Jon Hanrahan

calls to mind the Panama Canal alternative that James Eads and James Andrews (of Fineview) spent years trying to drum up support for in congress:

Council votes to restrict Allegheny County employees from cooperating with ICE Legislation barring county employees from providing assistance or information to federal immigration agencies passed after scores of public comments, lengthy council debate and the defeat of amendment...

Last night, Allegheny County Council voted 11-3-1 to pass our ordinance limiting county employees from cooperating with ICE/CBP, and I was proud to be a co-sponsor and a YES vote. 🧵

www.publicsource.org/allegheny-co...

Ok, neighborhood data wonks… in Pittsburgh at least. This is for you.

Profiles of Change in the City of Pittsburgh - Comparison of 2010-2014 and 2020-2024 American Community Survey Estimates for the City of Pittsburgh and Neighborhoods

and there goes my evening.

(btw, reading the book, it’s a legit page-turner!)

Here is something to ponder.

Percentage of Population that Lived Outside of the Pittsburgh MSA One Year Prior - City of Pittsburgh Neighborhoods and Neighborhood Groups, 2020-2024 Period

Pittsburgh Water reports lowest-ever lead levels in city water supply Pittsburgh Water has released its 2025 report, highlighting a continued drop in lead levels detected in the city’s drinking water supply. “2025 was yet another year of Pittsburgh Water tur...

Some good news if you like clean drinking water:

Bus Line Redesign Bus Line Refresh is the second draft of PRT's bus network plan previously known as Bus Line Redesign. Your Bus Network: Familiar Routes, Stronger Connections

PRT Bus Line Refresh map is out!

"Riders and operators told us the first draft changed too much, too fast. They asked for fewer disruptions, stronger Downtown access, and better off-peak service. The second draft reflects that feedback by scaling back changes and preserving strong, familiar routes"

Allegheny County Council says it doesn’t know how much county employees interact with ICE Allegheny County Council considers legislation to ban many forms of cooperation between county employees and ICE agents. But current interactions are unclear.

New: Allegheny County Council is considering a bill banning county cooperation with ICE. But today members were frustrated that they simply don't know how much interaction is currently going on. www.publicsource.org/allegheny-co...

I went to the Chicago Union Station Jersey Mike’s not because it was like one of three places open in the food court… but instead to match wits with Mike and his proxies, to negotiate Mike‘s way towards my way, to catch flies with vinegar, as it were…

The NFL Draft is juicing Pittsburgh's short-term rental market — but for how long? Bookings for Pittsburgh’s Airbnbs and VRBOs spike as the NFL Draft approaches. City Council’s efforts to regulate short-term rentals may stretch beyond the event.

The coming NFL Draft hordes are already driving a spike in short-term rental bookings. Will it lead to a long-term increase in the area's 3,500 Airbnb/VBRO/Booking.com properties? www.publicsource.org/pittsburgh-s...

Why Pittsburgh's snow plow fleet broke down during the storm of the decade Many of Pittsburgh’s snow plows broke down during the city’s second snowiest day since the 1990s. One councilor points to years of underinvestment.

New: Why Pittsburgh's snow plow fleet broke down during the storm of the decade www.publicsource.org/why-pittsbur...

Neighbors, officials seek regulation of short-term rentals in Pittsburgh after North Side shooting Local elected officials and North Side residents alike say they want to see more regulations on short-term rentals in Pittsburgh, following an incident at a New Year’s Eve party in which a North Side ...

Local elected officials and North Side residents alike say they want to see more regulations on short-term rentals in Pittsburgh, following an incident at a New Year’s Eve party in which a North Side resident was shot in the leg.

I ran for Democratic Party Committee Member because:

- They pick the party nominee in special elections.

- They get to vote in the party endorsement.

If you’ve been pissed by some endorsements (as I was), become part of the change!

Second shooting at short-term rental in Pittsburgh’s North Side has residents calling for regulation Neighbors in the North Side community said the shooting originated at a short-term rental property, and the event has renewed calls for regulation of such properties.

I would like for there to be fewer shootings at Airbnbs on the North Side, and I would also like for there to be fewer Airbnbs on the North Side. Thank you in advance Mr Mayor

working on the family archives, thought you might appreciate these documents relating to Sue, the most complete T. Rex skeleton ever found:

the main criteria for me being, “does this get us any closer to owning a BYD two-seater that has just enough room for our dog to sit between us”

my hot take is that this is excellent news, with the only wrinkle being that since American manufacturers have near-zero interest in making these cars, Toyota et al. will (rightfully) eat their lunch

At the corner of Federal Street Extension and Perrysville Avenue on the North Side, a diverse group of volunteers cultivate a space for friendship and passersby who simply “want to take a break halfway up that huge fricking hill.” buff.ly/NZVYurP

this is cool! hadn't heard about it. I'll put it in our neighborhood newsletter to help spread the word.

Housing advocates, hosts split on bill to regulate short-term rentals in Pittsburgh New short-term rental regulations may be on the way. However, some have varying opinions on how this should be executed.

It's not about good Airbnbs and bad Airbnbs. It's about fewer Airbnbs, period.

The short-term rental bill before City Council is a solid bill. All the same, I'm going to be advocating alongside others for the strongest possible restrictions on short-term rentals in our neighborhoods.

for photos, check www.urbanarchive.org/cities/nyc

East End tenants accuse Riparian Management of hostility and greed Riparian Management's tenants say they’ve faced utility problems, poor communication, and sudden notices to vacate.

Riparian Management bought up most of Wylie Holdings' massive portfolio of Lawrenceville real estate — then basically ghosted their new tenants and kicked many of them out of their homes. My latest (Pt. 1 of 2)

ACJ in hot water after an alleged guard posts racist, violent video The video drew immediate condemnation and calls for reform.

A video posted to Instagram purports to show an Allegheny County Jail employee holding a weapon and saying a racial slur:

I stg if I catch you donating to an out of state democrat instead of becoming a sustaining member of your local npr affiliate…

On the bright side, these cuts have paid for about one-third of one day's worth of interest payments on the federal debt.

We've done our part!

Pittsburgh councilwoman wants to crack down on Airbnb, Vrbo rentals Pittsburgh City Councilwoman Deb Gross on Tuesday introduced legislation that would create new regulations for short-term rentals, like those through Airbnb or Vrbo. The bill would permit short-term r...

This is a cool bill that could become a Very Cool bill if some changes are made. Down with Airbnbs.

An ordinance decriminalizing sex work is headed to Pittsburgh City Council Sex workers and LGBTQ groups say the legislation is critical. Council will vote July 8.

Some more positive local news. City Council is due to vote on the bill tomorrow:

From Smithsonian description: "This ambitious chart presents U.S. political history on a single page. Moving from left to right, a timeline of parties, policies, persons, and events courses like a river through graphic space marked in four-year intervals. The analogy between politics and springs and rivulets (that jump and rejoin their banks) is the most conspicuous feature of the timeline. The parties appear in different colors. The ascendance of a party is gauged as its stream rises above the centerline, and above the streams of other parties. The thickness of a stream indicates the party’s strength. The diagram is meant to dramatize U.S. political history in a more accessible shape for educators and to offer a ready reference for scholars, statisticians, and statesmen. The chart itself, titled “Diagram of the Rise and Fall of American Political Parties, from 1789 to 1880, inclusive,” is from the Conspectus of the History of Political Parties and the Federal Government, by Walter R. Houghton, 1880"

Absolutely incredible graphic from 1880 tracing the history of political parties in the United States.

I don’t think anyone is prepared for what they just did w/ ICE.

This is not a simple budget increase. It is an explosion - making ICE bigger than the FBI, US Bureau of Prisons, DEA,& others combined.

It is setting up to make what’s happening now look like child’s play. And people are disappearing.

wow!!!!!!