JFK bombshell: New book makes shocking claim about president and flight attendant
It was no secret that President John F. Kennedy was a heartthrob during his time in the White House. But what was a secret — at least according to a new book — is that he once got a flight attendant pregnant during an affair. The book claims it never...
Lower Burrell woman’s ‘achingly honest’ debut memoir tells story of love, loss
Laura Burkett’s sister, Danielle, ran away to Puerto Rico when she was 15 because she got a bad perm. That’s the opening, truthful anecdote to the 52-year-old Lower Burrell woman’s debut work, “This Is Not My Life: A Memoir of Sisterhood, Suspicion, and Starting Over.” It launched June 3. The...
Plum author details RIDC’s efforts to revitalize Pittsburgh region over 7 decades
The Regional Industrial Development Corporation is marking its 70th year of helping guide southwest Pennsylvania’s turbulent economic journey spurred by the steel industry collapse. Plum native Jeff Fraser tells the company’s tale in a newly released book, “Rebuilding Pittsburgh: RIDC and the Transformation of the Steel City.” It details RIDC’s...
Ex-WH press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre left the Democratic Party, publisher of her new book says
Former White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre has a book out this fall that promises a close look at President Biden’s decision not to run for reelection and calls for thinking beyond the two-party system. Jean-Pierre herself has switched her affiliation to independent after working in two Democratic administrations, according...
Here are 5 things to do in Pittsburgh this weekend: June 6-8
If you’re in search of a more lowkey day out and want to avoid the Arts Festival crowds, there’s still plenty to do around town this weekend. Here are five events to check out instead. ‘The Shark is Broken’ at barebones productions “Jaws” was the original blockbuster film in the...
Sewickley’s Tapas Talks presents Will Bardenwerper
The second installment of the 2025 Tapas Talks speaker series was held May 1 at the Allegheny Country Club. The talk featured former financier, U.S. Army infantry officer, Pentagon official and author Will Bardenwerper, entitled “Foul Deeds and Fair Balls: An Insider’s View of a Captured War Criminal and the...
2 major newspapers unknowingly publish AI book list with imaginary book titles
An AI-generated book list with imaginary book titles and nonexistent plots was published by two renowned newspapers — the Chicago Sun-Times and the Philadelphia Inquirer. The articles were published in the papers’ “Heat Index” special sections, a multipage insert filled with tips, advice and articles on summertime activities, The Washington...
Here’s a story about the history of the Like button that you might like
SAN FRANCISCO — The internet wouldn’t be the same without the Like button, the thumbs-up icon that Facebook and other online services turned into digital catnip. Like it or not, the button has served as a creative catalyst, a dopamine delivery system and an emotional battering ram. It also became...
Edda Fields-Black, Pulitzer Prize winner and CMU professor, brings personal perspective to history of Harriet Tubman
Edda Fields-Black is still processing the fact she was awarded a 2025 Pulitzer Prize on Monday. “It’s just beginning to set in. It’s going to take some time for this new reality to set in. But it feels really good,” she said in an interview Tuesday. Fields-Black is a professor...
CMU professor Edda Fields-Black wins Pulitzer Prize in history
Carnegie Mellon University Professor Edda L. Fields-Black on Monday won a 2025 Pulitzer Prize in History for her book “Combee: Harriet Tubman, the Combahee River Raid, and Black Freedom During the Civil War.” Fields-Black is a professor of history and director of The Humanities Center at CMU’s Dietrich College of...
Here are 5 things to do in Pittsburgh this weekend: May 2-4
As of this writing, power is still out for a number of people in Allegheny County. If you are one of those unlucky households and you don’t feel like running a marathon this weekend, here are some other things you can do to get out of the house. ‘Star Wars’...
TV Talk: Recent books go behind the scenes of TV biz, one reveals Pittsburgh tie to ‘High School Musical’
The need for media literacy — understanding the media we consume and how it gets made — remains acute, and three recent books explore different aspects of the TV business from the perspectives of a writer, director and young stars. ‘They Went Another Way’ $29, Holt TV writer/cartoonist Bruce Eric...
Is he Christ? Is he Moses? Superman’s religious and ethical undertones add to his mystique
Superman was born Kryptonian, raised Methodist and sketched into existence by two Jewish teens in 1930s Cleveland. Faith and morality are his DNA. There are no overt religious references in Superman comics. But over eight decades, he’s been viewed as a divine entity, a savior figure — his sacrifice Christ-like,...
New book ‘Pittsburgh in 50 Maps’ gets up close and personal with the city
From the Pittsburgh left to the Immaculate Reception, Stentor Danielson wants every one of his maps to tell a story about the city. His new book, “Pittsburgh in 50 Maps,” is the fourth in a series of map-based compilations by Belt Publishing. Before the Steel City, the Rust Belt-focused publishing...
Salman Rushdie’s 1st book of fiction since his stabbing will be published in November
NEW YORK — Salman Rushdie has a collection of novellas and short stories coming out this fall, his first published fiction since being stabbed repeatedly and hospitalized in 2022. Random House announced Thursday that Rushdie’s “The Eleventh Hour,” billed by the publisher as “five interlinked stories and novellas that explore...
Trafford authors to deliver talk on their literary work, small-town upbringing
Trafford authors Lori Jakiela and Dave Newman will give a talk on April 3 about the influence of their small towns on their literary works. The married couple live in Trafford, Jakiela’s hometown. Newman grew up in Irwin. They will read excerpts of their work before delivering their talks. A...
North Side author highlights Pittsburgh’s history of stadiums and arenas
Pittsburgh had the first indoor rink in North America with artificial ice. The Schenley Park Casino was located at the entrance to Schenley Park when it opened in 1895. Built at a cost of $400,000, it had 18-foot windows, 1,500 incandescent lights, two tiers of seating, luxury boxes, a café,...
Saint Vincent professor co-authors book examining Taylor Swift’s leadership skills
Michael J. Urick doesn’t consider himself a Swiftie. While he does appreciate some of Taylor Swift’s hit tunes, the Saint Vincent College faculty member has an even greater appreciation for the leadership skills the singer-songwriter has demonstrated on her way to becoming one of the most well-known figures in global...
John Feinstein, Washington Post columnist who wrote ‘A Season on the Brink’ and other books, dies
WASHINGTON — John Feinstein, one of the country’s foremost sports writers and the author of numerous bestselling books, including the groundbreaking “A Season on the Brink” about college basketball coach Bob Knight, died unexpectedly Thursday. Feinstein was 69. He died of natural causes at his brother’s home in McLean, Virginia,...
TribLive reporter’s quarantine journey with mother becomes award-winning story, book
Five years ago, as the covid-19 pandemic gripped the region, TribLive reporter JoAnne Klimovich Harrop quarantined in a nursing home with her mother as society began to shut down. Harrop left her husband, her home and her career to stay in the former Charles Morris Nursing and Rehabilitation Center with...
Fox Chapel event honors Women’s History Month with local author Eliza Smith Brown
Pittsburgh author Eliza Smith Brown will mark Women’s History Month in March with a personal tale of two females who transformed the local political landscape. Brown will lead a discussion of formidable sisters Lucy and Eliza Kennedy — her grandmother and great aunt, respectively — who came of age in...
Butler author considers William Trent among ‘founding fathers of Pittsburgh’
William Trent is not necessarily a name that would come up in the typical American history class. But Butler native, historian and author Jason Cherry knows better. He knows Trent was considered one of the most influential backcountry merchants of the 18th century and was among the men who cast...
‘Bettis: Where Pittsburgh Aviation Took Off’ details forgotten local history
McKeesport native Helen Richey became the first woman to fly a commercial airliner to deliver mail and transport passengers. She was part of what was known as the “air-minded movement.” Richey and Amelia Earhart, the first female pilot to fly solo non-stop across the Atlantic Ocean, appeared in an advertisement...
Bridgeville author’s thriller has an unlikely antagonist: a mutant raccoon
A Bridgeville author’s new book strives to have people step into the world of genetic experimentation, government conspiracies and an unusual antagonist. Mark Berton, 48, released “Aroughcoune” on Feb. 19. The story revolves around a giant, military-bred, genetically modified raccoon that escapes from a secret lab and wanders around Western...
Really, who were those masked men? New series of books probes backstories of Marvel superheroes
NEW YORK — If you love movies or comics, you’ve likely followed the adventures of Spider-Man, Iron Man and other superheroes. A new line of books will let you explore the back stories of their creation. On Wednesday, Bloomsbury and Marvel announced a multi-year, multi-volume licensing agreement for “Marvel Age...
