Black trans activists call for abolishment of Delta Foundation
A group of Black trans rights activists led a protest march in the South Side today, calling for the abolishment of the Delta Foundation. The local LGBTQ advocacy nonprofit, which for years has organized the city’s largest annual Pride parade, has been accused of a number of abuses, including discriminating against Black trans community members…
Pittsburgh Pierogi Festival cancels, a new distillery opens in Millvale, and more Pittsburgh food news
Openings Lucky Sign SpiritsFeeling lucky? Try a bottle of bourbon or gin from the city’s newest distillery. Their Millvale storefront has only been open a few weeks, but founders Christian Kahle and Matt Brudnok have big plans for their future, according to NEXTpittsburgh. The duo hopes to produce limoncello, amaro, dandelion vodka, and more alongside…
BOOM Concepts creates campaign of memes and gifs to encourage census participation
With everything else going on, it’s easy to forget about the 2020 census. But the national survey only occurs every 10 years, and it has an important impact on communities, from determining redistricting of congressional seats, to distribution of federal funding. To help get the word out about completing the census, especially to younger groups…
OP-ED: Why we can’t wait for Medicare-for-All
Since March, we, DNC delegates and Pittsburghers, have seen lines for our food banks miles long. Our main street shops have been shuttered and offered little relief. We’ve heard the cries of our frontline workers, begging for adequate PPE. In Pennsylvania alone, more than a million of our neighbors have filed for unemployment that has…
CoronaChoir founder launches CoronaCrafted to highlight Dormont arts scene
When Amy Constantine Kline and her Dormont neighbors started the social distance porch singalong, CoronaChoir, she didn’t foresee it going viral. “I expected to do it for one week,” says Constantine Kline, an arts management professional who currently works as director of ticketing implementation at Patron Technology. That one week turned into 11 weeks after…
Pa. to launch free app to alert users of potential COVID-19 exposure
Pennsylvanians will soon be able to download a phone app that will alert them if they’ve had close contact with a COVID-19 patient, an effort that officials say will augment the state’s public health strategies without compromising user data and security. The app, COVID Alert Pa, will be free to download starting in September, state…
PHOTOS: Protesters camp outside Pittsburgh Mayor Peduto’s house overnight
The second march to Mayor Bill Peduto’s home in three days proved to be the largest, with around 300 people making the trip from Target in East Liberty to his Point Breeze duplex. The protest followed the arrest of a bike marshal at a Civil Saturdays demonstration on Sat., Aug. 15, when he was grabbed…
Allegheny County Council approves motion in support of Pittsburgh Post-Gazette union workers
A motion introduced by Allegheny County Councilor Sam DeMarco (R-At large) in support of the Newspaper Guild of Pittsburgh in its current labor dispute with the owners of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette passed unanimously during a council meeting Tuesday night, with all members co-sponsoring the motion. The Council, comprised of 12 Democrats and 3 Republicans, requests…
Nativist attacks against state Rep. candidate Emily Skopov continue in North Hills race
Pittsburgh-area leaders have been desperate to attract people to the region. For decades, the area has been losing population, caused by a combination of older residents dying and younger people leaving to move to other parts of the U.S. Since 1960, Allegheny County has lost more than 400,000 residents. But that hard truth hasn’t stopped…
Diverse artists and musicians are focus at newly launched Bloomfield Garden Club
The Bloomfield Garden Club, a newly launched monthly salon, officially opens this week with a focus on highlighting local artists-in-residence working in dance, music, comedy, literary, visual, and/or performance art. Created by TD Projects (independent artist and curator Tina Dillman) in partnership with Burning Well (Bloomfield resident Bill Julin), Bloomfield Garden Club’s goal is to provide local…
August Wilson African American Cultural Center announces September reopening and new exhibition
Like most arts institutions in Pittsburgh and around the country, the August Wilson African American Cultural Center (AWAACC) has been closed since the start of the pandemic. Now the center, which focuses on the African-American experience, the celebration of Black culture, and the African diaspora, will soon welcome visitors once again with the debut of…
Pickle-inspired brew from East End Brewing and Primanti Bros. is back for a limited time
Last summer, East End Brewing Company and Primanti Bros. teamed up to brew one of the city’s first pickle-inspired craft beers, Almost Famous Pickle Beer. The cucumber gose sold out in less than 48 hours. If you missed the chance to grab a four-pack of the briney brew last year, you’re in luck: the industry…
Lynn Cullen Live – 8/18/20
Video Archive Lynn and Susan are discussing the first night of the Democratic National Convention. Over all they both really enjoyed it much more in this virtual format than the in person version of the past. They are also talking about Trump’s visit to Oshkosh, Michelle Goldberg’s most recent opinion piece on the Transition Integrity…
What postal delays and lawsuits mean for mail-in ballots in Pennsylvania
In the span of less than a year, Pennsylvania went from having some of the nation’s most restrictive absentee ballot laws to allowing any citizen to vote from the comfort of their home. Amid a pandemic, encouraged by lawmakers and advocates, they flocked to the option. About 1.5 million voted by mail in the state’s…
Q&A with Jordan Barone of King Catfish on the band’s debut album, Americancer
It’s tough to be a band right now without concerts, a major way for smaller acts to gain exposure. But for King Catfish, it couldn’t have been a more appropriate time to release their debut album, Americancer. The three-piece rock band made up of Jordan Barone (guitar), Paul Rice (bass), and Sam Berman (drums) feel…
New Friendship bar brings old-school, social house feel to former Sharp Edge space
Cat Cannon and Cecil Usher, the two longtime bartenders behind local event, education, and consulting group Mindful Hospitality, felt the city needed a reason to be social again. So, they opened a bar. St. Clair Social, housed in the former Sharp Edge Beer Emporium space in Friendship, is dedicated to its neighborhood. Cannon and Usher…
Night of the Living Dead coming to local drive-in as part of nationwide tour
A movie about people being stuck in a house, surrounded by the infected might not seem like an ideal pandemic watch, but for horror fans, it might be just what the doctor ordered. That’s the idea behind a Night of the Living Dead screening tour coming to drive-ins across the country, including one near Pittsburgh.…
Youth-led protest organizers dispute police claims about being to blame for communication failures
Yesterday, Pittsburgh Police criticized a group of Black Lives Matter protesters and claimed that the group was failing to communicate beforehand with police about any protest routes and other details from their ongoing marches. The communication issue was raised because Pittsburgh Police arrested a protest marshal on charges of disorderly conduct, failure to disperse, and…
North Country Brewing Company and Melinda & The Night Sky release special edition beer
Local blues-infused rock band Melinda & The Night Sky teamed up with North Country Brewing Company to release a limited edition Helles Bock Style Lager named after the band. The beer, a twist on a German Maibock, was brewed with traditional German malts but hopped with the Pink Boots Society hop blend to 23 IBU’s. It…
Lynn Cullen Live – 8/17/20
Video Archive Due to a technical problem this episode Lynn Cullen Live was only able to broadcast for 30 minutes before getting cut off. During this time Lynn discussed the Democratic National Convention starting, and the expected coverage. She also talked about the arrest of a Pittsburgh protest marshal by police in an unmarked van,…
PEN America’s Suzanne Nossel brings defense of free speech to Pittsburgh Arts & Lectures
The day after Kamala Harris was announced as Joe Biden’s running mate, Suzanne Nossel watched a clip of Tucker Carlson’s program on Fox in which the host criticized the vice-presidential candidate. Carlson also mispronounced Harris’ first name. When a guest corrected him, Carlson refused to use the right pronunciation. As CEO of PEN America, the…
PHOTOS: Protesters respond to marshal’s arrest with march to Mayor Peduto’s home
A protest and march from Mellon Park to Mayor Bill Peduto’s home was organized in about six hours on Sunday, following the arrest of a marshal at this weekend’s “Civil Saturdays” demonstration in Oakland. The marshal was grabbed and put into an unmarked van by plainclothes Pittsburgh Police officers on Saturday in front of a…
Pittsburgh Police, Peduto respond to protest marshal arrested by rifle-carrying officers in unmarked van during Saturday protest
Yesterday, a protest marshal who was helping to clear traffic in front and at the rear of a Black Lives Matter march through Oakland, was arrested by rifle-wielding, plain clothes Pittsburgh Police officers, and taken away in an unmarked white van. This continues an apparent months-long campaign of Pittsburgh Police arresting and seeking the arrest…
PHOTOS: “Civil Saturday” protest disrupted when marshal is arrested by heavily armed Pittsburgh Police in unmarked van
This week’s “Civil Saturday” protest, the 11th consecutive demonstration organized by Pittsburgh’s youth-led organization Black, Young, and Educated, was temporarily disrupted as the group of protesters marched through Oakland. While setting up a safe perimeter near the University of Pittsburgh Law building, protesters say a white, unmarked Ford Transit van with government plates and a…
Congressional candidate Sean Parnell thinks idea of independent women is “nonsense”
In the 1980s, the idea that American women could and should earn as much as men, as well as be the head of their respective households, was hitting the mainstream. It was long overdue, of course, and many women were open about being ambitious in their careers. Nearly 40 years later, women’s rights still have…
New collaboration looks to assist restaurants with navigating COVID restrictions
Even before the coronavirus pandemic, operating a restaurant or bar was hard work. The margins are low, rent can be high, and long hours are the norm. But then the pandemic hit, and in Allegheny County, restaurants and bars were specially linked to the spike in coronavirus cases. So, the county, and then the state, instituted…
From a window seat: Scenes from a morning commute on the T
This week’s Pittsburgh City Photos took inspiration from a few people. A college photojournalism professor once asked me to “pick a seat” and photograph what I saw for a period of time. The late Pulitzer finalist and Getty Images staff photographer Chris Hondros, who frequented Pittsburgh, also did an incredible photo essay of images shot…
Local restaurant owner who made transphobic post now compares Gov. Wolf and Levine to Nazis
Yesterday, a post from the owner of a popular Braddock restaurant apparently compared Gov. Tom Wolf to Hitler and Pa. Health Secretary Dr. Rachel Levine to a Nazi. Levine is Jewish. Robert Portogallo owns Portogallo Peppers N’at and yesterday, posted on Facebook a photo of Nazis with Wolf and Levine’s faces superimposed. Portogallo wrote on…
In Pittsburgh, Trump’s EPA announces methane rule rollback for gas wells, pipelines
In a ceremony just outside Downtown Pittsburgh yesterday, President Donald Trump’s top environmental official formally put an end to Obama-era rules cutting down methane emissions from natural-gas wells, aka fracking wells. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Andrew Wheeler said the change, which also applies to storage facilities, pipelines, and processing sites, will save natural-gas companies…
Pittsburgh Creative Corps seeks illustrators and comic artists for Downtown handwashing stations
A new initiative from Riverlife and the Office of Public Art hopes to gather and hire local artists to develop temporary COVID-19-related public resource projects in outdoor spaces. The program, dubbed Pittsburgh Creative Corps, will consist of several different projects, the first being a cohort of handwashing stations located Downtown and at the riverfront. The…
Pittsburgh Coloring Book artist profile: Nils Hanczar and his illustration of the infamous Pittsburgh Left
The Pittsburgh Left, the city’s longtime unwritten rule of the road, continues to be a hot topic between the new and old guard of the Steel City. For some, it’s simply a kind gesture — “You go ahead and go first!” — allowing their neighbor to avoid waiting for a long line of cars before turning left. Others,…
Pittsburgh Cultural Trust launches Art Connects Us relief fund to survive pandemic
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to rage, the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust has launched a critical relief fund campaign aimed at sustaining the many Downtown Pittsburgh arts and cultural venues that it champions. The campaign, called Art Connects Us, is seeking financial support after five months of canceled events has left the Trust in a dire situation. The…
ANNOUNCING: Winners of Burgher Battle, presented by Pittsburgh City Paper and PA Beef Council
In July, Pittsburgh City Paper and PA Beef Council started a search for the best burger in the ‘Burgh. What normally would be a restaurant-hosted competition, Burger Month, became Burgher Battle, a citywide contest to be named Pittsburgh’s top burger. Home cooks and restaurant chefs were invited to submit a photo and description of their…
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Learn about medical marijuana in Pennsylvania with the Healing Hearts Podcast
What does medical marijuana look like in Pennsylvania? Find out through the Healing Hearts Podcast, put on by local dispensary The Healing Center. In just seven episodes, the show has explored the ins-and-outs of medical marijuana, from a dispensary’s day-to-day operations to the variety of products offered and impact medical marijuana has on the quality…
Trib Total Media starts partnership with Spotlight PA to expand in-depth Pittsburgh coverage
In 2016, the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review ceased all printing in the city of Pittsburgh and many had assumed the start of a serious decline for Pittsburgh’s second biggest newspaper. For decades prior, thanks to the wealth of Richard Mellon Scaife, the paper had been a true competitor to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and its columns and investigations…
Allegheny County judge who used racial slurs charged with violating judicial code of conduct
An Allegheny County judge is facing formal charges on six counts of judicial misconduct, according to a statement released Wednesday from the Judicial Conduct Board of Pennsylvania. In the complaint, the board alleges that Fifth District Judge Mark V. Tranquilli undermined “both public confidence in the judiciary and its reputation” and called for Tranquilli’s interim…
Lynn Cullen Live – 8/13/20
Video Archive Lynn is talking about one of her favorite shows – Jeopardy!. She is also sharing an article that was sent to her by one of you listeners. This Rolling Stone piece really made her think. In Somalia the parliament is considering the Sexual Intercourse Related Crimes Bill, which would allow forced marriage once…
Deluxe version of Mac Miller’s K.I.D.S. drops with two new tracks to commemorate 10th anniversary
Today is the 10th anniversary of Mac Miller’s mixtape, K.I.D.S., and to commemorate the occasion, Rostrum Records has released a deluxe edition of the late musician’s breakout debut at midnight. It features two previously unreleased tracks, “Ayye” and “Back In The Day.” K.I.D.S. (Kickin’ Incredibly Dope Sh*t) features cherished songs such as “Nikes on My Feet” and…
Lynn Cullen Live – 8/12/20
Video Archive The big story of the morning is Joe Biden picking Kamala Harris as his vice presidential running mate. Lynn is giving her thoughts on the pick, as well as an update of her mother’s birthday celebration yesterday. Later in the show Ryan Deto will be joining Lynn to discuss the local stories he…
Seven Days of Music: Aug. 13-19
Thu., Aug. 13 (IRL) Subtronics, Buku. 6 p.m. Starlight Drive-In, Butler. $139-199. starlightdrive-in.com If you and a carload of family members/friends like electronic music, you’re in luck. Pittsburgh’s Buku opens up for dubstep and riddim DJ Subtronics at Starlight Drive-In today. One ticket is good for up to four occupants in a vehicle and no…
Domestic violence shelters are seeing call numbers return to normal after a drop at the onset of quarantine
After five months in quarantine, anyone has the right to be annoyed by their family, partner, or roommates. That much time together can drive a rift into even a healthy relationship. But for some, spending that much time at home can be dangerous. Before lockdown in the U.S., experts predicted that the pandemic would cause…
Old-school punk rockers The Cheats release raw, energetic Cussin’, Cryin ‘n’ Carrying On
Todd Porter is unapologetically frozen in time. As the frontman of Pittsburgh punk rock band The Cheats, Porter (a.k.a. “Todd Cheat”) is the quintessential old-school musician leftover from the heyday of the ’80s punk scene. He is, of course, decades older now than when he first began, but he still wears head-to-toe black, all the…
Takeout review: Sushi Sandwich from Diners 2+1
In 2017, sushi was an Instagram celebrity and top food trend, taking the form of anything but the classic maki roll; there were sushi donuts, sushi pizza, sushi burritos, the list goes on. When I saw a sushi sandwich listed on the menu at Diners 2 + 1 in Squirrel Hill, I assumed it would…
Until Her Last Breath: Dannielle Brown’s quest for answers
The most peaceful place in Pittsburgh is wherever Dannielle Brown is at the moment. At this moment, she is on Forbes Avenue at the entrance to Duquesne University. It is the 38th day of her Hunger Strike. When you read this, it will be the 40th day. It has significance, which Ms. Brown tells me…
Crafton is undergoing a transition to younger, more progressive leadership and it’s rankling the borough’s old guard
When Anthony Saba and Edward Alo moved to Crafton three years ago, they knew they wanted to settle down there. The two, a married couple living in the small borough just west of Pittsburgh, both wanted to be an integral part of the community, so they ran for borough council in 2019 and won. It…
Seven Days of Arts+Entertainment: Aug. 13-19
Thu., Aug. 13 Pinball party If you’re bored of playing games with your housemates, head over to Kickback Pinball Cafe for Flip Out Thursday, a two-hour pinball tournament. Masks are required and pinball machines will be wiped down in between each game. Winner gets a $10 gift card. 7 p.m. 4326 Butler St., Lawrenceville. kickbackpgh.com…
FREE WILL ASTROLOGY: Aug. 13-19
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): In the dictionary, the first definition of “magic” is “the art of producing illusions as entertainment by the use of sleight of hand and deceptive devices.” A far more interesting definition, which is my slight adjustment of an idea by occultist Aleister Crowley, doesn’t appear in most dictionaries. Here it is:…
