Editor's Picks category, Page 284

Although the hot dog doesn’t always get a lot of respect, Americans eat an estimated 20 billion of them every year. That’s roughly 70 per person. That’s enough to get the lowly tube steak some formal recognition — July 22 is National Hot Dog Day. If you find yourself passing...

VoteSafe Pennsylvania has launched a statewide bipartisan campaign that aims to ensure every Pennsylvania voter has access to safe voting options for the November election. The coalition is led by former Republican House Majority Leader Dave Reed and former Democratic U.S. Rep. Patrick Murphy, who also served as undersecretary and...

The Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix is traveling a different road this year. Because of the coronavirus pandemic, the annual event that encompasses most of Schenley Park “shifted gears,” according to organizers. There will be some smaller happenings on various roads in the region instead of the large 10-day gathering, which...

Gregg Kander doesn’t know when to stop. Just ask those working on his newest project, the rehabilitation of Braddock’s historic Ohringer Furniture building. By late summer, it is expected to house a hand-picked, diverse community of artists living in a space designed to catalyze creativity. The basement will house communal...

A pilot program announced by Pittsburgh officials could be another step toward enacting the law enforcement reforms that community activists have asked for in regular protests in the region that followed the May 25 killing of George Floyd by police in Minneapolis. Details about the program and how it will...

At Freeport Area High School, every AP World History student scored a passing grade on this year’s AP exam amid unusually difficult circumstances. David DiSanti, the AP World History teacher at Freeport Area High School, said the course was historically difficult, even before the covid-19 pandemic forced schools to move...

A pair of actors from Western Pennsylvania have joined the voice cast for the “Invincible” animated series coming later this year from Amazon. Gillian Jacobs and Zachary Quinto join a star-studded cast that already includes Steven Yeun, J.K. Simmons, Mark Hamill, Seth Rogen and Sandra Oh, among others. “Invincible” tells...

Members of the University of Pittsburgh’s chapter of Engineers Without Borders toiled in the heat Saturday and Sunday to help make life better for people nearly 4,000 miles away. The group gathered to build a reinforced concrete slab at the Habitat for Humanity ReStore in New Kensington as part of...

Big Burrito Restaurant Group temporarily closed all of its specialty restaurants on Saturday due to newly imposed coronavirus-related restrictions, its president said. The specialty restaurants are Alta Via, Casbah, Eleven, Kaya, Soba and Umi. President Bill Fuller said those restaurants “are not viable under current business conditions.” Mad Mex locations...

Some school officials say their districts are in a no-win situation as they draw up reopening plans meant to balance health and education amid a pandemic that closed schools in the spring and upends any hope of normalcy in the fall. Those plans, required by state health and education officials...

A Joe Biden victory is the best hope Republicans have. Because if Biden loses, President Trump will continue to drag down the party for four more years. Republicans are already in serious danger of losing more seats than anyone ever imagined because they have protected and enabled Trump. If the...

A floating cinema equipped with social distancing boats is coming to Pittsburgh Sept. 16-20. The location for the aquatic theater and movies to be shown have not been announced yet. The cinema will be made up of 12 to 24 mini-boats, each holding up to eight people. Tickets will require...

Jennifer Miele got a glimpse into the heart and soul of Bishop Edward Malesic soon after he assumed his duties in the Diocese of Greensburg in 2015. “On day one, he gave me his cellphone number and said to use it any time,” said Miele, a former television news reporter...

For many families, summer vacation may look a little different this year. A survey conducted by MyBioSource.com, a biotechnological products distribution company, found that 51% of Pennsylvanians are more likely to vacation locally in their own state this summer to avoid traveling by plane and reduce the risk of contracting...

Officials with Live! Casino Pittsburgh at the Westmoreland Mall are starting to fill more than 500 positions needed to open the $150 million facility. Under construction in the former Bon-Ton store, the casino will include 750 slot machines and 30 table games. It is expected to open before Thanksgiving. Job...

A Mt. Pleasant man who allegedly fired a handgun outside his home after an argument with his wife and then rode a lawn tractor down Main Street while displaying the gun surrendered Wednesday to borough police. David T. Howland, 32, was arraigned Thursday on 23 criminal counts including driving under...

A grassroots group of scientists and researchers has brought together more than 31,000 volunteers worldwide — including from Western Pennsylvania — who are willing to take part in a human challenge trial to test potential covid-19 vaccines. A human challenge trial in this case would involve participants being administered a...

Two of Pennsylvania’s largest veterans’ organizations — Veterans of Foreign Wars and the American Legion — say they remain committed to serving their local communities throughout the novel coronavirus pandemic, despite enduring financial strain. The nonprofits are required to spend 60 percent of their small games of chance funds on...

The financially struggling Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education on Thursday took the first step in a two-year redesign process that could see six of its 14 universities integrated into three operating units. The 20-member State System Board of Governors unanimously approved a resolution instructing Chancellor Daniel Greenstein to launch...

Mary L. Trump’s scathing memoir about her uncle, President Donald Trump, is nearly a million seller on preorders alone. Simon & Schuster said Thursday that Mary Trump’s “Too Much and Never Enough” had sold a company record 950,000 copies in combined print, digital and audio editions as of its date...

As people search for summer fun in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, camping has quickly become a popular alternative to bustling beaches and large crowds. At Ohiopyle State Park, park manager Kenneth Bisbee said attendance has skyrocketed this season. “Since the governor issued the stay-at-home order in March, our...

A man from Pittsburgh’s Lawrenceville neighborhood is using 27 billboards to create an outdoor art exhibit, spreading messages of love, togetherness and resilience. The exhibition, titled “April in Paris of Appalachia,” will display Sean Rothermel’s artwork through July. Rothermel isn’t an artist by trade — he said he has a...