City Cast Pittsburgh
Join us weekdays at 6 a.m. for a fast-paced daily news podcast that will get you talking — and make you question what’s going here in Western Pennsylvania. In just 15 minutes a day, City Cast Pittsburgh is a smart new way to connect with the Steel City you love. Add us to your feeds today!
Episodes
July 26, 2024 • 30 mins
It’s the Friday news roundup! With Gov. Josh Shapiro in the running to be Vice President, we’re bringing a critical eye to his record, his policies, his wish list, and his controversies to see what he could bring to a Democratic ticket — and what happens to PA if he vacates the governor’s office early. Plus, the 2024 Olympic Games start today, and there are a bunch of ways to root for Pittsburgh in Paris.
We always cite our sources...
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July 25, 2024 • 20 mins
Does your perfect weekend involve wandering through local food stalls and sipping on a giant lemonade? Then you're in luck! Host Megan Harris and producer Sophia Lo are rounding up the best food festivals through the rest of the summer, including spots for vegans, meat lovers, and beer aficionados. Plus, if you missed the first round of Greek food fests this year, we’ve got a fresh recommendation for you!
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July 24, 2024 • 22 mins
Not long ago, scientists made a discovery in Pennsylvania. They found a ton of lithium in wastewater created by fracking – enough to meet 40% of our whole country’s needs. On the surface, this sounds like it could be a win, given lithium’s importance in the shift to cleaner energy. But things always get complicated when fracking is part of the picture. Kiley Bense with Inside Climate News joins us to talk about what we know about P...
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July 23, 2024 • 18 mins
Why is it so hard to build housing in Pittsburgh? Developer Echo Realty requested a zoning variance to increase the maximum height for a new housing development and grocery store, but Pittsburgh’s zoning board denied the request – and now it looks like the developer is giving up on the project altogether.
We’re revisiting our conversation with TribLive reporter Ryan Deto to break down what happened with the initial setback and what...
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July 22, 2024 • 18 mins
At its inception, Pittsburgh was named for British earl and Prime Minister William Pitt. Most of us know that. But how we got, lost, and eventually reclaimed the consistent use of our beloved H is up for debate. Historian and author Virginia Montanez is here to talk about the basic rules of how we spell things (really), why Pittsburgh was so bad at it (shocking), and how newspapermen and intellectuals made everything worse (¯\_(ツ)_...
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July 19, 2024 • 22 mins
It’s the Friday news roundup! The city and county are changing their pool policies in the middle of the summer — now, some kids need chaperones. There are fun new rules about happy hours and canned cocktails in the commonwealth. And a pair of Pittsburghers showed out on the national stage at the All-Star Game. Plus, stick around for National Ice Cream Day deals.
We always cite our sources:
County pools put in a new chaperone polic...
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July 18, 2024 • 22 mins
Pittsburgh isn’t exactly known for its sunny, blue-sky days, but that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy outdoor dining! The city is full of restaurant patios, and today, we’re giving out superlatives for the best ones. City Cast’s Megan Harris is with Discover the Burgh’s Jeremy Jones to decide which patios are the fanciest, most unusual, dog friendly, and of course, which actually have the tastiest food and drinks.
Plus, if we’ve convi...
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July 17, 2024 • 25 mins
We’ve all heard about the long security lines at PIT this summer (some of us have experienced them ourselves!), but if you’re willing to brave TSA there are lots of great flight deals out of the city. Travel expert and Going founder Scott Keyes joins us to share his top tips for finding cheap tickets, whether you’re looking for a quick summer getaway or dreaming big about an international vacation.
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July 16, 2024 • 23 mins
The state just passed a $47.6 billion dollar budget — our biggest one yet. It was only two weeks late this time (not bad, by Pennsylvania standards!) and sets a bunch of new priorities.
Spotlight PA’s capitol reporter Stephen Caruso joins City Cast Pittsburgh host Megan Harris and City Cast Philly host Trenae Nuri to talk about where the state is putting its money and what got left on the cutting room floor.
We mentioned this episo...
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July 15, 2024 • 20 mins
On Saturday, a person fired a gun at former President Donald Trump while he was speaking at a rally in Butler County, about an hour north of the city. A bullet grazed Trump’s ear; one bystander, firefighter and father Corey Comperatore, was killed and two others were badly injured. The FBI is calling it an assassination attempt, and the alleged shooter was also from the Pittsburgh area.
Ryan Deto was covering the rally for the Tri...
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July 12, 2024 • 24 mins
It’s the Friday news roundup! If you have a medical cannabis card, you could become part of a protected class here in Pittsburgh. Our state has a new license plate but not everybody loves it. And a local pizza place made it on a New York Times “best of” list, but not in the way you might think. It’s a week of weird news!
We always cite our sources:
Mineo’s made it onto a New York Times “best of” list.
Pittsburgh City Council is c...
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July 11, 2024 • 28 mins
Whether you’re at a Buccos game for the actual sport or one of the giveaways, a baseball outing really isn’t complete without some snacks. And PNC Park has your standard baseball fare – think popcorn and peanuts – but a lot of local restaurants are also getting in on the stadium menus. We’re here to help you decide which lines are worth standing in and see whether new items are worth the hype.
Want a comprehensive list of this year...
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July 10, 2024 • 23 mins
It’s peak real estate season and interest rates are really high – so what does that mean for homebuyers in Pittsburgh? Local real estate broker Jessica Baker shares tips for buyers and sellers and which pockets of the city are still somewhat affordable. Plus, host Megan Harris puts Jessica to the test to see how she would describe some zanier home features… as seen on Zillow.
**This episode originally published April 8, 2024.
Check...
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July 9, 2024 • 21 mins
What comes to your mind when you think of Pennsylvania? Over the years, we have adopted all sorts of plants, animals, and even a drink to represent our Commonwealth, but not all of these symbols and the stories behind them are common knowledge. Producer Sophia Lo is putting the City Cast Pittsburgh team to the test. Come play along with us!
Learn more about the sponsors of this July 9th episode:
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Bike PGH
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July 8, 2024 • 20 mins
We’re weeks into summer, so if you’ve been waiting to catch that Buccos game or get a sundae from Page's Dairy Mart, now is the time! Our city is full of great summer activities – but if you need a little inspiration, we crowdsourced ideas from listeners and Hey Pittsburgh newsletter readers to help put together the perfect summer bucket list.
If you’re trying to plan ahead, you can check out the schedules for the city’s free Cine...
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July 5, 2024 • 50 mins
City Cast CEO David Plotz sits down with hosts from all 13 City Cast daily local podcast hubs to talk about what stories they’re watching in their hometowns that are likely to impact yours too. Listen in for how Megan Harris’s story stacks up against the rest.
Become a member of City Cast Pittsburgh at membership.citycast.fm.
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July 3, 2024 • 18 mins
Return or ripoff? Costsaver or scam? Pittsburghers love a deal, so when the discount stores housed under Mac.bid came to town, many of us started bidding without reading the fine print. City Cast’s Elizabeth Kauma and Megan Harris are exploring how it got here, what to do so you don’t buy a dud, and whether these liquidation emporiums are worth the risk at all.
**This episode originally published March 18, 2024.
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July 2, 2024 • 21 mins
Pittsburgh’s biggest fireworks show of the year starts Thursday at 9:35 p.m., and the company in charge of it all is from Western Pennsylvania. But they’re not the only game in town! City Cast Pittsburgh host Megan Harris explains the birthplace and backstories of Zambelli, Pyrotecnico, and Starfire — three of the nation’s largest fireworks makers — and how they each came to call the Pittsburgh area home.
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July 1, 2024 • 29 mins
If you're new here, welcome! We’ve put together a starter pack for you, with episodes and articles to welcome you to the City Cast Pittsburgh community.
Fireworks, hot dogs, ice cream and pickles – honestly, we’re not sure Pittsburgh could build a better summertime Mt. Rushmore. The City Cast team is sharing some of our favorite events and activities to help you make the most of July, including a road race for tiny cars, the annua...
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June 28, 2024 • 24 mins
It’s the Friday news roundup! School’s out, and Pittsburgh Public is using the summer vacation to consider whether some schools have to close or consolidate. If you’ve got a flight coming up, you need to get to the airport extremely early. (We’re talking three hours before takeoff!) And we’re digging into the history of Pittsburgh’s ties to the American flag ahead of Independence Day.
We always cite our sources:
Pittsburghers got ...
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