Frack check: Debunking natural gas pipeline claims made in a recent Energy Transfer commercial
On Jan. 24, oil-and-gas giant Energy Transfer shelled out some serious money to re-run one of their commercials during the NFL conference championship games. The commercial implies that oil and natural gas lines are necessary to keep tanker trucks off of roads and tanker train cars off of railways, “just to meet our energy needs.”…
Three new Pittsburgh poetry collections you may have missed
The general chaos of 2020 made it easy to miss the release of new books, movies, and other works. This is especially due to the fact that any promotional events, like in-person readings or premieres, were canceled, or simply became lost in the shuffle. To make up for it, Pittsburgh City Paper is highlighting three…
Pa. General Assembly advances plan to spend $912M in federal, state COVID aid
A plan to get nearly $1 billion in financial aid into the hands of the state’s renters, private schools, and restaurants is moving through the Pennsylvania General Assembly. The plan, passed unanimously by the Republican-controlled state Senate Wednesday, will allocate $912 million in mostly federal funds that were sent to the state in the December…
Doughnut Review: Schorr Family favorites live on with new owners Father & Son Family Bakery
In June of 2019, after more than 40 years, Schorr Family Bakery in Observatory Hills closed. The loss of this long-standing bakery, known for its doughnuts and cakes, was felt by Pittsburghers all over until late fall of 2020, when — thanks to new ownership, Schorr recipes were revived. The bakery, now named Father &…
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The Peoples ProgramFinder Helps Customers Learn about Their Energy Assistance Options
Many of our neighbors across the Pittsburgh region are in need of financial help due to COVID-19. That’s why it’s more important than ever to make sure utility customers know which resources are available to them. This heating season, Peoples customers can use an easy, convenient tool to see which energy assistance programs they may…
Hazelwood’s Center of Life recognized for coronavirus relief efforts
For years, Hazelwood’s Center of Life has been primarily focused on community engagement through the arts, music, athletics, and education. But like most organizations this past year, Center of Life had to shift to COVID-19 relief and family assistance when the pandemic hit last March. And the center has been so successful in that shift, that…
Pittsburgh likely has shortest public transit commutes in U.S., but transfers increased during pandemic
Everyone complains about traffic or long commutes, but Pittsburghers might have the least to complain about. Not only do Pittsburgh drivers travel relatively short distances for work, new data is showing that Pittsburgh-area transit users have some of the shortest commutes in the country, both in distance and time. According to data from the public…
CDCP Project Space satisfies art lovers with new “playful” virtual exhibit and cheese pairing
The CDCP Project Space will showcase two artists with a new exhibition that comes with a tasty perk. The gallery and arts marketplace will present its first-ever virtual exhibition on Fri., Jan. 29 with Which Craft, a dual show featuring works by Pittsburgh-based artist atiya jones and Suzanne Stroebe of San Francisco. A press release says…
Lynn Cullen Live – 1/26/21
Video Archive The science section has caught Lynn’s attention. An article about a dinosaur’s all purpose orifice is the first story she is discussing with her sister Susan. They are also talking about Dominion Voting Systems suing numerous people for defamation, including Rudy Giuliani, and Sidney Powell. How the pandemic has effected the way we…
Sen. Lindsey Williams calls out Pennsylvania’s vaccine roll out, wants more direct communication to residents
According to data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Pennsylvania ranks 34th among the states in the number of coronavirus vaccine doses administered per 100,000 people. Allegheny Health Network recently told WTAE that the large hospital group has stopped scheduling for doling out additional vaccinations because they depleted their entire supply and…
Lynn Cullen Live – 1/25/21
Video Archive Facts about the Covid-19 vaccine, and confusion over the distribution process is where Lynn is kicking off the week. She feels like we’re playing musical chairs. The demand is clearly higher than supply, and it’s anxiety-inducing. Out of all states it seems that West Virginia has done the best job with the vaccine…
Popular hip-hop artist Benji. returns to Pittsburgh recording studio
“Smile, You’re Alive,” a tweet that has been sent every day for months by popular hip-hop artist Benji., is as much a daily reminder to be grateful as it is a reminder that his re-released album of the same name will be coming out in the near future — possibly as soon as March. I…
Laurie Halse Anderson discusses her “stunning, heartbreaking” memoir of surviving sexual assault
Laurie Halse Anderson’s Shout (Penguin) is not a typical young adult novel. A memoir composed of a series of poems, it’s a stunning, heartbreaking, and ultimately affirming story that recounts the author’s experiences as a victim of sexual assault. The assault happened while Anderson was 13. The passing of time has gradually revealed fragments of…
These limited-edition Pittsburgh cocktails are worth collecting for the label art alone
Two Lawrenceville businesses, Bar Botanico and Red Fish Bowl, are offering Pittsburghers a new way to support the bar industry and local artists: cocktails. The limited-edition artist collaboration bottles feature a label created by a local artist and contain one of two cocktails courtesy of Bar Botanico, the Quiet Shire Martini or the Cafe Manhattan.…
Pittsburgh state lawmakers to introduce tougher hate crimes law. Will they pass this time?
In October 2019, a year after Robert Bowers allegedly went on a hate-fueled, killing spree at Pittsburgh’s Tree of Life synagogue, the security director for the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh told the Capital-Star that he couldn’t turn a blind eye to any sign of hate, the price was too dear. Days later, with much fanfare,…
How Ted Cruz helped Rich Fitzgerald become Yinzer Jeff Daniels
Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald is well known around Southwestern Pennsylvania for his impeccable Pittsburgh accent and his long time in county government. But after a video of him criticizing Ted Cruz went viral, he has a new distinction and nickname: yinzer Jeff Daniels. In a tweet posted by KDKA-TV’s Chris Hoffman, Fitzgerald, a Democrat…
Mayor Peduto, please stop equating Pittsburgh protesters with the “Radical Right”
Following the death of George Floyd in 2020, thousands of Pittsburghers took to the streets to protest an all-too familiar occurrence in recent years: another Black person killed at the hands of the police. This was particularly meaningful in Pittsburgh as the city has a history of police using violence against its Black citizens: Jordan…
See art in person again with new exhibitions at these three Pittsburgh-area galleries and museums
A number of museums and galleries closed their doors once again as COVID-19 cases spiked and heightened concerns about spreading the potentially deadly virus. Now, some Pittsburgh-area venues have reopened to bring unique and dynamic shows to the public. Here are some places to explore: ZYNKA Gallery pop-up at Crazy Mocha Sewickley 417 Walnut St.,…
Allegheny Eats brings aid to restaurant workers and farms, Grist House starts shipping, and more Pittsburgh food news
Openings Ski Lodge 435 Market St., Downtown. Instagram.com/creativesdrink After the success of their seasonal pop-up Lemonade Stand, Creatives Drink, Market Street Grocery, and Mindful Hospitality have come together on another concept, Ski Lodge. The outdoor pop-up bar features personal fireplaces and warm drinks, in addition to a menu of 10 sandwiches, including the Lemonade Stand’s…
Parking chairs to city steps: The best memes of Bernie sitting in his chair in Pittsburgh
Yesterday was a strange day, as we saw one era of terrible presidency end, and another, slightly less stressful era begin. People disagree on whether President Joe Biden is the right man for the job, whether he’s not progressive enough, or too progressive, or too old. But there’s one thing everyone can agree on: Bernie…
Lynn Cullen Live – 1/21/21
Video Archive The big story is the Inauguration of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris. Lynn was glued to the coverage from early in the morning until late at night. She is sharing her feelings on various aspects of the day. She thought Biden’s speech was pitch perfect, and was blown away by Youth Poet Laureate…
Dafna Rehavia addresses trauma with Binds & Bonds art installation at BOOM Concepts
For someone with such a soft, gentle demeanor, Pittsburgh-based artist Dafna Rehavia has a penchant for sharp edges. This becomes apparent while exploring Binds & Bonds, her in-progress, site-specific installation on view as part of a two-month residency at BOOM Concepts in Garfield. Among the piles of broken chairs wound in twine, yarn, and ribbons…
Takeout Review: The Pub Chip Shop
There are two restaurants on the South Side dedicated to classic British fare: The Pub Chip Shop and Piper’s Pub. Piper’s Pub serves up a more formal taste of the British Isles — along with a devotion to football, aka soccer — while The Pub Chip Shop, its sister restaurant, focuses on British street food.…
Bloomfield’s BoxHeart Gallery marks its 20th anniversary with a special exhibit
No one gets into art for the money, and no one gets into the art gallery business with the guarantee that their gallery will have a long and fruitful career. But with hard work, cheap rent, and trust from the local arts community, BoxHeart Gallery in Bloomfield has stuck around for two decades, celebrating its…
Black-led Community Spotlight: The Tiny Bookstore, Pittsburgh’s only Black-owned bookstore
Lea and Bill Bickerton, the husband and wife team behind The Tiny Bookstore in Pittsburgh’s North Hills, have a running joke that the store is Lea’s baby. Bill is just the hired help. At just under 300 square feet, and tucked away in the center of Pines Plaza shopping center in Ross, patrons at The…
Petitions seek ballot measures to end solitary confinement and no-knock warrants in Pittsburgh
Criminal justice advocacy can be a long slog in Pittsburgh and Pennsylvania. There have been some statewide successes recently, like Pennsylvania’s new law to expand access to clearing criminal records, but there have been setbacks too, like the failure to address Pennsylvania’s high probation and parole rates. In Allegheny County, advocates have also struggled to…
Seven Days in Pittsburgh: Jan. 21-27
Thu., Jan. 21 MUSIC • VIRTUAL Zoom concerts might be a relatively new event, but The Olga Watkins Band has been performing together for nearly 20 years, so the members know how to put on a show under any circumstance. The group’s music combines several genres, including jazz, blues, funk, and rock. You can catch…
FREE WILL ASTROLOGY: Jan. 21-27
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): “My business is circumference,” wrote poet Emily Dickinson in a letter to her mentor. What did she mean by that? “Circumference” was an important word for her. It appeared in 17 of her poems. Critic Rochelle Cecil writes that, for Dickinson, circumference referred to a sense of boundlessness radiating out from…
