City Cast Pittsburgh

Both state officials and Bigfoot believers have a bone to pick with a batch of fraudulent flyers posted across Pennsylvania state parks and forests since August. Trib reporter Mary Ann Thomas explains the dangers and what both sides see as an affront to wildlife management. Check out Mary Ann’s reporting here: https://triblive.com/news/pennsylvania/state-officials-bigfoot-isnt-lurking-in-pennsylva...

It’s the Friday news roundup! If you’re scrambling to come up with a last-minute Halloween costume and plans, we’ve got you covered. The team has everything you need for a scary weekend, from pumpkin carving tips to Pittsburgh-centric costume ideas to bone-chilling events and parties for all ages. Check out the Halloween activities we mentioned in the show: Brendan Conaway aka Pittsburgh Pumpkin G...

Ten years ago, a new children’s show premiered on PBS starring 4-year-old Daniel Tiger, the animated son of the beloved puppet from “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood.” The series was the first TV show from Fred Rogers Productions since Rogers died in 2003, and the team behind it wanted to honor his legacy while reinventing the neighborhood for a new generation. Chris Loggins, supervising producer on “D...

What would it mean to lose a fixture in Pittsburgh news? It's a grim future we’re getting a glimpse of as portions of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette newsroom, represented by the Newspaper Guild of Pittsburgh, walked out in the city’s biggest newspaper strike since 1992. NEXTPittsburgh media columnist Andrew Conte joins us to talk about how this will affect the community — and working journalists — wh...

We can’t stop talking about ghosts during spooky season, but we’re inviting City Cast contributor Rossilynne Skena Culgan on the pod to discuss a different kind of ghost…the faded old-timey advertisements on building across Pittsburgh known as ghost signs. A self-proclaimed ghost sign hunter, Rossilynne shares how these relics help us learn more about our history and what it could mean if we lose...

From having the most coffee shops per capita to being center stage for the coffee union movement, the Steel City has a lot to celebrate in its 8th annual Coffee Week. City Cast’s Francesca Dabecco and Morgan Moody share some fun history, plus lots of events all focused on community collaboration. Here's where they're getting a boo and a brew.  Coffee & wine tasting at Adda in the North Side | Toda...

It’s the Friday news roundup! The team is talking about John Fetterman’s first on-air interview since his stroke — and the ableist response — plus the Penguins’ return to the ice. We also explain why Pennsylvania’s the best place in the world for fall foliage. (No, really!) If you want to read up on some of today’s topics, check ‘em aht! Buzzfeed on ableism in Fetterman rhetoric: https://www.buzzf...

Did you know Pittsburgh is the backdrop for one of the most thrilling horror movies ever made? The Silence of the Lambs was mostly filmed around Pittsburgh in the early 1990s. When the house of the film’s skin-conscious serial killer, Buffalo Bill, went up for sale a couple of years ago, a fan bought it. Filmmaker Chris Rowan recreated parts of the set — including the infamous basement well — and...

There’s a locally developed app called Dashcam for your Bike and it works by recording your rides and reporting any hazards like cars parked in bike lanes, to 3-1-1.  One of those reports showing a Pittsburgh police officer parked in the bike lane, and when the creator of the app—Armin Samii— approached him about moving it, the officer told him to “get a life.” We spoke with Samii about the incide...

The Steel City loves to revel in its own history, but many of those stories are rooted in colonialism and the generations of immigration that followed. Why don’t we learn more about the Native peoples who preceded them? The Council of Three Rivers Indian American Center’s Miguel Sague is with City Cast’s Elizabeth Kauma to talk about whose land we’re actually on. 

It’s the Friday news roundup! Do you know the history of the Point of View statue on Mt. Washington? Plus, a judge ruled city officials can remove the Christopher Columbus statue in Schenley Park after years of fighting, and one of Pittsburgh’s native sons is on the docket for the U.S. Supreme Court.  As always, our Friday shows are powered by great local journalism.  A good primer on the Andy War...

If you find yourself Downtown and need to use the bathroom, you might be out of luck. Journalist Adam Smeltz gets into the findings and what the city is doing to provide solutions for safe, clean restrooms for the unhoused, as well as people visiting areas like the Golden Triangle.  Read the full piece here, which includes great data from Point Park University: https://www.pittsburghmagazine.com/w...

We love spooky season, but lots of local and regional haunts make us feel sorta gross. Across the nation, many former prisons and psychiatric hospitals, including a few near us, have been revamped into haunted houses that rely on the cruel, scary, and sensational aspects of prison life to entertain. We're with journalist Hope Corrigan, who wrote a story about it all for The Marshall Project. Here...

SCOTUS is back in session this week, but what does that mean for us in PA? Oh, you know, just our basic human rights, plus a couple very nerdy process cases that could affect our elections for years to come. City Cast’s Megan Harris and Morgan Moody are chatting through what to watch out for this coming term. Our newsletter is fresh daily at 6 a.m. Sign up here. We’re also on Twitter @citycastpgh...

Sweater weather is already here in the burrrrgh and you can find some real gems if you’re into thrifting. Christen Malone, aka the Thrifty Yinzer, joins us to share her tips and tricks for scoring the best vintage and secondhand items in the city — and to explain why thrifting is about more than just saving a few bucks. Plus, she offers the ultimate guide to garbage picking for gold. Our newslette...

It’s the Friday news roundup! The City Cast pod-squad is talking the Pittsburgh Zine Fair and federal funding for better internet access and speed in PA, plus we pay homage to the legendary rapper Coolio, who we were shocked to learn was born here in the 'Burgh. As always, our Friday shows are powered by great local journalism.  Kiley Koscinski with WESA on the Pittsburgh Digital Equity Coalition:...

Thanks to climate change, the seasonal part of “seasonal allergies” is a bit of a misnomer in Southwestern Pennsylvania. Our newest producer, Elizabeth Kauma, explains what local plants are likely to get a reaction out of you, plus and what you can do to stop the achoo! Here's the state’s take on how to control and identify any ragweed in your neck of the woods! https://www.dep.pa.gov/Business/Air...

Pittsburgh-area teachers often spend their own (very hard-earned) money on classroom supplies. But twice a year, they can stop by the Education Partnership’s Teacher Resource Center and fill up shopping carts with everything their hearts’ desire — from notebooks and glue sticks to Clorox wipes and air purifiers — at no personal cost. City Cast’s Mallory Falk and Morgan Moody visited the center and...

Shell is opening an Ethane Cracker in Beaver County, but we still have some questions. Like why here, in Western Pennsylvania of all places? How it will impact jobs and our rivers? And what does an ethane cracker even… do? The Allegheny Front’s Reid Frazier is with us to explain why the plant picked us, and what it means for both the economy and wellbeing of our region. Check out the great reporti...

From the courthouse to the Clark Building, Doors Open Pittsburgh lets Pittsburgh get nebby about all kinds of Downtown spaces, including theaters, government offices, artist spaces, hotels, bank vaults, and more. This year’s event takes place Saturday, October 1 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. We're with Bonnie Baxter, founder and executive director with a few of her favorites on this year's list. Our news...

It’s the Friday news roundup! This week, we dive deep into Banned Books Week, explore the intersection of race and policing in Pittsburgh through film, and celebrate a regional, indigenous delicacy, the pawpaw fruit! As always, our Friday shows are powered by great local journalism.  Our own Mallory Falk in WHYY on student organizing against a book ban: https://whyy.org/episodes/schooled-after-the...

Billboards, discos, murals, and more will light up Pittsburgh over the next six months as part of the 58th Carnegie International. This year's iteration Is it morning for you yet? features new local, national, and global commissions, plus historical works from institutions and estates. Dana Bishop-Root, the Carnegie Museum of Art’s director of education and public programs, shares her local favori...

For most organizations, an expansive job training program might be enough, but not the Hazelwood nonprofit Community Kitchen Pittsburgh. Executive director and founder Jennifer Flanagan says everything they do — from hunger relief and catering to running a cafe and butchery — is about empowering people to work through life change and rewarding those efforts with a strong, growing wage. Plus, stude...

Roughly 20% of Pittsburgh land and 10% in Allegheny County is owned by nonprofits exempt from paying property taxes, including UPMC and Allegheny Health Network, as well as major universities like Pitt, CMU, and Duquesne. Officials say that missing money is holding local government back from supplying necessary services that benefit the whole community. PublicSource reporter Emma Folts is on to ex...

There’s a path that takes you from Pittsburgh to D.C. with almost no car traffic — you just have to bike a few hundred miles. The Great Allegheny Passage and C&O Canal Towpath lead you over railroad bridges, through a national park, and along a waterway where mules used to pull barges, all while passing little towns with hotels and cafes that cater to cyclists. Sebastian Modak, the editor-at-large...