On today’s episode of The Confluence:
- Pennsylvania’s Department of Human Services is reassessing who qualifies for Medicaid benefits, after a pandemic-era policy barred states from taking people off the program. Katie Meyer, government editor/reporter with Spotlight PA, reports advocates are concerned that staffing shortages for caseworkers at the county level may impact those who qualify for benefits. (0:00 - 6:27)
- The University of Pittsburgh’s library is restoring the work of Charles Henry Pace, one of the first independent Black gospel music publishers who lived in the Hill District. Pace’s daughter, Frances Pace Barnes, and Christopher Lynch, project coordinator at the Center for American Music in the University of Pittsburgh’s library system, join us to discuss Pace’s legacy. We’ll also hear music from a concert honoring Charles and his wife Frankie Pace’s work, performed Saturday March 25 at the Ebenezer Baptist Church. (6:34 - 18:41)
- A musician needs strong pipes to play the harmonica. That makes this pocket-size instrument a challenge for people with respiratory conditions, such as emphysema, chronic bronchitis and perhaps eventually long COVID. As 90.5 WESA’s Sarah Boden reports, for some patients, harmonica lessons are just what the doctor ordered. (18:41 - 22:30)
The Confluence, where the news comes together, is 90.5 WESA’s daily news program. Tune in Monday to Friday at 9 a.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 for wherever you get your podcasts.
