Editor's Picks category, Page 263
Happy hygge! Scrabble dictionary adds hundreds of words
NEW YORK — Here’s the sitch, Scrabble stans. Your convos around the board are about to get more interesting with about 500 new words and variations added to the game’s official dictionary: stan, sitch, convo, zedonk, dox and fauxhawk among them. Out this month, the add-ons in the seventh edition...
The busiest days to fly during the winter holidays
Most weeks of the year, Fridays are the busiest days to fly, and Tuesdays are the least busy. But during the holidays, that trend doesn’t necessarily hold true. In most years, the Sunday after Thanksgiving is actually the busiest travel day for U.S. airports, according to the Transportation Security Administration,...
Kraft Heinz explores stunts like Stuffing Pants, Velveeta martini to revitalize brands
Pittsburgh-based Kraft Heinz may be best known for the iconic ketchup, but the food giant is hoping that a series of offbeat items and recipes can revive some of the company’s other well-known brands. Stove Top, a Kraft Heinz Company brand, is bringing back its Stuffing Pants, a pair of...
New documentary shows ex-Steelers player Carlton Haselrig’s battle with football-related brain injuries
JOHNSTOWN — Frail, angry, confused and dying, Carlton Haselrig rolled around on his bed, twisting in the blankets and sheets, screaming profanities, before sitting up and crying out a desperate plea: “Help me, Dad! Father!” But it was in vain. His father was not there to help. Fred Haselrig had...
‘The Lion King’ hits a key milestone in its circle of life
NEW YORK — In the summer of 1997, audiences in Minneapolis at the Orpheum Theatre saw something no one had ever seen before: leaping antelopes, fluttering birds and elephants lumbering through the orchestra seats. “The audience started screaming so early. When the animals came down the aisle everybody shot up,”...
TV Q&A: Which Penguins games will air on WTAE-TV?
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: In a TV spot, WTAE general manager Mr. Wolfertz said Channel 4 will carry four Penguins games this year, but he didn’t say which ones...
TV Talk: Ryan Houston will leave WPXI-TV; more ‘Cartoon Academy’ on WQED-TV
Ryan Houston, who joined WPXI-TV as weekend evening and night anchor in December 2019, will depart the station Nov. 28. He’s returning home to his native Pine Bluff, Ark., to help care for an ailing family member. “My stepfather has colon cancer and my mother told me she needs some...
New Spinvasion ride coming to Kennywood next spring
Kennywood is getting a new ride next year, and it promises to be out of this world. The amusement park announced Tuesday an intergalactic multi-action spin ride called Spinvasion will become the centerpiece of the park’s new alien-inspired Area 412 section. According to a press release, Spinvasion will provide an...
PLCB opens lotteries to purchase more than 1,500 rare whiskeys
Whiskey connoisseurs in Pennsylvania can enter lotteries this week to purchase rare bottles that have skyrocketed in demand in recent years. The Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board on Monday announced its Limited-Release Lotteries for the highly sought-after products. Of 1,590 bottles up for grabs, 1,440 are made by Kentucky-based Old Rip...
David DePape’s dark journey from Obama backer to QAnon extremist accused in Pelosi attack
RICHMOND, Calif. — To co-workers who knew David DePape a few years ago, he was a gentle, quiet carpenter who liked to watch “Game of Thrones” and “Stranger Things” and brought sunflower seeds to his worksite to feed birds and squirrels. “Everybody liked him,” said Frank Ciccarelli, 76, a carpenter...
Guy Fieri’s Chicken Guy! restaurant opens in Pittsburgh
There are plenty of chicken restaurants in Pittsburgh, but the first of Guy Fieri’s chicken eateries known as Chicken Guy! opened Monday in PPG Place adjacent to the iconic ice skating rink Downtown. The opening had been anticipated with word spreading last week, and the food appeared to be worth...
Concert trifecta: Pink, Lizzo, Foreigner announce Pittsburgh stopsVideo
Two pop music superstars and an arena rock band will be making their way to Pittsburgh in 2023 for concerts announced Monday. Pink’s Summer Carnival is visiting 21 cities, including PNC Park on Aug. 5. She will be joined by Brandi Carlile, Grouplove and KidCutUp. Tickets for the three-time Grammy...
Pittsburgh Pop podcast: Talking ‘SNL,’ Steelers time slot change, ‘Tulsa King,’ ‘Virulent,’ ‘American Rust’ needs extras
In this episode of the “Pittsburgh Pop” podcast, host Tim Benz and TV Talk columnist Rob Owen discuss Pittsburgh pop culture news of the moment, including the Steelers game on Nov. 20 getting downgraded from prime time to a late afternoon starting time, a call for extras on season two...
T-Rex skull could garner $20 million in auction, says report
Sotheby’s auction house in New York is reporting that a Tyrannosaurus rex skull is likely to sell for up to $20 million at auction next month, according to CNN. The skull weighs more than 200 pounds and is over 6 feet tall. Named Maximus, the skull is one of the...
Joni Mitchell tells Elton John what fans have hoped for: A new album might be comingVideo
We might be able to expect a new release from Joni Mitchell soon in the wake of her surprise summer appearance at the Newport Folk Festival. The “Both Sides Now” artist shared the news in a new interview on Apple Music 1’s “Elton John’s Rocket Hour.” “I’ve seen you through...
The ultimate guide to Chicago’s Italian beef
CHICAGO — At last, the Italian beef is having a moment. While deep-dish and Chicago-style hot dogs long ago achieved national fame, the Italian beef was one of those dishes with only limited appeal outside of Chicagoland. But now publications like The New York Times and the Los Angeles Times...
John Aniston, star of ‘Days of Our Lives,’ dead at 89
NEW YORK — John Aniston, the Emmy-winning star of the daytime soap opera “Days of Our Lives” and father of Jennifer Aniston, has died at age 89. The actor’s daughter posted a tribute to him Monday morning on Instagram, announcing that he had died Friday, Veteran’s Day. John Aniston served...
TV Talk: ‘Fleishman is in Trouble’ marks worthy screen adaptation
Trib Total Media TV writer Rob Owen offers a viewing tip for the coming week. Produced by FX for Hulu, “Fleishman Is in Trouble” proves frustrating but ultimately rewarding. Frustrating because it teases a mystery and then goes off on character tangents for multiple episodes, but ultimately rewarding because when...
Wood whittler proudly displays pieces at Westmoreland Museum of American Art
To whittler Rod Cross of Bear Rocks, there is life in each block of wood. “I have to introduce myself to the wood. When I get down to the carving, I will know what to do,” said Cross, 73, who has been whittling wood all his life. Cross brought about...
Leechburg’s Twisted Thistle has new ownership, new name
A well-known restaurant in Leechburg is under new ownership and has a new name. Twisted Thistle was sold this month by Linda Alworth of Gilpin to three new owners: friends Bobby Elliott, Sean Watson and Corey Pistininzi. They’ve renamed it National Public House. Alworth, 68, recently sold Lingrow Farm, a...
1 shopping list, 3 different quick, comforting fall dinners
There are some foods that just scream fall — and it isn’t simply a pumpkin spice latte or apple cider. Summertime cooking can be about adventure, fun and keeping cool. We grill in the backyard. We dive face first into giant icy watermelon. We mix up substantial cold salads rather...
‘Start Up’ television episode featuring New Kensington debuts at Voodoo Brewing
An episode of a PBS series focusing on revitalization efforts in New Kensington is “a tremendous postcard for the city,” Mayor Tom Guzzo said. The episode of “Start Up” featuring Mike Malcanas and his Olde Towne Overhaul debuted at Voodoo Brewing New Kensington Pub on Friday evening. “Anyone who watches...
Bitter 2021 ATI strike focus of documentary, Zoom discussion
Caustic picket line conversations and fiery union hall debates will take center stage in an upcoming documentary about the bitter 2021 ATI strike that impacted 450 workers in the Alle-Kiski Valley. “Local 1196: A Steelworkers Strike” gives a behind-the-scenes look into the lives of union workers and their families while...
Taylor Swift adds 2nd show to Pittsburgh 2023 tour stop
Taylor Swift’s stop in Pittsburgh in June just got twice as nice. On Friday, the singer-songwriter announced 17 additional shows to her latest tour — and one of them will be a second show on her upcoming Pittsburgh stop. Swift’s “Eras Tour” will now be at Acrisure Stadium on June...
Vet’s mission: Recognition for Civil War veterans buried in North Huntingdon
An Army veteran from Harrison City is on a mission to give four Civil War soldiers buried in unmarked graves proper recognition. A memorial etched with their names would be part of a restoration of the inactive North Huntingdon cemetery that dates to 1784. “Somewhere along the way, it hits...
