The Confluence

On today’s episode of The Confluence: Fenway Sports Group, which owns professional sports teams including the Boston Red Sox and Liverpool Football Club, is in discussions to purchase the Pittsburgh Penguins, although co-owner Mario Lemieux is expected to take a minority ownership role; a new study has found people under 30 who recover from COVID-19 have fewer antibodies than those recovered people who are older; and a look at how mental health experts are preparing to treat an increasing number of young patients with “climate anxiety.”

On today’s episode of The Confluence: A bill in the state legislature could limit elected officials and state employees from accepting certain gifts, a stark contrast to the state’s current lax regulations, but state Sen. Jake Corman has yet to weigh in on the bill, despite his GOP counterparts supporting the legislation; Pittsburgh Mercy has opened their winter shelters to accommodate homeless people in dangerously cold weather with COVID-19 mitigation measures in place; and a look at how mental health experts are treating anxiety around climate change.

On today’s episode of The Confluence: We hear from A+ Schools’ James Fogarty about the organization’s annual report to the community, which this year focuses broadly on Pittsburgh schools’ challenges and how the pandemic highlighted disparities; although school board races may have seemed more partisan than usual amid masking and curriculum debates, political action committee spending wasn’t as decisive as one might believe; and a dance project based in Pittsburgh's historic neighborhoods brings viewers to performances through virtual reality.

On today’s episode of The Confluence: Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald is requesting employers require COVID-19 vaccines by January 1, 2022; and City Councilor Rev. Ricky Burgess explains why he put forth an ordinance to stop police from pulling over drivers for low level traffic offenses, such as broken taillights and brake lights, which he says disproportionately impact people of color.

On today’s episode of The Confluence: The Peduto administration has proposed creating an Office of Immigrant and Refugee Affairs to city council, which could expand services the Welcoming Pittsburgh initiative has put in place; Rev. Dr. Ketlen Solak will soon be installed as the first woman and person of color to become a bishop in the Pittsburgh Episcopal Diocese; and a look at how the disrupted global supply chain is affecting local breweries and distilleries.

On today’s episode of The Confluence: The Associated Press’ Marc Levy lays out the Wolf administration’s update to the mask mandate for K-12 schools, and the legal challenges the existing policy has attracted; and a director with a film in the upcoming Three Rivers Film Festival tells us about her movie, while the executive director of Film Pittsburgh previews what to expect at the now in-person event.

On today’s episode of The Confluence: Zachary Sherman, executive director of Pennie, the state’s insurance exchange, explains how the American Rescue Plan has significantly reduced the cost of health care for those who can enroll via Pennie this year; one reporter’s investigation into school board campaign found access to campaign finance disclosures varies widely by county in the commonwealth; and we hear from the plaintiffs in a trial going to court Friday that calls into question how the state funds public schools.

On today’s episode of The Confluence: Mayor-elect Ed Gainey joins The Confluence to explain the priorities he’ll take on while in office, ranging from creating a diverse administration to advocating for more community policing; and a look at labor challenges facing the state’s agriculture industry as the average age of farmers rises.

On today’s episode of The Confluence: Allegheny County President Judge Kim Berkeley Clark requested an extension of eviction protections, but since the State Supreme Court denied it, we look at where this could leave tenants; University of Pittsburgh’s David Harris dives into what we learned from oral arguments regarding Texas’s abortion law; and a look at how everyday citizens think about foreign policy.

On today’s episode of The Confluence: Chris Potter and Ariel Worthy from WESA’s government and accountability team share what we know so far about the results from Tuesday’s election; and the Post-Gazette’s John Hayes explains why the Pennsylvania Steelhead Association has put up a surveillance camera at Lake Erie, where anglers and poachers harvest the popular trout.