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Pittsburgh Business Times
Where CrowdStrike IT outage impacted Pittsburgh
Allegheny County and UPMC were among several organizations that reported some issues Friday in an IT outage that has stretched the globe, stranded thousands of travelers around the country, and has made it more difficult to process some applications and credit card payments.<\p> The biggest impact in the region appeared to be at Pittsburgh International Airport, where more than two dozen flights were either canceled or delayed in the peak morning travel time. Things were slowly getting back to normal Friday afternoon.<\p>
Gordon Rees seeks new office space, here's where it's looking
The search is on and the clock's ticking. Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani LLP's lease ends next year and, what's more, the Gulf Tower, the law firm's home since entering Pittsburgh in 2012, is on the verge of a major transformation as its owner, Rugby Realty, pursues a five-star hotel and residence conversion of the half empty building at 707 Grant St.<\p> "I'm great friends with Larry Walsh and Aaron Stauber [Rugby's COO and president, respectively] and I think the Gulf Tower is going to be an amazing residential and/or hotel space," said Manoj Jegasothy, GRSM co-managing partner. "That means there's a transition going on. We'd like to get out within the next several months."<\p>
Starbucks baristas at local mall vote to unionize
Workers at the Robinson Mall Starbucks have voted to join the growing Starbucks union.<\p> "We all were waiting for this and we finally got it," barista Dior Pemberton said in a prepared statement. "Organizing before going public was not easy at first, but we managed to pull through. I am very elated that we managed to pull off this wonderful victory."<\p>
See inside this $7M Fox Chapel estate that's for sale (photos)
An estate property is currently for sale in Fox Chapel for $7 million.<\p> The property is located at 342 Fairview Road, and it is listed for sale with Colleen Steigerwalt of Howard Hanna Real Estate Services. It totals three acres in size.<\p>
Businesses, agencies ramp up backup systems after global tech outage
The global technology outage caused by a CrowdStrike update pushed to Microsoft Windows devices impacted everything from airlines to banks Friday morning — and reinforced the need for companies to have procedures in place to handle disruptions when they occur.<\p> Systems were gradually coming back on line by late morning.<\p>
Global IT outage cancels, delays flights at Pittsburgh International
A worldwide outage Friday morning at a global IT provider canceled or delayed more than two dozen flights at Pittsburgh International Airport, as airlines found their computer systems down.<\p> The airport saw nine flights canceled and another 15 delayed in the busy early morning period after a worldwide IT issue that fouled computers and grounded thousands of flights, according to FlightAware.<\p>
Here's how Covid cases are tracking in the Pittsburgh region
President Joe Biden's diagnosis of Covid-19 late Wednesday has put the spotlight back on Covid-19, the pandemic virus that has fallen mostly off the radar when it comes to serious illness in recent years. But Covid-19 cases, from a lower level, have increased in recent weeks.<\p> Cases and emergency room visits in Allegheny County have been on the rise since late May, according to Dr. Barbara Nightingale, acting director of the Allegheny County Health Department. That's been borne out elsewhere in the region.<\p>
Astrobotic CEO details NASA's cancelled rover, possible alternatives
Despite cancelling the rover that would have traveled on Astrobotic Technology's Griffin lander, NASA will fulfill its approximately $267 million contract with the North Shore-based company by transporting a mass simulator in its place. But Astrobotic hopes to transport something more.<\p> "We would rather send something that is more significant and meaningful, so that's why we're going to be taking a look at the potential to accommodate other payloads on board the vehicle," CEO John Thornton said. "What NASA said yesterday is that they would simply reduce the size of the mass simulator that they give us to accommodate another payload if we were to find another payload that can line up with the timeline and technical capability with the lander."<\p>
Blank Rome hires 3 energy partners from Reed Smith
Blank Rome has hired three partners from Reed Smith who focused on oil and gas and related energy transactions and financings, led by Ryan Purpura who had served as co-chair of Reed Smith's global energy and natural resources industry group. Reed Smith is Pittsburgh's largest law firm.<\p> All are now partners and members of Blank Rome's energy industry team where they'll specialize in key areas. Purpura joined the corporate, M&A and securities group and is based in both Pittsburgh and Houston. He has long served clients in the Houston metro.<\p>
PENNVEST to make major infrastructure grant awards
The Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority and Cranberry Township are two of the biggest beneficiaries of a new $207.6 million distribution from the 2021 federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.<\p> According to an announcement from U.S. Senator Bob Casey, the Pennsylvania Infrastructure Investment Authority's funding allocation includes $15.1 million to the PWSA, with the funding to be dedicated to removing lead pipes, and $35.9 million to Cranberry Township to upgrade its wastewater treatment plant. <\p>
Steelers announce local radio veteran as new play-by-play announcer
The Steelers new play-by-play voice comes from a familiar face.<\p> On Thursday, iHeartMedia Pittsburgh announced that Rob King, who has worked with the Steelers Audio Network on pre-game and post-game broadcasts since 2014, will be the new play-by-play voice of the team's audio broadcasts.<\p>
As rural health care crisis grows, stakeholders seek solutions
Bob Lackey believes losing Sharon Regional Medical Center is a matter of life or death for the people it has served for 131 years and the community itself.<\p> Lackey is a local lawyer who represents the foundation that used to own the hospital, and he’s been involved in the fight to save Sharon Regional after its out-of-state owners filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and placed it up for auction and an uncertain future. Sharon Regional’s closure would be yet another devastating blow to a Shenango Valley that lost most of its traditional steel and manufacturing core decades ago.<\p>
The National Observer: Distress rises for apartment owners
Welcome to The National Observer, a roundup of top business news and actionable insights from across The Business Journals network of publications. Today, we'll take a look at the challenges of finding new tenants as two prominent drug store chains close stores, uncertainty around new rules on brokers in the home buying sector, and Big Lots' plan to close dozens of stores as doubts arise around its solvency over the next year. But for our top story we're going to examine distressed debt in the multifamily sector.<\p> Get more stories like these every day in your inbox by subscribing to The National Observer newsletter. <\p>
Here's what CEO Vince Delie wants to show clients at F.N.B.'s new HQ
F.N.B. Corp. is gearing up for two major milestones — and increased pressure to grow. <\p> One is the challenge that come with size, the other is the new headquarters building in Pittsburgh where it expects to relocate later in 2024. <\p>
Pittsburgher tapped as Reed Smith's firmwide CIO
Reed Smith LLP on Thursday said it has appointed Ryan McEnroe as chief information officer.<\p> McEnroe, based in Pittsburgh, will oversee information technology across the law firm's 30-plus offices across the U.S., Europe, Middle East and Asia. He previously served as global director of IT operations and customer services and had joined Reed Smith in 2000.<\p>
As rural hospitals struggle, Uniontown/WVU Medicine make good match
When UPMC and Uniontown Hospital decided to part ways and unwind their partnership in 2019, it left the Fayette County critical care hospital at a crossroads. <\p> As a rural hospital far from Pittsburgh, Uniontown Hospital has played an outsized role in both the health care and the economy of Fayette County. But reimbursements and other financial concerns weighed heavily on the hospital, leading to a sharp and quick drop in the number of specialty cares and the closing of its newly renovated labor/delivery center.<\p>
New nuclear company's roadshow starts in Pittsburgh
A startup that wants to build scalable nuclear power plants across the United States is kicking off its introductory tour next week in Pittsburgh.<\p> The Nuclear Co., launched publicly Thursday, was cofounded by Patrick Maloney, CEO of clean-energy investment firm CIV and a University of Pennsylvania graduate whose previous clean-tech company, Inspire, was acquired by Shell in 2021.<\p>
NASA discontinues Astrobotic's payload, but lander will still launch
NASA's ice searching moon rover has been put on ice, but its Pittsburgh connection isn't completely frozen.<\p> The rover, the Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Project (VIPER), was originally set to be ferried by North Shore-based Astrobotic Technology Inc.'s Griffin Lander in late 2023. NASA initially awarded Astrobotic a $199.5 million contract in 2020 to transport the lander as part of its Commercial Lunar Payload Service. In 2022 NASA delayed the launch to late 2024 to "provide more time for preflight testing of the Astrobotic lander" and awarded an additional $67.8 million for the mandated testing. Now, however, NASA has cancelled the project, citing an "increased cost that threatens cancellation or disruption to other CLPS missions."<\p>
The ghost effect: Another sign the job market has dramatically shifted
Three years ago, many employers reported the phenomenon of being "ghosted" by job candidates.<\p> In yet another sign of the shifting labor market, the shoe is now on the other foot, with companies now abruptly ceasing communication with candidates. <\p>
Pittsburgh office market edges out leasing gains with suburban leases
Office leasing in the region is growing ever so slightly. <\p> But it is predominantly in the best buildings, and the biggest deals in the last quarter were mostly in the suburbs, along the Parkway West and in the North Hills.<\p>
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