Plus, Bloomberg, Mellon heir funding PA political ads.
You’re not a current PublicSource member. Donate today and join the 1,000+ people who help make these stories possible.
View in browser ([link removed]) | Forward to a friend ([link removed])
[link removed]
Donate ([link removed]) Send tips ([link removed])
Why this story matters: Local politicians make bold statements about abortion, gender-affirming care and much more in ads — but is what they say true? Our third ([link removed]) and fourth ([link removed]) Spot Check stories, produced in partnership with WESA, examine ads by local candidates in detail, fact-checking the claims they make.
Why this work is worth supporting: “Free press with real information is needed for democracy to survive.” — PublicSource member Barbara B.
[link removed]
Welcome to your Saturday roundup! Let's dive in...
🤒 John Peña struggled at first to pin the cause of the tremors, insomnia and other perplexing ailments ([link removed]) that started to afflict him around 2016. Over time, he began to link them to the presence of sulfurous odors wafting through his neighborhood. Peña, in a first-person essay ([link removed]) , shares illustrations and reflections chronicling his disruptive health saga.
💵 Between each cable news segment or disappointing Pirates inning, Pittsburgh voters are subjected to a barrage of political ads, many attributed to groups with vague names. APublicSource and WESA analysis ([link removed]) found that many are funded by out-of-town billionaires, and by so-called “dark money” groups with undisclosed donors.
🏛️ After advocates flooded a July meeting of the Allegheny County Council to protest the bidding process for a forthcoming Climate Action Plan, council held a public hearing last week to gather more community input ([link removed]) . The message was by and large the same: Their voices must be heard.
Now, catch up on the local news you may have missed this week ⬇️
[link removed]
** Facing tremors, insomnia and pain, I searched for answers — and came to blame the noxious air ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------
[link removed]
** Spot Check: Well-funded AG race ad tries to tie candidate to ‘defund the police’ calls ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------
[link removed]
** Who’s paying for all those political ads? Bloomberg, a Mellon, ‘dark money’ PACs and more ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------
[link removed]
** Advocates say climate plan must consider those most at risk in a warmer, wetter Allegheny County ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------
ADVERTISEMENT
[link removed]
Pittsburgh Arts & Lectures welcomes Pico Iyer on Sept. 30, for the second Ten Evenings lecture of the season at the Carnegie Music Hall. Pico Iyer will present his lecture on his latest book, “The Half-Known Life: In Search of Paradise.”
Tickets and subscriptions for the Ten Evenings Lecture Series can be purchased at pittsburghlectures.org ([link removed]) or by phone (412) 622-8866 between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. Monday through Thursday.
[link removed]
** Sponsored: Join Rivers of Steel in celebrating industrial arts and American crafts! ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------
[link removed]
** Mayor’s proposed zoning overhaul gets first Planning Commission airing ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------
[link removed]
** The Beaver County deportation that forced 46 Black people to leave the state ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------
[link removed]
** From the Southwestern US to Southwestern PA, PublicSource interns bring the heat this fall ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------
[link removed]
** PublicSource wins four statewide journalism awards ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------
** ICYMI FROM LAST WEEK
------------------------------------------------------------
* New Freeport residents have filed a lawsuit ([link removed]) seeking to compel Pittsburgh-based EQT to provide clean water to those affected by a 2022 fracking mishap.
* This year's controversial reopening of the Shuman Juvenile Detention Center is just the latest twist in a heated conversation over juvenile justice that's been raging for 180 years in Allegheny County ([link removed]) .
[link removed]
Thank you to those who became supporters of PublicSource’s journalism Sept. 9 - 16:
Adam, Arlene, Barbara Ba., Barbara Br., Bibhuti, Diana, Douglas, Elizabeth, Gregory, J. Alexander, John, Laura, Lauren, Lynn, Lyudmila, Marcin, Mary, Matt, Melissa, Olivia and Samantha. Join them by giving today! ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------
Donations by check can be made payable to PublicSource and mailed to 1936 Fifth Ave., Pittsburgh PA 15219. So that we can credit you properly, please include your email address with your gift.
*Membership status shown is based on email address and may not show correctly if you're subscribed under multiple email addresses. If our records need to be updated, just reply to this email to let us know.
============================================================
OUR MISSION
PublicSource is a nonprofit news organization serving the Pittsburgh region. We inspire critical thinking and bold ideas through journalism rooted in facts, diverse voices and the pursuit of transparency.
Read our ** full mission statement ([link removed])
.
Want to change how you receive these emails?
You can ** update your preferences ([link removed])
, ** decline fundraising emails (mailto:
[email protected]?subject=fundraising%20email%20removal&body=Please%20remove%20me%20from%20future%20fundraising%20emails.)
or ** unsubscribe from this list ([link removed])
.
