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Jerry Sandusky's Resentencing Is Delayed For Reasons Unclear

Jerry Sandusky's resentencing on a 45-count child sexual abuse conviction is on hold, and it's not clear when it will happen.

'Once You Have It, You Need It': Opioid Epidemic Still Rages

Presidential Candidate, Minn. Senator Amy Klobuchar To Visit Pittsburgh Wednesday

Politics & Government

Presidential Candidate, Minn. Senator Amy Klobuchar To Visit Pittsburgh Wednesday

By Chris Potter • 10 hours ago

Presidential candidate and Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar will make her first campaign stop in Pittsburgh Wednesday. She will appear at Stack’d Burgers in Oakland at 6:30 p.m., according to the campaign’s calendar.

PA Lawmakers Return To Harrisburg This Month, Here Is Their Plan

By Katie Meyer • 12 hours ago

The state legislature is emerging from its long summer recess this month, with the House back in session Tuesday and the Senate returning next Monday.

Lawmakers are about halfway through their two-year session, and they left a lot unfinished when they took their post-budget break. Here’s what to look for during the impending flurry in Harrisburg.

The great energy debate

State Rep. Dan Frankel Says Gun Violence A Public Health Issue, Hopeful For Bipartisan Support

By Ariel Worthy • Sep 13, 2019

State Rep. Dan Frankel says he wants guns to get the same attention that e-cigarettes recently received after President Donald Trump announced an effort to force e-cigarette companies to take flavored vaping products off the market.

Science, Health & Tech

'Once You Have It, You Need It': Opioid Epidemic Still Rages

By Michael Rubinkam | Associated Press • 5 hours ago

As lawyers exchange mountains of paper and dicker over the details of a settlement with OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma, Americans are dying from opioids by the tens of thousands in an epidemic that grinds on in state after state, community after community, with no end in sight.

Hepatitis A Is On The Rise In Allegheny County

By Sarah Boden • Sep 12, 2019

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Hepatitis A is on the rise, but the Allegheny County Health Department says it could be worse.

There have been 22 cases of the disease since January 2018, the highest number in over a decade. Hepatitis A is a highly contagious liver disease that causes inflammation.

Identity & Justice

Jerry Sandusky's Resentencing Is Delayed For Reasons Unclear

By Associated Press • 4 hours ago

Jerry Sandusky's resentencing on a 45-count child sexual abuse conviction is on hold, and it's not clear when it will happen.

Arc Center President: Federal Government Needs To Do More For Caregivers

By Megan Harris, Kiley Koscinski & Kevin Gavin • Sep 13, 2019

Listen

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39:28

90.5 WESA's "The Confluence" for Friday, Sept. 13, 2019

On today's program: A Pittsburgh leader is coordinating a national strategy for family caregivers; Allegheny County is seeing a Hepatitis A outbreak; a Duquesne University forum digs into the mind of a serial killer; and city council wants some control over how a potential new tax is spent.

Education

A Clash On Cyber Charters Kicks Off Fall Legislative Session In Harrisburg

By Avi Wolfman-Arent | Keystone Crossroads • 12 hours ago

Stefaine D’Amico says her oldest son Bobby was bullied relentlessly at the public and Catholic schools he’d attended.

“The bullying just took over. That’s all he cared about,” she said. “He would go to school and sit there like, ‘Oh my god are they looking at me? Are they gonna say something?’”

For sixth grade, the Delaware County mom decided to send Bobby to a cyber charter school, where he could learn online from home.

Good Question!

Before Pitt, Real Panthers Once Prowled Around Pittsburgh

Four bronze panther monuments keep watch over the Panther Hollow Bridge in Oakland. Weathered over a century, the statutes appear to stalk passersby.

Why Are There So Many 'Run Roads' In The Pittsburgh Region?

Does Pittsburgh Have Its Own Style Of Pizza? An Exploration Of The City's Pies

Development & Transportation

East End Giant Eagle Developer Says Plan Is Evolving Amid Community Concerns

By Kathleen J. Davis • Sep 10, 2019

The developers proposing a Giant Eagle revamp on Shady Avenue in the East End presented their plans to the Pittsburgh Planning Commission Tuesday. The Shakespeare Street development has received some pushback.

Federal Report Says Train Derailment Could Have Been Avoided

By Sarah Boden • Sep 6, 2019

The Federal Railroad Administration says “serious oversights” led to last year’s train derailment near Station Square.

A report released on Thursday by the agency finds that a broken rail track led to the derailment, on Aug. 5, 2018.

Arts, Sports, & Culture

'Hungry:' A Food Writer's Memoir About Saying 'Yes'

By Megan Harris, Kiley Koscinski & Kevin Gavin • 3 hours ago

Listen

Listening...

39:28

90.5 WESA's "The Confluence" for Monday, Sept. 16, 2019

On today's program: A food writer's new book follows one extraordinary chef around the world foraging for flavors; a local group is teaching families how to advocate for quality medical care; Allegheny County sees its first conviction of a 30-year-old crime; and citizens could be responsible for redrawing state legislative districts —if lawmakers are willing to give that up.

Artist Completes Public Work Celebrating Hill District Residents

By Bill O'Driscoll • 15 hours ago

Photo by Bill O'Driscoll / 90.5 WESA News

Njaimeh Njie spent three years on her public artwork “Homecoming: Hill District, USA.” This month, she completed the project’s final piece, a photo mural on the front steps of the Hill House Association’s landmark Kaufmann Center. But if a visit just hours after the installation is any indication, the work is already meeting its goal of connecting community members across time and space.

Public Art Project Installed In Front Of Tree Of Life, Nearly One Year After Massacre

By Kathleen J. Davis • Sep 12, 2019

A collaborative art project in front of the Tree of Life synagogue site in Squirrel Hill has been installed. #HeartsTogether: The Art of Rebuilding, includes 101 images printed on a windscreen that stretches in front of the building along Wilkins Avenue.

Environment & Energy

Pittsburgh Earns 4th-Ever United Nations Designation

By Megan Harris, Kiley Koscinski & Kevin Gavin • Sep 12, 2019

Listen

Listening...

39:28

90.5 WESA's "The Confluence" for Thursday, Sept. 12, 2019

On today's program: DNA excavated from a nearby rockshelter could tell us about humanity 19,000 years ago; how the once-lost running buffalo clover has rebounded; why Pennsylvania is suing the family behind Purdue Pharma; and Pittsburgh ranks among the most sustainable for its building practices.

Meet The Little Green Clover That Beat The Odds

By Glynis Board | The Allegheny Front • Sep 12, 2019

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is taking a rare species of plant found in the Ohio Valley off of the endangered species list. Amid the Trump administration’s controversial new rules that weaken the Endangered Species Act, the Running Buffalo Clover is an example of a successful recovery.

How Did Fracking Contaminants End Up In The Mon River? A Legal Loophole May Be To Blame

By Reid Frazier | StateImpact Pennsylvania • Sep 11, 2019

Reid R. Frazier / StateImpact Pennsylvania

About a year and a half ago, Guy Kruppa realized something was wrong with his bugs.

Economy & Business

Lack Of Interest Thwarts Latest Pennsylvania Casino Auction

By Associated Press • Sep 4, 2019

Lack of interest has thwarted Pennsylvania's latest casino expansion attempt.

The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board received no bidders Wednesday in a casino license auction ordered by lawmakers as part of an aggressive gambling expansion launched in 2017 by a cash-hungry state government.

Local Headlines

Police: Owner Blew Up House On His Daughter's Wedding Day

By Associated Press • Sep 15, 2019

An Edgewood man blew up his house on his daughter's wedding day, police said shortly after his body was found in the rubble late Saturday.

The man had been seen standing in front of his house in Edgewood shortly before it exploded and caught fire, authorities said, but for several hours he couldn't be accounted for. His death has been ruled a suicide.

Rape Victims Advocate, Nonprofit Creators Win Heinz Awards

By Associated Press • Sep 12, 2019

A woman who helped secure legal protections for rape victims is one of five people being honored with $250,000 cash awards from the Pittsburgh-based Heinz Family Foundation.

The annual Heinz Awards recognize achievement in the arts, public policy, the economy and other areas. The recipients of the 24th annual awards were announced Tuesday.

Among them are Amanda Nguyen, credited with leading the campaign to enact the 2016 Sexual Assault Survivors' Bill of Rights Act and spurring similar legislation in dozens of states and internationally.

Food & Drink

Do PA’s Liquor Laws Rip Off Consumers? Lawmakers Hear Opposing Arguments

By Katie Meyer • Sep 11, 2019

A group of state lawmakers is trying to decide whether they made a mistake three years ago, when they gave Pennsylvania’s state-run liquor industry more power to negotiate prices.

National & International

Comedian Shane Gillis Fired From 'Saturday Night Live' For Racist Remarks

By Vanessa Romo • 27 minutes ago

Shane Gillis, the comedian who's been under fire over the last few days for using racist and homophobic slurs on his podcast, has been fired from Saturday Night Live.

Gillis was one of three cast members recently added to the show, which is set to begin its 45th season. But the comedian was canned on Monday before ever making an appearance on the show.

"After talking with Shane Gillis, we have decided that he will not be joining SNL," an spokesperson said in a statement on behalf of producer Lorne Michaels.

Where the News Comes Together

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