On today’s episode of The Confluence:
Two police officers were shot, one killed, after shooting in McKeesport
(0:00 - 4:09)
Two police officers were shot in the line of duty Monday, one fatally, in McKeesport. In a criminal complaint filed by Allegheny County Homicide detective, Greg Renko, two Mckeesport police were dispatched to a physical domestic dispute between Jonathan Majors, the man charged with criminal homicide, and his mother Candace Tyler.
“His mother told officers that he was having ‘a PTSD episode.’ We don't know too much more about his condition, but we know that he was in distress at the moment. He approached two witnesses while he was fleeing police, he told them that police were trying to kill him and asked them to film the whole incident,” saysJillian Forstadt, general assignment reporter for WESA.
Along with being charged with criminal homicide, Majors is also charged with two counts of aggravated assault, two counts of assaulting a law enforcement officer with a firearm, and two counts of attempted murder of a law enforcement official.
Majors is currently in custody but a preliminary hearing has yet to be scheduled.
After winning three special elections in Allegheny County, Democrats win control of the state House
(4:15 - 13:45)
Democrats now have control of the state House, after winning special elections yesterday for three vacant seats in Allegheny County. This win gives Democrats a one seat majority, with 102 seats in the 203 seat-chamber.
It’s the first time in over a dozen years that Democrats have a majority in the state House.
Chris Potter, WESA’s government accountability editor, says it wasn’t necessarily a surprise that Democrats won but every Democratic member matters in this narrow majority.
“What Democrats have said to me is, yeah, we're not going to be able to like do huge sweeping legislation, but this is kind of going to keep us honest. We're going to be able to focus and we're going to have to focus on bills that have bipartisan appeal and are really just about getting business done for the people of Pennsylvania,” says Potter.
The next step for Democrats is deciding who will become Speaker of the House, a feat Potter says will need to be met with caution as there is very little room for error.
A look at the rhetoric in President Joe Biden’s second State of the Union address
(13:51 - 22:30)
President Biden delivered his second State of the Union address last night before a joint session of Congress. But before his speech, he indicated on Monday that this would be a “conversation with America.”
“He came out sort of aiming to push this image of a kind of blue collar fighter who represents many Americans who feel like they've been left behind or aren't represented in the political sphere,” says Paul Elliott Johnson, assistant professor of communication at the University of Pittsburgh. “[Biden] did it, I think, by actually focusing heavily on data. This is one of the most data heavy State of the Union speeches that I've ever seen.”
Johnson says presidents are balancing two priorities during State of the Union speeches: highlighting what has been accomplished and setting an agenda in the year to come.
Although Biden hasn’t made any official statements about seeking a second term, Johnson says Biden’s repeated urging that lawmakers “finish the job” of codifying progressive legislative reforms can be read as an unofficial, reelection kickoff.
The Confluence, where the news comes together, is 90.5 WESA’s daily news program. Tune in Monday to Thursday at 9 a.m. and 7:30 p.m. to hear newsmakers and innovators take an in-depth look at stories important to the Pittsburgh region. Find more episodes of The Confluence here or wherever you get your podcasts.
