On today’s episode of The Confluence:The state has ended its contract with a company hired to distribute funding and review applications for mortgage relief. Charlotte Keith, investigative reporter with Spotlight PA, says the state alleges the company, Innovative Emergency Management, Inc., actually denied assistance to some applicants in order to close applications more quickly. (0:00 - 8:47) The Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre’s seventh artistic director has taken the helm. Adam McKinney is PBT’s first artistic director of color, and joins us to discuss his vision for the role. (8:55 - 17:46) Last year, Pennsylvania legalized fentanyl test strips, which allow people who use drugs to detect the powerful synthetic opioid’s presence in the drugs they consume. While advocates lauded the move, they also say it’s not enough because new contaminants have already made their way into drug supplies, and the ability to test for many of those substances isn’t currently available to the ave
On today’s episode of The Confluence:A physical altercation between a striking Pittsburgh Post-Gazette worker and delivery driver for the paper sent one person to the hospital. We ask WESA’s Jillian Forstadt for the latest news on rising tensions between unionized workers still on strike and the paper. (0:00 - 6:55) A joint investigation found nearly 700 people in Pennsylvania have undergone competency proceedings to assess if they’re able to participate in their own defense. But Brittany Hailer from Pittsburgh Institute for Nonprofit Journalism and Danielle Ohl with Spotlight PA report a fractured system means those people, often with mental health issues, may spend more time behind bars than getting help, as the system intended. (7:06 - 17:11) Two Pittsburgh Public School students are headed to a national competition this summer to test their knowledge of African American history and culture. Both spent years preparing to qualify for it, thanks to a local event that’s both a
The Pirates, Penguins and Steelers say they plan to or will continue to implement policies outlined by the Black Political Empowerment Project (B-PEP).
On today’s episode of The Confluence: The Pennsylvania House has passed two measures addressing the statutory window for victims of childhood sexual abuse to file suit; how research into electrical stimulation for stroke victims has helped some patients regain mobility; and the city’s Urban Redevelopment Authority’s Avenues of Hope.
On today’s episode of The Confluence: We hear the latest about a shooting where two McKeesport officers were wounded, one fatally, responding to a domestic disturbance Monday afternoon; the results of three special elections, which decide the party that controls the state House; and a look at the impact and rhetoric of President Joe Biden’s second State of the Union address. Today’s guests include: Jillian Forstadt, general assignment reporter for WESA; Chris Potter, government and accountability editor for WESA; and Paul Elliott Johnson, assistant professor of communications at the University of Pittsburgh.