Editor's Picks category, Page 44
Editorial: Giant Eagle might be just what the doctor ordered for pharmacy problems
Are grocery stores the key to fighting back against the high cost of prescription drugs? In recent years, drugstores have been caught between a rock and a hard place. The rock is Medicare and Medicaid co-pays. The hard place? Pharmacy benefit managers that act as a middleman between pharmaceutical companies...
Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra starts off Independence Day right with their Americana Concert
On the eve of Independence Day, an enthusiastic audience gathered to celebrate America’s musical legacy. The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra held its annual Americana Concert on Thursday at Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Hall and Museum in Oakland. They shone a bright spotlight on mostly American composers, with a focus on militarily...
Bill Lueders: Reasons to celebrate July 4
Every Fourth of July, Erwin Knoll, the late editor of The Progressive magazine, would host a party. He’d grill burgers and brats and tack copies of the Declaration of Independence and Bill of Rights to trees in his backyard in Madison, Wis. The U.S. government has never had a fiercer...
What to know about Fourth of July holiday origins and traditions
The Fourth of July is Americana at its core: parades and cookouts and cold beer and, of course, fireworks. Those pyrotechnics also make it an especially dangerous holiday, typically resulting in more than 10,000 trips to the emergency room. Yet fireworks remain at the center of Independence Day, a holiday...
Terry Ranieri’s legacy lives on through Special Olympics fundraiser
Linda DeFloria and Daniel Ranieri carry out their late brother Terry Ranieri’s legacy every year with an annual memorial golf outing. “Terry was very special to our family,” DeFloria said. “He was special to everyone who ever met him.” Terry Ranieri, a 1975 Hempfield Area High School graduate, died from...
Michael Madsen, ‘Reservoir Dogs’ and ‘Kill Bill’ star, dies at 67
LOS ANGELES — Michael Madsen, whose menacing characters in “Reservoir Dogs” and “Kill Bill” made him a standout in Quentin Tarantino’s films, has died. He was 67. Madsen was found unresponsive in his home in Malibu, California, on Thursday morning and pronounced dead, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Watch Commander...
Here are 5 things to do in Westmoreland this weekend: July 4-6
With Independence Day falling on a Friday, there’s no reason not to carry the celebration all through the weekend. Here are some events around Westmoreland to keep you in a party mood. Summer Sparklers concert Always a favorite, this annual Westmoreland Symphony Orchestra summer concert returns to Greensburg’s St. Clair...
Poison drummer Rikki Rockett revamps classic rock songs with The Rockett MafiaVideo
When Poison drummer Rikki Rockett brings his new group The Rockett Mafia to town, even he isn’t 100% sure about what’s going to be played. “We change our mind every other day, I swear to God. That’s what’s cool is, whatever you see this time, you probably will not see...
Here are 5 things to do in Pittsburgh this weekend: July 4-6
As we look forward to Independence Day weekend, schedules will be packed with barbecues, fireworks and fun. But in between all of the hot dogs and dips in the pool, take some time to see what’s going on in the city. Here are five events to enhance your three-day weekend....
‘Back to the Future: The Musical’ brings the blockbuster movie to futuristic life
Forty years ago this very day, a film for the ages opened in theaters. Starring Michael J. Fox and Christopher Lloyd, “Back to the Future” would go on to become the highest grossing film of 1985, earning nearly $400 million worldwide. With an engaging plot and irresistible humor, it’s become...
TV Talk: Pittsburgh native celebrates ‘Jaws @ 50;’ Apple TV+ show seeks extrasVideo
This 50th anniversary summer since the release of Steven Spielberg’s “Jaws,” which ushered in the box office blockbuster era, got the attention of local theatergoers last month with Barebones Productions’ “The Shark Is Broken,” a stage play set behind the scenes during the making of “Jaws.” And “Jaws” content remains...
Fur-ever friends: Pittsburgh and Anthrocon’s special relationship
Pickles, pierogis and … Anthrocon. A Pittsburgh staple, the Furries are returning to Pittsburgh for a four-day event held at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center from Thursday through Sunday. Organizers are projecting a record 19,000 attendees, the highest amount since the event debuted in 1997. Anthrocon originated in Albany,...
The U.S. plans to begin breeding billions of flies to fight a pest. Here is how it will work
TOPEKA, Kan. — The U.S. government is preparing to breed billions of flies and dump them out of airplanes over Mexico and southern Texas to fight a flesh-eating maggot. That sounds like the plot of a horror movie, but it is part of the government’s plans for protecting the U.S....
Podcast: What closing time on the South Side looks like
Early Sunday morning, the South Side streets were host to hundreds of weekend revelers after the bars closed at 2 a.m. along East Carson Street in Pittsburgh. A hefty police presence awaited the crowds, forming a riot line and using pepper spray to disperse them. At one point gunfire rang...
What to know about the City of Pittsburgh’s Fourth of July celebration
Pittsburgh’s Fourth of July celebration will look a little different this year. Because of ongoing construction by the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources at Point State Park, there won’t be any programming there, said Brandon D’Alimonte, the city’s Parks and Recreation program manager. Friday’s festivities will take place at...
Celebrities react swiftly to Diddy’s trial verdict
The split verdict Wednesday against Sean “Diddy” Combs has sparked controversy — and the reactions on social media have been just as swift. Some of the fastest responses came from celebrities who knew the music mogul personally. Rapper 50 Cent, who has had an over 20-year feud with Diddy, took...
Mechanical pickle ride to debut at Picklesburgh
Think you’ve conquered the mechanical bull? Try taking a ride on a bucking, brined cucumber. A new attraction is coming to the 10th anniversary of Picklesburgh this month where people can put their riding skills to the test in pickle riding. Similar to a mechanical bull, the ride is a...
Great Allegheny Passage ranked among best sunset spots in U.S.
The Great Allegheny Passage has been named one of the best sunset spots in the United States. Running from Cumberland, Md. to Pittsburgh in the Appalachian Mountains and through the Laurel Highlands, the Great Allegheny Passage consists of 150 miles of biking and hiking trails. The Great Allegheny Passage was...
311 jams their way into July at Stage AE
Summer is here (whether we like the way it arrived or not), and that means more than just scorching temperatures. There are also pool parties, long drives with the windows down and lazy, sunny afternoons to look forward to. And, of course, summer jams to soundtrack it all. Few bands...
TV Q&A: Did KDKA’s Lauren Linder leave?
Q: Did Lauren Linder leave KDKA-TV news? — Dave, via Facebook Rob: She did not. Linder simply moved from mornings to the dayside shift. It happens often that viewers question if a reporter left a station when the reporter just moved to work a different shift, a news time the...
North Hills Arts Center plans celebration of O’Hara artist’s life, work
An artist from O’Hara will be remembered and celebrated this month at the North Hills Arts Center in Ross. The celebration of Patricia Mae Young’s life and art will be held from 1 to 4 p.m. Saturday, July 12, at the center, 3432 Babcock Blvd. Young, who was known as...
Kennywood and Penn Brewery launch beer collaboration
Kennywood fans can now crack open a cold beer with a splash of the park’s flavor. Penn Brewery announced a collaboration with the iconic West Mifflin amusement park for eight different beers based on popular rides, some of which still exist and some from times past. The announcement was made...
Former Marvel Comics editor-in-chief Jim Shooter, a Pittsburgh native, dies at 73
Former Marvel Comics editor-in-chief Jim Shooter, a native of Pittsburgh, died Monday at age 73. Shooter died after battling esophageal cancer, according to several reports. A 1969 graduate of Bethel Park High School, Shooter plotted stories for DC Comics as a teenager, created dozens of characters for several companies and...
Televangelist Jimmy Swaggart, whose ministry was toppled by prostitution scandals, dies at 90
BATON ROUGE, La. — Televangelist Jimmy Swaggart, whose multimillion-dollar ministry and huge audience dwindled following his prostitution scandals, has died. He was 90. Swaggart death was announced Tuesday on his public Facebook page. A cause wasn’t immediately given, though Swaggart had been in ill health. The Louisiana native was best...
Pittsburgh’s Frame and Mantle release 2nd album, ‘Well of Light’Video
Pittsburgh’s Frame and Mantle could be described as indie rock or post-emo, but a cursory listen on Spotify might give the impression that horns play a larger role. “I think that’s what people gravitate toward mainly, if they’re a listener, which I love,” guitarist Brian Thompson said. “That’s awesome that...
