Last-minute accusations lobbed against Allegheny County Council candidate Olivia Bennett’s residency
Allegheny Council candidate Olivia “Liv” Bennett ran her campaign on expanding affordable housing in Allegheny County, inspired by her own experience living in a low-income housing complex in Northview Heights. “She is currently a resident of public housing in Northview Heights and can be found working with area leaders and partners to ensure local residents…
Why do the female pierogi racers have purses?
There comes a point in every child’s life when they realize that one M&M is way hotter than the other one. I’m obviously talking about the green M&M. Her tall white boots, her winged eyeliner, her suggestive pucker. She is designed to make you horny for candy-coated chocolate. Advertising teams tend to gender everything, whether…
Pennsylvania graduates have the most student debt … again
College graduates in Pennsylvania have the highest student loan debt in the country — and it’s only getting worse. According to a survey from Peterson’s College Data, Pennsylvania students who graduated in 2016 had the highest debt of any state and that debt increased by 2.78 percent in 2017 to $36,193. This puts Pennsylvania graduates with the…
Steel Smiling aims to make mental health cool and comfortably accessible, especially for ‘our Black and brown neighbors’
Julius Boatwright, founder of local mental-health advocacy group Steel Smiling, was the first person who actually heard me when I spoke of loss. We met soon after I had released my debut comedy album Everyone’s Dead, named after I lost both my mother and brother within 13 months of each other. Boatwright stopped the conversation…
The horrors of the office bathroom
Walking into the office bathroom is like happening upon a crime scene while the crime is taking place. The less you see, the safer you are. Coworker pulling pants up outside of stall? Avoid eye contact. Two people bad mouthing someone you know? Didn’t happen. An office veteran quips about some noises no polite person…
Lynn Cullen Live – 5/21/19
Video Archive Tuesday means Susan is joining Lynn on the show today. They are discussing topics that they are both passionate about. A recent piece by Michelle Goldberg on the new abortion bans is where they are starting. Susan is extremely worked up about this topic, and believes that it’s men trying to control women.…
Pro-Darlene Harris mailer accuses Peduto, Bobby Wilson of trying to buy election with “East End money”
With primary Election Day just one day away, most Pittsburgh voters might have assumed the local races would quietly wind down. But a bizarre mailer sent out by controversial Democratic Committee Chair Kevin Quigley has injected some buzz into the Pittsburgh City Council District 1 contest. Incumbent Pittsburgh City Councilor Darlene Harris, a Democrat, is…
Lynn Cullen Live – 5/20/19
Video Archive Lynn had an especially good weekend, and it was kicked off by something that happened after the show on Friday. She’s sharing her experience to start things off today. A meeting with a couple of women from Planned Parenthood of Western PA caused her to miss the bus, and Lynn spent some extra…
Anti-abortion group emails Holocaust images to Jewish Pittsburgh state Rep. Dan Frankel
Shortly after the Pennsylvania state House passed a bill that would ban abortions based on prenatal Down Syndrome diagnoses, a Pittsburgh state lawmaker who voted against the bill received offensive hate mail. According to the Penn Capital-Star, State Rep. Dan Frankel (D-Squirrel Hill) was sent an email with graphic black-and-white “images of victims of the…
A Pokémon Pop-up bar, farm fresh treats, and more food news this week
Pokémon Pop-up Are you Pittsburgh’s ultimate trainer? Find out at the city’s first Pokémon-themed pop-up bar, opening October 13. Inside, PokéBar will be divided into seven regions, each hosting a two-hour session of in-real-life battling, hunting, and catching. At all sessions, prizes will be awarded for best costume and to division winners. Conquer every region…
Nox Boys’ trademark mix of psychedelia, pop, and punk is as sure-footed as it’s ever been on new album
Despite what the title of Nox Boys’ newest album, Out of Touch, may suggest, the garage-punk band seems pretty thoughtful, in tune, and aware these days. Here, the band’s trademark mix of psychedelia, pop, and punk sounds as mature and sure-footed as it ever has. Today, three out of the four band members are under…
Lynn Cullen Live – 5/17/19
Video Archive We are up to 23 Democratic candidates now. New York mayor Bill de Blasio has officially entered the 2020 race. Lynn is discussing this, and Beto O’Rourke live streaming himself going places and doing common things. Recently he posted a video of himself getting a haircut. It’s action like that which have turned…
Westmoreland County school’s drill with shooter dressed in Middle Eastern garb draws criticism
Over the last several decades, terrorists have carried out several mass killings in America and across the globe. Some were tied to extremist ideologies like radical Islamic revivalism, white supremacy, and the alt-right. Some were carried out by killers without a clear ideology. But Wasi Mohamad of the Pittsburgh Islamic Center says he can’t recall…
University of Pittsburgh to add George A. Romero archives to library system
The late George A. Romero put Pittsburgh on the filmmaking map with his iconic films, Night of the Living Dead and Dawn of the Dead, as well as many others. Now his archives will soon be accessible to scholars, students, filmmakers, and fans thanks to the efforts of the University of Pittsburgh. Pitt made a…
Lynn Cullen Live – 5/16/19
Video Archive How quickly we get information compared to years ago is what Lynn is talking about this morning. The internet, and social media has made it possible for us to get news from even the smallest areas almost instantly. It also causes us to be more stressed out. Yesterday Lynn forgot her phone at…
Lynn Cullen Live – 5/15/19
Video Archive There was a local uproar here in Pittsburgh as Kennywood opened for the season. People were upset that the Potato Patch fries cheese sauce was changed. After multiple complaints, and even a news story Kennywood has switched back to original cheese sauce. Shock over a new video with Billy Nye the Science Guy…
CMOA Pritzker Prize exhibit raises questions about representation
At first glance, Influencers: The Pritzker Architecture Prize at the Heinz Architectural Center seems like just one exhibit. But really, it’s several — some of the pieces complement each other, others seem simply irreconcilable. The Pritzker Prize, celebrating its 40th year with this exhibit, was initiated to elevate the prestige of architecture by recognizing lifelong…
Election Guide: Allegheny County District Attorney
The Allegheny County District Attorney is the person in charge of directing how people in the county facing criminal charges are prosecuted. The DA’s decisions impact cases ranging from disorderly conduct to homicide. Turahn Jenkins Bio: Former chief deputy director for county Public Defender’s Office. Currently a private criminal-defense attorney. Monroeville native and Democrat. “Justice…
Election Guide: Pittsburgh City Council District 1
Pittsburgh City Council District 1 covers the North Side neighborhoods of Brighton Heights, Marshall-Shadeland, Spring Hill, Spring Garden, Troy Hill, Deutschtown (East Allegheny), Allegheny Center, Allegheny West, and parts of the Mexican War Streets. Mark Brentley Bio: Lives in Allegheny Center and served as a Pittsburgh Public School board director for 16 years, up until…
Election Guide: Pittsburgh City Council District 3
Pittsburgh City Council District 3 covers Allentown, Arlington, Beltzhoover, Knoxville, St. Clair, South Side, and Oakland. Bruce Kraus Bio: Served as a Democrat in District 3 for 12 years and as City Council President since 2014. Lives in the South Side Slopes and is Pittsburgh’s first openly gay elected official. “I sincerely believe we are…
Election Guide: Allegheny County Council District 13
Allegheny County Council District 13 covers Bellevue, Lawrenceville, Strip District, Downtown, Uptown, Allentown, Beltzhoover, Morningside, Stanton Heights, Garfield, parts of South Side, and all of North Side. Olivia Bennett Bio: A Manchester native who currently lives in Northview Heights, Bennett is a community organizer who has protested for better police accountability measures and gun-control legislation.…
The six-week abortion ban reveals a shocking lack of knowledge on part of lawmakers
On May 7, Republican Governor of Georgia Brian Kemp signed HB481 into law. The so-called “fetal heartbeat” bill not only outlaws abortion starting at six weeks, but also redefines “natural persons” to include “an unborn child,” giving embryos beginning at six weeks full legal personhood with all the protections that come with it. One of…
Lao Tzu and the quiet self-care of Cancel Culture
“… A good lock uses no bolts yet cannot be opened, A good knot uses no rope yet cannot be untied. Hence the sage is always good at saving people, Therefore no one is rejected. S/He/They are always good at saving things, Therefore nothing is rejected …” From chapter 22 of the Tao Te Ching…
Free Will Astrology
TAURUS (April 20-May 20): I think it’s time for a sacred celebration: a blow-out extravaganza filled with reverence and revelry, singing and dancing, sensual delights and spiritual blessings. What is the occasion? After all these eons, your lost love has finally returned. And who exactly is your lost love? You! You are your own lost…
Hail Satan focuses more on the hypocrisy of Christianity than on the Dark Lord
If you are not a Christian, then the Christian parts of American government really start to stand out. The country’s pledge of allegiance states “one nation under God” and its paper money reads “in God we trust.” The pervasiveness of Christian dogma in state matters is the main grievance of The Satanic Temple in the…
Streets on Carson offers taste from across the globe in the form of ‘little guys’ and ‘sammies’
Matthew Christie and Lauren Leon founded their restaurant in 2016 as a way to celebrate “the unique but simple things hidden by everyday life” and for them, that meant street food: inexpensive, simple, and tasty. The result is Streets on Carson, a South Side spot with a menu that takes its cues from the sort…
Kristin Kovacic exposes self, family, and Carrick community to uncover painful truths in History of My Breath
Kristin Kovacic admits she’s lived an “incredibly ordinary life.” Happily married with two adult children, the Carrick native and Oakland resident is not consumed by action and adventure. But as an essayist who tends to write about personal experiences, Kovacic finds a way to make her stories transcend that ordinariness. “I haven’t had experiences that…
Jack Swing wants energy from their music not a ‘money-making machine’
Jack Swing’s newest EP was actually supposed to its debut full-length. But instead, founding member Isaiah Ross went with his gut and decided to pick out five tracks from LP and release them as a smaller package called Supermoon, out May 18. “Listening to things, it didn’t seem like [the LP] was 100 percent there…
EQT Children’s Theater Festival increases footprint and introduces pop-up shows
After 33 years of producing quality children’s entertainment in Pittsburgh, the EQT Children’s Theater Festival (May 16-19) still has a few surprises up its sleeve – actually, quite a few. This year, families visiting the festival will be treated to a series of roving, pop-up performances from local artists like the River City Brass Band…
Carnegie Library exhibit offers a Data Detox Kit, an eight-day, step-by-step guide to eliminating traces of your data online
When thinking about cybersecurity, what most likely comes to mind are the major data breaches that have hit companies like Target, Home Depot, and Marriott hotels over the past decade. Or maybe it’s the hacking of the credit report service Equifax, through which more than 148 million people had their personal financial records exposed. While…
Hilarity still abounds despite Wine Country’s thin plot and weak conflicts
There should be a word for the thing that happens when the cast of a movie is so stacked it’s almost doomed for mediocrity. A version of this occurs with the Amy Poehler-directed Netflix film Wine Country which stars her real-life circle of friends. A group of women who have been friends since working together…
Writer creates Black Author’s Expo to debut book alongside 18 other authors
Tammy Thompson has made it her life’s work to uplift underserved communities in Pittsburgh. She seeks to break down financial barriers for those struggling with poverty through her company T3 Consulting, as executive director of the nonprofit Circles Greater Pittsburgh, and as the manager of Catapult: Startup to Storefront, a business incubator in East Liberty.…
Venue Guide: Roxian Theatre
Heading to a venue for the first time can be anxiety-inducing or at the very least cause inconveniences. Where’s will call? Is there parking? Will you have to hide your expensive bag behind a tree because it’s too big to pass security? Pittsburgh City Paper wants to help make attending shows as comfortable as possible.…
