Megan Swift stories, Page 8

The Coca-Cola Co. will no longer focus on reducing virgin and single-use plastic — and instead pivot its climate goals to focus more heavily on the use of recycled materials. By 2035, the company said it aims to increase the use of recycled plastic in packaging between 30%-35% and “help...

More than 72 hours have passed since authorities believe Elizabeth Pollard vanished into a sinkhole above an abandoned mine in Unity, yet her family remains hopeful that she will be found alive. Her niece, Tabitha Pollard, relayed a message Thursday on behalf of Pollard’s husband and son. “They are still...

Chris Kondrich wasn’t shocked to learn a sinkhole had opened a street away from his Upper Marguerite home in Unity. A former firefighter and longtime hazardous materials volunteer, Kondrich said he has seen plenty of mine subsidence incidents. Kondrich lives on Lemmon Road, about a quarter-mile from where Elizabeth Pollard,...

“Gilmore Girls” characters Luke and Lorelai have reunited for the first time since 2016 … in a new Walmart ad. Scott Patterson (Luke) and Lauren Graham (Lorelai) acted in the commercial alongside Sean Gunn as Kirk — set in the show’s iconic town square and Luke’s Diner. In the themed...

Small Business Saturday is Tracy Alaia’s favorite day of the year. “It’s so nice to see the community out and about supporting all of these great small businesses,” said Alaia, 52, of Level Green, who owns Feathers Gift Shop in Irwin. Created by American Express in 2010, Small Business Saturday...

Seth Apel was 12 when his right arm was torn from his body in an unthinkable farming accident. Nine years later, he says the terrifying ordeal and the subsequent reattachment of his arm at a Pittsburgh hospital turned out to be one of the best days of his life. “My...

Andrew McCutchen will join 180 volunteers helping to package and deliver more than 2,000 Thanksgiving meals across Pittsburgh as part of an event called Yinzgiving. “It means a lot that we’re able to participate in something like this,” McCutchen told TribLive on Friday. “It’s giving; it’s helping; it’s being a...

Get your fries ready — Heinz ketchup could be in high demand after topping the New York Times Wirecutter’s list of best ketchup. Heinz Tomato Ketchup took first place in the best classic ketchup category, with the denotation of “our favorite ketchup” on the list. It was compared to 13...

Morcilla on Butler Street in Lawrenceville has been selected as part of OpenTable’s top 100 restaurants of 2024. The list is driven by diner reviews to determine the top restaurants across the country, according to OpenTable, and Morcilla was one of two chosen in Pennsylvania. The other was Saloon Restaurant...

Pittsburgh Steelers tailgating is the best in Pennsylvania. Of course, we knew that. But now it’s official, at least according to a new national poll that compared other football tailgating options. LiveSportsonTV.com carried out the poll, which asked 3,000 football fans nationwide one question: Which tailgate party/gameday experience would you...

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. pledged that one of his first acts in the new Trump administration would be to “advise all U.S. water systems to remove fluoride from public water.” However, water fluoridation is usually determined by local governments, and it’s uncertain whether Kennedy would have the authority to mandate...

McRib lovers rejoice. McDonald’s is bringing back the iconic sandwich starting Dec. 3 at Pittsburgh restaurants. Not only is the McRib back, but avid fans can purchase half-gallon jugs of McDonald’s signature McRib sauce. It will be available at participating restaurants and through the McDonald’s app, the fast-food chain said....

Are you in need of Thanksgiving dinner this holiday season? Free Thanksgiving food items are available Saturday at Pittsburgh’s David L. Lawrence Convention Center. As part of the Urban League of Greater Pittsburgh’s annual Thanksgiving Distribution and Health and Human Service Fair, people can receive meal items on Saturday. The...

A star-studded Pittsburgh Walk of Fame is headed to The Terminal in the Strip District. Starting in January, people can nominate local legends with Southwestern Pennsylvania roots who’ve left their mark on American culture to be honored with bronze stars, Hollywood-style. Each star will have the name of an honoree...

Meteorologists are calling it: Western Pennsylvania’s winter wonderland might be more like a no-snow zone this year. Jared Rackley, meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Moon, said temperatures will be above normal, but there’s really not a strong precipitation signal, meaning lots of snow is improbable. “If anything it’ll...

Call it a Yinzer version of Willie Wonka’s golden ticket. The owner of an autographed Paul Skenes rookie debut baseball card could receive season tickets at PNC Park behind home plate for 30 years. Claiming the prize would mean turning the card over to the Pittsburgh Pirates. The pitcher’s card...

When photographer Kitty Paul learned that President-elect Donald Trump was headed back to Washington, she wanted to do anything she could to help LGBTQ couples getting married. “What does this mean for a lot of us?” asked Paul, 41, of Avalon, who is part of the Pittsburgh queer community. Queer...

Wigle Whiskey is releasing its oldest whiskey to date this holiday season — starting Friday. A nine-year, 195-bottle batch of Wigle Reserve Single Barrel Rye will be available, as well as an eight-year, 157-bottle batch of Wigle Reserve Single Barrel American Wheat Whiskey. The rye, which is the oldest whiskey...

John Krasinski has emerged victorious as People magazine’s 2024 Sexiest Man Alive — and social media users have many thoughts. Krasinski, 45, is best known for his role of Jim Halpert on the NBC’s The Office. He’s also a producer, director and writer who’s been married to actress Emily Blunt...

Sausage lovers are in luck this World Kindness Day. Johnsonville sausage is offering a free round of sausage Wednesday to people who post online about a kind act using the hashtag #KeepTheInternetJuicy. Why? The initiative was inspired by the viral “Wheel of Fortune” clip where contestant Will Jordan guessed the...

Who will unseat Patrick Dempsey as People Magazine’s Sexiest Man Alive? The world is just hours away from finding out. People said it will reveal its 2024 Sexiest Man Alive at 11:35 p.m. Tuesday on the Late Show with Steven Colbert — cementing the new “Hollywood hottie.” Dempsey, known for...

After a data breach affected around half of its customers, family ancestry company 23andMe has agreed to a $30 million settlement — and users could be eligible to receive a payout in the future. 23andMe is a DNA testing company that provides users with ancestry, genetics and health information. Users...

UPMC is laying off 100 employees and cutting an additional 200 vacant positions as part of ongoing cost-saving measures at the Pittsburgh-based health giant. This comes after UPMC cut 1,000 jobs in April. “Targeted adjustments are frequently made to improve organizational efficiencies and eliminate redundancies,” UPMC said in a statement....

When Democrat Darcy Bowman awoke at 3:30 a.m. Wednesday and saw the presidential election results — that former President Donald Trump had recaptured the White House — she couldn’t fall back asleep. Republican Mike Chiarlone also was experiencing a range of emotions Tuesday night — until he learned about the...

After years of complaints from vegan and lactose-intolerant customers, Starbucks is no longer charging extra for nondairy milk in drinks. This means any drink with soy milk, oat milk, almond milk and coconut milk will no longer have a surcharge starting Thursday, the company said. The switch is part of...