On today’s episode of The Confluence:
The last major publication strike in Pittsburgh was 30 years ago, and there are some similarities to today’s
(0:00 - 9:09)
Members of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette newsroom have been on strike for nearly a week, after alleging unfair labor practices at the publication.
On Oct. 6, workers from unions that are responsible for production, distribution and advertising at the paper walked off the job.
“We're at a point where we need more reporters,” says Andrew Conte, director of the Center for Media Innovation at Point Park University. “We need people asking questions of people in power and telling the stories of those who need help and just telling the stories of our city.”
Conte says when newspapers disappear, communities lose both information and lose touch with each other. However, Conte says the rise of citizen journalists means there is now an opportunity for more stories to be told, even if not through legacy media organizations.
Mon-Fayette Expressway to become a test bed for innovative construction
(9:12 - 17:02)
The Pennsylvania Turnpike has approved a $2.7 million agreement with the University of Pittsburgh to test four pilot projects on the final portion of the Mon-Fayette Expressway.
IRISE, Impactful Resilient Infrastructure Science and Engineering, a consortium at the Swanson School of Engineering, has been working with turnpike engineers for the past 18 months. Some things that are being considered are recharging electric cars as they drive or using road vibrations to generate electricity for signs.
Julie Vandenbossche, a professor in the civil and environmental engineering department at Pitt and director of research at IRISE, says communities need innovation in transportation infrastructure because it’s getting older and becoming a financial constraint.
“To really be able to get out of this huge deficit we have with this old infrastructure, we're not going to be able to buy our way out of it,” says Vandenbossche. “We need to figure out how we can do things in a more innovative, efficient manner, make it more sustainable so it lasts longer, and make it more resilient to the climate changes that we’re having.”
Construction on some of these projects could begin as early as 2024.
The election is weeks away, but debates have been largely absent
(17:11 - 22:30)
Pennsylvania’s midterm election is November 8th, with races for governor, U.S. Senate, Congress and the state legislature topping the ballot.
But you may have noticed something’s absent: debates.
WESA’s Sam Dunklau takes a look at whether voters are missing the campaign tradition.
The deadline to register to vote is today.
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.
