Editor's Picks category, Page 253
The king gets confused as ‘House of the Dragon’ dances on the edge of war
King Viserys Targaryen has made a lot of bad moves during the first season of “House of the Dragon.” His latest bad move wasn’t exactly his fault, but it certainly fit right...
Roe warriors: Supreme Court abortion ruling spurs increase in women registering to vote
Bethel Park’s Erin Burlew switched her party registration from Republican to Democrat a day after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. “Our parties need to meet in the middle, but instead the (Republicans) have gone extreme,” the former longtime Republican said, explaining that she leans to the left...
Kanye West’s Twitter, Instagram locked over offensive posts
NEW YORK — Kanye West’s Twitter and Instagram accounts have been locked because of antisemitic posts from the rapper, now known legally as Ye. Spokespersons for Twitter and Instagram parent company Meta said Sunday that Ye posted messages that violated their policies. In a tweet sent late Saturday, Ye said...
Haunted Halloween attractions abound in Western Pennsylvania
Here’s a rundown of some of the haunts you’ll find in the area this month. Allen’s Haunted Hayrides and Tavern of Terror 2430 Pittsburgh Road, Smock The Allen family has been scaring people for decades. Open every weekend in October, guests can choose from a haunted hayride, the Tavern of...
Local haunted attractions range from the super-scary to family-friendly
If there was any doubt the holiday season begins with Halloween, one need look no further than the investment of time, energy and money being put into ways to amuse area residents with spooky haunted houses and spine- tingling scare zones. From Kennywood Park in West Mifflin to Castle Blood...
Allman Brothers Band to release live recording of 1971 Pittsburgh debut
Many a classic rock fan made the trip to Pittsburgh’s Oakland neighborhood to see plenty of now-legendary bands perform at the former Syria Mosque. The 1916 building, with its multicolored facade and sphinx statues out front, hosted everyone from Bo Diddley and Chuck Berry to Bob Dylan and Simon &...
Dispelling the myths: A look at what didn’t happen this week, Oct. 2
Harris comments on addressing climate inequity misrepresented Claim: Vice President Kamala Harris said that Hurricane Ian relief will be distributed based on race, with communities of color receiving aid first. The facts: Speaking at the Democratic National Committee’s Women’s Leadership Forum in Washington last week, Harris discussed distributing resources equitably...
Monster Pumpkins Festival returns to Strip District
It turns out that pumpkins can be intimidating even before they are turned into jack-o’-lanterns. Especially when they grow to be more than 2,000 pounds. At this year’s Pittsburgh Monster Pumpkins Festival, there will be 10 such one-ton pumpkins, according to festival manager Michael Dongilli. The fifth annual festival is...
Robin Roberts, George Stephanopoulos hit milestone on ‘GMA’
NEW YORK — During a getting-to-know-you dinner shortly after being named co-hosts of “Good Morning America” in 2009, George Stephanopoulos told Robin Roberts that he didn’t really want to do the job. Nearly 13 years later, they’re passed an improbable milestone without public notice. They’re now the longest-serving pair of...
After being hit by a pickup, South Huntingdon girl spent summer recovering from injuries
Peyton Benner did not have a fun, carefree summer like some of her classmates at Yough Middle School. The South Huntingdon girl instead spent the warm months recovering after being hit by a pickup while riding a hoverboard May 28 on the street where she lives in the village of...
What’s so controversial about the new Anthony Bourdain book? Plenty, it turns out
A new biography about the late chef and TV personality Anthony Bourdain, who took his own life while filming CNN’s “Parts Unknown” in 2018, has been raising hackles well in advance of its Oct. 11 publication date — especially among those who knew Bourdain best. The Times dipped into “Down...
Silent films to live on in movie theater lobby card project
CONCORD, N.H. — “Missing Millions” is a 1922 silent film with a darkly prescient title — like the vast majority from that era, the movie all but vanished in the ensuing century, survived mostly by lobby cards. The cards, scarcely bigger than letter paper, promoted the cinematic romances, comedies and...
Grain bin rescue: Westmoreland firefighters get training to save trapped farmers
If a farmer falls into a bin with flowing shelled corn, wheat, oats, sunflower seeds or barley, they might sink to their knees and be unable to free themselves in the time it took to read this sentence. In as little as 20 seconds, an adult can be buried in...
5 things to do in Westmoreland County this weekend: Oct. 7-9
Rockin’ at The Lamp It’s all rock ’n’ roll all weekend at The Lamp Theatre, 222 Main St., Irwin: • Rattle and Hum: A Tribute to U2, 8 p.m. Friday. Based in Charlotte, N.C., the group has been playing the greatest hits of Bono and company for more than 14...
TV Talk: Western Pa. natives behind live-action ‘Monster High’Video
Now streaming on Paramount+ and premiering at 7 p.m. Oct. 6 on Nickelodeon, “Monster High The Movie” takes the 12-year-old Mattel fashion doll franchise, already adapted into an animated series, and brings it to live-action life as a movie musical directed by TV veteran Todd Holland (“Wonderfalls”), a Kittanning native...
Largest North American catfish to be brought back to Pennsylvania rivers
With blue catfish — the largest catfish species in North America — beginning to show up in the Ohio River in southwestern Pennsylvania after an absence of about a century, the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission this week launches restoration efforts for the fish in rivers in the state. The...
Longtime Pittsburgh ‘Soul Show’ returns to airwaves this weekend
WYEP’s loss is WZUM’s gain. WZUM, an independent nonprofit jazz radio station, announced it will begin airing the “Soul Show,” with its longtime host Mike Canton returning to the airwaves and producing the show as well. The “Soul Show” will be broadcast Saturdays from 2-5 p.m., after the MCG Jazz...
In Loretta Lynn’s voice, the unflinching truth about love, motherhood and women’s livesVideo
Loretta Lynn had a voice made for telling the truth. High and flinty, with a bone-deep coal-country drawl that refused to fade even as she ascended to a queenly position in the Nashville star system, her singing sliced through polished arrangements like a sharpened blade. It could embody both the...
‘Best Before’ labels scrutinized as food waste concerns grow
As awareness grows around the world about the problem of food waste, one culprit in particular is drawing scrutiny: “best before” labels. Manufacturers have used the labels for decades to estimate peak freshness. Unlike “use by” labels, which are found on perishable foods like meat and dairy, “best before” labels...
TV Q&A: Did ‘Curse of Oak Island’ get cursed again by a hurricane?
Q: I was wondering how Hurricane Fiona impacted this year’s search on “The Curse of Oak Island”? News reports say Nova Scotia was hammered, so one would have to assume that Oak Island, just offshore, got it as bad if not worse than the coastline. Has this year’s search season...
Oscar winners chop off their hair for protesters in IranVideo
PARIS — Oscar-winning actors Marion Cotillard and Juliette Binoche, as well as other French stars of screen and music, filmed themselves chopping off locks of their hair in a video posted Wednesday in support of protesters in Iran. “For freedom,” Binoche said as she hacked a large handful of hair...
‘Health issues’ prompt postponement of Alan Jackson concert at PPG Paints Arena
The Alan Jackson concert scheduled for Saturday at PPG Paints Arena has been postponed. According to a statement from show organizers, the country music star has been dealing with “health issues” stemming from Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease for the past decade. The genetic condition causes nerve damage and has affected Jackson’s balance...
Iconic Goodwill gets serious with online for thrifters
NEW YORK — Thrifters who flock to Goodwill stores will now be able to do more of their treasure hunting online. The 120-year-old nonprofit organization on Tuesday launched GoodwillFinds, a newly incorporated shopping venture that is making roughly 100,000 donated items available for purchase online and expanding Goodwill’s internet presence...
Pittsburgh accepting gingerbread house entries for annual holiday display
Pittsburgh’s annual Gingerbread House Display and Competition will return to a fully in-person event this winter, after two years of online and hybrid activities because of the covid-19 pandemic. Celebrating its 20th anniversary, the event is open to individuals, schools, communities, nonprofits and professionals. Online registration opened Saturday and will...
Loretta Lynn, coal miner’s daughter and country queen, dies at 90Video
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Loretta Lynn, the Kentucky coal miner’s daughter whose frank songs about life and love as a woman in Appalachia pulled her out of poverty and made her a pillar of country music, has died. She was 90. In a statement provided to the Associated Press, Lynn’s family...
