Editorial | Pennsylvania politicians need to take Clairton pollution seriously
By Pitt News Editorial Board
June 18, 2019
We place trust in these politicians to protect us, and their refusal to acknowledge the health and environmental violations is doing the opposite.
Sports fan bases that should share a beer
By Trent Leonard, Sports Editor
April 11, 2019
A Pittsburgh bakery teamed up with a Cleveland brewery to make a cake-flavored beer, making us think about other rival fan bases that could benefit from an alcoholic culture mash-up.
Opinion | Our police deserve better mental health care
By Jeremy Wang, Assistant Opinions Editor
April 2, 2019
Police in America faced a deadly year in 2018 with 144 line of duty deaths. Far less attention is paid to police suicides, which are just as deadly.
Op-ed: Memory of Antwon Rose denied justice
By Black Action Society of the University of Pittsburgh
March 28, 2019
To the Black community of Pittsburgh: with each passing acquittal, we are blatantly shown our value in the eyes of those designated to “protect us.”
Column: Pirates set for another average season
By MIchael Nitti, Staff Writer
February 12, 2019
With the lack of significant additions and the largely unproven talent across the roster, don’t expect big things from the Pirates this year.
College students find big-league niches
By Nick Carlisano, Staff Writer
February 6, 2019
A vast majority of people don’t ever get the shot to pursue a sports-related job, yet alone their dream job –– but some do.
Column | Pittsburgh gun bills fail civil rights and safety
By Jeremy Wang, Assistant Opinions Editor
January 22, 2019
Pittsburgh’s proposed gun control ordinances were cobbled together by cutting and pasting pieces from ineffective and outdated laws. The results are policies that experts say have serious civil rights implications — without making the City any safer.
Editorial: Peduto to release Amazon bid: too little, too late
By The Pitt News Editorial Board
November 14, 2018
Peduto will release Pittsburgh’s Amazon headquarters bid on Thursday, but he should have done that a lot earlier. Pittsburgers deserve to know about major, local economic developments.
Take 5: NFL, Le’Veon Bell, Hue’s farewell
By The Pitt News Staff
November 1, 2018
This week’s Take 5 column features two Pittsburgh-centric football storylines, including the Panthers’ quest for an ACC Coastal title and the Steelers’ success without Le’Veon Bell. In other news, a dark-horse Cy Young candidate has emerged for the 2019 MLB season and the Browns are still the Browns.
Attila Domos: Handcyclist, author and paraplegic rockstar
By Griffin Floyd, Staff Writer
October 24, 2018
Romanian-born Pittsburgh native Attila Domos nearly broke the official world handcycling record recently — but his talents also extend to artistry, authorship and Wii Sports.
Column: Riverhounds strive for success as Pittsburgh’s pro soccer team
By Ben Zimmer, Staff Writer
October 17, 2018
As the Riverhounds prepare to host a first-round playoff game Saturday — the first home postseason game in the club’s history — their achievements shouldn’t go unnoticed. How much success will it take for soccer to be among Pittsburgh’s sources of pride?
Editorial: Amazon sets great example, raises minimum wage
By The Pitt News Editorial Board
October 3, 2018
Amazon is known for treating its employees poorly — so raising its minimum wage is a welcome decision. It’ll help nearly a quarter million people financially.
Forbes Field phenomenon: Remembering the last flagless football game
By Trent Leonard, Sports Editor
September 12, 2018
More than 70 years have gone by since the Pittsburgh Steelers beat the Philadelphia Eagles 7-3 in the NFL's last game without penalties.
Take 5: Bell, Beadle and Basketball
By The Pitt News Staff
August 30, 2018
From catsuits to contract holdouts, The Pitt News staff takes a look at the spiciest storylines from the past week.
Community groups call for city to release Amazon bid
By Kieran Mclean | For The Pitt News
June 27, 2018
Members of nine community groups gathered at City Hall Thursday morning in front of a sky-blue banner declaring “The City of Pittsburgh Welcomes You.” The crowd demanded that the City release the conditions of its proposal to Amazon. Jules Lobel, Chair of the University of Pittsburgh’s Law Depar...
Editorial: Patience required in Antwon Rose case
By The Pitt News Editorial Board
June 27, 2018
Antwon Rose, a 17-year-old black Woodland Hills student, was shot by a white East Pittsburgh police officer, Michael Rosfeld, on the evening of June 26. Since then, coverage of ensuing protests has been extensive — as has speculation surrounding the two parties involved. What is known to be true is...
Pittsburgh packs the streets for Pride 2018
By Madeline Gavatorta | Staff Writer
June 13, 2018
Red, orange, yellow, green, blue and purple lit up downtown Pittsburgh over the weekend as members of the LGBTQ+ community and their allies united to celebrate their differences and show support for the community. They danced, sang and kissed under rainbow flags. This was Pittsburgh PrideFest 2018. ...
Three Rivers Arts Festival music recap: Mavis Staples
By Darren Campuzano | Staff Writer
June 13, 2018
Any Pittsburgh native raised on trips to the Three Rivers Arts Festival can attest that the exhibition of diverse artists and musicians is always accompanied by thick rainfall. Festival season in the ’Burgh never commences without it. Amid fears of rain delays and cancellations, each of the bigge...
Peduto, Fitzgerald face questions at town hall
By Madeline Gavatorta | Staff Writer
June 6, 2018
Citizens had a chance to address pressing issues like Amazon, small businesses and the ethane plant in Beaver County with some of Pittsburgh’s most important figures — Mayor Bill Peduto and Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald — Monday night at Union Project in Highland Park. Peduto, F...
Amazon HQ2 debate continues in Pittsburgh
By Grant Burgman | News Editor
May 30, 2018
Amazon first stirred up conversation in Oakland and in Pittsburgh when the Seattle-based electronic commerce company opened a pickup location on Oakland Avenue in October. The City was launched into one of the biggest national business stories in recent memory when Amazon announced in January that the Steel City was o...
Not just a sports city: Pittsburgh culture is hidden but vibrant
By Sarah Connor, Contributing Editor
May 30, 2018
I grew up in a small town about 25 miles outside of the City — near the Pittsburgh International Airport — called Moon Township. It was common for people from my town to attend schools in and around the City, and I come from a long line of Pitt alumni. But I was independent as a kid and wanted to have new...
Survivors, supporters race for the cure in Schenley
By Madeline Gavatorta | Staff Writer
May 16, 2018
Amber Baker led her team of “Bosom Buddies” through Schenley Park this Mother’s Day with her daughter, Angelina Chertik, who traveled across the state from Philadelphia to attend the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure, an annual 5K run that raises money and awareness for breast cancer. Baker, a ...
Photos from race day: Pittsburgh Marathon 2018
By TPN Visual Staff
May 6, 2018
The 10th annual Pittsburgh Marathon took place on Sunday. This year, the event also hosted the 2018 USA Track and Field National Championship race, an elite event which saw finishing times of over a minute faster than the top men's category of the Pittsburgh Half Marathon. Over 20,000 people participated...
Digress from stress: Pittsburgh’s Slices of Serenity
By Elizabeth Donnelly | Staff Writer
April 23, 2018
It’s no secret that finals week can be a stressful time for students, but there are many places Pitt students can go for relief — both on and off campus. With these study break destinations, students can try to focus their mental energy on staying calm and relaxing. Stress Free Zone — William Pitt Union (Oakland...
Founders Institute open for entrepreneurship
By Anish Salvi | Staff Writer
April 20, 2018
Randy Eager, a lifelong entrepreneur and Pittsburgh resident of 27 years, realized in the summer of 2017 that Pittsburgh’s entrepreneurial ecosystem lacked two key things — entrepreneur education and corporate investment. While developing his company Aqualibrium LLC, he noticed a need for mentorin...
Public provides input on Foster statue replacement
By Theresa Dickerson | Staff Writer
April 18, 2018
There is currently no statue in Pittsburgh that represents an African-American woman. But that is going to change in the next month — and it’s happening right on Pitt’s campus. The City confirmed in March that the 10-foot-tall bronze statue of musician Stephen Foster, located on Forbes Avenue across from the Stephen Foster Memorial, would be removed in April. Foster will be replaced with a local, historical, female African...
Pitt Film Fest features city-wide student work
By Vikram Sundar | Staff Writer
April 17, 2018
While maintaining a long-distance relationship with his girlfriend in Indiana, Pennsylvania, senior Mark Conner spent many a lonely road trip listening to the cassette tape she had given him — Fleetwood Mac’s “Tango in the Night.” It was during these trips that he came up with the idea for his ...
Editorial: Address landslides in local infrastructure plans
By The Pitt News Editorial Board
April 16, 2018
More than 70 landslides have hit Pittsburgh this year — but the one on Route 30 last week was possibly the worst. The collapsed roadway severely damaged four residences and raised the City’s landslide cost to an estimated $12 million in 2018 so far. But funding for repair efforts remains slim...
Allentown stays soulful as businesses flourish
By Alexa Marzina | For The Pitt News
April 6, 2018
Craig Bittner walked into the dimly lit Black Forge Coffee House on Arlington Avenue one breezy Saturday morning in March, past the walls covered in local art for sale and a large chalkboard calendar of local events. He cheerfully greeted the barista and ordered a “cold bro.” Bittner, a 24-yea...
Cultures come together on Pitt’s tennis team
By Trent Leonard | Staff Writer
April 3, 2018
A quick glance at the men’s top 10 world tennis rankings reveals that no two players share the same country of origin. The same can be said for the top eight women in the world — an unusual trend considering certain nations tend to specialize and often dominate in other sports. A microcosm of...
Cassettes make a comeback in local music scene
By Zachary Donovan | Staff Writer
March 27, 2018
Popular trends tend to reappear every so often — and in the music world, this is especially true. Genres give way to post-genres, subgenres and genre fusion, and popular tropes of the past seem to pop up 20 years later with little explanation. This trend has taken shape recently in the form of cassette rele...
Pitt brings new quarterback to town
By Alex Lehmbeck | Staff Writer
March 15, 2018
Pitt football midyear junior college enrollee Ricky Town comes to Oakland with three years of college experience spanning three different schools. But despite his winding journey across college football, the quarterback has yet to play a single snap of Division I football. Town was aggressively...
Erika Strassburger wins District 8 special election
By Christian Snyder, Multimedia Editor
March 7, 2018
Independent candidate Erika Strassburger will succeed Dan Gilman on Pittsburgh City Council after District 8 voters handed her a decisive victory Tuesday. Strassburger finished with 64 percent of the vote, more than double her closest opponent, Democratic nominee and East Liberty restaurant owner Sonja Finn, who finished with 28 percent. ...
Amazon HQ2 community forum reveals concerns
By Anandhini Narayanan | Staff Writer
February 12, 2018
“Whose city? Our city! Whose city? Our city!” various Pittsburgh residents declared in unison before the community forum on Amazon began Saturday. This chant reverberated through the Liberty Room of the Human Services Building on Smithfield Street where about 50 audience members and six panelists...
Taking steps for cystic fibrosis
By Zane Crowell | For The Pitt News
February 8, 2018
Members of the Run to Cure Cystic Fibrosis marathon team trek up more than 700 steps of the Cathedral of Learning every Thursday. Then they take the elevator back down and do it two or three more times. The western Pennsylvania chapter of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, a donor-funded nonprofit wo...
Whitaker talks sports, jazz in Pittsburgh
By Alexa Marzina | For The Pitt News
February 6, 2018
Mark Whitaker is a Philadelphian infatuated with Pittsburgh. He is also an esteemed journalist who worked for Newsweek Magazine for three decades and became the first African-American to lead a national newsweekly. But that infatuation with the Steel City is what led him to investigate his father’s Pitt...
First time for yoga: stretching the limits at Wintergarden
By Sarah Connor, Staff Writer
February 6, 2018
I rolled out of bed at 8 a.m. Sunday wishing my alarm clock hadn’t interrupted my usual Sunday morning sleep session that usually creeps into the early afternoon. I peeked out the window of my South Oakland apartment and saw heavy, wet snow falling from the gray sky. Today was not the day for me to...
Editorial: Peduto’s Amazon optimism dangerous for City
By The Pitt News Editorial Board
February 5, 2018
Mayor Bill Peduto is gazing into Pittsburgh’s future as a possible home for Amazon’s HQ2 wearing what appears to be a pair of rose-colored glasses. The proposition of a $5 billion economic bolster sits untouched in the distance, a prize Pittsburgh and 19 other cities are ruthlessly racing toward ...
Viral video shows cyclist being attacked in Oakland
By Janine Faust | Assistant News Editor
January 28, 2018
Police are investigating a physical altercation between a cyclist and the driver of a red SUV that occured Thursday evening at the intersection of South Bellefield and Fifth avenues. A video filmed at the scene by a man identified as Matt Hajduk, 26, shows the SUV driver, having already exited his ve...
Peduto promotes Pittsburgh community initiatives
By Salina Pressimone | Assistant News Editor
January 19, 2018
Mayor Bill Peduto prioritizes building up Pittsburgh communities, and thinks Amazon might soon be able to help with this growth at a local level, he said Thursday night. “What will make Pittsburgh competitive is talent produced locally and incredible affordability,” he said. “With those two th...
Pitt Progressives host state House candidate Summer Lee
By Madeline Gavatorta | Staff Writer
January 18, 2018
When asked what was distinct about her campaign, Summer Lee said she isn’t running on anything that isn’t “basic human stuff.” “I don’t see that I’m not running on anything that isn’t common sense,” Lee said. Lee is a Democratic candidate for District 34 in the Pennsylvania House of Represen...
Finn wins Democratic nomination for District 8
By Elise Lavallee, Contributing Editor
January 14, 2018
Sonja Finn, 38, was nominated Sunday afternoon to run as the democratic candidate in the District 8 City Council seat special election. With no contest from a republican candidate, Finn is expected to run against Erika Strassburger and Marty Healey in the special election March 6. Though in the past t...
Jazz plays on in Pittsburgh
By Emma Maurice | Staff Writer
January 8, 2018
While the riverboats travelling up the Mississippi and Ohio rivers between 1916 and 1970 brought many people to Pittsburgh to work in the booming steel industry, it also brought a wave of musicians who created Pittsburgh’s lasting jazz scene. Jazz in Pittsburgh continues to flourish and sustain years of tr...
When environmental groups overstep, progress halts
By Brian Gentry | Columnist
December 6, 2017
The auditorium of Arsenal Middle School contained an eclectic mix of people Monday night. In the middle aisle, a sharply dressed younger crowd in scarves and thick-rimmed glasses conversed with representatives from environmental groups such as PennEnvironment and Lawrenceville United. Meanwhile, gruff, blue-...
Editorial: Pittsburgh’s veil of Amazon secrecy leaves residents behind
By The Pitt News Editorial Board
November 29, 2017
With little more to go on than a slogan, Pittsburghers don’t know what to make of the City’s proposal to house Amazon’s second headquarters. The online retail giant announced its search for a location in September, and has since received 238 submissions from cities, states and metropolitan areas across North America. Cities responded by offering Amazon a s...
Extend love to homeless in a city that doesn’t
By Sarah Shearer | Columnist
November 17, 2017
Nichole Cooper didn’t know a simple “How are you?” would lead to such a rich friendship when she met Shaker on the street. “You know, I just saw him and was like, hey, what’s up?” Cooper said. “He offered me a cigarette and I said no and he asked how are you?” Cooper, a woman from Tex...
Off-year election marks desire for criminal justice reform
By Ben Sheppard | Columnist
November 16, 2017
Despite our national representatives’ inability to agree on anything, the Nov. 7 off-year elections showed that the nation at large is united by at least one thing — criminal justice reform. Pittsburghers are fed up with archaic strategies of criminal justice — and Mik Pappas is their new refor...
Editorial: ACLU threatens Harris with strong First Amendment lawsuit
By The Pitt News Editorial Board
November 16, 2017
Pittsburgh City Councilwoman Darlene Harris somehow manages to regularly get herself into the petty types of quarrels that make Buzzfeed headlines — in April last year, she made local headlines when she got into a verbal altercation with a bicyclist. She took up bike lanes as a major aspect of ...
Christmas: the most wonderful two months of the year
By Alexis Buncich | For The Pitt News
November 15, 2017
Based on my friends’ Snapchats, the last moments before the Christmas season ended the night of Halloween. Everyone was still getting into their Halloween candy when suddenly, the clock struck midnight — and each Snapchat story was filled with carols as my friends traded jack-o’-lanterns for S...
Editorial: Peduto demands non-profit conscience — Pitt included
By The Pitt News Editorial Board
November 15, 2017
Pennsylvania’s lawmakers may have struggled with a budget crisis this year, but Pittsburgh feels a little more confident of its financial competency. In his annual budget address Monday, Mayor Bill Peduto asked the state to remove Pittsburgh’s Act 47 status, an inhibitory financial oversight status meant to aid financially distressed municipalities placed on Pittsburgh in 2003. Now, he claims, the city doesn’t need the oversight. Recognizing the im...
Editorial: Use Election Day as opportunity for progress
By The Pitt News Editorial Board
November 7, 2017
In the aftermath of last fall’s presidential election, many young voters eagerly looked forward to the next chance they’d have to influence their communities through the ballot box. Unfortunately for those of us in Pittsburgh, however, some of today’s most visible municipal elections offer littl...
Historic Pittsburgh hosts fair at Carnegie Library
By Siddhi Shockey / For The Pitt News
November 7, 2017
Rick Sebak, a native Pittsburgh filmmaker and producer, held a “Pittsburgh Changes the World” sign above his head, eliciting nods from the audience at the Historic Pittsburgh Fair. Sebak and many of the audience members reminisced over Pittsburgh’s greatest historical contributions, ranging from wo...
Column: Bourdain challenges Pittsburgh narratives in flawed ‘Parts Unknown’ episode
By John Hamilton / Managing Editor
October 23, 2017
When Anthony Bourdain goes to any city, locals are bound to complain that he missed one of the best restaurants or didn’t talk to an important person. But when Bourdain’s Pittsburgh episode of “Parts Unknown” aired on CNN Sunday night, many Pittsburghers were furious, claiming the show didn...
Don’t tempt Amazon with tax cuts
By Ben Sheppard | For The Pitt News
September 22, 2017
In the struggle between American cities for economic dominance, an influx of 50,000 new jobs seems too good to be true. But that’s exactly what tech giant Amazon is offering. More than 100 cities — ranging from Boston, to Toronto to a collective of several small North Carolina towns — have signale...
Don’t count out conservative Democrats
By Henry Glitz | Opinions Editor
September 17, 2017
With a mix of fear, anger and sheer disbelief, I watched the television screen in my friends’ apartment as CNN’s correspondent tapped an interactive map, coloring Pennsylvania red. Last fall’s presidential election came as a shock to many, but for me the blow came when my home state cast its ...
Blue collar to green collar: Pittsburgh’s sustainable future
By Jaime Viens | Contributing Editor
September 14, 2017
A Pittsburgh skyline dominated by smokestacks once denoted the bane of environmental destruction to some — but to many, it was a livelihood. More than ever before, Pittsburgh is shedding its long-standing status as the “Steel City” as it continues to transition from a City that is economically reliant on fossil fuels toward a City with more sustainable future in renewable energy. But our local economy is fa...
Q&A: Penny Semaia helps student-athletes attain success
By Grant Burgman | Staff Writer
September 14, 2017
Standing at 6 feet 5 inches, Penny Semaia can seem like a pretty intimidating figure. But once Semaia starts talking, any intimidation falls away. He makes you feel welcome from the moment you shake his hand and exudes friendliness. It’s an infectious positivity many in the Pitt community have beco...
Editorial: Safe roads require more than just bike lanes
By The Pitt News Editorial Board
August 28, 2017
From the lack of parking in front of the Cathedral, a safer Bigelow Boulevard crosswalk or the freshly painted white and yellow lines — the new bike lanes are pretty hard to miss. The City of Pittsburgh opened the lanes Aug. 15 on portions of Forbes Avenue and Bigelow Boulevard — a much-needed development as Oakland is the city’s second most-biked neighborhood, after Downtown. The lanes...
Photographer Elliott Erwitt publishes forgotten Pittsburgh photos
By John Hamilton / Editor-in-Chief
August 21, 2017
Elliott Erwitt left his rented room at the downtown Pittsburgh YMCA in the fall of 1950, cameras in hand. The 22-year-old photographer walked up either Forbes or Fifth Avenue, documenting the people and places of the transitioning city along the way, before arriving at the Pittsburgh Photographic Lib...
Councilman Gilman talks district, student issues
By Henry Glitz | News Editor
August 21, 2017
For many of the thousands of new and incoming Pitt students, this fall in Pittsburgh will be their first. It’s an experience that City Council Member Dan Gilman shared with them many years ago. “Whether I’m a native depends on how original you go,” Gilman said, laughing. “We moved to Pittsburgh...
Pitt club raises awareness for animal welfare
By Amanda Reed / Senior Staff Writer
August 21, 2017
No meat, cheese, wool or ivory-keyed pianos — basically nothing that comes from or is made from an animal. That’s what Pitt’s animal wellness club preaches on campus. Panthers for Animal Welfare — PAW for short — is an activist club focused on spreading awareness about the effects that fo...
Pittsburgh’s indie theaters set themselves apart
By Matt Maielli / Contributing Editor
August 21, 2017
Chain theaters and popular franchises are fatiguing after a while — remakes, reboots and sequels, oh my — so why not attend a classic film marathon in a single screen theater to refresh your cinematic palette. Here’s a short list of local, independent theaters that offer both mainstream releases,...
Pittsburgh goes green, despite what you might’ve heard
By Levko Karmazyn | For The Pitt News
August 21, 2017
When President Donald Trump decided to pull out of the Paris climate agreements, he said that he was elected to represent the people of Pittsburgh, not Paris — a statement that was met with fiery outlash from important figures such as Mayor Bill Peduto, who said that Pittsburgh will in fact continue to abide by the Paris agreements....
GALLERY: Pittsburgh Prayer for Peace
August 19, 2017
In the wake of the white supremacist rallies in Charlottesville, Mayor Peduto's office organized "A Prayer for Pittsburgh: A Prayer for Peace" rally in front of the city-county building yesterday. A variety of faith leaders and government-affiliated personnel were featured as speakers. ...
Gallery: Redbull Flugtag takes over the North Shore
By John Hamilton and Jordan Mondell / Pitt News Staff
August 5, 2017
Homemade aircrafts, 46 in total, launched off a 22-foot platform into the Allegheny River Saturday. Most crafts took a nosedive straight away, but a few got enough air to soar a short distance down the river. Red Bull's Flugtag brought crowds to the North Shore and Point State Park as teams displayed...
World War II-era B-17 bomber will soar over Pittsburgh this weekend
By John Hamilton and Lexi Kennell / Pitt News Staff
July 31, 2017
Listening to the sound of four revving engines muffled by ear plugs, passengers on the B-17 crawl into the nose turret of the WWII-era bomber, seeing stretches of land and Pittsburgh landmarks appear and disappear before them. The Liberty Foundation — a nonprofit group based in Oklahoma — is offe...
Editorial: Leaving Pittsburgh for the summer? Maybe think twice
By The Pitt News Editorial Board
July 19, 2017
Since we still operate over the summer, many Pitt News editors and writers get the chance to spend their school-free months in Pittsburgh. And in our last print edition of the summer, we wanted to reflect on a trend we’ve noticed here year after year — we’re far lonelier in Oakland from May to...
GALLERY: Anthrocon 2017
July 3, 2017
Pittsburgh is the annual host of Anthrocon, the world's largest furry convention. This past weekend, more than 200 vendors and 7,300 attendees took part in the festivities which were held at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center. ...
Editorial: The Port Authority is ignoring important BRT stakeholders
By The Pitt News Editorial Board
June 20, 2017
The Port Authority has promised people that live on the lines of the proposed Bus Rapid Transit project faster commutes, new electric buses and safe bike lanes. But the proposal isn’t perfect, and the people that might be negatively impacted by the project are being ignored. Some 3,000 riders a...
Oakland locals weigh in on bus rapid transit
By Henry Glitz | News Editor
June 20, 2017
Community members and local activists gathered Monday night to talk about new bus stops, or as city employee Justin Miller called them — “upgraded transit experiences.” The replicas of the Bus Rapid Transit system’s proposed new stops sat on the side of the room as Miller, an employee of Pittsb...
GALLERY: Pittsburgh JazzLive International Festival 2017
By Maria Heines
June 20, 2017
The annual Pittsburgh JazzLive International Festival was held downtown from Friday, June 16 to Sunday, June 18 and included more than 140 local musicians. ...
Pittsburgh reacts to Trump climate decision
By Henry Glitz and Kirsten Wong | The Pitt News Staff
June 7, 2017
When President Trump invoked Pittsburgh in his decision to exit the Paris Climate Agreement last Thursday, he left many Pittsburghers baffled. “I’m appalled that the President used my city to justify his unacceptable decision,” Mayor Bill Peduto said in a press release the same day Trump ma...
GALLERY: Three Rivers Arts Festival
By The Pitt News Staff
June 4, 2017
The annual Three Rivers Arts Festival is a free 10-day arts festival downtown which features a variety of food and art vendors as well as an eclectic selection of musical performers. ...
Being trans at Pitt: my story
By Madeline Barber | For The Pitt News
May 30, 2017
As a child, I was a stereotypical boy. I played in the dirt, my favorite toys were my Tonka trucks and I loved to break things. I wasn’t interested in “girl” things like sewing or nail polish, and my favorite color wasn’t pink. To my mother, there was no way I could be trans because I so eag...
Q&A: Mayoral candidate John Welch talks affordable housing, water and putting “this Pittsburgh” first
By John Hamilton / Editor-in-Chief
May 11, 2017
Reverend, doctor, professor, dean of students. John Welch is hoping to add Mayor of Pittsburgh to that résumé as he campaigns to unseat the incumbent, Mayor Bill Peduto, in Tuesday's Democratic primary . We sat down with Welch in his Garfield campaign office to ask about some of his policies and ...
Rooney rule: Peduto calls for more increased diversity in city hiring
By James Evan Bowen-Gaddy
April 20, 2017
Mayor Bill Peduto implemented new measures Wednesday to amp up diversity efforts in city hiring procedures. According to a press release from the mayor’s office, Peduto issued an executive order April 19 to create the position of a diversity and inclusion officer — who will work to produce policy focused on recru...
Gallery: Politicians, NFL players join family to remember Dan Rooney
By John Hamilton / Assistant News Editor
April 18, 2017
Friends, family, politicians, NFL owners and players remembered the life of Dan Rooney, the former Steelers chairman and U.S. Ambassador to Ireland who passed away Thursday at 84. The funeral was held Tuesday morning at Saint Paul Cathedral in Oakland. ...
Pittsburghers talk gerrymandering
By Stephen Caruso / Contributing Editor
April 7, 2017
Sue Broughton likes squiggles. And as a speaker for Fair Districts PA, she gets to show concerned voters a lot of them. Fair Districts PA, is a non-partisan activist group against gerrymandering — when a political group moves the boundaries of electoral districts to help their own election odds...
Inclusive Innovation Week sets Pittsburgh apart among tech cities
By Amber Montgomery | Opinions Editor
March 30, 2017
While it may be impossible for Pittsburgh to ever fully shake its infamous Steel City nickname, the city is taking strides to become something different. After the post-1980 decline in the steel industry, Pittsburgh became a city better known for its medical and educational opportunities through uni...
County controller criticizes PWSA’s lead plans
By Stephen Caruso / Contributing Editor
March 29, 2017
At a press conference in her Downtown office on Tuesday, Allegheny County Controller Chelsa Wagner considered the scope of lead in Pittsburgh households’ water and called it like she sees it: a public health crisis. “One in four homes have lead lines, and the [Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Author...
GALLERY: Women’s March and Rally in Downtown Pittsburgh and East Liberty
By Pitt News Visual Staff
January 23, 2017
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Pennsylvania laws and legislations: what’s new in 2017
By Alexa Bakalarski and Amanda Reed | Assistant News Editors
January 4, 2017
Here are some of the latest Pennsylvania laws and legislations to know about for the upcoming year. REAL ID Act Changes Effective Jan. 30, 2017, Pennsylvania ID holders cannot use their ID to enter federal buildings, military buildings and nuclear power plants since current licenses and IDs ar...
Pouncey powers Steelers offense
By Steve Rotstein | Sports Editor
September 20, 2016
At age 27, Pittsburgh Steelers center Maurkice Pouncey has already been through a career’s worth of devastating injuries, yet he always finds a way to return to All-Pro form. After his worst injury scare yet, Pouncey is back to leading the Steelers’ offensive line –– and he looks better t...
Pittsburgh dances to support Orlando victims
By Alexa Bakalarski / News Editor
July 15, 2016
Pittsburgh’s still standing with the victims of June’s Orlando shooting - by not standing still at all. On Friday, people danced with rainbow “#KeepDancingOrlando” signs as others strolled by or ate at nearby tables on their lunch break in Downtown Pittsburgh’s Market Square. The Delta ...
Pittsburgh loses Smart City Challenge
By Alexa Bakalarski / News Editor
June 21, 2016
Pittsburgh will have to wait a little longer to become a “smart” city. Pittsburgh competed against six other finalists in the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Smart City Challenge — a national program that offered more than $40 million to the city with the best plan for fully integrating...
Pirates fans have no reason to lessen expectations
By Chad Cameron / Staff Writer
April 4, 2016
Snow isn’t typically associated with Major League Baseball’s Opening Day. But as a sellout crowd of 39,500 people prepared to pack PNC Park on Sunday, crews on the inside rushed to shovel away the last traces of a blizzard that hit Pittsburgh late Saturday night. Baseball season was here, and no matte...
Gallery: Bernie Sanders Press Conference and Rally 3/31/2016
By Kate Koenig | Visual Editor
March 31, 2016
The case to land Star Wars in Pittsburgh
By Nick Mullen / Staff Writer
December 14, 2015
Who says Tatooine has to stay in a galaxy far, far away? With the resurgence of the “Star Wars” franchise coinciding with Pittsburgh’s erupting big-ticket film scene, Steeltown seems as poised as any other American city to host the Millennium Falcon. From the plethora of abandoned industrial ...
Film frontier: Pittsburgh in the movies
By Nick Mullen & Jack Trainor / Culture Staff
November 13, 2015
Hollywood is beginning to discover the City of Bridges as the next city of movie sets. In recent years, Pittsburgh has served as a blue-collar backdrop for a multitude of notable films and genres, from bloody horror to coming-of-age dramas. With Pennsylvania’s film tax incentive laws, active since ...
Gallery: Pitt Football vs. Notre Dame 11/7/15
By Jeff Ahearn | Assistant Visual Editor
November 7, 2015
Being biker friendly requires bike lanes
By Alyssa Lieberman / Columnist
November 2, 2015
I’ve had endless conversations with my cyclist friends about the stress of biking through Oakland’s crowded intersections. It’s understandable, considering the reckless nature of the city drivers who rush to and from work. When I decided not to bring a bike to campus this year, I cited these...
Food deserts require action, not shame
By Alyssa Lieberman / Columnist
October 29, 2015
As Pitt students fill out the lines at Chipotle and Einstein’s, they might fail to realize that access to food is an issue playing out in our own backyards. Pittsburgh is riddled with food deserts — areas where residents struggle to purchase affordable or good quality fresh food. According to a 2012 federal report, a...