On this week’s Explainer:
Gov. Tom Wolf announced this week that K-12 teachers, child care workers and other school staff will be prioritized for vaccination. The state plans to set aside doses of the newly approved one-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine for this purpose.
WESA education reporter Sarah Schneider reports the move comes as President Joe Biden says he wants all educators to have access to the vaccine by the end of the month.
Public transit has struggled mightily during the pandemic. Revenues and ridership for the Port Authority of Allegheny County are down some 60%. Four employees at the agency have died from COVID-19, and many others have become ill. WESA development and transportation reporter Margaret J. Krauss reports despite all these challenges --and a state funding cliff drawing ever nearer -- the Port Authority’s CEO is optimistic about the agency’s future.
Last week, a Democratic state House committee invited representatives of the fossil fuel industry to speak about energy jobs in the 21st century. StateImpact Pennsylvania’s Rachel McDevitt says this and another recent hearing in Harrisburg demonstrate how far policy is from agreeing with climate science, and how far some Democrats are from agreeing with each other.
Pittsburgh Explainer is hosted by Liz Reid and produced by Katie Blackley. New episodes come out every Friday. Listen on the NPR One app or subscribe on iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.
