City Cast Pittsburgh launched one year ago today! To celebrate, the team is sharing some interesting things we’ve learned about the Steel City — with help from our very first guest, writer Damon Young. In the newscast, we mention the new digital archive documenting the attack at Tree of Life synagogue. You can access the website here: https://october27archive.org Our newsletter is fresh daily at 6 a.m. Sign up here. We’re also on Twitter @citycastpgh & Instagram @CityCastPgh! Learn more abou...
Jan 11, 2023•21 min
City officials and daily commuters celebrated the reopening of Fern Hollow Bridge last month, but dozens more Pittsburgh bridges are rated poor and in need of repair. Don’t expect to see construction soon though; Mayor Ed Gainey’s 2023 budget doesn’t include much funding for fixing our bridges. So how nervous should we be to cross them? And why isn’t the city budgeting for repairs right away? Charlie Wolfson, the local government reporter for PublicSource, is here to explain. You can read Charli...
Jan 10, 2023•17 min
Our beloved alternative weekly, Pittsburgh City Paper, just got bought by the same company that owns the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette — where union members have been on strike for better working conditions since October. The purchase has raised eyebrows…and questions about the paper’s future under the controversial Block family. Ryan Deto, former managing editor at City Paper and current journalist at the Trib, is here to help us make sense of the deal and figure out what it means for Pittsburgh medi...
Jan 09, 2023•19 min
It’s the Friday news roundup! City Cast host Morgan Moody and producer Mallory Falk are joined by writer and historian David S. Rotenstein to talk about why reopening Fern Hollow Bridge is so important to Pittsburgh’s Jewish community. Plus, they discuss the surprising pick for PA’s new Speaker of the House and how to help Bicycle Heaven after the local gem (and world’s largest bicycle museum) got flooded. As always, our Friday shows are powered by great local journalism. David S. Rotenstein in ...
Jan 06, 2023•23 min
It’s been two years since the Jan 6. insurrection at the Capitol. More than 60 Pennsylvanians have been charged in the attack, which was fueled by far-right groups like the Oath Keepers. David Harris, a Pitt Law professor focused on police behavior and national security, joins us to talk about the legal challenges of prosecuting rioters and what’s being done about local law enforcement officers with ties to extremist groups. Our newsletter is fresh daily at 6 a.m. Sign up here. We’re also on Twi...
Jan 05, 2023•20 min
Imagine you could rent an apartment without ever speaking to a human being. The entire process would be totally automated, from viewing the rental to paying a deposit to picking up keys. That’s already happening here in Pittsburgh and a few other post-industrial cities, where “automated landlord” companies are buying up properties and outsourcing management to apps and algorithms. And while it might sound like a dream if you’ve ever had a nightmare landlord, freelance journalist Nick Keppler say...
Jan 04, 2023•18 min
The new year is a time for resolutions, and as much as we love this city, we think a little self-improvement could go a long way. Turns out, a lot of you do too! The City Cast team is sharing your goals for the Steel City in 2023, along with our own. Our newsletter is fresh daily at 6 a.m. Sign up here. We’re also on Twitter @citycastpgh & Instagram @CityCastPgh! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jan 03, 2023•20 min
All this week, the City Cast team is treating you to some of our favorite food and drink episodes from 2022. If you're hungry for a story about making the local culinary scene more inclusive and accessible, consider this your holiday gift. The Hazelwood nonprofit Community Kitchen Pittsburgh says it uses food as “the foundation to change lives and strengthen communities.” It does this through culinary training, hunger relief, catering, a cafe, and more. City Cast's Megan Harris spoke with execut...
Dec 30, 2022•16 min
All this week, the City Cast team is treating you to some of our favorite food and drink episodes from 2022. What list could be complete without a field trip to the yinzer fuel factory? For generations of Pittsburghers, nothing quite quenches their thirst like Turner’s Premium Iced Tea from those iconic, brigh-orange cartons. Producer Mallory Falk and newsletter editor Francesca Dabecco got the tea on how our city's most beloved beverage is made at the Turner's facility in Penn Hills from market...
Dec 29, 2022•14 min
All this week, the City Cast team is treating you to some of our favorite food and drink episodes from 2022. If you're hoping to ring in the new year with a craft beer instead of champagne, we've got you covered. Not long ago, you’d be hard-pressed to find a Pittsburgh 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. We're revisiting our conversation with City Cast contributor Hal B. ...
Dec 28, 2022•16 min
All this week, the City Cast team is treating you to some of our favorite food and drink episodes from 2022. We're starting off with — what else? — Heinz ketchup. Can you imagine sitting down with a crispy plate of fries, reaching for your trusty bottle of ketchup, and watching it explode? It was a real problem in the late 19th century! But our very own H.J. Heinz figured it out — or rather, he had one very special fan who did it for him. We're revisiting our conversation with Gastro Obscura's S...
Dec 27, 2022•13 min
As 2022 draws to a close, the City Cast team is sitting down to revisit some of our best episodes from the past year. From a flight of city steps to the field at Steelers training camp, we’re rounding up some of our favorite interviews and field trips. Plus, we pay tribute to Franco Harris, who died just days before the 50th anniversary of the Immaculate Reception. Our favorite episodes include: The First Public Transportation in Pgh? City Steps Pgh’s Chinatown (Finally) Gets Historic Recognitio...
Dec 22, 2022•28 min
Nat King Cole singing “chestnuts roasting on an open fire” is a classic sound associated with the holidays, yet for many the tradition is no more than a line in the song. Newsletter editor Francesca Dabecco joins host Morgan Moody to share how the American chestnut tree was once rooted in the culture and landscape of Appalachia — and how, thanks to the hard work of regional researchers, it might be making a comeback. You can share your public comment on bringing back the American chestnut tree h...
Dec 21, 2022•15 min
Gun violence in Pittsburgh continues to overwhelm the loved ones of victims and our city's officials. Mayor Ed Gainey wants to get guns off the streets, and mental health professionals want to address the violence at its core. Julius Boatwright is trying to create solutions by addressing mental wellness within the Black community through his organization, Steel Smiling. Our newsletter is fresh daily at 6 a.m. Sign up here. We’re also on Twitter @citycastpgh & Instagram @CityCastPgh! Learn mo...
Dec 20, 2022•16 min
Santa may have his sleigh, but Pittsburgh has a spirited Pittsburgh Regional Transit bus. PRT driver Amy Jackson spends her own money and time decking the hall of her city bus every year. We hopped aboard the Collier Christmas Bus to learn a little bit more about the magic of spreading good tidings on public transit. Our newsletter is fresh daily at 6 a.m. Sign up here. We’re also on Twitter @citycastpgh & Instagram @CityCastPgh! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Dec 19, 2022•12 min
It’s the Friday news roundup! We're talking about what the increase to the 2023 Pittsburgh Public Schools budget means when the district's already at a deficit, the fire in the Roosevelt building downtown, and the new historical markers coming to the city. As always, our Friday shows are powered by great local journalism. Public School Budgets: https://www.pghcitypaper.com/pittsburgh/pittsburgh-public-schools-2023-budget-stabilizes-district-for-another-year-future-funding-still-uncertain/Content...
Dec 16, 2022•23 min
Winter is a time of hibernation, but if you spend the season bundled up in bed, you’ll be missing out. The City Cast team is here to soften the blow that the snowiest season can bring to our social lives by sharing some of our the favorite winter activities in the ‘Burrrgh. Activities we mentioned: The Holiday Magic! Winter Flower Show and Light Garden at Phipps Conservatory Dazzling Nights at the Pittsburgh Botanic Garden Kennywood's Holiday Lights Show Skiing and snow tubing at Hidden Valley, ...
Dec 15, 2022•22 min
How do you design a concert for people who are sensitive to light and sound? For years, the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra has been a leader in making performances more inclusive and accessible for people with sensory sensitivities — including through its sensory-friendly Holiday Pops concerts. Suzanne Perrino, the Senior Vice President of Learning and Community Engagement at the PSO, joins us to talk about creating a safe space for everyone to experience art. You can still buy tickets for this y...
Dec 14, 2022•15 min
Across the Commonwealth, a rivalry has raged on. No, it's not the Eagles vs. the Steelers or the Flyers vs. the Penguins. It’s much deeper than sports: it's about our gas stations. With the help of your hot takes, we're hosting the ultimate Sheetz vs. Wawa battle with our sister podcast City Cast Philly. City Cast's Content Director (and gas station food connoisseur) Wil Fulton serves as an impartial judge as hosts Morgan Moody and Trenae Nuri attempt to settle the debate once and for all. You c...
Dec 13, 2022•24 min
Our city has a complicated claim to gas station fame. Many believe the first ever drive-in gas station was on Baum Boulevard in East Liberty. There’s even a state historical marker at the site…which is now a parking lot. But the truth is a little more complex. Brian Butko, Director of Publications at the Heinz History Center, joins us to explain what’s fueling this local myth. Want to fill up on the full story? Check out Brian’s recent blog post: “Was the World’s First Gas Station in Pittsburgh?...
Dec 12, 2022•18 min
It’s the Friday news roundup! Host Morgan Moody is with producer Elizabeth Kauma and Pittsburgh City Paper’s Jordana Rosenfeld to talk about the challenges facing the city's unhoused community and conditions inside the Allegheny County Jail. Plus, we get the scoop on a local mugshot of the late comedian Richard Pryor. As always, our Friday shows are powered by great local journalism. Jordana Rosenfeld's reporting on the unhoused community in Pittsburgh City Paper: https://www.pghcitypaper.com/pi...
Dec 09, 2022•23 min
Struggling to find the perfect holiday gifts for your loved ones? We’ve got you covered! From seasonal candles and holiday beer packs to pierogi bracelets and Titty Sphinx pins (trust us, they’re a crowd pleaser!), we’re breaking down the best gifts from local shops and artists. Pittsburgh City Paper’s Amanda Waltz joins City Cast’s Morgan Moody and Francesca Dabecco to share recommendations for the foodies, fashionistas, adventurers, and homebodies in your lives. You can find links to all our g...
Dec 08, 2022•21 min
Whether served on a dish and stuffed with potato and cheese, or racing around between innings at a Pirate’s game, the pierogi is an iconic Pittsburgh treat. But how did it become such a local staple? Dr. Julia Hudson-Richards, a food historian and instructor in the University of Pittsburgh’s Department of History, joins us to trace to the pierogi’s path from Polish kitchens to Pittsburgh bellies. Our newsletter is fresh daily at 6 a.m. Sign up here. We’re also on Twitter @citycastpgh & Insta...
Dec 07, 2022•17 min
Despite nationwide calls for police to be less involved in responding to mental health crises, new reporting shows Pittsburgh officers are actually filing more 302 petitions — for involuntary psychiatric commitment — than just a few years ago. The overall number of petitions increased by 21% from 2015 to 2021, but the number filed by police grew more than any other group. PublicSource health reporter Amelia Winger joins us to talk about her reporting digging into the data and why it’s difficult ...
Dec 06, 2022•18 min
Racist myths around the difficulty of tattooing melanated skin has created a toxic culture in the industry, and there are businesses in Pittsburgh where Black people are actually denied service or discouraged from getting inked. Rita Santana, a tattoo artist and co-owner of Three Fates Tattoo Studio in East Liberty, joins us to bust those myths and talk about what local artists are doing to create safe spaces for people of color. Want to give feedback on the future of the Allegheny Riverfront Pa...
Dec 05, 2022•15 min
It’s the Friday news roundup! Today the team’s discussing the controversy around funds for Pittsburgh parks, why Republicans will have a (temporary) majority in the state House even though Democrats won control, and where to get local holiday gifts. As always, our Friday shows are powered by great local journalism. Ladimir Garcia, Terryaun Bell, and Jack Troy with PublicSource on the city’s park tax: https://www.publicsource.org/pittsburgh-budget-city-parks-tax-conservancy-mayor-ed-gainey-equity...
Dec 02, 2022•23 min
Between eggnog, spiked cider, and mulled wine, the holiday season is a time for cheers and indulgence. But for those of you who prefer to take part in the happiest season sober - or just want the occasional break from booze - the City Cast team is rounding up our favorite Pittsburgh mocktails. Plus, we answer the question: what's the fuss about a fussfungle and why should more Pittsburghers know about this drink? In today's episode we mentioned these restaurants, bars and bottle shops: Open Road...
Dec 01, 2022•23 min
Tereneh Idia has been a voice for local Black women through her art and writing, but she is taking a break from the city. In her last column for the Pittsburgh City Paper, she decided to answer a question she's been posed before: “What would I tell a Black woman about moving to Pittsburgh?" Idia opens up to us about the challenges of being a Black woman in our city and where she's headed next. Our newsletter is fresh daily at 6 a.m. Sign up here. We’re also on Twitter @citycastpgh & Instagra...
Nov 30, 2022•16 min
The Pittsburgh Glass Center may be the hottest recurring character on reality shows this year. The local institution has been renowned in the glass art community for years, but the average Pittsburgher might not have realized what a gem we had in our city. That changed with shows like Netflix’s “Blown Away” and the Disney+ Christmas Special “Best in Snow,” which feature glass artists from the center. Heather McElwee, the executive director of Pittsburgh Glass Center, joins us to talk about what ...
Nov 29, 2022•13 min
Getting a tattoo requires trust and vulnerability, and some tattoo artists have taken advantage of that. The #TattooMeToo movement started several years ago, when women and queer folks began speaking up about the sexual abuse they’ve faced in tattoo shops. Around that time, local tattoo artist Susie Humphrey opened Sanctuary in Lawrenceville with the goal of providing a safe space for people to get inked. Susie joins us to talk about what it takes to build an inclusive tattoo studio. Our newslet...
Nov 28, 2022•17 min
