Hotel tax revenues doled out to help promote Westmoreland tourism
Dwight Brown knows that word of mouth isn’t enough to sustain business growth. Brown opened Great Scott Escape in November 2020, a Scottdale business that has grown over the last several years to include three separate rooms for gaming enthusiasts. He wants to see it continue to grow, and said...
Hemingway’s Cafe in Oakland to close
Hemingway’s Cafe, the popular bar along Forbes Avenue known for its cheap pitchers and lively trivia nights, is closing after more than four decades in Pittsburgh’s Oakland neighborhood. The business will wind down in May, owner John Elavsky said in a social media post Thursday afternoon. He did not give...
Yinz Coffee opening in Downtown Pittsburgh’s Frick Building
A thinned office crowd isn’t stopping Ken Zeff, owner of Yinz Coffee, from quadrupling down on the Golden Triangle. The serial entrepreneur is preparing to open a nearly 4,000-square-foot cafe Monday in the Frick Building — his fourth in Downtown Pittsburgh, 11th total and largest ever. “I still see a...
A taste of nature can provide balance and calm during the workday
NEW YORK — The crisp crinkle of fallen leaves beneath your feet. The swish and trickle of water moving through a stream. A breath of crisp, fresh air. Spending time in nature can be invigorating or produce feelings of peace and calm. But many professions allow little time or access...
A look back at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s 240-year history
The Pittsburgh Post- Gazette traces its roots to 1786 — before the U.S. Constitution was created. John Scull and Joseph Hall published the first edition of the Pittsburgh Gazette on July 29, 1786. Originally a weekly publication, the Gazette would be the first newspaper printed west of the Allegheny Mountains,...
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette announces closure
Owners of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette announced Wednesday they will cease operations May 3, shuttering one of the oldest metropolitan newspapers in the country. Jodi Miehls, president of Block Communications, informed staff of the decision during a pre-recorded, 2½-minute Zoom call Wednesday afternoon. Block Communications, which has owned the Post-Gazette since...
Job openings slide to 2nd lowest level in 5 years as hiring remains sluggish
WASHINGTON — U.S. employers posted far fewer jobs in November than the previous month, a sign that employers aren’t yet ramping up hiring even as growth has picked up. Businesses and government agencies posted 7.1 million open jobs at the end of November, the Labor Department said Wednesday, down from...
Warner Bros rejects takeover offer from Paramount, tells shareholders to stick with Netflix bid
NEW YORK — Warner Bros. again rejected Paramount’s latest takeover bid and told shareholders Wednesday to stick with a rival offer from Netflix. Warner’s leadership has repeatedly rebuffed Skydance-owned Paramount’s overtures — and urged shareholders just weeks ago to back its the sale of its streaming and studio business to...
Blawnox councilwoman crafts mini Moondog’s to celebrate business owner, music charity
Blawnox native Katie Specht-Coban sees her borough as a small world filled with big-hearted people. The daughter of the late Charles Specht, former president of the Pittsburgh Miniature Society, has carried on her father’s passion of crafting tiny locations and keepsakes. In December 2024, the councilwoman presented miniature scenes for...
Musk’s AI chatbot faces global backlash over sexualized images of women and children
LONDON — Elon Musk’s AI chatbot Grok is facing a backlash from governments around the world after a recent surge in sexualized images of women and children generated without consent by the artificial intelligence-powered tool. On Tuesday, Britain’s top technology official demanded that Musk’s social media platform X take urgent...
As Pa. energy prices rise, advocates skeptical that lawmakers will put aside partisan differences
Spotlight PA is an independent, nonpartisan, and nonprofit newsroom producing investigative and public-service journalism that holds power to account and drives positive change in Pennsylvania. Sign up for our free newsletters. HARRISBURG — Democrats and Republicans who lead the Pennsylvania legislature have singled out increasing energy production as a goal...
Trump Mobile’s golden phone remains nowhere to be found
A golden phone that President Donald Trump’s family business promised to release last year remains mysteriously under wraps as the technology industry serves up a glut of new gadgets at CES in Las Vegas this week. When the Trump Organization launched a mobile phone service last June, it was supposed...
Westmoreland developments: Manor restaurant revived, Hempfield welcomes secondhand clothing store
It’s safe to say Julia Gutkowski was born into the restaurant industry. The 19-year-old Irwin resident made her debut in the food business as an eighth grade student in the Penn-Trafford School District while waitressing at Manor Grille — the restaurant her parents, Derek and Megan Gutkowski, operated for more...
Former convenience store CEO, expansion leader Steve Sheetz dies
Former Sheetz Corp. president and CEO Steve Sheetz, who oversaw the expansion of the Altoona-based convenience store chain, died Sunday, the company said. Sheetz, 77, was head of the family-owned multi-state convenience store chain from 1984 to 1995, succeeding his brother, Bob, who had founded the business in 1952, according...
Flights to the Caribbean resuming after Venezuela-related restriction lifts
The Federal Aviation Administration on Sunday lifted its prohibition on flights to the Caribbean and airlines have resumed normal flights. “The original restrictions around the Caribbean airspace are expiring at 12:00 am ET and flights can resume,” U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy wrote on social media site X. “Airlines are...
Trump’s plan to seize and revitalize Venezuela’s oil industry faces major hurdles
President Donald Trump’s plan to take control of Venezuela’s oil industry and ask American companies to revitalize it after capturing President Nicolás Maduro in a raid isn’t likely to have a significant immediate impact on oil prices. Venezuela’s oil industry is in disrepair after years of neglect and international sanctions,...
Tesla loses title as world’s biggest electric vehicle maker as sales fall for 2nd year in a row
NEW YORK — Tesla lost its crown as the world’s bestselling electric vehicle maker on Friday as a customer revolt over Elon Musk’s right-wing politics, expiring U.S. tax breaks for buyers and stiff overseas competition pushed sales down for a second year in a row. Tesla said that it delivered...
Trump delays increased tariffs on upholstered furniture, kitchen cabinets and vanities for a year
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump signed a New Year’s Eve proclamation delaying increased tariffs on upholstered furniture, kitchen cabinets and vanities for a year, citing ongoing trade talks. Trump’s order signed Wednesday keeps in place a 25% tariff he imposed in September on those goods, but delays for another year...
Pittsburgh City Paper closes
Pittsburgh City Paper is closing after 34 years of operation. Employees at the alt-weekly Pittsburgh City Paper publication posted on social media that the news outlet was closing. Colin Williams, news editor at the City Paper, posted on Linkedin on Wednesday saying “It’s the end of an era — ownership...
Brandy Melville’s Shadyside opening rekindles debate over size exclusivity
Emily Anderson remembers feelings of shame and self-consciousness in what she refers to as the “universal experience growing up fat or plus size” while trying to shop at size-exclusive clothing stores. “As a teenager I didn’t feel like I belonged in clothing stores,” said Anderson, a yoga therapist for All...
Average U.S. long-term mortgage rate falls to lowest level of the year at 6.15%
WASHINGTON — The average rate on a 30-year U.S. mortgage fell to its lowest level of 2025 this week, an encouraging sign for prospective home buyers. The average long-term mortgage rate dipped to 6.15% from 6.18% last week, mortgage buyer Freddie Mac said Wednesday. That’s the lowest average long-term rate...
New Year’s Day: What’s open? Retailers. What’s closed? Government and banks.
While schools, government and banks are closed on New Year’s Day, most major retailers across the U.S. will be open, with many offering discounts on older inventory to clear the way for newer products. But before you run out the door on New Year’s Day to peruse deals, it’s wise...
U.S. applications for jobless benefits fell below 200,000 last week with layoffs historically low
WASHINGTON — Fewer Americans applied for unemployment benefits last week with layoffs remaining low despite a weakening labor market. U.S. applications for jobless claims for the week ending Dec. 27 fell by 16,000 to 199,000 from the previous week’s 215,000, the Labor Department reported Wednesday. Analysts surveyed by the data...
John Dorfman: What my father taught me about investing
My father, Isaiah Sol Dorfman, was a World-War-II spy, a labor-relations lawyer, and a lifelong stock-market investor. His interest in the market was contagious. When I started buying stocks, he examined my portfolio and said, “I think you’ve done well in picking your stocks. Too bad you didn’t have enough...
Lee Enterprises stabilizes finances with $50M investment led by billionaire David Hoffmann
Lee Enterprises announced a compromise Tuesday with billionaire investor David Hoffmann, who offered to take over the nation’s third-largest newspaper chain this year, to help stabilize the company’s finances with a $50 million investment and set Lee up for the future. Hoffmann, whose family investment firm already owns more than...
