More testimony expected in final phase of the Pittsburgh synagogue shooting trial

On today’s episode of The Confluence:

The third phase of the Pittsburgh synagogue shooting trial begins today. Jurors will decide whether Robert Bowers should be sentenced to death or spend life in prison without the chance of parole for the shooting deaths of 11 worshippers from 3 congregations on October 27, 2018. Bowers was found guilty by the same jury on 63 federal counts, including murder and hate crime charges. David Harris, WESA’s legal analyst and law professor at University of Pittsburgh, tells us what the prosecutors and defense are expected to present for this final phase of the trial. (0:00 -7:47)

Pittsburgh City Council gave preliminary approval last week for a framework to address food insecurity with federal dollars. A final vote approving this measure would be the culmination of years of work for Pittsburgh food justice advocates. WESA’s city government reporter Kiley Koscinski explains what’s in the proposal and what’s next. (7:55 - 14:23)

An amendment to the Municipal Claims and Tax Lien Law now allows Pittsburgh and other organizations to take control of privately-owned, blighted properties. Becca Simon, director of programming at Grounded Strategies, tells us how she hopes the amendment expedites the process for residents to take over vacant, abandoned property, and ultimately build generational wealth. (14:28 - 22:30)