City Cast Pittsburgh

A few weeks ago, New York Magazine dropped a bombshell story about U.S. Sen. John Fetterman — how the Democrat’s behavior has grown increasingly erratic, worrying many of his staff members and even prompting fights with his wife, Gisele. City Cast Pittsburgh’s Megan Harris and Mallory Falk talk about the story and all the reporting that’s popped since, plus what we know about how Pittsburgh voters are reacting.

Notes and references from today’s show:

Learn more about the sponsors of this May 19th episode:

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Bad news this week for recreational cannabis fans, but good news for Steel Curtain stans. Kennywood’s newest steel coaster will open Memorial Day weekend, driverless trucks made in Pittsburgh are hitting Texas highways, there’s more pothole drama at Pittsburgh Mills mall, and the Pittsburgh Zoo has unveiled its giraffe enclosure renovations. Plus, we’re talking about why a few state bills — cannabis, school vouchers, early voting — can’t get off the ground, and whether we all have Max’s hit series "The Pitt" to thank for a big renovation at AGH.

Notes and references from today’s show:

Learn more about the sponsors of this May 15th episode:

Prolonlife.com/city - Use this link for 15% off

Airport Corridor Transportation Association

Greater Pittsburgh Festival of Books

Pittsburgh Pride

Heinz History Center

Become a member of City Cast Pittsburgh at membership.citycast.fm.

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Rockaway Pizzeria is finally up and running at its new shop in Regent Square! We've also got new restaurants serving up hot dogs and burgers, all-you-can-eat-sushi, and pistachio lattes that you can order late into the night. Plus, Pittsburgh's celebrating its first Vegan Restaurant Week, so don't miss out on limited-time special menus and discounts. 

Still hungry for more recommendations? Check out these food festivals through early June.

Learn more about the sponsors of this May 15th episode:

Prolonlife.com/city - Use this link for 15% off

Airport Corridor Transportation Association

Greater Pittsburgh Festival of Books

PGH Pride

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Pittsburgh Regional Transit is proposing huge cuts to our bus and T-line systems. The authority says it's been responsible — made hard cuts and budgeted well over the years — but needs more from the state to overcome a projected $100 million deficit. PRT's Adam Brandolph explains how we got here, what moves they've been making behind the scenes, and how you can get involved.

Want to make your voice heard? We’ve got some links to get you started.

Learn more about the sponsors of this May 13th episode:

Prolonlife.com/city - Use this link for 15% off

Airport Corridor Transportation Association

Greater Pittsburgh Festival of Books

Become a member of City Cast Pittsburgh at membership.citycast.fm.

Want more Pittsburgh news? 

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Introducing Ocean Vuong: "The Emperor Of Gladness" | Oprah's Book Club from The Oprah Podcast.

Follow the show: The Oprah Podcast

BUY THE BOOK!

The Emperor of Gladness by Ocean Vuong

https://books.apple.com/us/book/the-emperor-of-gladness/id6736382187

https://open.spotify.com/episode/50VqT29k6PQqGQzUnenogD

In this episode of Oprah’s Book Club: Presented by Starbucks, Oprah sits down with acclaimed author Ocean Vuong to discuss his much-anticipated new novel, The Emperor of Gladness.

Chosen as the 114th Oprah’s Book Club selection, The Emperor of Gladness reveals the many ways love, labor and loneliness show up in American life. The novel begins on a summer evening in the post-industrial town of East Gladness, Connecticut, where nineteen-year-old Hai stands on the edge of a bridge ready to jump. An elderly widow suffering from dementia intervenes and the unlikely pair form a life-altering bond. In this episode, Ocean discusses this deeply personal narrative and his gift of illuminating the fullness of humanity in the most ordinary of places.

Oprah and Ocean are joined by a live audience in a Starbucks Café in Chicago, enjoying the Iced Brown Sugar Oatmilk Shaken Espresso, layered with flavors of brown sugar, cinnamon and Starbucks® Blonde Espresso Roast.

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DISCLAIMER: Please note, this is an independent podcast episode not affiliated with, endorsed by, or produced in conjunction with the host podcast feed or any of its media entities. The views and opinions expressed in this episode are solely those of the creators and guests. For any concerns, please reach out to [email protected].

The primary election is coming up on May 20 — and today is the deadline to apply for a mail-in or absentee ballot. If you've waited until the last minute to check out what's actually on your ballot, the City Cast Pittsburgh team has you covered! We're running through the candidates and questions you'll see in the voting booth, what's at stake, and how to cast your ballot in Allegheny County.

Find your polling place here, and get a preview of your ballot from the county. Plus, double check voter ID requirements here.

Notes and references from today’s show:

Get To Know Pittsburgh Candidate and Mayor Ed Gainey [City Cast Pittsburgh]

Get To Know Pittsburgh Mayoral Candidate Corey O'Connor [City Cast Pittsburgh]

Get To Know Pittsburgh Mayoral Candidate Thomas West [City Cast Pittsburgh]

Get To Know Pittsburgh Mayoral Candidate Tony Moreno [City Cast Pittsburgh]

WESA Voter Guide [WESA]

2025 Primary Elections [City Paper]

Some school closures probably inevitable, most PPS board candidates say [PublicSource]

22 candidates vie for 8 open seats on Allegheny County Common Pleas Court [TribLive]

Pa. primary election 2025: A complete guide to candidates for Commonwealth and Superior Courts [SpotlightPA]

Progressive groups endorse new ‘slate of eight’ for Allegheny County Common Pleas Court [WESA]

Learn more about the sponsors of this May 13th episode:

Prolonlife.com/city - Use this link for 15% off

Airport Corridor Transportation Association

Greater Pittsburgh Festival of Books

Become a member of City Cast Pittsburgh at membership.citycast.fm.

Want more Pittsburgh news? 

Sign up for our daily morning Hey Pittsburgh newsletter.

We’re on Instagram @CityCastPgh.

Text or leave us a voicemail at 412-212-8893.
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Introducing Vanessa Van Edwards: Stop Overthinking Every Social Interaction! (Use THESE Cues to Be Liked, Respected, and Build Confidence in Every Conversation) from On Purpose with Jay Shetty.

Follow the show: On Purpose with Jay Shetty

What usually holds you back from starting a conversation?

Can you remember a time you avoided someone out of fear of saying the wrong thing?

Jay sits down with behavioral researcher and bestselling author Vanessa Van Edwards for a powerful conversation that blends science, honesty, and so many surprising moments. Vanessa, who refers to herself as a “recovering awkward person,” shares how her biggest social struggles became the driving force behind her mission to crack the code on human connection.

Together, Jay and Vanessa dive into the fascinating world of charisma, exploring the 97 cues, from eye contact to tone of voice, that quietly shape how we’re seen and understood. Vanessa breaks down why so many of us feel overlooked or underestimated—and introduces “signal amplification bias,” a concept that explains why the signals you think you’re sending might not be landing the way you expect. Vanessa shows us how confidence isn’t always something you’re born with but something you can build, with intention and awareness.

The conversation goes even deeper as they unpack the tricky balance between warmth and competence, especially for women in the workplace, and how vulnerability isn’t a weakness, but often your greatest strength. They explore how to create those magic “me too” moments that form instant connections, spot the hidden red flags in communication, and let go of the need to be liked by everyone in order to be truly seen by the right people.

In this interview, you'll learn:

How to Make a Great First Impression Without Saying a Word

How to Break the Ice with a Simple “Hey”

How to Balance Warmth and Competence in Any Conversation

How to Create Connection Using “Me Too” Moments

How to Exit a Conversation Gracefully (Without Offending Anyone)

How to Spot a Liar Using Body Language and Micro-Expressions

How to Ask Better Questions That Spark Real Conversations

How to Recognize the Difference Between Charisma and Manipulation

Whether you struggle with social anxiety, want to level up your leadership presence, or are just tired of surface-level small talk, this episode is packed with practical tools and uplifting wisdom to help you connect with more authenticity and power.

With Love and Gratitude,

Jay Shetty

Join over 750,000 people to receive my most transformative wisdom directly in your inbox every single week with my free newsletter. Subscribe here.  

Join Jay for his first ever, On Purpose Live Tour! Tickets are on sale now. Hope to see you there!  

What We Discuss:

00:00 Intro

00:51 From Awkward to Empowered: Overcoming Social Anxiety

02:43 How Do You Really Want People to See You?

06:44 Why Aren’t Your First Impressions Landing?

10:01 Why They’re Not Getting Your Signals (And What to Do About It)

13:33 Want to Be More Attractive? Try Being More Available

15:40 One Simple “Hey” That Can Spark a New Connection

19:16 Your Vibe Teaches People How to Treat You

22:06 Speak with Power: Unlock Your Full Vocal Power

23:47 3 Conversation Starters That Actually Work

29:49 Making Friends Doesn’t Have to Be Hard

31:17 Why Compliments Alone Don’t Build Connection

33:30 Break the Ice Without Sounding Like Everyone Else

38:36 Stop Trying to Be Interesting, Do This Instead

40:48 The Art of a Smooth and Respectful Exit

44:32 Use These Nonverbal Cues to Steer the Conversation

47:41 Spot Inauthentic Behavior Before It Costs You

54:28 Why People-Pleasing Feels Safer But Actually Holds You Back

57:48 How to Tell If Someone’s Lying (Without Saying a Word)

01:00:04 When Narcissists Feel Like the Most Charismatic People

01:03:46 Want to Really Get to Know Someone? Take a Road Trip

01:04:45 How Dopamine Makes You More Memorable

01:08:23 Every Answer Can Be a Gateway to Connection

01:10:51 How Asking Better Questions Inspires Growth

01:13:10 Discover Your Social Battery: Introvert, Extrovert, or Ambivert?

01:15:10 You Might Be an Ambivert and That’s a Superpower

01:19:07 The Two Ways Friendships Evolve Over Time

01:22:30 Choose Friends Who Inspire Awe

01:25:20 The Double Standard Faced by Highly Competent Women

01:33:09 Before You Make That Connection, Ask Yourself This 

01:34:34 Life’s Too Short for Shallow Connections, Find Your People

01:36:29 Vanessa on Final Five

Episode Resources:

Vanessa Van Edwards | Website

Vanessa Van Edwards | Instagram

Vanessa Van Edwards | X

Vanessa Van Edwards | YouTube

Vanessa Van Edwards | TikTok

Vanessa Van Edwards | Facebook

Vanessa Van Edwards | LinkedIn

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

DISCLAIMER: Please note, this is an independent podcast episode not affiliated with, endorsed by, or produced in conjunction with the host podcast feed or any of its media entities. The views and opinions expressed in this episode are solely those of the creators and guests. For any concerns, please reach out to [email protected].

Pittsburgh just went through a really bad storm — some of us went without power for a week — and our leaders declared disaster emergencies to get us extra help. But one of the key agencies that steps in after natural disasters is facing an uncertain future. President Trump just fired the head of FEMA and replaced him with someone who has no disaster response experience. We're bringing back host Megan Harris' conversation with Inside Climate News report  Kiley Bense to discuss what it means for our state to face more threats from climate change as Trump considers cutting FEMA. 

**This episode originally aired on March 3, 2025.

Learn more about the sponsors of this May 12th episode:

Prolonlife.com/city - Use this link for 15% off

Airport Corridor Transportation Association

Greater Pittsburgh Festival of Books

Become a member of City Cast Pittsburgh at membership.citycast.fm.

Want more Pittsburgh news? 

Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info here.

Introducing Daniel Pink from The Oprah Podcast.

Follow the show: The Oprah Podcast

BUY THE BOOKS!

"The Power of Regret: How Looking Backward Moves Us Forward," by Daniel H. Pink, published by Penguin Books is available wherever books and audio books are sold:

"Oprah's The Life You Want: Becoming Unstuck Journal" published by Oprah Daily, featuring exercises inspired by Daniel Pink’s "The Power of Regret," is available here.

"What Happened To You? Conversations on Trauma, Resilience, and Healing" by Bruce D. Perry and Oprah Winfrey is available where ever books are sold.

In this episode of The Oprah Podcast, Daniel Pink, the New York Times bestselling author of seven books, explains how we can use our regrets to transform our future.

For his latest book, "The Power of Regret: How Looking Backward Moves Us Forward," Daniel collected regrets from more than 26,000 people in over 130 countries. He shares insights with Oprah from his research - including what he believes are the four core regrets and why people usually regret the things they didn’t do more than those they did. 

People from around the country join via Zoom to ask Daniel about how to move forward from their deepest regrets. 

Explore Rejuvenation Home Furnishings | Visit the Rejuvenation Website: https://www.rejuvenation.com 

Subscribe: https://www.youtube.com/@Oprah

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Listen to the full podcast: 

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https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-oprah-podcast/id1782960381

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DISCLAIMER: Please note, this is an independent podcast episode not affiliated with, endorsed by, or produced in conjunction with the host podcast feed or any of its media entities. The views and opinions expressed in this episode are solely those of the creators and guests. For any concerns, please reach out to [email protected].

Officials say the raid at P*Town last weekend was an occupancy check — one they seemingly failed and which could put their liquor license in jeopardy. We're in the last stretch of the mayoral primary, and we’re talking about the group chat supporting incumbent Ed Gainey, a union call to remove the mayor’s COO for alleged anti-police bias, and criticism of Corey O’Connor for leaving a candidate forum early to attend a fundraiser. Plus, a famous Andy Warhol print seems to have ended up in Dutch trash, and there are a bunch of fun book events coming this weekend and beyond. 

Notes and references from today’s show:

Learn more about the sponsors of this May 9th episode:

Aura Frames - Get $35-off plus free shipping on the Carver Mat frame with Promo Code CITYCAST

Liberty Magic

Fulton Commons

Cozy Earth - Use code COZYPITTSBURGH for 40% off best-selling sheets, towels, pajamas, and more.

Become a member of City Cast Pittsburgh at membership.citycast.fm.

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Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info here.