The Confluence

On today’s episode of The Confluence: The Borough of Wilkinsburg could be annexed into the City of Pittsburgh, but the proposal still has a long way to go; the University of Pittsburgh is welcoming Afghan scholars targeted by the Taliban to continue their work in the U.S.; and arts organizations weathered the pandemic with the help of government funding and are starting to welcome back in-person audiences, but whether Pittsburgh audiences are ready and willing to return is yet to be seen.

On today’s episode of The Confluence: The first director of Allegheny County’s Department of Children Initiatives Rebecca Mercatoris lays out her vision for the department; The North Allegheny School District board has voted to make mask-wearing optional, but the decision could be overruled by the state Supreme Court; and author Yaa Gyasi discusses about her second book, “Transcendent Kingdom,” which is included as part of the Pittsburgh Arts and Lectures Ten Evenings Series.

On today’s episode of The Confluence: Infectious disease expert Dr. Amesh Adalja joins us to share what’s known so far about the coronavirus omicron variant; and as the Heinz Endowments’ president Grant Oliphant prepares to leave the organization, we look back on his legacy and ask what he sees as the future of philanthropy in Pittsburgh.

On today’s episode of The Confluence: At least 90% of county employees have complied with a COVID-19 vaccine mandate to be inoculated by yesterday’s deadline, but lawsuits challenging the order are still being considered; the commonwealth ranks 22 out of 47 states, plus the District of Columbia, when it comes to health care affordability; and Duolingo has hired a native Pittsburgher as its new head of social impact.

On today’s episode of The Confluence: The Port Authority of Allegheny County’s CEO and chief development officer weigh in on the projects and transit improvements they hope to tackle with the help of federal infrastructure funds; photographer Njaimeh Njie talks about her latest book, “This Is Where We Find Ourselves,” which blends her own history with commentary on the gentrification in the city; and we answer the question: Is the universe constantly expanding?

On today’s episode of The Confluence: Post-Gazette reporter Mike DeFabo shares the latest details on the agreement to sell the Penguins to the Fenway Sports Group; marketing and consumer behavior expert Audrey Guskey explains what we know so far about Black Friday shopping trends; and former Steelers linebacker Ryan Shazier talks about his career-ending injury and recovery in his new book, “Walking Miracle.”

On today’s episode of The Confluence: A lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of how the state funds schools is underway, seven years in the making; a new documentary film examines the impact of non-profit hospitals, U.S. health care system and Pittsburgh entities on its patients; and a rundown of the holiday-themed happenings in the region.

On today’s episode of The Confluence: Education reporter Sarah Schneider explains the vote taken by the Pittsburgh Public School board last night, and previews how the district plans to balance its budget; the Pittsburgh International Airport is expecting a surge in passengers this Thanksgiving holiday; and we talk about the history of why the commonwealth uses judicial retention.

On today’s episode of The Confluence: The head of the State Ethics Commission discusses why now might be the time for elected leaders to put limits on gifts to public officials, despite years of failed efforts; researchers found evidence of the virus that causes COVID-19 in white-tailed deer; and Pennsylvania residents who received additional unemployment compensation benefits, at no fault of their own, are getting sent confusing, and what some call “threatening,” letters from the state.

On today’s episode of The Confluence: Heading into the holidays, the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank is seeing increased costs for food and transportation, but is still able to meet the community’s need; Amazon is looking to develop a distribution center in Churchill, but it’s causing tension among residents; and the challenges new farmers face finding and purchasing land.