AI Parking Tickets, A Braddock Comeback & City Council’s Snoozefest
America’s first Carnegie library is nearing the end of a $21 million renovation, and we got to neb nose all over the 45,000-square-foot space. Hear all about the history of the Braddock Carnegie Library, plus what they’ve got in store for their own opening day in May. Plus, we’re catching you up on big stories from the week: for the first time in a century, city voters won’t have any choices on their primary ballots for City Council; the trial began to determine who’s responsible for paying settlement money after the 2023 Norfolk Southern train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio; Nippon Steel has upped its offer to buy U.S. Steel, while an activist investor tries to oust the U.S. Steel board and CEO; local health and safety NIOSH workers have been hit by federal layoffs; Steelers legend Cam Heyward laughs off an offer to hang out with QB Aaron Rodgers; Homer City is turning an old coal plant into a natural gas-powered facility to help feed the local power grid; and with the return of street-sweeping season comes new AI tools to issue tickets to anyone who doesn’t get their car out of the way.
Notes and references from today’s show:
- Braddock Carnegie Library renovations near completion [90.5 WESA]
- Braddock Carnegie Library capital campaign [BCLA]
- Check out the “Free for All: The Public Library" screening in Cranberry. [CPL]
- Test your knowledge of Pittsburgh history and current events. [Hey Pittsburgh]
- Judge boots off ballot 2 Dems running for Kail-Smith's Pittsburgh council seat [TribLive]
- Make Your Voice Heard! 2025 Funding Crisis [Pittsburgh Regional Transit]
- ACT NOW: Stop Catastrophic Service Cuts [Pittsburghers for Public Transit]
- Nippon, US Steel offer increased investment to Trump officials to close deal [Semafor]
- President Biden Blocks US Steel Sale to Nippon Steel. What Does This Mean for Pittsburgh? [Hey Pittsburgh]
- Trial will determine who pays settlement money for Norfolk Southern train derailment [AP]
- How the Train Derailment Changed East Palestine [City Cast Pittsburgh]
- The Curious Case of Aaron Rodgers [The Ringer]
- Cam Heyward on Aaron Rodgers and a darkness retreat [Instagram]
- Federal HHS layoffs hit NIOSH mine-safety research facility near Pittsburgh [90.5 WESA]
- Homer City site: Large gas-fired power plant to support data center [TribLive]
- Three Mile Island Returns, Primanti’s Gets Political & How PA Unbanned Pittsburgh Rodeos [City Cast Pittsburgh]
- Street sweeping resumes in Pittsburgh using cameras, AI to issue parking tickets [KDKA]
Learn more about the sponsor of this April 4th episode:
Become a member of City Cast Pittsburgh at membership.citycast.fm.
Want more Pittsburgh news? Sign up for our daily morning Hey Pittsburgh newsletter. We’re also on Instagram @CityCastPgh!
Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info here.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Subscribe To Our Newsletter

Stay connected to City Cast Pittsburgh and get ready to join the local conversation.
Latest Episodes
Create Your Own Pittsburgh Food Tour
Looking for your next fall getaway? What about a curated road trip with lots of tasty stops and local history? Our state's tourism site i...

‘Your City Could Be Better’: How One Oregon City is Lowering Energy Costs — Presented By City Cast Pittsburgh
What’s a seemingly small project in Pittsburgh that’s made a big difference? In the Oregon suburb of Tualatin, a drinking water pipe has...

UPMC Yields to Trump, County Bans Big Data Centers & Goodbye Millennial Gray?
UPMC just placed a decade-long moratorium on gender-affirming care for patients under 19 and agreed to pay the federal government $950,00...

A Warrant, a Budget & Pittsburgh’s Missing $250M
Former Mayor Ed Gainey is under investigation and facing allegations of improper contracts, questionable financial decisions, and potenti...

Pittsburgh’s Flock Camera Problem
Allegheny County the most Flock cameras and automated license plate readers in PA, according to crowdsourced data. Host Megan Harris is w...

Can $25M Make Smithfield Cool Again?
In the midst of Downtown’s larger $600 million makeover, Smithfield Street’s been waiting its turn. Crews are breaking ground today on th...

Paid Parental Leave Proposal Gets a Makeover
After weighing over 1,400 public comments — mostly from parents, health care workers, and small business owners — the county health depar...

‘Your City Could Be Better’: How Philly Is Reducing Violence With Parks — Presented By City Cast Pittsburgh
Would Pittsburgh be better with fewer vacant, blighted lots? In Philly, the answer is overwhelmingly yes, with significant drops in crime...

Ripping Out Skill Games, Mandatory Fun & RIP Annie Dillard
Will state police start ripping skill games out of convenience stores, vape shops, and other spots? That's what could happen if lawmakers...

Pittsburgh Restaurant Empires, Explained
Did you know a ton of Pittsburgh's most influential dining spots are run by the same six restaurant groups? Some are massive, some are lo...

