dr. Debra Bogen, reminded county residents to stay vigilant in wearing masks and other physical distancing guidelines. Bogen called these results “concerning” and noted that last week’s number…
August Wilson to receive star on Hollywood Walk of Fame
While he wrote for the stage, August Wilson’s works have been adapted for the big screen, namely Denzel Washington’s locally shot take on the Pulitzer Prize-winning play Fences. Now Hollywood will honor the late Black Pittsburgh playwright with a star on the Walk of Fame. On June 17, the Walk of Fame Selection Panel of…
Lynn Cullen Live – 6/22/20
Video Archive The nightly fireworks going off has Lynn questioning what is going on. She’s heard them, and has seen others asking the same question on Twitter from all over the country. She is also wondering about the increase in helicopter use. Along with fireworks, the sound of helicopters has become a new normal. Audio…
Photos: March for Juneteenth: Direct Action
“Protect Black lives! Protect Black women! Protect Black trans women! Protect Black girls!” A March for Juneteenth: Direct Action, hosted by Allegheny County Black Activist/Organizer Collective, marched through Wilkinsburg to Mellon Park in Point Breeze on Friday afternoon, carrying signs calling for justice for George Floyd and an end to systemic racism. Juneteenth, a holiday made…
Photos: Hundreds attend balloon release and march honoring life and legacy of Antwon Rose II
Antwon Rose II has become symbolic of a rallying cry for injustices against Black Americans. Rose was shot and killed by East Pittsburgh police two years ago, and his shooter, Micheal Rosfeld, was eventually acquitted of all charges. Rose’s death was made all the more tragic as it occurred on Juneteenth, a holiday celebrating the…
Allegheny County Council considers removing email comments after receiving hundreds in response to proposed tear-gas ban
Allegheny County Council is considering removing the option to send public comments for council meetings by email after a large number of public comments were sent remotely in response to a proposed ordinance to ban the police use of “less lethal” weapons, such as tear gas, bean bags, and flashbang grenades. Some of these weapons…
Pittsburgh’s first two BLM protests led to dozens of arrests; about 90% of those charges have been dropped
Large protests in response to the deaths of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor occurred on both May 30 and June 1 in Pittsburgh. In all, thousands of people came out to march, and each of those events ended when a smaller subset of those marches experienced confrontations with Pittsburgh Police, which included the use of…
We’re making bread with beer now
Saying “it’s been a real one” is an understatement, and it’s a wonder that our brains are still functioning after being constantly jerked between the anxious restlessness of COVID-19 restrictions and the despair and rage of our current societal upheaval. To keep going, sometimes we need a respite, a break from the news cycle, a…
Local movie theaters are beginning to reopen. Here’s what you need to know
Throughout the pandemic, movie lovers have been missing the experience of seeing the action on a big screen. Especially as temperatures are already reaching the 90s, it would be a balm to sit in a cold movie theater and sip on a Coke. Since Pennsylvania has entered the Green Phase of reopening, many independent and…
Hundreds march to Pittsburgh’s City-County Building in support Black trans lives
Activists and allies at the Pittsburgh Action for Black Trans Lives march demonstrated on Thursday afternoon and into the evening in support of the Black transgender and nonbinary community. The group, comprising of several hundred people, marched from Freedom Corner in the Hill District to Downtown Pittsburgh along Centre Avenue and Grant Street before stopping…
Black history mural in Homewood spans 400 years to honor ‘victims of police brutality and racism’
To understand the power of the George Floyd protests now gripping the country is to understand the extensive history of Black oppression in the United States, from the atrocities of slavery to the current fight against police brutality. Now a mural in Homewood will depict that history and serve as a teaching tool for generations…
August Wilson House endorses statement calling out racism in the national theater scene
Paul Ellis remembers when his uncle, the Pittsburgh playwright August Wilson, delivered “The Ground on Which I Stand,” a speech calling out the American theater establishment for neglecting or dismissing Black theater companies and artists. “That speech was, to me personally, one of the most courageous things I’ve ever seen anyone do ever,” says Ellis,…
Pittsburgh’s newly redesigned intersection is decidedly anti-Pittsburgh Left
The Pittsburgh Left, an unofficial driving rule of the Steel City, is polarizing to say the least. It’s basically a courteous yield that allows a driver to turn left in front of oncoming traffic right as the light turns green, so that they don’t have to wait for a line of cars to clear the…
We all still have to wear masks, even though nobody likes it
Sometimes in life, you have to do things you don’t like, including wearing a mask whenever you leave the house, indefinitely. Governor Tom Wolf (D-York) reminded Pennsylvanians today that even if counties are in the yellow or green phases of reopening, they are still required to wear a face mask when entering any businesses. “Mask-wearing…
Support #BlackoutBestsellerList with these titles from The Tiny Bookstore
The murder of George Floyd by Minneapolis police last month catalyzed a movement. In addition to protests around the world, there has been an influx of people looking to read books by Black authors and novels about the Black experience. On Sun., June 14, Tracy Sherrod, editorial director of Amistad, HarperCollins’ Black and multicultural imprint,…
No one has finished the Heinz Ketchup Puzzle, and I have ‘proof’
Heinz makes a lot of things: ketchup, relish, baked beans, vinegar, kranch, stadiums. The list is endless. But in mid-May, the nation’s foremost condiment conglomerate created its most potent product yet: insurmountable rage. The press release reads: “Heinz recently stepped in to help people around the world pass the time by releasing the Heinz Ketchup…
For Sale With Baggage: If you are looking for inspirational quotes, you can’t beat this price!
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…
Lynn Cullen Live – 6/18/20
Video Archive An opinion piece by Nicholas Kristof on the Antifa hysteria that is sweeping the country is Lynn’s first topic of discussion. She is also talking about Trump’s Tulsa rally, the Supreme Court ruling to uphold DACA, and John Bolton’s upcoming book. Audio Only Archive Stream or download the last 5 shows on the…
Lynn Cullen Live – 6/17/20
Video Archive Yesterday utility company Pacific Gas & Electric pleaded guilty to 84 counts of manslaughter, which were the result of the massive California fires in 2018. The fire was caused due to years of neglect by PG&E. Lynn is also talking about Alan Hurwitz, a Detroit teacher and activist who became a bank robber…
Pulitzer Prize-winning photographer Michael Santiago on why he is leaving the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Michael Santiago is the perfect example of who Pittsburgh is trying to attract and retain in the region. Santiago, a photographer who announced he’s leaving the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, is talented (he won a Pulitzer Prize), driven, and passionate. He is also a Black immigrant who was born in the Dominican Republic and grew up in…
Yinzerrific Coloring Book artist profile: Trenita Finney and her overflowing Pittsburgh cookie table
Every time Pittsburgh artist Trenita Finney puts her pen to the page, she elicits joy. Her artwork has been popping up all over the city, from super cute icons designed for Operation Face Mask Pittsburgh, featuring a Black girl glowing from behind a mask, to a radiant Black woman painted in front of a sea…
An Open Letter to Alexis Johnson
We are sisters, although until a couple of weeks ago, we’d exchanged no more than a hello, a social media like, or retweet. We are not sisters because we are both Black women journalists in an overwhelmingly white media space. We are not sisters because we both like long braids and long eyelashes. We are…
For people with disabilities, an extended stay in a rehab or nursing facility during a pandemic can be especially worrying
A comics journalism story on Covid-19 written by Kate Blaker with illustrations by Stacy Innerst About the project: “I have had a career of being a strong advocate for other persons with disabilities, and I tell people that I will die in the streets protesting. (Sorely, I miss doing this for the present.) It was…
This is what happens when you’re threatened by diversity
What’s happening at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette — the uprising caused by a decision to ban two Black journalists on staff, Alexis Johnson and Michael Santiago, from covering Black Lives Matter protests — is in alignment with the uprising of Black journalists in newsrooms across America right now. In Philadelphia, Black journalists banded together to call…
Yinzerrific Coloring Book artist profile: Natiq Jalil and his portrait of Pittsburgh playwright August Wilson
Pittsburgh artist Natiq Jalil is self-taught. No schooling, no classrooms, no official art education aside from the training he’s managed to seek out on his own, which is quite impressive when you look peruse his artwork and see the exceptional amount of skills he’s showcasing in the beautiful assortment of watercolors, inks, and paints decorating…
Yinzerrific Coloring Book artist profile: Berry Meat and her superhero Pittsburgh Anthrocon furry
One of the largest — and most popular — events to cancel due to the coronavirus pandemic this summer in Pittsburgh was Anthrocon, the annual convention for furries: people who dress up as, write about, and produce art of anthropomorphic characters. People in Pittsburgh have come to love both the event and the furries themselves,…
Pittsburgh restaurants and their patrons were more than ready to go green
On June 5, Allegheny County entered the green phase. For restaurants, that meant the first time since early March that they could reopen dining rooms. In the green phase, restaurants can operate both indoor and outdoor dining, with restrictions. Regulations include a 50% capacity limit with spaced-out tables, smaller parties, constant cleaning, and mask-wearing. For…
Point Park student Dejah Monea’s journey from CAPA to debut album release
Dejah Monea got the short end of the stick this year. Along with guitarist Elias Khouri, Monea was chosen as a Pioneer Records Star for the 2019-20 season — an opportunity at Point Park University usually reserved for one person, meaning all the perks were split in half. And then the pandemic hit, shuttering college…
Five of our favorite outdoor dining spots
Looking for outdoor dining? Here are five of our favorites: The Commoner 620 William Penn Place, Downtown Get views of the city and good food at the Kimpton Hotel Monaco Downtown. The Commoner, the hotel’s ground-floor restaurant, takes its top-notch drinks and food menu to new heights at the rooftop biergarten. Nicky’s Thai Kitchen Multiple…
