Essential Pittsburgh Archives

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Deportation Real Fear For Pittsburgh Immigrants And Their Families Jun 27, 2016

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Last week the Supreme Court's 4-4 vote left in place a Texas federal judge's order that has prevented President Obama from granting deportation relief to more than 4 million who are parents of U.S. citizens. One of them is Martin-Esqivel-Hernandez who was taken recently from his Pittsburgh home to prison and faces deportation to Mexico. We'll talk with City Paper reporter Ryan Deto , who recently wrote a cover story about this case, and Guillermo Perez head of the Pittsburgh chapter of the Labor Council for Latin American Advancement and part of the campaign to release Martin Esquivel-Hernandez from detention..

Expert Describes Best Practices For Conducting Executive Searches Jun 24, 2016

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The selection of the next Pittsburgh Public School superintendent has brought practices regarding executive searches to the forefront. Recently, PPS board members launched an investigation claims by Anthony Hamlet, who was tapped to lead the district. Media outlets allege he’d falsified some of the information on his resume and in a speech.

New Resource Packet Encourages Faith Leaders To Speak Out Against Gun Violence Jun 24, 2016

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Gun violence is the leading cause of mortality among young black men and the county needs to treat it as a public health issue, according to Karen Hacker, director of the Allegheny County Health Department . “ How do we help to prevent this ?” Hacker asked. “And how do we help communities to heal because the impact of this kind of violence is really like post-traumatic stress in many of our communities.” She found an ally in the local Christian community.

Determining Pittsburgh's 'Best Restaurants' Takes Time, Debate And Many Taste-Tests Jun 23, 2016

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The latest issue of Pittsburgh Magazine looks at the best restaurants in town . But what does the making the list mean for diners, the restaurants and how what does it say about the city? We’ll pose those questions to food writer Hal B. Klein.

Author David McCullough Reflects On His Legacy And Love Of Pittsburgh Jun 23, 2016

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Pittsburgh native David McCullough has received two Pulitzer Prizes, two National Book Awards and has been granted a Presidential Medal of Honor. His work as a historian and author has earned him praise and acknowledgement worldwide, so much so that there is a bridge in Pittsburgh named after him.

Two Charged In Wilkinsburg Backyard Shootings Jun 23, 2016

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Two men ambushed a backyard cookout near Pittsburgh, killing a pregnant woman, her 8-month-old fetus and four other adults, because they wanted retribution for the 2013 slaying of a friend, authorities said Thursday. Robert Thomas, 27, and Cheron Shelton, 29, both face five counts of criminal homicide, one count of homicide of an unborn child, three counts of aggravated assault, three more of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, six counts of reckless endangerment and one count of criminal conspiracy to commit murder.

Exploring The History And Effectiveness Of Sit-Ins And Filibusters Jun 23, 2016

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Representative John Lewis is leading Congressional Democrats in a protest of the House's refusal to vote on gun-control measures. What are the origins of House sit-ins and the history behind them? How effective have they been? Will this one work? Franklin and Marshall College Director of the Center for Politics and Public Affairs, Terry Madonna joins weighs in.

What Will Happen If Wendy Bell's Case Goes To Trial? Jun 22, 2016

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Former WTAE-TV news anchor Wendy Bell has filed a federal lawsuit claiming her March 30 firing was racial discrimination. Bell was fired for comments she made on WTAE's Facebook page that station officials said were "inconsistent with the company's ethics and journalistic standards." Two weeks after the March 9th mass shooting in Wilkinsburg that killed six people, Bell wrote "you needn't be a criminal profiler to draw a mental sketch of the killers who broke so many hearts two weeks ago...they are young black men, likely in their teens or early 20s." Pittsburgh Post-Gazette columnist Tony Norman weighs in on this latest development .

'We've Never Seen Anything Like This.' Bill Maher On The 2016 Election Jun 22, 2016

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Bill Maher, who has been hosting “ Real Time with Bill Maher " for 13 years on HBO, joins us by phone. Maher started his career as a standup comedian and still performs at least fifty dates a year. He’ll be in Pittsburgh on Friday, July 8 at Heinz Hall. We'll ask him about politics, religion and all of the things people aren't supposed to discuss.

Could A Third Party Candidate Win This Election? Jun 22, 2016

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Both major political parties’ presumptive nominees have faced heavy criticism throughout this election cycle. While it may seem like the perfect storm for a third party candidate to rise, Point Park University history professor Edward Meena said he doesn’t believe it can be done.