In November, women will be on the ballot in eight of Pennsylvania's congressional districts—a record-breaking number for the commonwealth. The candidates claimed multiple victories in the May 15 primary.
Reporters MJ Slaby of The Incline and Lindsay Lazarski of WHYY weigh in on the increasing number of women candidates and primary winners. Dana Brown, executive director of the Pennsylvania Center for Women and Politics, joins the discussion as well.
Coming up...
John Fetterman has been a catalyst for Braddock for over a decade, garnering international attention for his efforts to reignite the area. But that could all change this November, when he runs for lieuntenant governor and splits the Democratic ticket with Gov. Tom Wolf. Though he's promised to keep his homebase in the former steel town, it's unclear how the community will be affected.
Colin Deppen, a reporter for The Incline, joins Megan Harris in the studio to talk about what Fetterman's bid for lieutenant governor means for Braddock's future.
Next in the program...
The Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority is treating water with a different additive to remove lead from Pittsburgh's water supply. That announcement was made just days before the blue ribbon panel, appointed to advise PWSA, recommended that board members should not be appointed by the mayor. This leads some to believe there's a movement to privatize PWSA.
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reporter Bob Bauder, and Sharon Lerner of The Intercept discuss similarities in water management between Pittsburgh and Flint, MI.
Later...
Pennsylvania's minimum wage of $7.25 per hour has been stuck since 2010, when the economy was sluggishly recovering from the Great Recession. In February, Wolf proposed a budget to raise wages to $12 per hour. Some Pittburgh employers have promised to increase pay to $15 per hour, but raising the minimum wage on the state-level draws criticism from economists and small business proponents.
John Micek, editorial and opinions editor for PennLive, joins The Confluence to weigh in on the Fight for $15 in Pittsburgh and across the state.
And finally...
Uber announced plans to resume testing their self-driving fleet in Pittsburgh after a fatal crash in Arizona put the program on hold. But late night tweets from Mayor Bill Peduto proved that not everyone was ready for the automated cars to get back on the road.
WESA's development and transportation reporter, Margaret J. Krauss, talks tweets and industry trust.
The Confluence, where the news comes together, is 90.5 WESA’s weekly news program. Each week, reporters, editors and storytellers join veteran journalist and host Kevin Gavin to take an in-depth look at stories important to the Pittsburgh region. Find more episodes of The Confluence here.
