In a quest to get to know Pittsburgh better, coffee enthusiast Zach Lucas visited a local coffee shop for every letter of the alphabet. He joins us to share his picks for everything from coziest vibes to the most unusual to the all-around best coffee (and tea!).

See where Zach has been on his map of the ABCs of Pittsburgh Coffee.

Sign up for Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library here.

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The Pittsburgh Steelers are back at their rightful summer home in Latrobe for training camp. To celebrate, join us for a throwback to when City Cast’s Morgan Moody and Megan Harris made the pilgrimage to talk to players and fans about the half-century-long tradition at Chuck Noll Field. 

Fans are welcome every day at 1:55 p.m. Get tickets here. And while you’re out there, check out today’s newsletter for a fun scavenger hunt of other fun ways to hang out in Latrobe.

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The synagogue shooting trial ended last week — when the man who killed 11 worshipers at a Squirrel Hill synagogue was sentenced to death. It was a long trial, with lots of challenging testimony. And someone close to us attended almost every day: Mallory’s mom. 

City Cast Pittsburgh’s Mallory Falk sits down with her mother, Ellen Surloff, who was president of Dor Hadash at the time of the shooting. Hear what she learned from attending nearly every day of the two-month capitol trial, and why it was so important to her and others to bear witness.

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On October 27, 2018, a man walked into a Squirrel Hill synagogue and turned an ordinary Shabbat morning into the deadliest anti-Semitic attack in U.S. history. Nearly five years later, he has been sentenced to death for killing 11 Jewish worshipers from three congregations: Tree of Life, New Light, and Dor Hadash.

City Cast’s Mallory Falk grew up at Tree of Life, attended part of the trial, and spoke to some of those affected. She joins host Megan Harris to discuss the trial, the sentence, and where we go from here.

Many local outlets have been dedicating a ton of time and effort to this coverage:

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It’s the Friday news roundup! We’ve got a wild story about the county giving in on a lawsuit brought by a paramilitary jail “expert,” who may have never done any real work, plus a send off to our departing friends at The Incline and 90.5 WESA’s The Confluence. Host Megan Harris is joined by Brian Conway, founder of the Pittsburgh Independent, and NEXTpittsburgh columnist Tony Norman to break it all down.

**Note: If you’re looking for more on the synagogue shooting trial, please stick with us. We’ll have more for you early next week.

We always cite our sources:

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The city’s biggest celebration of all things vegan, animal advocacy, and environmental friendliness takes over Allegheny Commons Park on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. The City Cast Pittsburgh crew has you covered with a full day of noms and veggie-forward recommendations, plus our very own Francesca Dabecco shares her tips for a successful day aht.

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A few hours ago, Pittsburgh got some big news: a jury ruled that the man behind the synagogue shooting in 2018 should be put to death. The gunman was found guilty earlier this summer on 63 federal counts, including 11 counts of a hate crime that resulted in death. City Cast’s Megan Harris and Mallory Falk discuss the ruling and what comes next. Additional sentencing will follow and we think there’s more to say, so please stay tuned to our shows next week. 

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Developers want to build a 162-apartment complex at the site of former Irish Centre at the edge of Frick Park, but neighborhood and community groups are not having it. So what's at the heart of this? Reporter Ryan Deto with the Tribune-Review explains the environmental and traffic challenges, plus his experience with a certain faction of Pittsburgh NIMBYs.

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There’s a difference between spaces that allow our best pals and the ones who are truly dog friendly. Pet expert Tori Mistick of WearWagRepeat is with us to share her favorite local spots for a paw-fect Pittsburgh day — plus how to pack ahead, what to consider about temperament and environment, and the quick rules for her newly christened four-paw rating system.

Pittsburgh-area teachers often spend their own (very hard-earned) money on classroom supplies. But twice a year, they can stop by The Education Partnership’s Teacher Resource Center and fill up shopping carts with everything they need — from notebooks and glue sticks to Clorox wipes and air purifiers — at no personal cost. City Cast visited the center last year and spoke with executive director Josh Whiteside, program director Sarah McKay, and several teachers about how the nonprofit supports students and schools in need. Stick around to the end to hear how you can help!

*** This conversation originally published September 28, 2022.

We checked back in with Sarah McKay and she said the Teacher Resource Center is now serving 191 schools — 20 more than last year. They’re always looking for volunteers and donations.

Here are their 10 most needed school supplies right now:

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