Editor's Picks category, Page 19
Webkinz World returns to internet browsers after hiatus
The small, plush Webkinz stuffed animals popularized in the late 2000s are making a comeback — with their virtual world officially back up and running after an a long hiatus. Early access for the browser-based version of Webkinz Classic is now available, according to Webkinz Newz. It can be found...
Taylor Swift, LL Cool J, Kenny Loggins and David Byrne are among Songwriters Hall of Fame nominees
NEW YORK — Taylor Swift, Kenny Loggins, LL Cool J, Pink, Sarah McLachlan and Talking Heads’ David Byrne are among the impressive list of nominees for the 2026 Songwriters Hall of Fame class, an eclectic mix of pop, hip-hop, folk and rock innovators. Also on the ballot are Charlotte Caffey,...
Pittsburgh lands on National Geographic’s list of ‘best places in the world to travel’
National Geographic thinks Pittsburgh is a world-class city. Not only has the publication dubbed it “one of America’s most underrated cities to visit in 2026,” it has included the Steel City on a list of the “best places in the world to travel to in 2026,” a compilation of locations...
TV Talk: ‘It’ returns, ‘Talamasca’ debutsVideo
If a Western Pa. “Scariest House” wasn’t enough Halloween-spirited TV for local viewers, on Sunday two supernatural-themed shows debut, both spinoffs, though one is significantly better than the other. ‘It: Welcome to Derry’ A prequel to director Andy Muschietti’s 2017 “It” and 2019 “It: Chapter Two,” HBO’s eight-episode “It: Welcome...
New Kensington native Jonna Banko to be part of Rockettes’ 100th anniversary
Jonna Banko told her peers in Valley High School’s Class of 2022 to follow their dreams. “In my (valedictorian) speech, I said, ‘Don’t wish for it; you have to work for it,’” Banko said. “I put my mind into being a Rockette, and I was able to make that happen....
Fat Head’s named Brewery of the Year at festival
Fat Head’s Brewery took top honors at this year’s Great American Beer Festival, winning five medals and earning the title of 2025 Brewery of the Year. The three-day festival, hosted by the Brewers Association from Oct. 8–10 in Colorado, drew beer enthusiasts from across the U.S. — including those from...
Louvre museum heist becomes trend, memes on social media platforms
Just days ago, thieves pulled off a stunning heist at the Louvre in Paris, stealing historic jewelry valued at an estimated 88 million euros. The robbery occurred Sunday when hooded assailants broke through a second-floor window using a stolen movers’ lift before making off with jewels from the royal collection,...
New Paris Baguette location set for Shadyside
The French-inspired Korean pastry shop Paris Baguette is gearing up to open its largest location in the Pittsburgh area next month. The new 4,000-square-foot shop will accommodate up to 46 people, said Ammar Zafar, owner of Paris Baguette Shadyside. “It’s always been a passion of mine to bring something new...
Africanism Gala is a ‘love letter to Black women’
As a youngster growing up in Hazelwood, Demeatria Boccella didn’t see Black women in arts and fashion. It has been her passion to create opportunities for young people. Now, she is co-producing the third annual Africanism Gala with Darnell McLaurin and Sandra Aristide Soteriou. It’s a love letter to Black...
Acrisure cracks Top 10 in ‘Most Haunted Stadium’ list put out by sports tipsters
Timely tidbit: Acrisure Stadium may be the 10th most haunted stadium in the NFL. So says a study by Pickswise, a site that handicaps sporting events for bets. It boasts 63 wins against the spread through Week 7 of this football season. The haunted rankings were determined using these metrics:...
iPhone bug could contribute to numerous typing errors
Have you been making more typing errors than usual on your iPhone? Turns out, it might not just be you. There’s a new bug in iOS that’s causing frustration among iPhone users, according to PC Guide. Many users have been complaining on the iOS subreddit about typing problems after updating...
Americans are falling behind on car loans. Here’s how to catch up.
More Americans are trading in underwater vehicles. That does not mean the vehicles are submerged. In a sense, the drivers are. More than one in four trade-ins had negative equity in the third quarter of 2025, Edmunds reports. In auto industry parlance, the loans were underwater. Of all used vehicles...
Q&A: Pittsburgh’s M.E.L.T. on new album ‘Innervate/Obliterate’Video
For M.E.L.T.’s release show celebrating their “Innervate/Obliterate” record earlier this month, guitarist/vocalist Joey Troupe came up with an apt description of the night. “I was teasing somebody after the show that it felt like what I assumed people feel like after they get married, that they plan this thing for...
TV Q&A: Will Brit actor use American accent on ‘CIA’ show?
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: Do you know if Tom Ellis will be using his natural British accent in the new CIA series on CBS? The British accent is preferable...
Animal-rights group sues to free elephants from Pittsburgh Zoo
A Washington, D.C.-based animal-rights nonprofit on Tuesday sued the operator and head of the Pittsburgh Zoo & Aquarium, demanding the release of its elephants from captivity. Filed by the Nonhuman Rights Project in Allegheny County Common Pleas Court, the lawsuit names as defendants the Zoological Society of Pittsburgh and zoo...
Western Pennsylvania man competes on ‘Wheel of Fortune’Video
Mike Soltis walked exactly 1.1 miles from his hotel to the Sony Pictures Studios in Culver City, Calif., in September, wearing one shirt and carrying two extras. He remembers the weather was a mild 68 degrees, but the humidity was high. By the time he reached the studio — the...
TV Talk: ‘Mayor of Kingstown’ introduces new characters for 4th seasonVideo
Trib Total Media TV writer Rob Owen offers a viewing tip for the coming week. A few months ago, “Mayor of Kingstown” star Jeremy Renner suggested the show’s fifth season will be its last. But during a conversation to preview season four, streaming its premiere episode Oct. 26 on Paramount+,...
Historic renovations at the White House: From 1792 to Trump’s latest project
Anyone scrolling on social media over the past few days might’ve come across photos of the East Wing of the White House being partially demolished. Construction on President Donald Trump’s new White House State Ballroom is underway. It will cost approximately $200 million, and the White House said Trump and...
Q&A: ‘American Idol’ winner Abi Carter bringing No Amount of Dark tour to PittsburghVideo
Abi Carter’s No Amount of Dark tour got off to a great start last week — other than some faulty air conditioning in Texas. “In a 15-seater van where only the front AC works and nobody gets any airflow in the back, it’s quite miserable,” Carter said Wednesday. “We’ve already...
Virginia Giuffre memoir details alleged abuses inside Jeffrey Epstein circle
This story contains graphic descriptions that some readers may find disturbing. The soon-to-be released memoir from Virginia Giuffre, one of Jeffrey Epstein’s accusers, posthumously sheds light on the infamous financier’s abuses from the perspective of one of his most vocal victims. “She wanted all her suffering to have accomplished something,...
What’s cooking at WCCC? Culinary students serve meals at campus’ Chef’s Bistro
Fall aromas filled Westmoreland County Community College’s health and culinary center last week as students sauteed vegetables and piled fresh baked rolls with roast beef. Students and community members filed into The Chef’s Bistro — a restaurant tucked into the college’s Hempfield campus. About 25 culinary and baking students are...
Study bolsters notion that exposing babies to peanut products can reduce allergiesVideo
Feeding peanuts to babies can reduce their risk of developing allergies, a study published this week affirmed. While nuts themselves remain choking hazards, giving foods made with nuts to babies may prevent them from developing nut allergies, according to a study published Monday in Pediatrics, the journal of the American...
Kenny Loggins condemns use of ‘Danger Zone’ in Trump’s AI video ridiculing protesters
Millions protested across the country over the weekend in the second No Kings demonstration against the Trump administration. In response, President Donald Trump mocked the demonstrators with an AI-generated video of himself in a “Top Gun”-inspired fighter jet, bombing protesters with brown sludge to the tune of Kenny Loggins’ “Danger...
Pittsburgh local music spotlight: The RedlinesVideo
After 13 years as a band, Pittsburgh’s The Redlines are going on their first proper tour this week, with shows in Ohio, Michigan, Tennessee and West Virginia after kicking it off Thursday in Millvale. “We’re expecting to eat a lot of unhealthy gas station food,” bassist Tony Vinski said. “And...
Glamping coming to some Pennsylvania state parks next year
Those looking to enjoy Pennsylvania’s state parks will no longer have to choose between comfort and roughing it. The commonwealth next year will offer glamping — glamorous camping — at eight state parks. The Department of Conservation and Natural Resources will offer “glampsites” at Poe Valley, Hills Creek, Laurel Hill,...
