If you spend all your time in your backyard birdwatching, you’re probably already halfway to contributing to a citizen science project. From listening to frog calls to catching lanternflies, there are so many ways anyone can collect data for researchers. Writer and museum educator Melanie Linn Gutowski has a list of wildlife-focused projects Pittsburghers can participate in, even with just 15 minutes of spare time.

Project Owlnet is ongoing, and you can find more information on the National Aviary’s website.

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It’s a special Election edition of the Friday news roundup, and it’s our 412th episode! (We love a Pgh holiday.) The polls are open Tuesday in Allegheny County from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m., and the City Cast crew is here to walk you through the region’s biggest races — what the offices do, who’s running, what’s at stake, and why a few of the nation’s top political wonks may be watching Pittsburgh for clues to what could come in 2024. Plus, we’ve got a special audio treat at the very end!

Check out Hey Pittsburgh for a guide to all the voting guides in Pittsburgh this week.

Here’s how to find your district and polling place.

We love to cite our sources!

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As Allegheny County’s Latinx population grows, we’re also seeing more restaurants reflecting our changing demographics. Luz Amanda Hank and Howard Alvarez from Pitt’s Center for Latin American Studies are helping shape Pittsburgh’s Latin American food scene — from organizing festivals to getting restaurants off the ground. Hear their top picks for new and traditional favorites — from the perfect rice and beans to arepas and carne asada — plus grocery staples and so much more.

Find their full restaurant list here and recommend more Latin American and Caribbean cuisine via their form. 

Restaurants, food trucks, and other spots mentioned in this episode:

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Pennsylvania’s laws can feel like they were written for another time, and that’s because many of them were. From a ban on fishing with dynamite, to a prohibition on for-profit fortune-telling, we get into some of the weirdest state laws still on the books. Host Megan Harris talks with City Cast Philly host Trenae Nuri, plus reporter Harrison Cann at City & State PA.

Check out Harrison’s reporting on some of Pennsylvania’s most bizarre, outdated laws. Our newsletter editor, Francesca Dabecco, also wrote about weird local laws that are still on the books.

**This conversation originally published July 25, 2023.

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Happy Halloween! We’re celebrating with two twisted local tales that date back to the Prohibition era. First, folklorist and historian David Rotenstein breaks down the myths behind a Northside spot known as “America’s Most Haunted House” and shares what really happened at the site. Then, Print editor and writer Jan Kurth investigates the unsolved mystery of who is actually buried in William Beck’s grave in Smithfield East End Cemetery.

You can find Jan’s story in NextPittsburgh.

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Romance readers know the tropes — enemies to lovers, fake dating, there’s only one bed — but finding a story that centers LGBTQ+ identities and experiences isn’t always easy. If you’re looking for literary love and want to see your queer identity on the page, we’ve got the perfect book club for you!

Thanks to Not “Gal Pals” founders Marylee Williams and Natalie Deluba for sharing their top picks. Sign up for upcoming events through Not “Gal Pals’” Meetup Group.

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It’s the Friday news roundup! The City Cast team is keeping it light heading into Halloween week. We’re bringing you some local lore, extremely insider-y Pittsburgh costume ideas, and our recommendations for lesser-known horror films shot in and around the city.

Find more Hallo-weekend fun here:

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With fall in full swing, it’s soup season! Sarah McAlee, also known as brothmonger, is considered a soup-lebrity around town. She joins us to share tips for making your own delicious pot of soup or broth at home, plus her favorite spots to grab a warm bowl when you don’t feel like cooking.

You can subscribe to the brothmailer newsletter for Sarah’s business updates and recipes, and check out her previous interview on the City Cast to learn more about how she got into the broth biz.

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Book bans have been cropping up all over the country, usually brought by conservative parent or community groups appealing to school boards saying they don’t want kids to have access to something for various reasons. Often it’s LGBTQ+ identifying characters, conversations about race, uncomfortable hardships, truths, or lived experiences that some people think students aren’t ready for. But while some parts of the state have been inundated with book challenges, Western Pennsylvania hasn’t. 

We’re with City Paper’s Colin Williams to talk about his upcoming reporting — including proposed bans in Norwin, Hempfield, Pine-Richland, and Franklin Regional school districts, and how our upcoming election Nov. 7 could set the stage for fights to come.

Thanks to the Pittsburgh Media Partnership for funding Colin’s reporting, completed in partnership with Belt Magazine and the Pittsburgh Institute for Nonprofit Journalism. 

Check out your voting status and make your plan to vote here.

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George Romero’s 1968 movie, “Night of The Living Dead,” is a cult classic. The horror flick is considered the godfather of the flesh-eating zombie genre and it was filmed in Pittsburgh with local talent. As a Halloween season treat, we’re revisiting our conversation with Judith O’Dea — better known as Barbara — about what it was like to star in such an iconic film.

**This conversation originally published Oct. 31, 2022.

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