Tribune - Review / Pittsburgh Tribune - Review

'Room Service' Takes Fresh Look at Old Comedy

When Rich Keitel agreed to direct "Room Service," he became a ghostbuster. When many older movie fans hear the title "Room Service," it calls up images from the classic 1938 Marx Brothers film.

Rising Waters Close Key Roads in Region

Rising rivers showed how the "bathtub" section of the Parkway East between Downtown and the Monongahela got its name Tuesday, as water covered parts of the parkway and left a muddy mess expected to remain until early today. The weather service forecast a cloudy, windy day today with snow likely after midnight but little accumulation

U.S. Steel Posts Loss, Forecasts Another

U.S. Steel Corp. lost $1.4 billion in 2009, and its title as the nation's largest steelmaker by sales. The Pittsburgh-based company on Tuesday reported a loss of $267 million in the fourth quarter, or $1.86 a share, bring it's total loss for the year to $10.42 a share.

'Socially Liberal' Hoeffel Begins Bid for Governor

HARRISBURG -- Vowing to pursue a "socially liberal" agenda if elected governor, Montgomery County Commissioner Joe Hoeffel said Tuesday he would work toward repealing state abortion restrictions and legalizing gay marriages. The former U.S. House member and state lawmaker from Abington pledged to reform state government.

Capa Students Gather at City Hall to Support Teen Alleging Brutality

As students and community leaders rallied Tuesday against three Pittsburgh police officers accused of beating a high school student, police leaders asked for patience while an investigation into the incident continues. The Jan. 12 arrest by three plainclothes officers of Jordan Miles, 18, a senior honor student at the Creative and Performing Arts high school, drew students and community activists to city hall, and the NAACP planned another news conference for this morning.

Penn Hills Man Pleads Guilty to Hit-Run Death

A Penn Hills man pleaded guilty Tuesday to charges in the hit- and-run death of a University of Pittsburgh sophomore who for reasons still unknown was walking on the Parkway East about 2:30 a.m. Sept. 1, 2007. Judah Simon, 30, will be incarcerated for one to two years under a plea agreement reached with Allegheny County prosecutors. Common Pleas Judge Anthony M. Mariani will decide March 10 whether Simon spends the time in the county jail or in a halfway house.

State of the Union: State of Disrepair

The Democrats' political fortunes are on the wane across the land. The electorate has begun to punish the Party of Excess & Overreach. Some Dems are tucking tail and running. And even the mainstream media, once high on what one pundit called "Hopeium," have the cold-turkey shakes. To counter the reality that its agenda has collapsed under its own hubris, the White House has gone into crisis communications mode. It's positioning President Barack Obama's State of the Union Address tonight as on...

Mistreating Vets

Alarming reports of mistreatment at Pennsylvania's six veterans homes -- particularly those in Hollidaysburg and Scranton -- show how the Pennsylvania Department of Military and Veterans Affairs is guilty of dereliction of duty. State health inspectors, the state Auditor General's Office and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services found state and federal rules violations. The homes' uncaring "care" has included drugging dementia patients to keep them docile, failing to investigate st...

Midweek Briefing ...

Newsmaker: John Kitchin

Age: 35 Residence: Point Breeze

Kay: Keep Hope and Hard Work Up for New Job

It's not a good idea to go around saying, "There are no jobs." You might start believing it and miss out on a new position that pays a lot more with even better benefits than your last one. That came close to happening to John, who wrote me to say, thank goodness he changed his outlook and his tactics.

Housing Permits in Pittsburgh Region Rise in 4th Quarter

A strong fourth quarter for new housing construction may indicate the Pittsburgh region is ready for more activity in 2010, according to a report issued Tuesday. Permits for housing units started in October through December reached 815, up 41.2 percent over the 577 issued during the same period in 2008, according to Tall Timber Group, a construction market and research company in Ross.

Over 1,500 Gm, Chrysler Dealers Appeal Closures

More than half of the nearly 2,800 dealers General Motors Co. and Chrysler Group LLC want to close are appealing those decisions, the group handling the appeals said Tuesday. The American Arbitration Association said 1,550 dealers filed the paperwork needed to contest the closures by the midnight Tuesday deadline. The group said that number could go higher as more appeals arrive in the mail.

Ebay Trying to Encourage People to Sell More Items

EBay hopes to lure more sellers by essentially doing away with "listing" fees for people who occasionally auction items on its site. Instead it will take a cut of the final selling price. EBay Inc. told sellers Tuesday that starting March 30 they will be able to post up to 100 items for auction every 30 days without paying fees to list them. The items must have a starting bid of less than $1, and when they sell eBay will take 9 percent of the final price or $50, whichever is less.

Consumer Confidence Index Climbs in January

Americans' confidence in the economy improved modestly in January for the third straight month, as they begin to feel slightly better about business conditions and the job picture, according to a survey released Tuesday. The Conference Board's Consumer Confidence Index increased to 55.9 -- the highest in more than a year but still relatively gloomy. That compares with 53.6 in December.

Gadgets Can Hinder Good Manners

Breaches of etiquette in the workplace are growing more frequent, as more workers use smartphones and other distracting handheld devices, a new survey shows. Chief information officers told staffing firm Robert Half Technology of Menlo Park, Calif., that the gadgets are making people more productive, but not more polite.

Western Pa. Ceos See Improvement Ahead

Nearly half, or 45 percent, of Western Pennsylvania companies expect business conditions in the state to improve in this year, according to a survey released Tuesday. Another 37 percent of those CEOs said they expect their own industries to fare better this year, compared with 31 percent who believe conditions will worsen.

Growth Slows Around Pittsburgh International Airport

Last year's development boom around Pittsburgh International Airport won't be duplicated this year, the Allegheny County Airport Authority's top development official said. "Last year was unique; I don't care what marketplace you're in," said Randy Forister, the authority's development director.

Bruzzese: Temp with Positive Attitudes Could Earn a Job

Employers, still nervous about the health of the economy, have kept their permanent staff numbers lean, but have boosted their number of temporary workers. So, the question is: if you're a temporary employee, how to you get an employer to hire you on a permanent basis when companies seem in no rush to do so? "Ask," says Alexandra Levit, a career expert. "Some people may be hesitant to do so, but you've got to ask if there are full-time opportunities. Otherwise, you'll never know."

Workers Should Be Open to Constructive Criticism

Q: At the end of this month I will be receiving my performance review for the past year. In the past I have always had trouble listening to criticism about myself, and I tend to get defensive. I understand now that these reviews are done as a learning tool and I need to be more receptive. Do you have any tips that will allow me to receive feedback constructively? A: Most people will go out of their way to defend against criticism and spend unproductive time worrying about what others think of...