5 things to know today

📍 The race for president runs through southwestern Pennsylvania this week, with former Vice President Joe Biden speaking in Hazelwood yesterday and President Donald Trump due in Latrobe on Thursday. Here’s how area voters are already playing a role in this campaign — and why yard signs keep disappearing. (TribLIVE / Washington Post)

📉 Outdoor gatherings of up to 100 people are now allowed in Allegheny County as COVID-19 cases trend downward here. But all other restrictions remain the same and officials continue to stress the need for face masks and social distancing. (WTAE)

🚨 Here’s a closer look at where Pittsburgh City Council stands on police reform — and what it can actually do. (PublicSource)

📷 What’s it like being a Black historian at the crossroads of Black history? The director of African American Programs at the Heinz History Center told us. (The Incline)

📈 Current COVID-19 totals: Allegheny County (10,347 cases), Pennsylvania (134,025 cases), and the United States (6+ million cases).

5 things to make you smile

🏡 Not only is this a cool house listing, let’s just say there’s a serious surprise in one of the photos. (Trulia)

🐶 Say hi to Stella, a goldendoodle and Therapet in training. (TribLIVE)

📺 Did you catch Pittsburgh filmmaker Emmai Alaquiva and his daughter Makayla on Good Morning America last week? (Emmai Alaquiva on Instagram)

👟 Tag along on a “healing walk” through Pittsburgh. (Pittsburgh City Paper)

🎹 See (and hear) how Piano Day Pittsburgh was celebrated this year. (WTAE)

You may recall that last week I asked you to share your favorite Pittsburgh moments of kindness from a stranger, drawing inspiration from this story in the Philadelphia Inquirer.

Well, you did not disappoint. Here are some of our favorites:

📖 Just when we thought we couldn’t love libraries more … 

“Once, my work ID was loose in my bag and I thought I lost it. Fast forward two months to me getting a call from the library in Etna. It had gotten stuck in a library book (then I guess I returned it) and this librarian went back through the history of borrowers, matched my name, and called my cellphone to ask if I needed it back.” — Maddie G. 

🚘 Pittsburgh Left to the extreme … 

“I came to visit a friend and got miserably lost. To a fault, every single person I approached helped me get to Shadyside. At one point, I was sitting at a red light not knowing where to go, so I rolled down my window and asked the guy next to me. He said: “You need to go left here. When the light turns green, we’ll wait, you go.” He signaled the driver next to him, and they both waited while I made my left from the right-hand lane. I have no clue what the oncoming traffic was doing or if there even was any oncoming traffic. Little did I know that was my first experience with the Pittsburgh Left. Love this city <3″ — Patricia C. 

🥂 At a celebratory Sausalido dinner with friends …

“As we waited for our apps, I noticed a younger guy sitting alone at the table next to ours. He had been there alone since before we arrived. I love to talk to strangers, so I struck up a conversation with him. Turned out that he was in town for work and decided to find a place for dinner. Our table had four chairs, so I invited him to sit with us. We ended up having a great time talking, laughing, sharing, and eating. … When the bill came, the folder was empty. The waitress explained that an older couple witnessed our interaction with the guy and thought it was so nice of us they paid our bill. We were all dumbfounded. To this day, it’s one of the most random acts of kindness I’ve ever been a part of.”  — Nicole J. 

🚌 A public transit joy ride … 

“I started working in Downtown and decided to take the bus. It was my first time taking the bus and not driving into the city and I was so nervous. When you take the bus that early in the morning, you likely see the same people going to work every day. There were many who quickly realized I was new and going to be a regular and they were so kind to me — just telling me good morning, asking me where I worked. It made me feel welcome in a new experience.” — Gena K. 

🗺 Good directions …

“When I first moved to Pittsburgh in 2000, personal GPS wasn’t a thing yet. I was lost and pulled over in front of a dry cleaner’s to look at a map. While I was trying to figure out where I was, the attendant came out of the store and came over to my car to help me. That was the first in a long line of wonderful Pittsburghers that I have encountered over the years.” — Susan C.

💌 Many, many thanks …

“Reason number 1,412 Pittsburgh is the best: I dropped a thank-you note somewhere on the North Side and assumed it was lost forever. Then the note arrived at my parents’ house, meaning some kind soul picked it up and put it in the mail for me.” — Rossilynne C. 

Last week’s I Spy took us to Millvale, but this week’s brings us back to Pittsburgh proper. Do you recognize the distinct green decor in the photo above? If so, tell us its location. We’ll gather the correct answers and randomly select a winner at the end of the day, giving you a little more time to think it over.

We’ll be back on Thursday to crown the new champ. See you then and good luck!