It's not about good Airbnbs and bad Airbnbs. It's about fewer Airbnbs, period. The short-term rental bill before City Council is a solid bill. All the same, I'm going to be advocating alongside others for the strongest possible restrictions on short-term rentals in our neighborhoods.

Riparian Management bought up most of Wylie Holdings' massive portfolio of Lawrenceville real estate — then basically ghosted their new tenants and kicked many of them out of their homes. My latest (Pt. 1 of 2)

A video posted to Instagram purports to show an Allegheny County Jail employee holding a weapon and saying a racial slur:

I stg if I catch you donating to an out of state democrat instead of becoming a sustaining member of your local npr affiliate…

On the bright side, these cuts have paid for about one-third of one day's worth of interest payments on the federal debt. We've done our part!

This is a cool bill that could become a Very Cool bill if some changes are made. Down with Airbnbs.

Some more positive local news. City Council is due to vote on the bill tomorrow:

Absolutely incredible graphic from 1880 tracing the history of political parties in the United States.

I don’t think anyone is prepared for what they just did w/ ICE. This is not a simple budget increase. It is an explosion - making ICE bigger than the FBI, US Bureau of Prisons, DEA,& others combined. It is setting up to make what’s happening now look like child’s play. And people are disappearing.

found a beautiful mayfly molt on my porch. molting is an energy-intensive effort on animals from insects to birds, so I'm glad little guy was able to find a safe spot here.

"Traffic statistics [from] June 2021 showed 54% of drivers exceeded the speed limit of 25 miles an hour with a high speed of 51 miles an hour. The city recorded six crashes involving pedestrians at this intersection from 2020 to 2024." Now calming is coming: www.unionprogress.com/2025/07/01/p...

Someone remind UPMC that Trans rights are Human rights. @bethanyhallam.bsky.social @tanishaevonne.bsky.social @gaineyformayor.com @barb4pgh.bsky.social @themariamontano.bsky.social @cmroma.bsky.social @hanrahanrahanra.bsky.social

Stand with me and my community today. 3 PM at UPMC headquarters to demand that UPMC reinstate the life saving care we need.

UPMC is winding down gender-affirming care for young trans patients this month, citing “federal directives.” Now, more than 100 UPMC doctors, therapists and staff are demanding the health system reverse course and use its “immense resources” to “fight back.” www.wesa.fm/health-scien...

Timely poetry from Donald Rumsfeld. www.trashberg.com/p/the-rumsfe...

the destruction of chattel slavery is one of the great accomplishments in our nation's history and the reason conservatives hate celebrating it is because doing so legitimizes the black counter-narrative of the united states

Biden's infrastructure bill provided the money, and the city of Pittsburgh hustled to get it allocated and used. My street's 110-year-old water main is replaced, our lead water lines are replaced, and the spot in the sidewalk they had to dig up for each new waterline was done today!

Vienna has a way to make affordable housing and combat climate change all at the same time. Now U.S. cities want in, and they're building their own green housing.

"Of the single adults who have been housed through the program, 98% have not returned to the homeless system. All of the families have remained housed."

Our goals are to stop deaths & improve conditions in the Allegheny County Jail. “No one warden is going to do that, but I have been pleasantly surprised at the gains we’ve made.” A responsive warden engaging the community is progress. @tanishaevonne.bsky.social community.triblive.com/news/3807776

🗺️ New election maps 🗺️ How O'Connor beat Gainey for Pittsburgh mayor Gainey's support in the vote-heavy 14th Ward cratered, and O'Connor swept up most of the votes that went to 3rd-place candidate last time. More: www.publicsource.org/pittsburgh-m...

JUST IN: Pittsburgh voters have approved a ballot that bans the city from privatizing the local water and sewers system. The measure passed by a very large margin. This was one of my guide of the main races to watch today: boltsmag.org/whats-on-the...

From the PA State Data Center on new municipal population estimates out this morning. As always, a tale of two (sides of) Pennsylvania(s). Ref: pasdc.hbg.psu.edu/sites/defaul...

Encampments along the South Side Riverfront Trail and near Second Avenue Commons are being cleared. Winter shelters are closed. Beds are full. A look at homelessness in spring 2025 www.publicsource.org/unhoused-she...

Per my colleague @juliazenkevich.bsky.social, looks like Allegheny County's chief public defender is OUT after an investigation of her leadership of the office. www.wesa.fm/politics-gov...

The library of Congress is so so so fundamental, founded in 1800, it’s the only library of its kind, it belongs to every American, it has every copyrighted book, it is non-partisan. It is for research, anyone can use it. It is our library and we cannot let them trash it.

Incumbent Mayor Ed Gainey and Democratic primary challenger Corey O’Connor are sparring over affordable housing. But developers and community organization leaders agree there will still be plenty of ground to break after the May 20 primary — and that some challenges will be hard no matter who wins.

Paid sick leave has basically been O'Connor's central campaign plank 👀 triblive.com/opinion/lett...

THE ZAMBELLI FIREWORK SMOKE IS WHITE, A NEW LEADER HAS BEEN CHOSEN

Pennsylvania Dems need to circle their wagons and get the dude to resign, even if just for his own wellbeing but certainly for the wellbeing of their constituents www.wesa.fm/politics-gov...

New: Trump released his proposed 2026 federal budget last week, calling for more than 20% cut to domestic spending. Here are 9 ways that could impact Pittsburgh, from affordable housing to arts to immunizations www.publicsource.org/trump-budget...

This article hits all the crucial points about gen-AI and education: the unpoliceable gray area, the malaise, the death of the essay, the brain rot, how college was already a scam, and how it's becoming THE training ground for grift-based careers. nymag.com/intelligence...

Council budget director Pete McDevitt said Tuesday that the city would need to allocate $20 million annually to its fleet — across all departments — to adequately take care of the needs Public Safety. But the current prospects for such funding are dismal.

Artful report on fountains small and large:

“Real housing justice demands that we do both: remove outdated, exclusionary policies and put inclusive ones in their place,” Gainey said. “Inclusionary zoning ensures that affordability is built into every neighborhood, not just a few.” www.wesa.fm/politics-gov...

Republicans not beating the "want to cancel elections" allegations

Gainey says he has "delivered" on affordable housing. O'Connor calls the mayor's claims "disingenuous." @chwolfson.bsky.social combed the data and charted Pittsburgh housing trends www.publicsource.org/pittsburgh-m...

The ongoing foreclosure case was brought by an Indiana-based bank against the owners of Mon View Heights, a troubled West Mifflin affordable housing complex, and nearby Palisades Apartments in Rankin.

Among City of Pittsburgh gov't high earners last year were police who were reinstated after being fired and two top cops who resigned, @chwolfson.bsky.social found in the annual @publicsource.org review of public payrolls www.publicsource.org/city-pittsbu...

It's a very small thing, but it's annoying that O'Connor keeps referring to city-owned property as developable — "We have 11,000 lots we can build on across this city," he said tonight — when 45 percent of those lots are zoned as "Hillside" or "Parks." We cannot build on those lots!

Thank you, WESA for covering my campaign launch! The Republican chair of Allegheny calls this seat the "Republican seat" and accuses me of stealing it. This is not the Republican seat. This is the people's seat, and they alone will select its occupant.

let the record reflect that I got properly, justifiably doused on this Śmigus-dyngus

an important thing to keep in mind is that there are bugs to go outside and look at

Good to see Pittsburgh's Fatal Crash Response Team getting national attention:

The Society to Preserve the Millvale Murals of Maxo Vanka was informed that it would not receive the remainder of a $472,000 grant it was awarded in 2022 by the federal Institute for Museum and Library Services. That would leave them with a funding gap of up to $156,000 on the multi-year project.

this is such good news. i think it is also an opportunity for democrats to state forthrightly that when they win power again everyone responsible for this crime will be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law and will face the american people to answer for their lawlessness

Allegheny County does a shit job of maintaining its records and preserving its history. As a neighborhood historian, budgeting for a "county archivist" to establish a proper county archive is one of my priorities.

Been traveling this week (mostly Pittsburgh) and the Garcia/El Salvador story is coming up all the time. Main topic at Dem town halls/campaign events, I'm overhearing people talking about it at cafes, etc. There's a DC CW that Dems should pivot to some issue that polls better. Not their choice imo

These sickos think chronic illness is a valid trade-off for fracking profits. The state shouldn't give them the time of day on this.