The Confluence

On today’s episode of The Confluence:Last week, Mayor Ed Gainey announced the first round of nonprofit organizations whose property taxes are being challenged for not being “purely public charities.” We speak with the mayor about the announcement. We also ask about the latest on the search for the city’s next police chief, and what has been learned from a study on police staffing. The Confluence, where the news comes together, is 90.5 WESA’s daily news program. Tune in Monday to Friday at 9 a.m. to hear newsmakers and innovators take an in-depth look at stories important to the Pittsburgh region. Find more episodes of The Confluence here for wherever you get your podcasts.

On today’s episode of The Confluence:U.S. Steel has tentatively settled with two groups, PennEnvironment and the Clean Air Council, who sued over the impact of the December 2018 Clairton Coke Works fire. We hear more from Reid Frazier, energy reporter at the Allegheny Front. (0:00 - 5:30) A local group is fundraising to help build a center to raise and train service dogs for veterans impacted by traumatic brain injuries and PTSD. Bill Jeffcoat, president of Life Changing Service Dogs for Veterans, and Craig Hodgkins, a veteran with a service dog named Foxy, joins the show to talk about the canines’ work. (5:35 - 14:18) It’s been exactly two months since a train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio released toxic chemicals. Many residents in the small, rural town are trying to get back to their ordinary lives, even as large trucks with toxic waste still drive the roads. 90.5 WESA’s Oliver Morrison went to East Palestine to report on one effort to bring some normalcy back: The school musical. (14:23 - 22:30) The Confluence, where the news comes together, is 90.5 WESA’s daily news program. Tune in Monday to Friday at 9 a.m. to hear newsmakers and innovators take an in-depth look at stories important to the Pittsburgh region. Find more episodes of The Confluence here for wherever you get your podcasts.

On today’s episode of The Confluence:Gov. Josh Shapiro is traveling the state drumming up support for his key proposals in his $44 billion budget proposal, but the state treasurer warns the commonwealth could be headed for a fiscal cliff, so lawmakers need to protect rainy day funds. We discuss these issues and more with our roundtable of politics reporters. Today’s guests include: Stephen Caruso, capitol reporter with Spotlight PA; Sam Dunklau, WESA’s capitol bureau chief; Marley Parish, state Senate reporter with the Pennsylvania Capital-Star; and Chris Potter, WESA’s government and accountability editor.

On today’s episode of The Confluence:Several schools went on lockdown Wednesday morning after receiving reports of an active shooter. After responding, law enforcement said the threats were false. WESA reporter Oliver Morrison gives an update on the threats. (0:00 - 8:15) A water main break over the weekend impacted 4,400 households in the East End. Yesterday, the Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority lifted the boil-water advisory it put in place for those homes. Will Pickering, CEO of the PWSA, joins us to discuss what happened, along with the authority’s work to replace lead pipes and update stormwater management. (8:23 - 17:03) For our Good Question, Kid! Series, we ask: how do television shows end up on a screen? We speak with Brad Peroney, director of public and community programming at the Carnegie Science Center to learn how signals get broadcast to eventually be received by our television and displayed for viewing. (17:20 - 22:30)

On today’s episode of The Confluence:NPR’s Rome correspondent Sylvia Poggioli is leaving her post after four decades with the network. We speak with Sylvia about her time as an international correspondent and what has stuck with her most through the years. (0:00 - 9:00) A study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention published in 2020 found the higher a family’s income, the more likely children and adolescents were to participate in organized sports. We speak with Nelson Cooper IV, executive director of Pittsburgh Hardball Academy. The non-profit organization is working to reduce economic barriers and increase diversity and inclusion in baseball and softball for Pittsburgh youth. (9:06 - 17:33) Many people run on Pittsburgh streets, but what about running all of them? 90.5 WESA’s Katie Blackley spoke with one man who did just that. (17:38 - 22:30)

On today’s episode of The Confluence:The state has ended its contract with a company hired to distribute funding and review applications for mortgage relief. Charlotte Keith, investigative reporter with Spotlight PA, says the state alleges the company, Innovative Emergency Management, Inc., actually denied assistance to some applicants in order to close applications more quickly. (0:00 - 8:47) The Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre’s seventh artistic director has taken the helm. Adam McKinney is PBT’s first artistic director of color, and joins us to discuss his vision for the role. (8:55 - 17:46) Last year, Pennsylvania legalized fentanyl test strips, which allow people who use drugs to detect the powerful synthetic opioid’s presence in the drugs they consume. While advocates lauded the move, they also say it’s not enough because new contaminants have already made their way into drug supplies, and the ability to test for many of those substances isn’t currently available to the average person. As 90.5 WESA’s Jillian Forstadt reports, that lack of access is likely costing lives. (17:54 - 22:30)

On today’s episode of The Confluence:Pittsburgh Regional Transit’s Board approved a $28 million contract for the first phase of its Downtown to Oakland Bus Rapid Transit Project. PRT’s Chief Development Officer David Huffaker takes us through what we can expect in the coming years. (0:00 - 9:33) It’s been about a year since the City of Pittsburgh got approval to launch a syringe services program, but a Downtown facility hasn’t yet been up and running as officials envisioned. We talk with WESA’s Kiley Koscinski about the city’s program and where it stands. (9:42 - 17:28) The City of Pittsburgh is full of infrastructure: 1,000 miles of roads, nearly 800 sets of steps, and close to 150 bridges, and much of it is in rough shape. 90.5 WESA’s Margaret J. Krauss reports the job of turning that around falls to a single city office, and it could use some help. (17:40 - 22:30)

On today’s episode of The Confluence:We discuss how the expansion of telehealth, or remote health care services during the lockdown, has increased access to health care. We’re joined by: Dr. Ken Nischal, the medical director of digital health at UPMC Children’s Hospital; Heather Tomko, disability advocate and outreach coordinator at the University of Pittsburgh; and Stephanie Wijkstrom, founder and psychotherapist at The Counseling and Wellness Center of Pittsburgh.

On today’s episode of The Confluence:Allegheny Health Network has named Jim Benedict, formerly the company’s chief operating officer, as its new president. Benedict is credited as being pivotal in the network’s operational turnaround and in helping AHN navigate its response to COVID-19. He joins us to discuss his new role, why health care providers use non-compete clauses, and information security. (0:00 - 9:22)The state Treasurer’s office is supporting legislation that would make it easier for Pennsylvanians to reclaim property that belongs to them. Treasurer Stacy Garrity explains how much property gets forgotten, from uncashed checks to items in abandoned safe deposit boxes. (9:35 - 17:08) TIME magazine recently recognized a suburban Pittsburgh school district for its work to integrate museum design into its newest elementary and middle school. Seneca Valley in Cranberry partnered with the Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh to envision a building that encourages hands-on play and curiosity. (17:19 - 22:30)

On today’s episode of The Confluence:The Pennsylvania Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) has an initiative to utilize up to $40 million in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds to help address gaps in services for residents with autism and intellectual disabilities. We discuss where the gaps are and what additional funding could do with Nancy Murray, senior vice president of Achieva. (0:00 - 9:30) State Sen. Katie Muth wants to mandate automated external defibrillators in school buildings and training for staff in case of sudden cardiac events. We discuss Sen. Muth’s proposed bill, which is currently being considered by the Senate Education Committee. (09:35 - 17:10) This week the Pittsburgh Glass Center group breaks ground on a $15 million expansion of its headquarters, in Friendship. 90.5 WESA’s Bill O’Driscoll has more on the Glass Center’s remarkable growth over the years. (17:22 - 22:30)