Editor's Picks category, Page 399
Social media games can open the door to cyber crime
A lot of people are relying on social media to stay connected while ordered to stay at home, but the FBI warns that those games you’re playing online could benefit identity thieves. “This is a hard time for everyone and we know social media has been a boon to help...
8 big cats at Bronx Zoo test positive for coronavirus
NEW YORK — Another seven big cats at the Bronx Zoo have tested positive for coronavirus, just weeks after a Malayan tiger named Nadia was found to have the disease that is ravaging New York. Zoo officials announced the test results Wednesday, saying five tigers and three lions have coronavirus....
Mask fogging your glasses? 10 tips for keeping lenses clear
People who wear glasses put up with numerous indignities. They can be uncomfortable, they’re easy to lose or break, they get in the way when you’re trying to kiss your boo. And they fog up at the most inconvenient times — especially now when we have to wear face masks...
Pittsburgh-based Eat’n Park offers groceries during coronavirus pandemic
Eat’n Park is the place not only for smiles, but now milk, bread, ketchup and even toilet paper. The Pittsburgh-based restaurant chain launched a temporary grocery program Wednesday in all its restaurants to provide access to everyday staples including Turner’s milk, Cellone’s bread by the loaf, Heinz ketchup, toilet paper...
‘Sewing angels’ provide 1,000 homemade masks for Pittsburgh policeVideo
Pittsburgh police were set to run out of crucial face masks used to combat the spread of the coronavirus when a “sewing angel” in Mt. Lebanon stepped in. “Every single Pittsburgh police officer, detective, supervisor — even the clerks that work in our buildings — have these masks from Gloria,”...
Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto, others acknowledge ‘wisdom’ of Steak-umm Twitter account
Has Steak-umm become the voice of reason during the coronavirus pandemic? The Twitter feed for the frozen steak company, based in Reading, Pa., is known for being funny and snarky but also authentic. It has caught the attention of government officials, business leaders and academics. Even The Washington Post dug...
Amid coronavirus pandemic, homebrewing surges in popularity
SALEM, Ore. — On March 14, the day after the covid-19 outbreak was declared a national emergency in the United States, I decided to take up an activity that I had abandoned decades ago. I brewed some beer. I became part of a trend. While states imposed stay-at-home orders, brewpubs...
Westmoreland County residents can share stories for pandemic archive
What’s your covid-19 story? Westmoreland County residents are invited to share their pandemic experiences for a digital archive being created by the Saint Vincent College History Department and the Westmoreland Historical Society. “The public is encouraged to submit personal stories about family life, work, school and relationships, along with videos,...
Adoptions down at Western Pennsylvania animal shelters
Adoptions are down at animal shelters across Western Pennsylvania, in part because fewer animals are available for adoption during the coronavirus pandemic. That could change with the arrival of “kitten season,” the feline breeding season that starts in the spring and typically floods shelters with homeless or unwanted cats. Cody...
As people stay home, Earth turns wilder and cleaner
An unplanned grand experiment is changing Earth. As people across the globe stay home to stop the spread of the new coronavirus, the air has cleaned up, albeit temporarily. Smog stopped choking New Delhi, one of the most polluted cities in the world, and India’s getting views of sights not...
For Commonplace Coffee’s Pittsburgh locations, an uncommon reopening amid coronavirus
The days of lingering over a cup of java inside Commonplace Coffee are gone, at least for the near future. But the ownership has adjusted its operations, showing how retail businesses are adapting for for the covid-19 economy of social distancing. “We very much wish it was still a place...
Pandemic and chill: Netflix adds a cool 16 million subscribersVideo
BERKELEY, Calif. — Netflix picked up nearly 16 million global subscribers during the first three months of the year, helping cement its status as one of the world’s most essential services in times of isolation or crisis. The quarter spanned the beginning of stay-at-home orders in the U.S. and around...
Editorial: Falling oil price shows high Pennsylvania gas tax
Call it irony. Call it supply and demand. Whatever you call it, the result is the same. Gas is cheaper than it has been in years. Shop around in the Pittsburgh area, and you could find it as low as $1.59 a gallon. The average in Pennsylvania is just $2.17...
Wendy’s to offer free chicken nuggets
Wendy’s. Free chicken nuggets. What else do you need to know? The fast food chain announced Tuesday it would be giving out a free order of four crispy or spicy nuggets Friday. The offer starts after 10:30 a.m. and is limited to a free four-piece per vehicle. The offer got...
HBO Max releases trailers for original content premieresVideo
Elmo, Bugs Bunny and Anna Kendrick lead the way as HBO Max officially enters the streaming content wars May 27. The new streamer dropped trailers Tuesday for its original content. Highlights include a talk show hosted by Elmo from “Sesame Street,” a new “Looney Tunes” animated show and a comedy-drama...
‘Hunger Games’ prequel in the works
It appears “Hunger Games” fans eager for more Panem action have the odds in their favor. A prequel to the franchise that took in almost $3 billion at the box office is officially in the works, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Author Suzanne Collins’ new book “The Ballad of Songbirds...
Westmoreland Museum staffer’s dog becomes Instagram art critic
When do you know that a work of art is “heckin’ goob”? When a canine critic says it is, that’s when. Following in the pioneering paw prints of Doge, the shiba inu whose fractured syntax was immortalized in about a million memes, dogs have taken to social media to offer...
Former Latrobe shelter dog nominated for national Hero Dog awardVideo
When Grace Coleman began bringing her dog Penny to her office, she hoped it would help brighten her co-workers’ days. She never expected the spaniel mix, adopted from Action for Animals in Latrobe, to become one of the most effective employees at Crisis Center North, which works with domestic violence...
World’s last Blockbuster weathering covid-19 pandemicVideo
If the streaming revolution couldn’t kill the world’s last remaining Blockbuster store, what hope does the new coronavirus have? The store, located in Bend, Ore., has made adjustments — like curbside pickup and extra cleaning measures — to deal with the covid-19 pandemic, KTVC in Oregon reports. “We’re trying to...
Bon Jovi cancels tour so fans can get refunds to ‘pay their bills or buy groceries’
With many musical acts postponing shows and leaving fans awaiting word on what’s going on with tours amid the coronavirus pandemic, Bon Jovi has decided to cancel its planned summer tour. The band in a statement said that it decided to ax the tour so people who bought tickets could...
April in America is an unforgiving time, and now coronavirus
For a generation, mid-April has delivered some of American life’s most cataclysmic moments — a week when young men have shot up schools, terrorists have blown up fellow humans, members of a religious sect have burned to death in their compound and environmental calamity has sullied the ocean. Now, as...
CMU to launch website tracking covid-19 activity based on Google, Facebook surveys
Carnegie Mellon University is launching a website this week that uses data from Facebook and Google surveys to try to pinpoint covid-19 activity nationwide. Data from the Facebook surveys alone, broken down to a county level, show that Beaver County has the highest percentage of residents with covid-19 symptoms, compared...
Westmoreland County Blind Association making thousands of masks, selling for $3 each
When the Westmoreland County Blind Association announced it had masks for sale for $3 apiece, the response was predictable but still overwhelming, said Executive Director Tim Miller. “When I got in, the phones were ringing nonstop, and they really haven’t stopped since,” he said. As of Monday afternoon, the association...
Masked masses face reality of Gov. Wolf’s order to enter businesses
The masks — in a variety of styles and colors — were plentiful Monday. Only the eyes and hair of customers and employees were visible at the Shop ’n Save store on North Main Street in Greensburg. It was the first full day of a bizarre, government-mandated scene officials hope...
Food Podcast: Breaking down where those in need can find food assistance
In recent weeks, lines in excess of a mile long have formed by people lining up at food distribution points across Western Pennsylvania. In this week’s Food Podcast presented by Clearview Federal Credit Union, Brian Gulish discusses the multiple ways those in need of food assistance can get it. “Most...
