The Confluence

On today's program: health reporter Sarah Boden explains how new state guidance on vaccine distribution could make it more difficult for small pharmacies to get allocated enough doses; two historians talk about the role of African Americans in the Civil War, including two soldiers from Pittsburgh; and we’ll hear how a promising Squirrel Hill housing project was almost derailed.

On today's program: The U.S. Census Bureau announced it will take until the end of September to send population data to states, which could delay redrawing the state’s legislative districts; how the pandemic and racial justice movement have motivated Steel Smiling to provide more than 1,000 hours of therapy to Black people, and what’s next for the organization; and Pittsburgh resident Yona Harvey previews her latest poetry collection.

On today's program: Statewide rates of syphilis have risen over the last five years, mirroring a rise in sexually transmitted infections nationwide; Pittsburgh journalist Mark Houser’s latest book “MultiStories” documents antique skyscrapers; and sexual abuse survivors are reeling after an administrative error halted a constitutional amendment that would have allowed survivors to sue their perpetrators.

On today's program: VisitPITTSBURGH’s Jerad Bachar says it’ll take a mass vaccination campaign before the hospitality industry recovers from the pandemic; researchers are seeing how machine learning can help Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority find lead lines; and in light of studies showing in-person learning can happen safely, some say teacher unions are prioritizing teachers over students.

On today's program: As the city receives several inches of fresh snow, the Pittsburgh acting director of Public Works explains how the department manages plowing and salting 1,500 “lane miles” of road; Goodblend Pennsylvania is slated to build the region’s largest marijuana plant and dispensary, a 120,000-square-foot facility; and former Pittsburgh resident Sharon G. Flake has published a companion to her bestselling young adult novel, “The Skin I’m In.”

On today's program: A Chatham University professor is researching a type of mental health screening that could prevent people at risk of potential sexual misconduct from entering seminary; Amachi Pittsburgh, an organization that serves kids with incarcerated parents, shifted its focus from mentoring to supporting families' basic needs in the pandemic; and as vulnerable populations struggle to access vaccinations, those over the age of 65 are feeling disadvantaged navigating scheduling sites on

On today's program: Two researchers from Pittsburgh-based institutions found Black Americans are more likely to live further from a vaccine distribution site, and that racially-segregated neighborhoods have higher rates of COVID-19 fatality; The outgoing Allegheny County Department of Human Services director Marc Cherna talks about the department he inherited, and what he’s leaving behind; and Rob Rossi from The Athletic breaks down the Penguins’ new management hires.

On today's program: Labor and Industry Acting Secretary Jennifer Berrier talks about the challenges of distributing federal Pandemic Unemployment Assistance and Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation ; and Kyle Webster from ACTION-Housing explains the city and county’s plan to distribute a second round of federal rental assistance.

On today's program: Designer and Carnegie Mellon University instructor Karen Kornblum explains how the state’s COVID-19 website could be improved as more and more people seek vaccines; Those with Phase 1A eligibility are having a hard time scheduling their vaccination, and reporter Kiley Koscinski explains how they’re enlisting family and friends to make an appointment.

On today's program: Pittsburgh Public Schools Board President Sylvia Wilson explains why she abstained on a vote to consider closing buildings, and what might happen next; PublicSource reporter Juliette Rihl found the Allegheny County Jail uses restraint chairs twice as often as any other county facility in the Commonwealth; and a Pittsburgh promoter and concert producer offers her take on how the pandemic is affecting the local music scene following Congress earmarking funds to help ease