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Special to the Capital-Star

Special to the Capital-Star

The latest and best in state and national coverage from our content partners and sites across the States Newsroom network.

Pennsylvania residents call for action after study links fracking to asthma and lymphoma

By: - August 28, 2023

By Audrey Carleton A “bombshell” set of studies that linked fracking exposure to lymphoma, asthma and low birth weight is making waves in Pennsylvania and prompting calls by some for a ban on fracking in the state. The studies were released only after years of pressure from people living in the heart of one the most […]

COMMENTARY

The March on Washington happened 60 years ago. Today, the work continues

By: - August 25, 2023

On August 26, we will mark the 60th anniversary of the March on Washington in what is being called a Continuation, Not a Commemoration.  We will join thousands of people at the Lincoln Memorial, recommitting to the fights for freedom, justice, equality, and protection of our most fundamental rights and the fight against hate. We’ll […]

After a Pittsburgh coal processing plant closed, ER visits plummeted

By: - August 12, 2023

After the closure, Taranto said, ACCAN encouraged the Allegheny County health department to pull together some retrospective health studies. In 2018, Dr. Deborah Gentile documented a 41.6 percent drop in uncontrolled pediatric asthma two years following Shenango’s shuttering.

CCP receives $3.9M grant for new Broadband Internet Pilot Program

By: - August 11, 2023

Funded by a $2.9 million grant through the U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration, the pilot program is designed to bridge the digital gap and create jobs for residents in underserved communities.

Trans man with felony conviction in Pa. granted name change

By: - August 9, 2023

At the time of Hilliard’s May 2022 hearing, he was still on parole for a drug-related felony conviction. Thus, at the conclusion of the hearing, Yeager denied Hilliard’s request as premature.

Allegheny County Jail warden announces retirement

By: - August 9, 2023

The Fitzgerald administration will be working with President Judge Kimberly Berkeley Clark to identify a search firm for the new warden. The firm will be responsible for making opportunities for community input, according to the county’s press release. 

Smithfield United Church of Christ leaders break silence after county closes homeless shelter

By: - August 7, 2023

Second Avenue Commons, a more modern shelter, was scheduled to open at the start of the winter shelter season on Nov. 15, 2022. However, the shelter did not open until November 22 due to permitting issues and materials shortages caused by the pandemic, according to Bertolet. It was not operating at full capacity on the day scheduled for opening.

Lawmakers renew calls for rail safety reforms after Pa.’s latest train derailment

By: - July 18, 2023

The Montgomery County accident has intensified the attention of state and federal officials.

Pa. Court: Allegheny Co. must release autopsy report of man who died in jail

By: - July 17, 2023

By Jordana Rosenfeld Allegheny County administrators must release the autopsy report of a man who died in the custody of the Allegheny County Jail in late 2020, according to a new court ruling. In a 6-1 vote, Pennsylvania’s Commonwealth Court determined that the county had unlawfully denied Pittsburgh-based reporter Brittany Hailer access to an autopsy […]

Kingsessing mass shooting reinforces need for mental health services, experts and advocates say

By: - July 17, 2023

‘No matter what you look like or where you live, every Pennsylvanian deserves to be safe and feel safe in their community,’ Lt. Gov. Austin Davis said

Q&A: Pa. House Health Committee Chairperson Dan Frankel

By: - July 17, 2023

The Allegheny County Democrat spoke ahead of the Greater Pittsburgh Healthcare Summit.

Magdalene Sanchez’s “Homesick.”

Art exhibit by LGBTQ+ college students graces the walls of Pa. governor’s residence

By: - July 16, 2023

'These shows are important to queer artists so that we have our own space,' art student Magdalene Sanchez said.