Penguins officials estimate 650,000 people showed up for this year’s Stanley Cup victory parade after captain Sidney Crosby led the team to their second consecutive NHL title.
Boston-based Bill Littlefield of NPR’s “Only A Game” joined sports writer Sean Gentille of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette to talk about the victory and how community pride is built on legacies like what the Pens just accomplished.
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One hundred fifty six Duquesne University nursing students completed four years of training with passing marks and dreams of a medical career.
But 24 of those students weren’t allowed to graduate last month. The university says they failed a standardized test needed to finish their degrees, and more importantly, to ensure patient safety. Students argue the test wasn't properly explained and should be optional -- a gage for progress, but not a final requirement for earning a degree.
Ben Schmitt, reporter for the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, talked to parents, administrators and current and former nursing students who fall on both sides of the debate. He joined Raymond Arke, a current Duquesne student and news editor for The Duquesne Duke.
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And Pennsylvania passed its charter school legislation 20 years ago on Monday. Charters began in 1997 as a model for choice -- even then, often polarizing and political. Today, 14 percent of Pittsburgh Public School students attend a charter program. Some offer specialized curricula built on the idea of more innovative teaching practices. Traditional public school advocates argue they siphon money and resources away from community schools with little oversight or quality control.
90.5 WESA education reporter Sarah Schneider and Mary Niederberger with PublicSource explain how the law came to be, how charter schools evolved and what to expect in years to come.
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The Confluence, where the news comes together, is 90.5 WESA’s weekly news program. Each week, reporters, editors and bloggers join veteran journalist and host Kevin Gavin to take an in-depth look at the stories important to the Pittsburgh region.
Find more episodes of The Confluence here.
