Megan Swift stories, Page 25
McDonald’s fundraiser to benefit 131 schools in tri-state area
Local schools across Western Pennsylvania will benefit from a McDonald’s restaurant fundraiser next week. From open to close on Wednesday, Oct. 9, dubbed Arch Support Digital Fundraiser Day, schools will earn 20% of all sales purchased through the McDonald’s app at their partner restaurant. Across the tri-state area, 131 schools...
What to know about the latest round of free covid-19 tests
A new round of free at-home covid-19 tests officially began shipping Monday, the Washington Post reported. Each household can request four free tests via mail through covidtests.gov, the Biden administration announced, according to the Post. The free tests will detect current virus strains, according to the Associated Press. The revival...
Snoop Dogg to attend Steelers-Cowboys game in Pittsburgh
Snoop Dogg will be in the house for Sunday Night Football’s matchup between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Dallas Cowboys at Acrisure Stadium. Though his exact role in the broadcast is yet to be announced, NBC News reported, the music legend, Paris Olympics host and coach on “The Voice” will attend...
How did the vice presidential debate play out on social media?
Who won the vice presidential debate? Which candidate stumbled the most? Who looked comfortable? Rattled? These were topics trending on social media after Tim Walz and JD Vance faced off Tuesday night on the debate stage, hosted by CBS News. The Minnesota Democratic governor and Ohio Republican senator discussed policy...
Does green tea promote weight loss?
Weight loss trends have been circulating on TikTok and the latest feature green tea. The viral TikTok videos have labeled green tea “nature’s Ozempic,” but is it actually effective? For centuries, green tea has been known as a “diet hack,” the New York Times reported. Green tea has been featured...
Spotted lanternfly greets Kamala Harris in Pittsburgh
Vice President Kamala Harris received an unfriendly greeting from a spotted lanternfly after her plane landed in Pittsburgh this week. Allegheny County Executive Sara Innamorato quickly neutralized the threat. She brushed the bug off of Harris’ pants suit and stomped on it. “I’ve done several tarmac greetings now, and most...
Social media, political burnout impact young voters in Western Pa.
Social media content and politics mix, but that can create voter fatigue. “There’s a combination of curation (on social media) that we’re doing that we’re aware that we’re doing by who we follow or what we like, and then there’s curation that’s sort of being done for us by algorithms...
Young voters in Western Pa. anticipate presidential election
The economy. A woman’s right to choose. A divided America. These are all issues weighing on the minds of young voters as they ready themselves for the November presidential election between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump. Voters between the ages of 18 and 35 make up...
Young voters in Western Pa. talk issues, candidates ahead of presidential election
The economy. A woman’s right to choose. A divided America. These are issues weighing on the minds of young voters as they ready themselves for the November presidential election between Democratic nominee Kamala Harris and Republican nominee Donald Trump. More than half of young voters between 18 and 29 plan...
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez to visit Pittsburgh for Harris rally
U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez will travel to Pittsburgh Sunday on behalf of the Vice President Kamala Harris and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz presidential campaign. She will “fire up young voters” as part of the campaign’s Youth Vote Week of Action in partnership with the Democratic National Convention for National Voter...
Are spotted lanternflies on the decline in Western Pennsylvania?
Spotted lanternflies are still a pest in Western Pennsylvania, but populations are trending lower in certain regions. Sandy Feather works as a Penn State Extension educator in Pittsburgh. She has noticed a large decrease in spotted lanternflies. “I bet we don’t have a 10th of the population that we had...
Olive Garden and Uber team up for food delivery
Craving Olive Garden breadsticks? Call an Uber. Darden Restaurants, owner of Olive Garden, said Thursday that it signed a deal with Uber Technologies to offer food delivery services for select restaurant locations later this year, the Wall Street Journal reported. Food will be able to be ordered through the Olive...
Charlie Kirk appearance at Pitt elicits student political discourse
More than 100 University of Pittsburgh students gathered in the campus quad Wednesday where Charlie Kirk, Turning Point USA co-founder and conservative influencer, answered students’ questions as part of his “You’re Being Brainwashed Tour.” Kirk brought Vivek Ramaswamy, a former presidential candidate, to the session hosted by Turning Point USA’s...
Instagram teen accounts to be made private
Accounts for any Instagram users under 16 will now be made private, Meta announced Tuesday. Users will now need a parent’s approval to change the restricted settings, called “Teen Accounts” — which filter out offensive words and limit who can contact the account, NPR reported. The changes are being made...
Buffalo Bill’s House near Perryopolis open for more tours
With Halloween season looming, horror movie buffs have two more opportunities this year to tour Buffalo Bill’s House — the real film site where the cinematic climax of “The Silence of the Lambs” was filmed. The two weekends fans can sign up online for limited guided house tours include September...
Childish Gambino farewell tour postponed due to ‘physical health’
Donald Glover, known onstage as Childish Gambino, announced on the social media platform X that the rest of his North American farewell concert tour is postponed. hey everyone. unfortunately i have to postpone the rest of the north american tour to focus on my physical health for a few weeks....
‘The Bachelorette’ finale elicits social media backlash
The roller-coaster finale of Jenn Tran’s season of “The Bachelorette” has fans chirping on social media. Tran, 26, who is training to be a physician’s assistant, first appeared on Joey Graziadei’s season of “The Bachelor” before being selected as the franchise’s next star. She was the first Asian American “Bachelorette”...
Meghan Trainor is all about the bass — and family — in spirited Pittsburgh show
Meghan Trainor brought her Timeless tour to Pittsburgh on Friday night — her first tour in eight years — and with it came a flourish of metallic, blues and sparkles. The 30-year-old singer-songwriter is now a mom of two boys, Riley and Barry, and she fittingly opened her spirited concert...
‘The Bachelorette’ finale elicits social media backlash
The roller coaster finale of Jenn Tran’s season of “The Bachelorette” has fans chirping on social media. Tran, 26, who is training to be a physician’s assistant, first appeared on Joey Graziadei’s season of “The Bachelor” before being selected as the franchise’s next star. She was the first Asian American...
Netflix developing ‘Twilight’ animated series ‘Midnight Sun’
An animated series adaptation of “Midnight Sun” — Stephenie Meyer’s retelling of “Twilight” from Edward Cullen’s perspective — is in development at Netflix. The book was released in 2020 as a companion novel to Meyer’s bestselling “Twilight” series. Cullen is the sparkly vampire who becomes protagonist Bella Swan’s love interest....
Carnegie Mellon launches computer science podcast
Carnegie Mellon University has launched a new podcast to explore innovations in computer science. The first season of “Does Compute,” hosted by Carnegie Mellon’s School of Computer Science, contains 10 episodes featuring experts, alumni and students. Some of the topics addressed tackle smartphones, medical breakthroughs and the challenges of artificial...
Neighbors divided: Highland Park duplex showcases political differences
Along a thoroughfare in Pittsburgh’s Highland Park neighborhood, there sits a house divided — and not just because it’s a duplex. One side of the duplex features yard signs in support of Vice President Kamala Harris, and the other other side features yard signs in support of former President Donald...
Dave Portnoy reviews Rockaway Pizzeria in White Oak
When Josh Sickels, owner of Rockaway Pizzeria in White Oak, discovered the rumors about Dave Portnoy coming to try his pizza were true, he said his “blood ran cold for a minute.” “I had heard through the grapevine,” said Sickels, 42, of Wilkins. “A lot of people have been asking...
New Instagram filter keeps Wyoming visitors from getting too close to wildlife
In Wyoming, a new Instagram filter was created to tell people if they’re too close to wildlife while taking photos, the Washington Post reported. The Jackson Hole Travel & Tourism Board created the tool in order to reduce conflict between visitors and animals. According to the National Park Service, visitors...
‘The Bachelorette’ promises emotional finale to former Pitt student’s season
“The Bachelorette” fans will learn how Season 21 ends Tuesday night after a summer of watching Jenn Tran find love. The three-hour finale will air starting at 8 p.m. on ABC. The show will then be available Wednesday for streaming on Hulu. Viewers can catch up on episodes ahead of...
