Allegheny County issues stay-at-home and stop-public-gathering advisories, urges no traveling for Thanksgiving
Today, the Allegheny County Department of Health announced a new advisory for county residents, pleading with them to stay at home and stop gathering in public in order to help slow the rapidly rising coronavirus cases that have hit the Pittsburgh area. This advisory also includes prohibiting travel for the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday. Allegheny County…
Black November Spotlight: Sierra Sellers
BLKNVMBR (Black November) is a month-long promotion of audio and visual works of Black R&B musicians and artists. While the name suggests a November-only operation, BLKNVMBR hopes to be a year-round asset of skill sharing, resource pooling, career development, performance opportunities, and moral support for artists. At the intersection of Ophelia and Lawn Streets in…
Commemorate this holiday season with the 2020 Repaired Sinkhole Ornament
People love wrapping this chaotic year, or, to be fair, the last four years, into a neat little metaphor. It was a dumpster fire, an angry bald eagle, a cartoon dog sitting dead-eyed in a burning house. Or, in the case of Pittsburgh, it’s a Port Authority bus falling into a sinkhole. The image of…
Popular Pittsburgh pinball convention Replay FX shuts down, citing losses from the pandemic
For years, the Replay FX convention in Pittsburgh has offered a place for fans of pinball, gaming, and pop culture to come together. This week, the Replay Foundation, which runs Replay FX, announced that the convention and all other public events will be discontinued. “The Foundation relies on public events to further its mission and…
Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto unveils a plan to help the Ohio Valley transition from fossil fuels
The election is over, but Pittsburgh and the surrounding region is still talking about fracking. Natural-gas drilling was brought up again, even after the votes were counted by moderate Democrats concerned that anti-fracking rhetoric hurt them in their races. It’s unclear if there is any merit to that, but one thing clearly still on the…
UPDATE: Fox Chapel Borough Council votes to remove slur against Native Americans from trail and street names
UPDATE — 6:56 p.m. Nov. 17:On Mon., Nov. 16, Fox Chapel Borough Council voted to remove “squaw,” a term widely deemed to be offensive against Native American women, from two streets and a trail system. The vote to change the names of Squaw Run Road, Squaw Run Road East, and Old Squaw Trail was nearly…
New initiative supports Oakland businesses and food bank with special gift card program
The Oakland Business Improvement District launched a gift card program that will provide financial relief to local restaurants, shops, and other establishments, and get food to those in need. The program, called Shop2Help Oakland, promises that for every $25 spent on gift cards, 25 meals will be donated to the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank.…
Black November Spotlight: Chandra Rhyme
BLKNVMBR (Black November) is a month-long promotion of audio and visual works of Black R&B musicians and artists. While the name suggests a November-only operation, BLKNVMBR hopes to be a year-round asset of skill sharing, resource pooling, career development, performance opportunities, and moral support for artists. Today’s featured Black November artist is making sure she’s…
PA health secretary institutes new COVID restrictions, but no enforcement mechanisms
New protocols have been announced for Pennsylvania to help mitigate the state’s rapidly rising case numbers of COVID-19. The new protocols, announced today by state Health Secretary Dr. Rachel Levine mostly reinforce already existing restrictions like mask mandates and travel requirements, but the Department of Health did not announce any sweeping changes such as business…
Kick off the holiday shopping season with the Lawrenceville “Rewards Card” Cookie Tour
Every December, Pittsburghers flock to Lawrenceville to kick off the holiday shopping season with the Joy of Cookies, Cookie Tour, a self-guided cookie hunt through the neighborhood’s business district. This year, due to the pandemic, they’re taking a different approach, offering the Lawrenceville “Rewards Card” Cookie Tour. From Nov. 28 to Dec. 28, Pittsburghers can…
Voodoo Brewery releases a “Rising Hope” IPA to raise money to fight childhood cancer
Beer is good, and it can do good things. Yes, drinking one can make a hard day’s end easier, but also a lot of craft breweries are using their beers to go beyond making tasty beverages, they are also using them to raise money for good causes. And Voodoo Brewery, based out of Meadville and…
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A Spotlight on the Hep C Cure Squad at Central Outreach Wellness Center
Since 2017, Central Outreach Wellness Center has been running a hepatitis C outreach program, focusing on the addiction recovery communities. Testing sites, which use rapid test kits, have been set up at methadone, suboxone, pain management clinics, and homeless shelters across Western PA. Today, Central Outreach is the number one curing center for hepatitis C…
Black November Spotlight: Simone
BLKNVMBR (Black November) is a month-long promotion of audio and visual works of Black R&B musicians and artists. While the name suggests a November-only operation, BLKNVMBR hopes to be a year-round asset of skill sharing, resource pooling, career development, performance opportunities, and moral support for artists. Creators of Black November, INEZ and Clara Kent, knew…
OP-ED: Pa. Republicans are claiming election fraud, even while they celebrate their own election victories
I did not expect President Donald Trump to take his loss gracefully, but I have to admit I did not expect to see my Republican colleagues in the General Assembly run to his aid and make bad faith allegations about our election. Pennsylvania ran a methodical, secure and accurate election and I cannot stand by…
The annual Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood Sweater Drive is back
On his show and in real life, Fred Rogers was known for his generous and giving personality. To honor it, and to give back to the community, the Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh is holding its 21st annual Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood Sweater Drive. The museum is collecting children’s and adult sweaters — new and lightly used —…
Trump campaign drops key part of Pa. lawsuit against election results, report
Facing a Tuesday hearing in federal court, President Donald Trump’s re-election campaign has dropped a key part of its lawsuit seeking to block the certification of election results showing Democrat Joe Biden beat Trump to carry Pennsylvania and put him on track to takeover the White House. Trump’s legal team has dropped its controversial claim…
Undefeated Steelers continue to make history at 9-0 with win over Cincinnati
“2020 Relief: The Pittsburgh Steelers,” read one fan’s sign as she struggled to hold it up in 40 mph wind gusts at Heinz Field on Sunday night. And with a record number of daily COVID positive results here in Allegheny County, she’s absolutely right. But the record we want to focus on today is that…
Allegheny County reports a record number of 527 daily COVID-19 cases
Today, Sun., Nov. 15, Allegheny County reported 527 cases of COVID-19, the highest daily number reported since the pandemic began in March. This follows a week of record-breaking reports from the Pennsylvania Department of Health, with an all-time high of 5,551 cases reported on Saturday throughout the commonwealth. There have been 4,230 cases of COVID-19…
FBI declared Pittsburgh a new white supremacy hub, but it has been this way for decades
This week at a symposium on domestic terrorism held at Duquesne University, an analyst at the FBI said the Pittsburgh region has now “become a hub for white supremacy” and that it is “important to understand that it is here.” Considering that the white nationalist group Patriot Front marched down Boulevard of the Allies last…
After Duquesne’s only grocer closed, groups call to address poverty in the Mon Valley
The recent shuttering of Duquesne’s only grocery store has spurred several advocacy groups into action to call for help to address poverty in Pittsburgh’s Mon Valley region. Today, local organizations will hold a Pennsylvania Poor People’s Campaign event at the plaza where the Save-A-Lot, the only grocery store in town, was recently shut down. It…
Black November Spotlight: Robin Grayson
BLKNVMBR (Black November) is a month-long promotion of audio and visual works of Black R&B musicians and artists. While the name suggests a November-only operation, BLKNVMBR hopes to be a year-round asset of skill sharing, resource pooling, career development, performance opportunities, and moral support for artists. Closing out the first week of Black November is…
Heinz History Center charts incredible global journey with Nellie Bly: Around the World
Travel has taken a backseat due to the pandemic, but a new program at the Heinz History Center wants to take patrons around the world. Today, the History Center launched an interactive program inspired by pioneering journalist and western Pennsylvania native, Nellie Bly. Nellie Bly: Around the World will use social media, including its Twitter account, and…
Trace Brewing to open in Bloomfield
Bloomfield residents will soon have a new spot to grab a beer when, barring any obstacles, Trace Brewing opens in December. From the outside, the Main Street brewery doesn’t look like much. It’s decorated by a simple awning and logo, blending easily into the surrounding neighborhood of row houses. But inside, the brewery and coffee…
As COVID spike hits Pittsburgh, officials warn about potential rising deaths come the holiday season
On Thursday, the City of Pittsburgh, the Allegheny County Health Department, and a panel of local health and medical professionals addressed the recent spike in coronavirus cases in Allegheny County at a press conference at Point State Park in Downtown Pittsburgh. They gave some warnings, reminding Pittsburghers that if cases continue to increase at this…
Black November Spotlight: Leila Rhodes
BLKNVMBR (Black November) is a month-long promotion of audio and visual works of Black R&B musicians and artists. While the name suggests a November-only operation, BLKNVMBR hopes to be a year-round asset of skill sharing, resource pooling, career development, performance opportunities, and moral support for artists. Leila Rhodes, the third musician featured in Black November,…
Jolly Old Saint Pickolas: a giant Heinz pickle ornament is coming to town
While the annual Picklesburgh festival was canceled this year due to COVID-19, the infamous Heinz pickle balloon is getting a second life for the holidays. The balloon will grace EQT Plaza Downtown beginning on Fri., Nov. 27 as a giant ornament. In a press release, the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership describes the pickle as a “preposterously…
A conversation with Writers & Lovers author Lily King ahead of Pittsburgh Arts & Lectures appearance
There’s a line in Lily King’s latest novel, Writers & Lovers (Grove Atlantic), that sums up for many what it means to be a writer: “I don’t write because I think I have something to say,” the protagonist, Casey Peabody, says. “I write because if I don’t, everything feels even worse.” But King does not…
After year of tough votes, Dermody loses re-election, clearing way for Democratic free-for-all
After three decades in Harrisburg, one of them spent managing an increasingly diverse Democratic caucus, and a number of electoral close calls, House Minority Leader Frank Dermody (D-Allegheny) will not be returning for a 16th term. In a concession statement issued Tuesday night, Dermody wished his GOP challenger, Oakmont Councilor Carrie DelRosso, luck in the…
Pusadee’s Garden sets opening date, 1700 Penn Ave. adds a Helltown Brewing Taproom, winter pop-ups, and more Pittsburgh food news
Openings 1700 Penn Ave. Along with the Pennsylvania Libations Wine Shop, 1700 Penn Ave. has opened a Helltown Brewing Taproom and Pa.-spirit focused cocktail bar. Both Helltown and Rivertowne beers, along with a selection of other local brews, are hosted on tap, and the cocktail list features state-made spirits from its sister store, Pennsylvania Libations.…
Takeout Review: Shaka
Last week, while stuck in a solo quarantine waiting on coronavirus test results, I picked back up some of my habits from spring of this year: eating snacks for meals, spending mindless hours on TikTok, and aimlessly perusing food delivery apps, waiting for something good to jump out at me. And on Thursday night, a…
Black-led community spotlight: Hill Community Development Corporation
The Hill District is arguably Pittsburgh’s most historically significant Black neighborhood. It was a neighborhood that housed Haitian immigrants and free African Americans after their independence in the 19th century. In the early 20th century, the likes of pioneering jazz legends, Duke Ellington and Louis Armstrong, publicized the Hill District as a spot for Black…
Election analysis: Biden, Shapiro dominate in Allegheny County, even as Republicans down ballot perform well
Allegheny County had some remarkable election results in 2020. Firstly, Joe Biden eclipsed 60% of the county’s vote, receiving a higher share of the presidential vote here than any Democrat since 1988. Allegheny County voters played a crucial role in flipping Pennsylvania away from President Donald Trump, which essentially secured Biden an Electoral College victory…
Seven Days of Arts and Entertainment: Nov. 12-18
Thu., Nov. 12 Art In a new exhibit, the Frick Pittsburgh reckons with its own legacy with The Frick Reflects, featuring lesser known works from the museum’s collection and confronting “the inherent bias of our museum’s origins, while envisioning what kind of museum the Frick can be in the future.” As the exhibit’s description notes,…
Seven Days of Music: Nov. 12-18
Thu., Nov. 12 (Virtual) Yinz Citizen. 8-10 p.m. Free, donations accepted. yinzcitizen.com Inspired by Lady Gaga’s Global Citizen worldwide event, Yinz Citizen is a virtual concert featuring a ton of Pittsburgh bands and musicians that will raise money for local nonprofit 412 Food Rescue. Musical performances include Anti-Flag, Joe Gruscheky and the Houserockers, The Commonheart,…
What is the proper way to celebrate?
While drinking a glass of red wine on Wed., Nov. 4, my overseas love and I had this text exchange: Him: Is Biden winning yet? Me: No, not yet. Him: You know he is going to win. Me: Yes, I think so. Him: Oh, he will. I sent this exchange to a few people who…
Brew House Association devastates with the timely imagery of Lost & Found
Entering the Brew House Association gallery two days after the election proved a much-needed respite from staring at my phone for hours, refreshing the slowly incoming results until my eyes blurred. I become immersed in the serenity of the space, the noise of my clothes rustling, and footsteps mixing with the quiet audio coming from…
Soulshowmike’s Album Picks: In the Bleak by Geenpool
In this installment of Soulshowmike’s Album Picks, I’m circling back to an early 2020 album that has kept my personal and broadcast attention all year. It’s from a Pittsburgh vocalist who recently transplanted to Germany. His performance name is Geenpool, but we knew him as Gene Stovall. In The Bleak breaks down some walls that…
FREE WILL ASTROLOGY: Nov. 12-18
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): “I hold a beast, an angel, and a madman in me,” wrote Scorpio poet Dylan Thomas (1914–1953) in a letter to a friend. That sounds like a lot of energy to manage! And he didn’t always do a good job at it — although he did, at times, tap into his…
