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
September 27, 2023 • 21 mins
The nights are longer and there’s a chill in the air… it’s almost Halloween! And that means scare season for local haunt actors Stacey Federoff and Dave Archer. They’re sharing their love of the holiday, which area haunts are worth a day trip from Pittsburgh, and how you and your friends can safely (and creepily?!) experience the frights and delights of their favorite “haunted” attractions.
This is episode is the second in a three-...
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September 26, 2023 • 22 mins
It’s officially fall, which means leaf-peeping season is almost upon us. If you’re looking for outdoorsy autumn getaways, the City Cast Pittsburgh team has got you covered. Host Megan Harris, newsletter editor Francesca Dabecco, and producers Mallory Falk and Sophia Lo are here with our favorite trips within four hours of the ‘Burgh.
This is episode is the first in a three-part series on the best fall getaways in our region.
Our pi...
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September 25, 2023 • 22 mins
In 2008, the city and its foundations made a promise to all Pittsburgh kids – if you attend class and get decent grades, we’ll help you pay for college or trade school. But last week, the officials behind those gifts told parents in a one-page letter that the money is almost out. We’re talking about why with journalist Mary Niederberger and James Fogarty, executive director of A+ Schools.
For more background on the Pittsburgh Promi...
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September 22, 2023 • 23 mins
It’s the Friday news roundup! Pittsburgh had on impact on the whole dang state when we elected a new representative this week; Pennsylvanians will be automatically registered to vote at the DMV; our five most recent former governors would love to open our primary elections; the “revolving door” for lawmakers to become lobbyists is an increasing problem in Harrisburg; and Gov. Josh Shapiro opened a text line for constituents — if yo...
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September 21, 2023 • 16 mins
It’s harvest season, and if you’re looking to preserve your bounty, we’ve got some tips for you! Richard Kralj, a food safety educator at Penn State Extension, joins us to talk about why there’s a renewed interest in canning, the best ways to get started, and why you may not want to rely on your grandma’s preserved peach recipe.
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Make sure to sign up for our daily morning Hey Pittsburgh newsletter.
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September 20, 2023 • 20 mins
Pittsburgh played a pivotal role in labor history, and we continue to innovate today. City Cast content director Wil Fulton discusses Pittsburgh’s vanguard approach to employee ownership with our sponsor, The Pennsylvania Center for Employee Ownership. He speaks with PA Center for Employee Ownership CEO Kevin McPhillips, and Erika Strassburger and Sara Innamorato, two members of the Center’s citywide task force. They discuss the Ce...
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September 20, 2023 • 21 mins
Did you know Pittsburgh is the backdrop for one of the most thrilling 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 few years ago, a fan bought it. Filmmaker Chris Rowan recreated parts of the set — including the infamous basement well — and converted the house into a “boutique accommodati...
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September 19, 2023 • 15 mins
Did we just become best friends?! Making new connections as an adult in Pittsburgh can be really hard, but hobbies can help! Writer and City Cast Pittsburgh contributor Meg St-Esprit has a bunch of great ideas to help you find a fun new pastime, plus tips for breaking the ice among your soon-to-be best pals.
Want some more Pittsburgh news?
Make sure to sign up for our daily morning Hey Pittsburgh newsletter.
We’re also on Instag...
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September 18, 2023 • 19 mins
South of Schenley Park and just across the river from Page’s Dairy Mart, there’s blank plot of land — currently known as Hazelwood Green — that the city, its foundations, and developers have been dreaming about for a long time. It used to be a center of industry, one of dozens of steel-making centers along our waterways. But what it should become next is still up for debate.
PublicSource reporters Emma Folts and Eric Jankiewicz joi...
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September 15, 2023 • 24 mins
It’s the Friday news roundup! Pittsburgh is getting a trans-focused fertility clinic, and City Council passed a pair of bills to protect trans health — though it’s not clear how much power the city really has. The new COVID boosters are available and finally hitting shelves in Pittsburgh. Plus, neighbors who are still anxious about plans to build condos at the old Irish Centre site may have an unlikely hero in Phipps Conservatory.
...
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September 14, 2023 • 18 mins
Pittsburgh homes are a mixed bag — some are lavish and others very lived in. Sisters Hope Perri and Annie Perri Colehave made a study of neighborly nebbiness with their hyper-popular Instagram account @HousesofPittsburgh, and they’re taking us behind the scenes on how they take a neighborhood home tour, their approach to content creation, and tips and tricks for making the most of any home-scouting trip in the Burgh.
Want some more...
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September 13, 2023 • 13 mins
This week 67 years ago, President Dwight D. Eisenhower launched the sister cities program, and in the decades since, Pittsburgh has become an especially popular international partner. How do these diplomatic hook-ups happen, who greenlights the match, and how did Pittsburgh end up with so many? Kathy Risko, director of the Sister Cities Association of Pittsburgh, says some of it is personality and a lot comes back to steel.
Want so...
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September 12, 2023 • 14 mins
When Andrew Carnegie started opening libraries in southwest Pennsylvania in the 1890s, he wanted to bring books and knowledge to everyone — not just those who could afford to pay. Now libraries are taking that spirit beyond the printed word, offering everything from power tools to ukuleles to genealogy databases. We’re exploring the unique collections available for you to check out at local libraries.
**This conversation originall...
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September 11, 2023 • 20 mins
Labor Day is over and Pittsburghers are in full-fall mode — buying their Halloween candy and getting their pumpkin spice fix, even if it’s still best served over ice. But the city has its eye even further out, because officials are hunting now for our next enormous Christmas tree. Bobby Cherry, the local writer behind itsChristmas365.com, shares how Public Works anoints its annual evergreen, plus his top tips for holiday events you...
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September 8, 2023 • 31 mins
It’s the Friday news roundup! Kenny Pickett’s getting paid to look at new sofas and Cutch’s place with Pittsburgh may be in the past. We’ve got a snapshot of host Megan Harris’ hot sports goss, plus an update on the state of the South Side now that the summer is unofficially over and producer Sophia Lo’s suggestions for the best ways to enjoy RAD Days over the next few weeks.
We love to cite our sources:
The Trib covered Carson ...
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September 7, 2023 • 13 mins
Have you ever tried a pawpaw? The fruit is ripe for tasting this time of year, and they grow right in our backyard, in our forests, and near our waterways. Hey Pittsburgh editor Francesca Dabecco is here to share some history of this native tree, plus some tips and tricks for finding or foraging its tropical flavor.
We love to cite our sources!
Become a pawpaw nerd like Francesca and read “Pawpaw, In Search of American’s Forgotte...
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September 6, 2023 • 17 mins
The federal government is giving away billions of dollars to build hydrogen hubs across the country, and Pennsylvania lawmakers want in. They’re excited about hydrogen as a cleaner energy source than fossil fuels — and about the potential for new, well-paying jobs throughout the Commonwealth. But some environmental advocates worry that without the right regulations in place, these hydrogen hubs won’t actually be as environmentally-...
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September 5, 2023 • 16 mins
Almost a decade after it was created, Pittsburgh’s land bank made its first few sales this summer. Why did the land bank take so long to get off the ground, and does this portend a more productive future? Jon Moss, co-editor of the Pittsburgh Union Progress, shares the renewed hopes and continued challenges for the city’s grandest residential housing experiment.
Find Jon’s reporting on the land bank here. He and others remain on st...
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September 1, 2023 • 23 mins
It’s the Friday news roundup! Many months after a study found we’re short on bathrooms downtown, city officials think they’ve finally found a solution — and they also want city residents to creatively take care of their deer problem. Plus, there’s a viral video floating around that asks a question Penn State fans should be very, very familiar with.
We love to cite our sources!
Pittsburgh has a new public restroom proposal for Dow...
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August 31, 2023 • 18 mins
How do you mark the start of fall in Pittsburgh? The first crisp morning? The moment the leaves start to change? Or maybe even earlier than that — as soon as pumpkin spice lattes are back on the Starbucks menu and Halloween decorations hit store shelves. If you’re in the latter camp, then fall is already here! And the City Cast team is sharing some of our favorite local treats to get you into the autumn spirit.
Our picks:
Commonp...
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