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Republican Nicole Ziccarelli Challenges Democrat Jim Brewster In District...

State Senator Jim Brewster, of McKeesport, is one of Allegheny County’s last old-school Democrats — friendly to labor, but socially conservative — to serve in Harrisburg. And now, after his district...

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Lamb And Parnell Face Off In Crucial 17th District

Suburban Pennsylvania voters may reshape the national political landscape this year, and that’s especially true in places like the 17th Congressional District outside of Pittsburgh, where Democrat...

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Both Democrats And Republicans In Western PA Wonder If Election Results Can...

Election Day is in just two weeks. But concerns about slow mail delivery, voter suppression, and baseless claims of fraud have voters on both sides wondering if the results can be trusted.

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One Small Step: Aaron Weidman & Tawnya Davis On 'Luck,' Race & Opportunity

Aaron Weidman, 32, of Pittsburgh’s Squirrel Hill neighborhood, says the idea of “luck” plays a limited role in how likely a person is to realize their potential. But Tawnya Davis, 53, of Monroeville,...

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Drive-Ins Find New Life During The Pandemic

On a chilly October evening, Vicki Potter stands in a gravel parking lot in Pittsburgh’s Strip District. The scent of popcorn mixes with the gasoline from nearby idling cars. Patrons are masked and...

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Trump Failed To Revive Coal, But That Doesn't Mean Workers Will Adopt Biden’s...

Trains still carry coal past the now-abandoned Mathies Mine, located on the Monongahela River in Washington County. Metal fencing blocks the mine entrance, a cave-like opening where hundreds of miners...

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Amid Concerns Of Suppression, Black Voters In Pittsburgh Turn To Early Voting

Voting rights activists – as well as Democrats – are pinning their hopes for a big turnout in this year’s election on mail-in voting. But some voters in Black communities don't plan to just sit back...

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One Small Step: Amber Neider & Dan Leger on Tree Of Life, Gun Rights &...

Two years ago this week, a gunman killed 11 members of Pittsburgh’s Jewish community at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Squirrel Hill. In their conversation for One Small Step, a partnership between...

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From Backyard Rallies To Homemade Lawn Signs, Grassroots Tactics Mark Final...

While it’s almost cliché to call western Pennsylvania an election battleground, local political organizers do not take the status for granted. And as this year’s campaign comes to a close in the age of...

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One Small Step: Susan Uffelman & Michele Charmello On Building Bridges After...

Susan Uffelman, 53, of Pittsburgh and Michele Charmello, 51, of Pitcairn, Pa., stand on opposite ends of the political spectrum—Uffelman to the right, Charmello to the left.

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Pittsburgh-Based Author's New Novel Explores Puerto Rico's Past

Puerto Ricans have been immigrating to the U.S. for generations. Yet many mainlanders know little about this Caribbean island. For example, in 2017, in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria, some Americans...

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Western PA Voters Reflect On Election Results — And What Comes Next

Pennsylvania certified Democrat Joe Biden as the winner of the presidential election weeks ago. But President Trump’s campaign and some allies are still fighting the outcome in court. For the final...

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PA’s Elderly Rely On Younger Relatives, Strangers On Facebook To Get COVID-19...

After the state expanded phase 1A of its COVID-19 vaccine distribution plan last month, elderly Pennsylvanians began looking for appointments to get a shot. But since almost all vaccine appointments...

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Acclaimed Pittsburgh-Based Young-Adult Author Pens Companion To A Cherished...

One person’s antagonist is another’s protagonist. It’s true in life, and also in the award-winning young-adult fiction of Sharon G. Flake.

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The Politics Behind Reopening Pittsburgh Public Schools

An increasing amount of scientific evidence suggests that in-person learning, especially for younger students, presents a low risk for spreading the coronavirus. But last month, Pittsburgh Public...

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Across Time And Space, Poet Channels Other Voices

In poet Yona Harvey’s latest collection, “You Don’t Have to Go to Mars for Love” (Four Way Books), several poems feel equal parts composition and collage. And there’s a reason for that.

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‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Get’: Port Authority Plans On A Bright Future

The Port Authority of Allegheny County is on a quest to build a transit system that is equitable, sustainable and improves people’s lives . A new round of public meetings on its long-range plan,...

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Pittsburgh Musicians Look To Future Beyond Pandemic

Musicians in Pittsburgh, like artists everywhere, had to learn to live without in-person concerts and play from behind a screen when the pandemic arrived. While many say they’re excited to return to...

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