Emma Furry

On today’s episode of The Confluence: Jury selection continues in the capital murder trial of the man accused of shooting and killing 11 worshippers at a Pittsburgh synagogue on October 27, 2018. WESA’s Oliver Morrison reports that so far, no jurors have been selected. (0:00 - 6:01) Property owners in Allegheny County have made 11,660 appeals to their 2023 tax assessments. Rich Lord, managing editor with PublicSource, and Julia Zenkevich, reporter with WESA, explain who is making the appeals and what that will mean for local services. (6:05 - 13:23) We discuss how courtrooms and judges can better help those with autism when they interact with the judicial system. Judge Jennifer McCrady, who sits on the Court of Common Pleas, tells us what accommodations Allegheny County courtrooms have made, and how they’re sharing these tools with courtroom staff. (13:30 - 22:30)

On today’s episode of The Confluence:Legislation that would expand discrimination protections for LGBTQ Pennsylvanians has passed a second vote in the House and is expected to face one final vote before being considered by the state Senate. Meanwhile, lawmakers have also introduced new legislation to address hate crimes. We speak with state Rep. Dan Frankel (D - Allegheny) about this package of bills. (0:00 - 8:13) As warm weather returns, so do seasonal bugs, like the invasive spotted lanternflies. We speak to Pennsylvania State University entomologist Kelli Hoover about their return. (8:16 - 14:21) The state of Pennsylvania is the only one in the country to not fund public defense; that responsibility falls to counties. Spotlight PA investigative reporter Danielle Ohl reports Governor Josh Shapiro is proposing $10 million in his budget to fund public defense. (14:25 - 22:30)

On today’s episode of The Confluence: The state’s Human Relations Commission released its first whitepaper on the state of Pennsylvania’s affordable housing, which included recommendations on how state and municipal governments can better serve those in need of housing. Adrian Garcia, the director of fair housing and commercial property, discusses the recommendations the report offers. (0:00 - 7:53) A University of Pittsburgh professor received the prestigious Guggenheim Fellowship. Adam Lowenstein will use the grant for his book, which will focus on Jewish horror films and their cultural significance. (7:56 - 14:43) Bill Hillgrove, the play-by-play announcer, remembers his friend Pirates great, National League MVP, and longtime broadcast partner Dick Groat, who died Thursday at the age of 92. (14:52 - 22:30)

On today’s episode of The Confluence:Black pregnant women delivering babies are more likely to get tested for drugs when delivering than white women, suggests a new study of a health system in the commonwealth. We speak to Marian Jarlenski, author of the paper and an associate professor of health policy and management at the University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health, about this disparity. (0:00 - 6:53) The Pittsburgh Public School board approved using grants to cover the cost of police training for school security guards. We speak to Ghadah Makoshi, an advocacy and policy strategist with the ACLU of Pennsylvania, about the implications of interactions between students and law enforcement. (7:00 - 14:38) The Steelers have completed their 2023 college football draft, picking up Georgia offensive tackle Broderick Jones in the first round. We speak with The Athletic’s Mike DeFabo about the team’s choices. (14:43 - 22:30)

On today’s episode of The Confluence: Gov. Josh Shapiro has been in office for 100 days; the former Alcoa plant in New Kensington will be home to a new manufacturing plant backed by former Amazon leader and billionaire Thomas Tull; and the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh’s 2023 list of Best Books for Babies.

On today’s episode of The Confluence: More than three years since the first U.S. shutdowns to address the spread of COVID-19, women are still experiencing strain and haven’t recovered in the same ways as their male counterparts. We speak to business leaders and researchers about what impact they’ve seen on women in the Pennsylvania workforce.

On today’s episode of The Confluence: A new study from the RAND Corporation found that providing legal counsel at bail hearings reduced the use of monetary bail and pretrial detention; higher education enrollment dropped during lockdown, but the decline has been a yearslong trend at the Community College of Allegheny County; and a conversation with the author of a new book about former president Harry Truman’s role on an influential U.S. Senate committee.

On today’s episode of The Confluence: The city’s Jewish community is bracing for testimony that’s set to begin in the Pittsburgh synagogue shooting trial, now that a pool of potential jurors has been established; the Gainey administration increased zoning review fees for developments starting in January but announced a cap of $40,000 earlier this week; and we speak to a journalist who argued before Commonwealth Court that autopsy records from the Allegheny County Jail should be public.

On today’s episode of The Confluence: Supply chain issues are causing a nationwide shortage of certain chemotherapy medications, and some Pittsburgh-area cancer patients may feel the impact; a ceremonial groundbreaking has taken place for the next phase of the Mon-Fayette Expressway, which has been in the works for decades; and we preview a tour of the city’s high rise architecture, including the roofs of four Downtown skyscrapers.

"Watati", the playful new single from Karol G and Panamanian rapper, Aldo Ranks, brings reggaetón to the world of Barbie.