City Cast Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh doesn’t just not have an NBA team. A lot of locals straight-up loathe professional basketball. But why all the venom? City Cast’s Morgan Moody is with Steel City transplant Tyler Batiste to talk about the ‘Burgh’s on-court legacy and whether — someday — we just might get a team of our own. Keep up with Tyler’s basketball coverage for The Athletic here, and pay homage to our ABA squad, the Steel City Yellow Jackets, for bringing home their first franchise championship last week! PLUS: Hit up our newsletter for a historical photo from the championship-winning Pittsburgh Pipers. And check out The New York Times' coverage of a 'Burgh-based company cutting ties with Russia. Our newsletter is fresh daily at 6 a.m. Sign up here. We’re also on Twitter @citycastpgh & Instagram @CityCastPgh!

The food scene here in Pittsburgh has been booming for years, but like a lot of businesses, the pandemic hit hard. City Cast contributor Hal B. Klein is here to talk about his annual Pittsburgh Magazine list of the city’s best restaurants and why he tightened it to just 25 in 2022. Our newsletter is fresh daily at 6 a.m. Sign up here. We’re also on Twitter @citycastpgh & Instagram @CityCastPgh!

We have a huge primary election today to decide the major candidates for governor, lieutenant governor, Pat Toomey’s old U.S. Senate seat, several for the newly-redistricted U.S. House, gobs of state legislators and more. The field is crowded, and since the City Cast team hasn’t had the opportunity to meet a ton of candidates personally this round, we thought we’d check in with someone who has. Journalist Natalie Bencivenga has been chatting up candidates and thought leaders for months now on Instagram Live in a regular segment called “After Hours” for Pittsburgh City Paper. Hear how she got started, which candidates surprised her, what issues they’re most focused on, and why she (and they) think you should cast a ballot today. Our newsletter is fresh daily at 6 a.m. Sign up here. We’re also on Twitter @citycastpgh & Instagram @CityCastPgh!

With names like Billy Porter, Toi Derricote, Jan Beatty, and Sharon Flake, the first-ever Greater Pittsburgh Festival of Books promises to have a little something for everyone. The all-day celebration is free, family-friendly, and spread across six locations in East Liberty, each paying tribute to Pittsburgh's rich literary community and love of reading. Co-chairs Marshall Cohen and Laurie Moser share with us what finally spurred them to take the plunge and create an event like the ones they’ve adored in other cities, plus how they chose this year’s more than 40 local and nationally renowned authors – all with special ties to the Steel City. Check out the full lineup and register for author readings, signings, children’s events, and Q&A sessions here. Our newsletter is fresh daily at 6 a.m. Sign up here. We’re also on Twitter @citycastpgh & Instagram @CityCastPgh!

Since news broke that SCOTUS is likely to strike down Roe v. Wade, folks in Pittsburgh have been coping in different ways. Today, City Cast's Megan Harris is with a few educators who’ve decided to address their fear and frustration by sharing their knowledge with others. And we’ve got a full house! Alecia Ott is an abortion doula and community resource for folks navigating reproductive care. She’s leading a step-by-step workshop through Prototype PGH for anyone who finds themselves pregnant and doesn’t want to stay that way. Find more information here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/how-to-get-an-abortion-a-step-by-step-guide-for-you-your-friends-tickets-331009868427?aff=ebdsoporgprofile Katrina Lipinsky is leading a workshop through her work as a certified nurse midwife at the Allegheny Reproductive Health Center. In her upcoming “papaya” clinic, she’s going to demonstrate to medical and non-medical attendees alike how procedural abortions can be safely administered using a handheld device. And Nikki Terney is the director of abortion care at the Health Center. She shares more about the Western Pennsylvania Fund for Choice, which pays for procedures, transit, lodging, child care and food for anyone with barriers to access. Nikki and Katrina both serve on the Fund’s board. More details about the hands-on workshop and ways to help are available on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/p/CdHahyntRko/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y= Our newsletter is fresh daily at 6 a.m. Sign up here. We’re also on Twitter @citycastpgh & Instagram @CityCastPgh!

For sisters Raynise and TaRay Kelly, gardening is more than a seasonal hobby — it's a means of self-sufficiency, opportunity, and food access far beyond their bursting home nursery in Mount Oliver. City Cast's Morgan Moody and Megan Harris stopped by the Soil Sisters’ home base and took away a few pointers for any novice planters out there looking to cultivate their own green thumbs. Our newsletter is fresh daily at 6 a.m. Sign up here. We’re also on Twitter @citycastpgh & Instagram @CityCastPgh!

Disciplinary action against Pittsburgh police officers has doubled over the last 10 years, but community activists and experts wonder whether an uptick in internal investigations represents a problem or a solution. The detailed data dump is unprecedented in Pittsburgh, and City Cast’s Megan Harris is here with Rich Lord of PublicSource to talk about what the more than 5,600 allegations really mean for us moving forward. It’s all written up for PublicSource here: https://www.publicsource.org/pittsburgh-police-accountability-discipline-data-jim-rogers-ed-gainey/# You can check out the raw data for yourself here: https://www.publicsource.org/pittsburgh-police-accountability-discipline-data-jim-rogers-ed-gainey/#data 1Hood Media collaborated with the Alliance for Police Accountability on a report last year considering a different approach to public safety. It's available here: https://www.1hood.org/publicsafety And if you're still looking for your precinct, check out our newsletter or hit up the county here: https://apps.alleghenycounty.us/website/electpollplace.aspx Our newsletter is fresh daily at 6 a.m. Sign up here. We’re also on Twitter @citycastpgh & Instagram @CityCastPgh!

Happy (almost) Arbor Day to all our fellow tree huggers! Ahead of celebrations on Saturday, we’re talking about why it can be so complicated to get a tree planted in some parts of the city — from high rentorship to bad sidewalks to absentee or investor homeowners who can’t be located to even get permission. Danielle Crumrine is about to celebrate her 15th year leading the nonprofit Tree Pittsburgh, and she’s with City Cast’s Megan Harris to talk about what local lawmakers could be doing to help. Our newsletter is fresh daily at 6 a.m. Sign up here. We’re also on Twitter @citycastpgh & Instagram @CityCastPgh!

The Carnegie Museum of Natural History has a lot of weird wonders in its collection, but few have plagued management quite like the diorama “Lion Attacking a Dromedary.” It’s got a lot of inaccuracies, from the meshing of several Middle Eastern and North African cultures, to placements that reinforce violence, colonialism and misogyny. Modern curators struggle to even call it art — which was also the consensus in 1899 when industrialist Andrew Carnegie first acquired it for his new museum in Pittsburgh from a private collection being sold off in France. But more recently, scientists also discovered it contains human remains, likely acquired from the original taxidermists, who were well-known grave robbers. Museum director Gretchen Baker joins City Cast’s Megan Harris to talk about what comes next and what local patrons have had to say about it. Our newsletter is fresh daily at 6 a.m. Sign up here. We’re also on Twitter @citycastpgh & Instagram @CityCastPgh!

A moment of silence for some of our now-closed East End favorites: Bitter Ends, B52, and Reed & Co. But there’s still a lot to look forward to on the Pittsburgh food scene, including our first non-alcoholic bottle shop and a Pan-Asian food hall set to open this winter. Our very own Morgan Moody and Francesca Dabecco join City Cast contributor Hal B. Klein, who’s covering it all for Pittsburgh Magazine. Our newsletter is fresh daily at 6 a.m. Sign up here. We’re also on Twitter @citycastpgh & Instagram @CityCastPgh!

Pennsylvania’s Senate Finance Committee is set to hear testimony tomorrow in Pittsburgh about potentially raising the Film Tax Credit, which is currently capped at $70 million. While lawmakers consider what to do, we thought we’d tap into what the film scene here is really like. Is the food good? Why is Lawrenceville in every shot? How do you become an extra? Luckily our own Morgan Moody has a few credits to her name and knows how the sausage gets made. Check out more on tomorrow’s hearing, including expected testimony here. Pittsburgh Film Office director Dawn Keezer will also share her perspective at 9 a.m. on 90.5 WESA’s The Confluence. Check it out via podcast, too. Our newsletter is fresh daily at 6 a.m. Sign up here. We’re also on Twitter @citycastpgh & Instagram @CityCastPgh!

In the grand tradition of building throughways through immigrant neighborhoods, Pittsburgh’s once-thriving Chinatown was decimated in the 1910s and ’20s with the downtown construction of the Boulevard of the Allies. It’s been a long time coming—12 years and four separate appeals to the state—but the neighborhood is finally getting the historic landmark it deserves. Marian Lein, president of the Pittsburgh chapter of the OCA, joins newsletter editor Francesca Dabecco to talk about that history and the Pan-Asian celebrations this Saturday. Check out a full event listing here: https://ocapghpa.org/ And check back soon for ways to celebrate AAPI Heritage Month in May. Our newsletter is fresh daily at 6 a.m. Sign up here. We’re also on Twitter @citycastpgh & Instagram @CityCastPgh!

Pregnancy and childbirth should be happy and safe, but for way too many Black and brown women, complications before, during and even months after the birth are stealing that joy — and even some women’s lives. Dr. Sharee Livingston, chair of obstetrics and gynecology at UPMC Lititz, joins City Cast’s Megan Harris for a conversation about Black Maternal Health Week and what Pittsburgh could learn from a promising new doula project in Lancaster. If you want to follow the legislation on these topics, check out: House Bill 1175, which would extend Medicaid coverage to doula services and create a Doula Advisory Board; House Bill 1419, which would prohibit the shackling and solitary confinement of pregnant women, provide for trauma informed care training of corrections officers interacting with pregnant and postpartum women, and provide for up to three days of post-delivery bonding time between mother and newborn child; and House Resolution 959, better known as the Black Maternal Health Momnibus Act of 2021. The bill is composed of 12 individual acts, all sponsored by the Black Maternal Health Caucus. And in honor of 4-1-2 Day, redd up Mark Belko’s great Pirates scoop here: https://www.post-gazette.com/sports/pirates/2022/04/10/pirates-ticket-sales-revenue-player-investment-mlb-payroll-special-report/stories/202204100006 Our newsletter is fresh daily at 6 a.m. Sign up here. We’re also on Twitter @citycastpgh & Instagram @CityCastPgh!

In this week’s Friday news roundup, the team talks about the latest round of affordable housing evictions in East Liberty; what we know about the loss of outdoor climbing access in Fayette County; and when Pittsburghers should start stocking up on reusable totes for the inevitable plastic bag ban. Check out the wonderful local journalism and residents that made it possible: TribLive’s Julia Felton on Pgh’s new affordable housing committee: https://triblive.com/local/pittsburgh-city-council-establishes-affordable-housing-committee/ Margaret J. Krauss with 90.5 WESA is the go-to source on what’s gone wrong with redevelopment in East Liberty: https://www.wesa.fm/development-transportation/2022-04-05/east-liberty-will-lose-more-affordable-housing-but-seller-aims-to-fight-long-term-displacement The state’s announcement that game lands in Fayette County will be closed to climbers going forward: https://www.media.pa.gov/Pages/game-commission-details.aspx?newsid=537 Stay posted to SWPACC for the latest on how local enthusiasts hope to handle that: https://www.swpacc.org/2022/04/05/important-pa-game-commission-announces-closure-of-state-game-lands-51-and-138-to-climbing/ 90.5 WESA’s Ariel Worthy on the likelihood of plastic bag bans in Pittsburgh: https://www.wesa.fm/politics-government/2022-04-06/pittsburgh-city-council-preliminarily-approves-long-delayed-ban-on-single-use-plastic-bags SpotlightPA’s Colin Deppen on how the bag bans have worked across the state: https://www.spotlightpa.org/newsletters/papost/apr-5-pennsylvania-plastic-bag-bans-are-taking-root-do-they-work/ Plus a look at how New Jersey residents prepared: https://www.nj.com/business/2022/04/dont-stockpile-plastic-bags-before-bag-ban-starts-heres-how-to-use-the-ones-you-have.html Our newsletter is fresh daily at 6 a.m. Sign up here. We’re also on Twitter @citycastpgh & Instagram @CityCastPgh!

Spirits are high for Opening Day, but Pirates fans should keep their expectations low. We were the worst team in baseball last year, and in the off-season, long-time owner Bob Nutting signed off on a collective bargaining agreement that won’t help small market teams at all. (We spend less money on the whole team than some clubs do for individual player salaries!) Why won’t “Bottom Line Bob” spend more to give us a shot? Post-Gazette beat writer Jason Mackey has a few answers, and he’s just as frustrated as we are. Our newsletter is fresh daily at 6 a.m. Sign up here. We’re also on Twitter @citycastpgh & Instagram @CityCastPgh!

On March 12, 2020, the drop-in group Tube City Writers met for their final pre-pandemic session. In addition to agreeing that future meetups would need to happen virtually, they also decided a daily blog could be a good way to occupy their time. Mon Valley resident Jim Busch led the charge. For more than a year, he documented life in the shadow of the pandemic, plus one very personal loss — his wife, Glenda, was diagnosed with end-stage pancreatic cancer. He and Pulitzer Prize-winning photographer Martha Rial are here to talk about the project, what it took to keep building their community online, and what they hope to accomplish next. The Tube City Writers are hosting a reading and book signing on Friday at the Carnegie Library of McKeesport at 2PM. And they’re always looking for new members! No experience necessary. Contact Martha at [email protected] and pick up a copy of “The Corona Diaries” here: https://www.amazon.com/Corona-Diaries-Tube-Writers/dp/B09Q1VDNM3 Our newsletter is fresh daily at 6 a.m. Sign up here. We’re also on Twitter @citycastpgh & Instagram @CityCastPgh!

Last month, the communications giant Audacity — which already owned KDKA and a slew of radio and television stations across the country — purchased WAMO, an iconic and influential radio station for Pittsburgh’s Black community. Today City Cast Pittsburgh host Morgan Moody talks with Brian Cook, president of the Pittsburgh Black Media Federation, about the history of WAMO, his own experiences with the station, and whether a new owner could bring WAMO back to prominence. Read more about Audacity’s purchase from Jordana Rosenfeld in Pittsburgh City Paper: https://www.pghcitypaper.com/pittsburgh/wamo-1073-pittsburghs-home-for-hip-hop-purchased-by-audacy/Content?oid=21344112 And follow Brian Cook and WAMO on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/goldenskymedia — https://www.instagram.com/wamo1073pgh/ Our newsletter is fresh daily at 6 a.m. Sign up here. We’re also on Twitter @citycastpgh & Instagram @CityCastPgh!

Students and professors at Carnegie Mellon University have been leaving their mark on the world for generations. Now they're taking it a bit further by leaving their mark on the moon. Red Whitaker is a roboticist and a professor at CMU who has led robotic missions to space and built self-driving vehicles long before Elon Musk. Now he's helping students land a Rover on the moon in search of water. He talks with City Cast Pittsburgh host Morgan Moody about the next space frontier — and how many dollars the U.S. could save on space ventures if they thought just a little smaller. Read more about Red here: https://www.ri.cmu.edu/ri-faculty/william-red-l-whittaker/ Our newsletter is fresh daily at 6 a.m. Sign up here. We’re also on Twitter @citycastpgh & Instagram @CityCastPgh!

On this week's Friday news roundup, the team discusses a massive infusion of cash for schools and mental health programs in Pittsburgh (including a few dollars from philanthropist, writer, and ex-wife of Jeff Bezos, MacKenzie Scott); a new plan for recreation along Pittsburgh’s rivers; and plenty of options for what to do this weekend. As always, the Friday roundup is powered by great Pittsburgh journalism. This week, check out: Julia Felton from the Trib: https://triblive.com/local/pressley-ridge-receives-10-million-gift-from-philanthropist-mackenzie-scott/ The journalists at South Pittsburgh Reporter: https://www.sopghreporter.com/story/2022/03/22/news/steel-smiling-secures-grant-to-help-scale-and-deepen-the-impact-of-its-work-connecting-community-members-to-mental-health-support/21731.html Oliver Morrison from PublicSource: https://www.publicsource.org/allegheny-county-school-districts-covid-relief-funding-esser/ Kiley Koscinski at WESA: https://www.wesa.fm/development-transportation/2022-03-29/246-8-million-plan-would-complete-loop-of-trails-and-parks-along-pittsburghs-downtown-riverfronts Our newsletter is fresh daily at 6 a.m. Sign up here. We’re also on Twitter @citycastpgh & Instagram @CityCastPgh!

A Republican-led proposal in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, House Bill 972, aims to ban trans girls and women from school sports teams aligning with their gender identity. Though it was tabled in the House, it’s almost guaranteed to pop back up in April, when the House session resumes. Today — on Trans Day of Visibility — host Morgan Moody talks with activist Dena Stanley, who founded TransYOUniting, to discuss the bill and the many other issues that the trans community faces. Find out more about TransYOUniting here: https://www.transyounitingpgh.org/ Our newsletter is fresh daily at 6 a.m. Sign up here. We’re also on Twitter @citycastpgh & Instagram @CityCastPgh!

Mila Sanina, until recently the executive director of PublicSource, has family in Russia and Ukraine. To her aunt in Donetsk, the war in Ukraine is one of liberation, and Vladimir Putin is a “man of peace” rather than a tyrant. Mila wrote about her family situation for The Independent, and today she talks with City Cast Pittsburgh host Morgan Moody about how she’s trying to continue relationships — often by making and discussing borsht — with her family when she knows they’re being misled. Read Mila’s story about her family conversations in The Independent: https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/putin-russian-propaganda-family-b2028809.html Our newsletter is fresh daily at 6 a.m. Sign up here. We’re also on Twitter @citycastpgh & Instagram @CityCastPgh!

For almost two years, a group of neighbors out in Churchill have been fighting a Goliath. The retail giant Amazon has been lobbying to bulldoze the old Westinghouse Research & Technology Park to build a new distribution facility, bringing jobs but also trucking traffic to the largely residential borough. Officials now say that’s over — that Amazon will look elsewhere — but residents and developers are still expected in court on Thursday to make their case. Senior producer Megan Harris is with vocal Churchill Future member Cathy Bordner to talk about why she’s skeptical and what may come next. The 150-acre Westinghouse campus is considered an important example of postwar corporate architecture. Metropolis Magazine asks, can it be saved? https://metropolismag.com/viewpoints/westinghouse-research-development-som/ And Preservation Pittsburgh is watching. Check out their piece from late last year that discusses its merit for inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places: https://docomomo-us.org/news/you-can-be-sure-if-its-westinghouse Our newsletter is fresh daily at 6 a.m. Sign up here. We’re also on Twitter @citycastpgh & Instagram @CityCastPgh!

Marijuana is an approved medical treatment for opioid addiction in Pennsylvania. But Ed Mahon of SpotlightPA discovered that researchers don’t recommend cannabis as a primary treatment for opioid abuse — and that questionable claims by cannabis certification companies could put people’s lives in danger. Lead Producer Matt Stroud talks with Mahon today about his reporting, and whether anyone can stop these companies from making these claims. Read Mahon’s reporting for SpotlightPA here: https://www.spotlightpa.org/news/2022/02/pennsylvania-medical-marijuana-addiction-misleading-dangerous-websites/ And more about Diamonte Walker’s exit from the URA here: https://www.wesa.fm/development-transportation/2022-03-25/pittsburgh-ura-powerhouse-diamonte-walker-to-leave-the-agency Our newsletter is fresh daily at 6 a.m. Sign up here. We’re also on Twitter @citycastpgh & Instagram @CityCastPgh!

Today on City Cast Pittsburgh’s Friday roundup, Megan, Francesca, and Morgan sit down to discuss how structural racism impacts dementia; why food stamp enrollment numbers are on the rise, and whether you’ll ever be able to walk around with open alcohol containers in Pennsylvania. As always, the Friday roundup is powered by local journalism. Check out: Jesse Bunch in the Post-Gazette: https://www.post-gazette.com/news/politics-state/2022/03/19/state-senators-bipartisan-cocktails-restaurants-pandemic-pennsylvania/stories/202203150093 Jordana Rosenfeld in Pittsburgh City Paper: https://www.pghcitypaper.com/pittsburgh/new-study-to-examine-how-structural-racism-affects-dementia-in-citys-black-communities/Content?oid=21307438 And Kate Giammarise reporting for WESA: https://www.wesa.fm/economy-business/2022-03-21/pennsylvanias-food-stamp-enrollment-is-climbing-toward-levels-not-seen-since-the-early-pandemic Our newsletter is fresh daily at 6 a.m. Sign up here. We’re also on Twitter @citycastpgh & Instagram @CityCastPgh!

Writer, astronomer, and Carnegie Mellon University researcher Diane Turnshek has been encouraging cities to address light pollution for decades — and Pittsburgh finally caught on. Today, she talks about the new city ordinance she helped create, what it’ll take to replace 40,000 streetlights in Pittsburgh, and how much humans have in common with birds, bats, and the springtime flora we love most. And don’t forget to set your alarm for 8:30 p.m. on Saturday to participate in Earth Hour, where people across the globe turn off their lights as a symbol of solidarity — and a catalyst for change — to benefit both people and the planet. Read more about the plan to replace Pittsburgh’s streetlights here: https://www.wesa.fm/environment-energy/2021-11-02/behind-the-city-of-pittsburghs-plans-to-outfit-35-000-streetlights-with-leds Our newsletter is fresh daily at 6 a.m. Sign up here. We’re also on Twitter @citycastpgh & Instagram @CityCastPgh!

As Pennsylvania adopts the CDC’s new, lower threshold for children exposed to “high lead levels,” more Pittsburgh families are becoming eligible for home lead testing and remediation. City Cast Pittsburghers Morgan Moody and Megan Harris talk about what this means for families — and how it might help folks still affected by Pittsburgh’s lingering water crisis. Read the Post-Gazette’s latest reporting on the new lead threshold: https://www.post-gazette.com/news/health/2022/03/14/lead-remediation-children-pa-high-level/stories/202203130011 And a fantastic piece from The Intercept that lays out all the background on the parallels between Flint and Pittsburgh, a la Veolia: https://theintercept.com/2018/05/20/pittsburgh-flint-veolia-privatization-public-water-systems-lead/ Our newsletter is fresh daily at 6 a.m. Sign up here. We’re also on Twitter @citycastpgh & Instagram @CityCastPgh!

Sometimes it can be a real pain to get around Pittsburgh. Especially lately, with Port Authority’s service disruptions causing delays and missed routes. Senior producer Megan Harris and newsletter editor Francesca Dabecco catch up with Bonnie Fan and Paul O’Hanlon from the advocacy group Pittsburghers for Public Transit to talk about what it would take to create a more equitable transit system for everybody. Read PPT’s latest report here: https://www.pittsburghforpublictransit.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Mobility-for-Who_-Rebuilding-Bridges-to-Transportaiton-Justice.pdf Our newsletter is fresh daily at 6 a.m. Sign up here. We’re also on Twitter @citycastpgh & Instagram @CityCastPgh!

When Pittsburgh Author Damon Young released his memoir, “What Doesn’t Kill You Makes You Blacker,” it earned him international praise, a spot on NPR’s “Best Book of the Year” list, and took the VerySmartBros founder and former Wilkinsburg high school teacher from Pittsburgh to the world. Tomorrow, his new podcast, "Stuck with Damon Young,” drops, in partnership with Crooked Media and Spotify. Today, he talks with City Cast Pittsburgh Host Morgan Moody about banned books, the plight of middle school teachers, and the literature even he won’t let his kids read. Read Young’s writing for the Washington Post (where he recently snuck the word ‘jagoff’ into a column): https://www.washingtonpost.com/people/damon-young/ Devour his book, “What Doesn’t Kill You Makes You Blacker”: https://www.damonjyoung.com/book And listen to “Stuck With Damon Young”: https://crooked.com/podcast-series/stuck-with-damon-young/ Our newsletter is fresh daily at 6 a.m. Sign up here. We’re also on Twitter @citycastpgh & Instagram @CityCastPgh!

The team is back for the Friday roundup. This week, we’re discussing understaffing at the Allegheny County Health Department, municipal police departments bringing in social workers, and a full-scale pirate ship — with water cannons! — soon to set sail on the three rivers. As always, the Friday roundup is powered by incredible local journalism. This week, check out: Charlie Wolfson for PublicSource on restaurant inspections: https://www.publicsource.org/allegheny-food-safety-health-inspection-salary-staffing-shortage/ Allegheny County’s website to look up the health safety status of a restaurant: https://eapps.alleghenycounty.us/restaurant/ Sandy Trozzo for PublicSource on social workers at local police departments: https://www.publicsource.org/police-arent-social-workers-some-local-departments-want-them-at-the-scene/ And Kristy Locklin for NEXTPittsburgh on “The Kraken,” a new pirate ship taking to the high seas of Pittsburgh: https://nextpittsburgh.com/latest-news/pittsburgh-pirate-ship-will-sail-into-the-season-with-a-larger-vessel-and-a-liquor-license/ Our newsletter is fresh daily at 6 a.m. Sign up here. We’re also on Twitter @citycastpgh & Instagram @CityCastPgh!

It’s pretty convenient to leave your recycling at the curb, but it can be a lot more convenient for facilities to process those materials when they’re pre-sorted. Two of 10 new glass drop-off facilities just opened in Allegheny County, and officials are hopeful it’ll mean a lot more of our waste gets back on the shelf. (According to the EPA, about 5% of the waste stream is glass.) The Allegheny Front’s Julie Grant is here to explain how that happens. Learn more about local recycling efforts here: https://www.alleghenyfront.org/packaging-group-makes-the-case-for-better-glass-recycling/ And no, your recycling isn’t just going to the landfill. Or, well, most of it isn’t. Check it out: https://www.alleghenyfront.org/no-your-recycling-is-not-just-going-to-the-landfill-well-most-of-it-isnt/ Our newsletter is fresh daily at 6 a.m. Sign up here. We’re also on Twitter @citycastpgh & Instagram @CityCastPgh!

In a press conference yesterday, the Venango County District Attorney ruled the fatal shooting of Pittsburgh resident Peter Bernardo Spencer as a “justifiable act of self defense,” and cited Pennsylvania's "Use of force in self-protection" — also known as stand your ground — law. A 29-year-old Black man and Jamaican immigrant, Spencer was shot nine times at a cabin in Rockland Township four months ago. The case is complicated, and there’s been a lot of rumors and criticism surrounding what happened and how investigators handled the case. There’s a lot of new information to digest, and City Cast producers Matt Stroud and Megan Harris are back with Post-Gazette columnist Tony Norman to talk about what we’ve learned. Check out the Post-Gazette’s coverage here: https://www.post-gazette.com/news/crime-courts/2022/03/15/peter-spencer-pittsburgh-death-venango-county-killing-self-defense-district-attorney/stories/202203150097 Our newsletter is fresh daily at 6 a.m. Sign up here. We’re also on Twitter @citycastpgh & Instagram @CityCastPgh!

Recent protests at Sewickley Academy have revolved around the school’s approach to — and avoidance of — teaching anything that could be considered “critical race theory.” But what is CRT? And how should we think about it — both as adults, and as adults explaining it to kids? PublicSource’s TyLisa Johnson explains how to have these conversations — and why they’re so important. Is your child asking about critical race theory? Here’s a guide to navigate those talks: https://www.publicsource.org/parents-talk-with-kids-about-race-critical-race-theory-1619/ Our newsletter is fresh daily at 6 a.m. Sign up here. We’re also on Twitter @citycastpgh & Instagram @CityCastPgh!

No one wants to end up behind bars, but if you are arrested, it's a reasonable expectation that you’ll survive to get your day in court. New reporting out today from the Pittsburgh Institute of Nonprofit Journalism shows deaths inside Allegheny County Jail are happening at higher rates than they have in years. Investigative reporter Brittany Hailer explains who’s dying and what needs to be done. Follow Hailer on Twitter here, and read more of her reporting here. Our newsletter is fresh daily at 6 a.m. Sign up here. We’re also on Twitter @citycastpgh & Instagram @CityCastPgh!

For our Friday news roundup, the team hears about student demands at Sewickley Academy; a former lawyer’s five-year federal prison sentence for marijuana distribution; the Warhol docu-series (and the artificial intelligence that replicates his voice); and, finally, some bridge news that doesn’t end in collapse… we hope. Today’s conversation is powered by local journalism, including: Paula Reed Ward has some great background from the Tribune-Review on the antics of former attorney and rapper Daniel Muessig, aka Dos Noun, including the infamous video: https://triblive.com/local/former-pittsburgh-defense-attorney-gets-5-years-in-prison-for-marijuana-distribution/ Like Morgan, 90.5 WESA’s Julia Zenkevich attended the student press conference about the happenings at Sewickley Academy: https://www.wesa.fm/education/2022-03-10/sewickley-academy-students-seek-public-apology-petition-administration-for-concessions Ed Blazina's got a great scoop at the Post-Gazette on Norfolk Southern’s NDA: https://www.post-gazette.com/news/transportation/2022/03/07/norfolk-southern-pittsburgh-bridges-construction-modification-double-stacked-trains-north-side-allegheny-commons/stories/202203070012 And City Paper’s Amanda Waltz lets us know what to look for in Netflix’s new six-part series, “The Andy Warhol Diaries”: https://www.pghcitypaper.com/pittsburgh/the-andy-warhol-diaries-looks-at-intensely-private-life-of-pittsburgh-born-pop-artist/Content?oid=21245880 Our newsletter is fresh daily at 6 a.m. Sign up here. We’re also on Twitter @citycastpgh & Instagram @CityCastPgh!

March Madness is almost here! The NCAA men’s tournament is coming through the Steel City this year for the first and second rounds of games. Here to walk us through what changes to expect is Pittsburgh native, color commentator, and pro scout Ashley Battle, who played professionally and won three championships with the University of Connecticut. Plus, Ashley gets real about what’s happening in Russia to WNBA phenom Brittney Griner. The Pittsburgh Foundation and local United Way is collecting donations for the #UnitedForUkraine campaign. Here’s how to donate: https://nextpittsburgh.com/latest-news/pghunitedforukraine-campaign-gives-pittsburghers-a-direct-way-to-assist-ukrainian-refugees/ Our newsletter is fresh daily at 6 a.m. Sign up here. We’re also on Twitter @citycastpgh & Instagram @CityCastPgh!

New investments in local transportation have brought more options to help residents commute — but who are all these bikes and rideshares and e-scooters for? Newsletter editor Francesca Dabecco is with disability advocate and leader of Access Mob Pittsburgh, Alisa Grishman, to talk about what it’s like to be a wheelchair user in Pittsburgh and what our neighbors — with or without disabilities — can do to help to create a safer, more accessible city. And tomorrow is the last day to drop off donations for Repair the World Pittsburgh’s Purim celebration. They’re collecting household supplies for a bunch of great organizations around town. More info here: https://twitter.com/pitt_repair/status/1498735298825621505 Our newsletter is fresh daily at 6 a.m. Sign up here. We’re also on Twitter @citycastpgh & Instagram @CityCastPgh!

The city and the Urban Redevelopment Authority are supposed to make vacant property available for purchase through something called the Pittsburgh Land Bank. It's been a mess for years, and the URA hired an urban planner, Greg Miller, to reorganize the process. But just a few months in, he quit too. Ariam Ford of Grounded Pittsburgh is here to explain what’s at stake and what both the city and its residents can do to help. Our newsletter is fresh daily at 6 a.m. Sign up here. We’re also on Twitter @citycastpgh & Instagram @CityCastPgh!

Whether you’re a regular Sunday church-goer or not, packing church basements or a VFW for a Lenten fish fry is still very much a tradition in Pittsburgh this time of year. Host Morgan Moody talks with Pittsburgh native and fish fry aficionado Rossilynne Skena Culgan about the history of the tradition and where to find the best fish fry dinner in Pittsburgh. Our newsletter is fresh daily at 6 a.m. Sign up here. We’re also on Twitter @citycastpgh & Instagram @CityCastPgh!

For our Friday news roundup, the City Cast Pittsburgh team discusses the movement to encourage a local foundation to stop funding hate groups; a possible dispatcher strike on the day of the St. Patrick’s Day Parade; and rising prices at the Pittsburgh International Airport. We also dig back into a story about regional police charging sex workers with “possessing an instrument of crime” if they carry condoms. Check them out: Jordana Rosenfeld for City Paper on the Colcom Foundation: https://www.pghcitypaper.com/pittsburgh/over-70-organizations-demand-colcom-foundation-stop-funding-anti-immigrant-groups/Content?oid=21201599 Jesse Bunch for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette on the dispatcher strike: https://www.post-gazette.com/news/crime-courts/2022/03/01/Allegheny-County-911-dispatchers-strike-notice-St-Patrick-Day-union-parade-March-12-SEIU/stories/202203010104 Kiley Koscinski on 90.5 WESA on rising airport costs: https://www.wesa.fm/development-transportation/2022-03-01/audit-shows-some-items-cost-nearly-twice-as-much-at-pittsburgh-international-airport And John Oliver’s most recent episode on sex work, featuring reporting by the Tribune-Review’s Megan Guza: https://archive.triblive.com/local/pittsburgh-allegheny/condoms-criminalized-in-allegheny-county-prostitution-cases/ Our newsletter is fresh daily at 6 a.m. Sign up here. We’re also on Twitter @citycastpgh & Instagram @CityCastPgh!

Peter Spencer was 29 when he went camping in Venango County with a group of white men in December. The next morning, Spencer, who was Black, was found dead in the lawn with nine bullets in his back and front. And while news reports have said that the person who killed Spencer admitted to it, no charges have been filed. Lead producer Matt Stroud is with longtime Pittsburgh Post-Gazette columnist Tony Norman about the case and where it might go in coming weeks. You can read his piece here: https://www.post-gazette.com/opinion/tony-norman/2022/01/24/Peter-Bernardo-Spencer-Venango-County-lynching-Jamaica-transparency/stories/202201250008 Our newsletter is fresh daily at 6 a.m. Sign up here. We’re also on Twitter @citycastpgh & Instagram @CityCastPgh!

A week ago, native Russian Anastasia Gorelova and Ukrainian-born Karina Shevchenko had never met. Then came the invasion. Hear how conflict brought them together, what their friends and families are experiencing back home, and what they need now from their adopted neighbors in Pittsburgh. If you’re hoping to help, Karina suggests donating directly to St. John the Baptist Ukrainian Catholic Church, 109 S. 7th St., in the South Side. They’re collecting medical supplies like analgesics, gauze and tape, as well as thermal underwear, lanterns, and headlamps. Karina says those supplies will be shipped to Ukraine next week. Our newsletter is fresh daily at 6 a.m. Sign up here. We’re also on Twitter @citycastpgh & Instagram @CityCastPgh!

All 67 Pennsylvania counties have now signed on to a $1 billion settlement from opioid manufacturers to deliver drug treatment and prevention in the commonwealth. As officials figure out how to divvy up that money, Senior Producer Megan Harris checks in with Dr. Payel Roy, Director of UPMC’s Addiction Medicine Consult Service, to find out how recovery services could be better in the 'Burgh. Our newsletter is fresh daily at 6 a.m. Sign up here. We’re also on Twitter @citycastpgh & Instagram @CityCastPgh!

The NFL Combine, a national week-long tryout for all the teams in the league, marks the start of a new — and hopefully promising — Steelers season. So who is Pittsburgh looking at? What can we expect from the draft? And can we start planning that next Super Bowl parade? Sean Gentille, senior writer for The Athletic, is here to talk through it all, plus how the team is reacting to one very important coaching hire. The newsletter is fresh daily at 6 a.m. Sign up here. We’re also on Twitter @citycastpgh & Instagram @CityCastPgh!

For our Friday news roundup, the City Cast Pittsburgh team discusses UPMC's newest high-profile lobbyist, a massive donation for a local private school, and the question of whether we love or hate the recent onslaught of e-scooters. Our newsletter is fresh daily at 6 a.m. Sign up here. We’re also on Twitter @citycastpgh & Instagram @CityCastPgh! --- We talked about a bunch of stories in today's conversation. Check out the Post-Gazette’s investigation into the Ukrainian oligarchs who routed potentially billions into the region: https://www.post-gazette.com/news/crime-courts/2022/02/20/Ihor-Kolomoisky-US-banks-warren-ohio-steel-plant-ukraine/stories/202202200063 And this one, on the Ukrainians praying for peace in Pittsburgh: https://www.post-gazette.com/local/city/2022/02/24/pittsburgh-ukrainian-community-reaction-russia-ukraine-attack-vladimir-putin-greenfield-carnegie/stories/202202240131 Here’s the PublicSource story about talking to your kids about critical race theory: https://www.publicsource.org/parents-talk-with-kids-about-race-critical-race-theory-1619/ And check out the full mobility study released last week: https://www.pittsburghforpublictransit.org/new-report-mobility-for-who-rebuilding-bridges-to-transportation-justice/

Not long ago, you’d be hard-pressed to find a brew pub with an all-local rotation — let alone one with a fire pit or board games or dogs and babies at the bar. But today, it’s not just normal, it’s expected. Our buddy Hal B. Klein is here to talk about why. Read his excellent piece in Pittsburgh Magazine here. Sign up for our daily newsletter and follow us on Twitter & Instagram @CityCastPgh!

Should a 138-year-old house in Uptown linked to bootlegging and an illegal lottery be preserved as a historic landmark? Or demolished for new development? Folklorist and public historian Dr. David Rotenstein researched the Tito-Mecca-Zizza house and its garage for NEXTpittsburgh, revealing its connections to Pittsburgh’s Black history, prohibition, the secret history of Rolling Rock beer, and the Italian immigrant experience in the 1920s and ’30s. Our newsletter is fresh daily at 6 a.m. Sign up here. We’re also on Twitter @citycastpgh & Instagram @CityCastPgh!

Funeral director Sarah McAlee is a soup-lebrity on the North Side. She goes by Brothmonger, and you have to be at Mayfly Market eeeearrly in the morning if you want to snag her daily offerings. Hear about her journey from the morbid kid to comfort-maker-in-chief, plus all her best-kept, soup-making secrets. Our newsletter is fresh daily at 6 a.m. Sign up here. We’re also on Twitter @citycastpgh & Instagram @CityCastPgh!

Artist Alisha Wormsley is best known in Pittsburgh for her incisive, compelling — and weirdly controversial — East Liberty billboard reminding us all that “There Are Black People in the Future.” But her latest exhibit at Concept Art Gallery in Regent Square goes way beyond the billboard that drew so much attention. Want some more Pittsburgh news? Then make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter and follow us on Instagram & Twitter at @CityCastPgh.

Dating in Pittsburgh is hard enough — and getting on the apps is like, a whole other thing. What pictures do you post? What should you say? Are like, mask selfies ok? There’s a lot to figure out, but not to worry—Pittsburgh City Paper arts and culture writer Dani Janae is here to help you get all the dates. Plus, an estimated 11,000 love locks will be cut off the Clemente Bridge today in advance of restoration work. We've got a tribute to all the Pittsburghers who locked their love and threw away (or lost!) the key. Read Dani's piece here, and Pittsburgh Magazine's piece about the love locks here. Want some more Pittsburgh news? Then make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter. We’re also on Twitter @citycastpgh! Follow us on Instagram at @CityCastPgh.

Without the Fern Hollow Bridge, a main artery connecting neighborhoods on either side of Frick Park, businesses in Wilkinsburg and Regent Square are cut off from their neighbors in Squirrel Hill. Senior producer Megan Harris and Morgan Moody stopped by Smashed Waffles, Madeleine’s Bakery & Bistro, and Dee’s Six Pax and Dogz to see how they’ve been impacted by the bridge collapse and their concerns for the future. Want to help? Take the detours and spread a little love to your favorite spots on that side of town, like this list of businesses provided by the Regent Square Civic Association. Make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter. We’re also on Twitter @citycastpgh and Instagram at @CityCastPgh!