Laura Tsutsui

On today’s episode of The Confluence: The state House has passed a budget after Gov. Josh Shapiro reversed his position on school vouchers, a program many Republicans support. We speak to a roundtable of reporters covering Pennsylvania politics about the latest among state government. Today’s guests include: Marc Levy, who reports on government and politics for the Associated Press; Gillian McGoldrick, reporter covering state government for the Philadelphia Inquirer; and Justin Sweitzer, managing editor with City & State PA.

On today’s episode of The Confluence: Allegheny County released the 2022 data of overdose deaths and found a slight decrease in deaths from the previous year; the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) expects summer air travel this year to surpass pre-pandemic levels, we speak to officials of Pittsburgh’s airport about how flights over the latest holiday weekend went; and with the federal Pregnant Workers Fairness Act now in effect, an attorney shares their experience working with pregnant clients.

On today’s episode of The Confluence: We speak with the owner of a local childcare center about how their facility operates as a public-private partnership and what gaps need to be addressed in childcare; Pittsburgh is hosting the 2023 National Senior Games, competitions start on Friday; and a look at how low-income residents displaced from their Downtown Pittsburgh apartments last December are faring six months later.

On today’s episode of The Confluence: Gov. Josh Shapiro had directed the state Department of Aging to develop a master plan for older adults. We look at what the economics of caring for an aging state population involve, and how the state and county are preparing for the so-called “silver tsunami.”Today’s guests include: Kevin Hancock, special advisor to the Pennsylvania Secretary of Aging; Shannah Tharp Gilliam, deputy director for the Area Agency on Aging in the Allegheny County Department of Human Services; and Nick Pretnar, a postdoctoral scholar studying economics at the University of California, Santa Barbara.

On today’s episode of The Confluence: Data obtained by the ACLU of Pennsylvania found a disproportionate number of students who received summary citations in Pittsburgh Public Schools during the 2021-2022 school year were Black, a trend advocates and parents are asking the district to change; research from the University of Pennsylvania found taking race into account when assessing the lung health of Black and white patients led to disparities in treatment; and we talk about how a collaborative project among local institutions is commissioning art for “Envisioning A Just Pittsburgh.”

On today’s episode of The Confluence: Enrollment at state university branch campuses for Penn State and University of Pittsburgh has declined, and the trend has been years in the making; the federal government has waived a requirement called an x-waiver, which was required for doctors wanting to prescribe buprenorphine to treat opioid use disorder, potentially widening the pool of clinicians who can prescribe it; and a look at how and why keys to the city are distributed.

On today’s episode of The Confluence: State lawmakers have proposed legislation to give the state oversight of carbon capture wells, taking enforcement out of the hands of federal regulators; local theme and amusement park Kennywood is celebrating its 125th anniversary; and a local entrepreneur has created a smartphone app that seeks to incentivize consumers to shop at Black-owned businesses.

On today’s episode of The Confluence: Mayor Ed Gainey joins the show to discuss his Plan for Peace, which aims to address gun violence through a public health perspective, homelessness and what’s ahead this summer.

On today’s episode of The Confluence: The Pennsylvania House has passed a minimum wage increase for the first time since 2009, but its fate will be decided in the Senate. Also, an update on state budget negotiations. It’s our state politics reporter roundtable. Today’s guests include: Stephen Caruso, capitol reporter for Spotlight PA; Gillian McGoldrick, who covers state government for The Philadelphia Inquirer; and Chris Potter, WESA’s government and accountability editor.

On today’s episode of The Confluence: The Allegheny County Jail Oversight Board has been sued for allegedly violating the Sunshine Act by limiting the public’s access to information about the jail, including deaths, overdoses, and facility conditions; a patient navigator with Planned Parenthood of Western Pennsylvania weighs in on the year that has passed since the U.S. Supreme Court ruled on Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, overturning Roe v. Wade and leading some states to limit abortion access; and a conversation about the work by Johnstown resident Steve Ditko, who co-created Spider-Man.