Editor's Picks category, Page 326
Jonah Goldberg: Is Trump losing control of the GOP? Don’t bet on it.
Donald Trump has had a very bad summer. This has given some people hope that the end of the Trumpian captivity of the Republican Party is within sight. I wish I could share their optimism. It’s certainly true that his post-presidency isn’t going great. Because he didn’t want to get...
TV Q&A: Didn’t Peggy Finnegan retire from WPXI-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: What is the story with Peggy Finnegan? I thought that she had recently retired yet I see her back as an “Olympics commentator.” Was this...
Pennsylvania Turnpike crash launched $200K Lamborghini out of trailer
A Lamborghini worth more than $200,000 “was totaled” after it flew from the front of a trailer in a crash on the Pennsylvania Turnpike, its owner said Tuesday. The crash happened close to 6 p.m. July 24 at mile marker 76.4 in Hempfield, according to state police. Paul B. Eddington,...
A clean company: Robinson is final stop on the Soapbox tour helping those in need
This CEO is on his soapbox, and that’s a good thing. David Simnick is CEO of Soapbox, a company that donates hygiene products — hand, hair and bath and beauty — to charities around the country and the world. But Simnick is focused on a mission that’s about more than...
Powerball to increase drawings to 3 nights a week
Pennsylvania Lottery officials Tuesday announced that Powerball players will soon get the chance to play for a big jackpot one extra night a week. In addition to the drawings held on Wednesdays and Saturdays, the multi-state game will offer drawings on Mondays. This change to three drawings per week will...
O’Hara, Ben Avon women giving Joy Rides to people with limited mobility
Eleven-year-old Hailey Tucker of Penn Hills has multiple disabilities that have rendered her unable to speak. Still, there was no mistaking her excitement over recent bike rides at the Three Rivers Heritage Trail along Pittsburgh’s North Shore. “She gets a great big smile on her face,” said Hailey’s mother, April....
West Leechburg’s ‘accidental’ garlic grower has been at it for half-century
West Leechburg’s Jack Froncek doesn’t let the grass grow under his feet. He prefers garlic. Froncek, 94, has been growing garlic at his Giron Street residence for 50 years. He said he got his start in garlic growing by accident. After noticing a large dirt excavation project near his home...
FitzDaniels? Allegheny County executive meets doppelganger, Jeff Daniels
For years, many observers have remarked about Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald’s uncanny resemblance to Emmy Award-winning actor Jeff Daniels. Some might have wondered if they were the same person. That theory was put to rest Monday as the two met up on the set of Showtime’s “American Rust” series...
TV Talk: Terry Bradshaw’s E! series returns this fall for season 2Video
The sophomore season of E! reality series “The Bradshaw Bunch,” starring former Steelers quarterback Terry Bradshaw, will premiere at 9 p.m. Oct. 6. The show’s first season averaged 2 million total viewers across all platforms, which E! says made the show the most-watched new series on the network among total...
Air travel hits another pandemic high, flight delays grow
Air travel in the U.S. is hitting new pandemic-era highs, and airlines are scrambling to keep up with the summer-vacation crowds. Despite rising numbers of coronavirus infections fueled by the delta variant, the U.S. set another recent high mark for air travel Sunday, with more than 2.2 million people going...
New theory: Earth’s longer days kick-started oxygen growth
Scientists have a new idea for how Earth got its oxygen: It’s because the planet slowed down and days got longer. A study published Monday proposes and puts to the test the theory that longer, continuous daylight kick-started weird bacteria into producing lots of oxygen, making most of life as...
State parks: More money needed for maintenance, improvements
A plan for improving and maintaining Pennsylvania’s 121 state parks contains 87 strategies, but none might be more difficult to attain than extracting more funding from the state to address what has been estimated to be $500 million worth of maintenance, safety and infrastructure needs in state parks and forests....
Penn State ranks as one of the nation’s best 50 employers for recent college grads, per Forbes list
Penn State is among the nation’s best employers for recent college graduates, according to Forbes’ annual rankings that include businesses and organizations with at least 1,000 employees. The annual rankings — based on criteria such as opportunities for advancement, work environment and competitiveness of compensation — ranked Penn State at...
Swimply’s Airbnb-style pool rental expands to Pittsburgh area
Nicknamed the “Airbnb of swimming pools,” Swimply has seen significant growth since its startup in 2018, including in Pittsburgh. Although the Pittsburgh area had no pools available for rent in 2019, there were 19 as of the end of July. According to Vice President of Growth Sonny Mayugba, Swimply follows...
MTV marks 40th anniversary with a new ‘Moon Person’ designVideo
MTV is marking its 40th anniversary with a relaunch of its iconic image of an astronaut on the moon, with an MTV flag planted nearby. On Sunday, the media network unveiled a large-scale “Moon Person” during a ceremony at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla. The new design...
Lawrenceville’s Walter is top dog in annual contest benefitting shelter pets
Walter is shy. On the street he walks by people without stopping to interact. But he might not be able to stay low-key anymore. His face is about to be recognizable. The 3-year-old American Staffordshire Terrier is the cover model for the 2022 Biggies Bullies calendar to be released in...
Hurling, Gaelic football championships taking place in Indiana Township this weekend
The Midwest Gaelic Athletic Association is hosting its regional finals this weekend at Founders Field in Indiana Township. Teams from Pennsylvania, Michigan, New York and Ohio are competing for titles in hurling and both men’s and women’s Gaelic football. Championship games will take place Sunday beginning at 10 a.m. Admission...
Mask guidance divides parents heading into new school year
HARTFORD, Conn. — With U.S. health officials recommending that children mask up in school this fall, parents and policy makers across the nation have been plunged anew into a debate over whether face coverings should be optional or a mandate. The delta variant of the coronavirus now threatens to upend...
Bacon may disappear in California as pig rules take effect
DES MOINES, Iowa — Thanks to a reworked menu and long hours, Jeannie Kim managed to keep her San Francisco restaurant alive during the coronavirus pandemic. That makes it all the more frustrating that she fears her breakfast-focused diner could be ruined within months by new rules that could make...
Ammunition shelves bare as U.S. gun sales continue to soar
SEATTLE — The covid-19 pandemic, coupled with record sales of firearms, has fueled a shortage of ammunition in the United States that’s impacting law enforcement agencies, people seeking personal protection, recreational shooters and hunters — and could deny new gun owners the practice they need to handle their weapons safely....
Latrobe adds extra day, downtown activities to banana split celebration
This year’s planned banana-themed festivities in Latrobe have grown to include a second day of activities. The Downtown Latrobe Banana Split Celebration will be held from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Friday, Aug. 20. The day will include live entertainment, activities for kids and, of course, helpings of the frozen...
Jonah Goldberg: New mask requirement would be a bridge too far
The CDC wants us to go back to wearing masks indoors, even if you’ve been vaccinated. This is where I get off. If you’ll forgive a little testifying, I’ve tried hard to be reasonable throughout the pandemic. I’ve bent over backward to give public officials the benefit of the doubt...
Pittsburgh native A.J. Ross back home to cover Steelers camp
National broadcast journalist and Pittsburgh native A.J. Ross has returned home to cover the Pittsburgh Steelers during training camp and preseason for KDKA-TV. Ross, of Highland Park, said she grew up playing sports at the Shadyside Boys and Girls Club and cheering for Pittsburgh’s favorite teams. Returning to Pittsburgh to...
Marriage madness across America has wedding costs soaring
NEW YORK — Last week, Kate Zhang snapped up a wedding dress at a bridal store in Manhattan. It was only her second appointment. Her decision to get married was slightly less hurried. Zhang and her fiancé, Harrison Li, agreed to tie the knot the weekend before. Granted, they had...
5 things to do in Westmoreland County: July 30-Aug. 1
Luau on the lanes A Hawaiian-style happy hour and bowling party is planned for 6-8 p.m. Friday at Hillview Bowling Lanes, 829 E. Pittsburgh St., Greensburg. Luau on the Lanes will benefit Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Laurel Region. For a $75 donation, bowlers 21 and older can enjoy...
