In past years, the basement at Smithfield United Church of Christ opened its doors to those in need of a place to stay in the winter, but as homelessness surged, Allegheny County kept the shelter open indefinitely. A community quickly developed among those who slept there or hung out on the church steps, but neighbors started objecting. We talk with PublicSource’s Stephanie Strasburg and Eric Jankiewicz about their reporting on how the county handled the shelter’s closing and what it reveals about our local housing crisis.

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It’s the Friday news roundup! NEXTpittsburgh columnist Tony Norman joins lead producer Mallory Falk and producer Maria Carter to discuss concerns around how Mayor Gainey’s office communicates with the public. They also talk about the growing number of guns getting seized at the Pittsburgh airport (we’re on track to break a record!) and the latest local athlete to grace the cover of a Wheaties box.

We love to cite our sources:

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Whether you love a good taco or some crunchy chilaquiles, the Pittsburgh area has a growing number of restaurants with tasty Mexican dishes. Oscar Zapata, a Mexico City native who came to the Steel City for grad school, joins us to share his go-to spots when he’s craving a taste of home — including some of his favorite family-owned restaurants.

Oscar rounded up some of his picks for the first-ever print copy of the Pittsburgh Independent, which includes some beautiful photos from freelancer Tom O’Connor. You can order a copy online or find it in coffee shops and record stores around town.

Oscar’s Long List:

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Pittsburgh has one of the oldest city flags in the U.S., but the design leaves something to be desired — at least, according to Ted Kaye. He's the nation's leading flag scholar and author of the flag design bible "Good Flag, Bad Flag." Kaye joins lead producer Mallory Falk to explain what makes a good flag, where Pittsburgh ranks compared to other cities, and whether we should be considering a new look.

Want to check out some proposed alternatives to our current flags? Artist Lucy Chen designed a couple Pittsburgh flag options for Pittsburgh City Paper, and Tara Stark came up with a new design for the Pennsylvania flag.

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Why does Pittsburgh insist on changing the names of our sports heroes, and why do the athletes let us do it? We take a deep dive into the origins of Merry-o Lemieux, shortening Evgeni to Geno, and a bunch of other Steel City favorites with Rob Rossi, a senior writer at The Athletic.

Check out our long history of this via Fansided, which published an absurdly detailed list of Pittsburgh nicknames.

And there’s a fun new development in the Tito House saga — the city agreed to save the home, but not the infamous garage. Hear how we got here in this 2022 episode of City Cast Pittsburgh.

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Before Dr. Jonas Salk, polio killed or paralyzed more than a half million people worldwide every year, and survivors often faced lifelong consequences. Host Megan Harris & producer Maria Carter talk through his mid-century, lifesaving developments for the University of Pittsburgh, how the disease had been terrorizing local parents and kids, and how thousands of Pittsburgh-area children ultimately helped Salk and his team refine the groundbreaking vaccine—starting with Salk’s own sons.

The new Jonas Salk Legacy Exhibit at Pitt Public Health is free and open to the public during regular building hours. Learn more about his son, part-time Pitt professor Dr. Peter Salk, here.

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It’s the Friday news roundup! The big talk in Harrisburg is about Gov. Josh Shapiro pulling his support for private school vouchers after state budget talks stalled — much to the dismay of many Republicans. After Beyoncé canceled her stop at Acrisure Stadium, the BeyHive was buzzing with theories about why and a lot of disappointment. And a team from CMU has built a robot prototype that could help stop the invasive spotted lanternfly. 

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National Macaroni Day is tomorrow, and National Mac & Cheese Day is July 14, so we put our sharpest minds to finding the best in the Burgh. The City Cast team broke down what makes a good mac and cheese and where to get the best classic and elevated takes on the dish in the city. 

Here are the mac’s that were gouda‘nough to make our list:

Macs we’ve heard are worth a try:

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This week marks the 131st anniversary of the Battle of Homestead. No, it wasn’t part of any war, and technically, it didn’t even happen in Homestead. Just outside the Pump House in what is now the Waterfront, labor leaders walked out for six days to defend their rights while on the job. What followed was a brutal clash with Pinkerton “detectives” that ended with dozens of injuries and the slow collapse of the budding union. People died, and the movement didn’t stick, but the conflict left an indelible mark on union organizers and the company leaders who would stop them. Historian Maura Bainbridge explains the particulars, plus why that legacy still matters today.

***This conversation originally published July 6, 2022.

The Battle of Homestead Foundation is commemorating the anniversary tomorrow, July 6 at 6 p.m. at the Pump House in Munhall. No registration or admission necessary — just stop by and enjoy a casual meetup with music and food to discuss and remember the significance of the heroic struggle of workers and townspeople to preserve their dignity, their livelihood and their right to organize.

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For a long time, the birthday of 19th century composer Stephen Foster was a big deal in Pittsburgh. People here were proud that Foster, who was born on July 4th in Lawrenceville, was the popular songwriter behind a bunch of hits at the time — “Beautiful Dreamer,” “Camptown Races,” “O Susanna,” and more. And while Foster himself was not a confederate leader, there was a statue of him in Oakland for 118 years depicting a barefoot Black man playing a banjo at his feet. The controversial piece came down by unanimous decision in 2018, and we wondered where it’s been since. It turns out, there’s a museum director in LA who wants it, and has a plan. We’re with co-curator Hamza Walker of LAXART.

***This conversation originally published June 29, 2022.

Check out the city and surrounding region’s fireworks itineraries here.

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