Editor's Picks category, Page 135
TV Talk: Abrupt departures abound at WQED-TV in recent months
Editor’s note: This is the second part of a column on the current state of WQED Multimedia. Read part one here. Pittsburgh’s PBS station, WQED-TV, has had its turbulent moments in the past and it seems to be amid another storm. Nine months into the tenure of new CEO Jason...
Travis Kelce lines up another TV job joining FX’s ‘American Horror Story: Grotesquerie’ season
While his superstar girlfriend Taylor Swift resumes her world Eras tour, Travis Kelce is keeping busy. The NFL player has joined the cast of “American Horror Story: Grotesquerie.” Late Tuesday, cast member Niecy Nash posted a series of videos to Instagram featuring her on set with Kelce. “Guys, guess who...
Disney receives key approval to expand Southern California theme parks
ANAHEIM, Calif. — Disney has received a key approval to expand its Southern California theme parks in its first push to make major changes to its iconic Disneyland in decades. The Anaheim City Council voted unanimously Tuesday to approve the plan to transform Disney’s 490-acre campus in densely-populated Southern California...
Shake Shack sets opening date for 1st Pittsburgh restaurant
Pittsburgh is on the cusp of having its first Shake Shack, the popular burger chain known for serving satisfying smash burgers, crispy cheese fries and decadent frozen custards. The New York-based chain announced Wednesday that its new location in Pittsburgh’s Strip District will open to the public May 20. A...
TV Q&A: Does the star of ‘Tracker’ do his own stunts?
Trib Total Media TV writer Rob Owen answers reader questions every Wednesday at TribLive.com in a column that also appears in the Sunday Tribune-Review. Q: I am really enjoying the show “Tracker” with Justin Hartley and when I was watching the show this past week, he skydived into a remote...
‘Kite Runner’ is an emotional, unflinching story of survival and redemption
Khaled Hosseini’s 2003 novel “The Kite Runner” was a massive hit in the United States, selling more than 10 million copies in this country to date. In 2022, the stage adaptation of that book, adapted by Matthew Spangler, premiered on Broadway. And on Tuesday night, the epic, devastating touring production...
Met Gala draws reactions from fashion enthusiasts online
Fashion’s biggest show — the Met Gala — was Monday night, and per usual, social media users have a lot to say about this year’s red carpet looks. The gala, for which invite-only tickets cost $75,000, took place at New York City’s Metropolitan Museum of Art, and this year’s theme...
The Messthetics and James Brandon Lewis deliver powerful punk/jazz punch in Pittsburgh showVideo
The Messthetics are not a typical jazz band by any means. With a rhythm section comprised of bassist Joe Lally and drummer Brendan Canty — both formerly of punk legends Fugazi — alongside guitarist Anthony Pirog, the Messthetics blur the lines between jazz and punk. On their third album, the...
Making cut flowers last well beyond Mother’s Day
There’s nothing quite like receiving a fresh bouquet of cut flowers. They can cheer up a room, bring a bit of nature indoors and, if you’re lucky, release a heavenly fragrance. But nothing kills that vibe quicker than stinky, slimy, wilted flowers poking out of a vase full of brown...
Apple’s biggest announcements from its iPad event: brighter screen, faster chips and the Pencil ProVideo
CUPERTINO, Calif. — Apple on Tuesday unveiled its next generation of iPad Pros and Airs — models that will boast faster processors, new sizes and a new display system as part of the company’s first update to its tablet lineup in more than a year. The showcase at Apple’s headquarters...
Newest Pirates’ team dog scores official name
And his name is … Slugger. The Pittsburgh Pirates revealed the name for the team dog on Monday. The club introduced the pup last week, and a poll was opened for Pirates fans to vote on a name for him. Slugger emerged victorious with 31% of the vote. Bandit, Rookie...
National Geographic author inspires Acmetonia students to explore nature in their own backyards
Science writer Jason Bittel knows that talking about exotic animals or adventure-seeking experiences to a group of fourth grade students can elicit amazement. But Bittel’s message to students at Acmetonia Elementary School on Monday was that taking in your own surroundings — even if just in the Alle-Kiski Valley —...
With help from AI, Randy Travis got his voice back. Here’s how his first song post-stroke came to be
With some help from artificial intelligence, country music star Randy Travis, celebrated for his timeless hits like “Forever and Ever, Amen” and “I Told You So,” has his voice back. In July 2013, Travis was hospitalized with viral cardiomyopathy, a virus that attacks the heart, and later suffered a stroke....
On D-Day, 19-year-old medic Charles Shay was ready to give his life, and save as many as he could
BRETTEVILLE-L’ORGUEILLEUSE, France — On D-Day, Charles Shay was a 19-year-old U.S. Army medic who was ready to give his life — and save as many as he could. Now 99, he’s spreading a message of peace with tireless dedication as he’s about to take part in the 80th anniversary commemorations...
TV Talk: Astronaut with Pittsburgh ties appears in ‘The Longest Goodbye’ on PBSVideo
Trib Total Media TV writer Rob Owen offers a viewing tip for the coming week. PASADENA, Calif. — Retired NASA astronaut Cady Coleman says in PBS’s new “Independent Lens” documentary “Space: The Longest Goodbye” (10-11:30 p.m. May 6, WQED-TV) that even after she’d spent 159 days in space on the...
Museums in Ligonier Valley draw hundreds on day of free admission
Free admission was a good incentive Sunday for some to learn more about the history of where they live. “We decided to check out our backyard,” said Kathy Vargo while standing in the shade outside Fort Ligonier. She lives in Hempfield but was spending a couple days with her husband,...
Daycation Destination: Mingle among the koalas of the Cleveland Metroparks ZooVideo
Pittsburgh’s Highland Park neighborhood is home to the Pittsburgh Zoo & Aquarium, but a daycation trip to another zoo in Cleveland offers encounters something one can’t visit in Pennsylvania — koalas. Only nine U.S. zoos offer koala exhibits and Cleveland Metroparks Zoo is the closest to Pittsburgh at about two...
A ‘tip of the hat’ to guests who didn’t allow rain to dampen the Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy hat luncheon
Under drizzle at times on a dreary Saturday afternoon in the heart of Schenley Park, guests brightened the day with the finest colorful and bold headwear. It was the 26th annual PNC Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy Spring Hat Luncheon. A little precipitation didn’t deter this crowd. Members of this group were...
Soundwalk interactive installation honors Hill District icons Frankie Mae, Charles Henry Pace
The interactive installation Soundwalk in the Hill District pays homage to the community work of Frankie Mae and Charles Henry Pace as musicians, activists and entrepreneurs from the 1930s to the 1960s. Taking place from 2-4 p.m. Saturday in the Hill District’s Frankie Mae Pace Park, the Soundwalk celebrates the...
‘A lot more than usual’: 11 sets of twins in Norwin’s class of 2024
Norwin High School senior Julia Walko remembers the time her track coach, Brian Fleckenstein, penciled in her sister to run in a relay in a track meet. “Coach Fleckenstein entered Jenna by mistake,” said Julia Walko. It’s not that Julia was upset at being bumped by her sister, the problem...
New restaurant incubator Frontier Kitchen opens in Sharpsburg
Aspiring business owners with a passion for cooking now have a professional resource in Sharpsburg. Virginia-based Frontier Kitchen is the newest business incubator assisting entrepreneurs in navigating the culinary world. “Our mission is to empower people to achieve their entrepreneurial goals and create strong, sustainable companies,” said co-owner and CEO...
Take the TribLive weekly news quiz: May 3
The following is a new feature from TribLive: A weekly news quiz: 1. The month of April had an abundance of rain. According to the National Weather Service, the Pittsburgh area finished the month with an accumulation of 7.93 inches. This total was the second highest on record. What total...
TV Talk: Billy Gardell ends ‘Bob (Hearts) Abishola,’ explores what’s nextVideo
BURBANK, Calif. — Swissvale native Billy Gardell has experience with ending a sitcom. He saw CBS’s “Mike & Molly” through 127 episodes to its conclusion in 2016 and now he’s saying farewell to CBS’s “Bob (Hearts) Abishola” (8:30 p.m. Monday, KDKA-TV), which ends its five-season run next week. “I told...
Death Cab for Cutie and Postal Service hit ‘Such Great Heights’
Two staple 2000s indie bands are on an epic anniversary tour, and Pittsburgh concertgoers were lucky to see it Thursday night at the Petersen Events Center in Oakland. Death Cab for Cutie and The Postal Service have a few things in common. First, they both released landmark albums in 2003...
5 things to do in Westmoreland: May 3-5
May the Fourth be with you! Here are some things to do this weekend in Westmoreland County. Ligonier Valley Free Museum Day On Sunday, several museums in the Ligonier Valley will be opening their doors to visitors for free. Participating museums include the Compass Inn Museum, Fort Ligonier, the Ligonier...
