Does Our State Bird Suck? Plus, ICE Updates & Vacant Lots
Ever wanted to make public art or host an event in an abandoned lot? City Council is considering a proposal to let residents put vacant lots and underutilized park space to good use. Host Megan Harris and executive producer Mallory Falk explain the proposal, plus discuss the unannounced visit U.S. Reps. Summer Lee and Chris Deluzio made to Moshannon Valley Processing Center — the largest immigrant detention facility in the northeast, just a couple hours outside of Pittsburgh. Then City Cast's Elizabeth Kauma joins to diss the ruffed grouse as our state bird (game bird?) and make the case for why Pennsylvania should be repped by the scarlet tanager instead.
Notes and references from today’s show:
- Pittsburgh seeks to turn its green space, vacant lots to productive uses [TribLive]
- Adopt-A-Lot Program [City of Pittsburgh]
- O'Connor to seek state funding to prep city's vacant lots for new housing [Business Times]
- Two Pa. Democrats become first members of Congress to access Pennsylvania’s largest ICE detention facility [Philadelphia Inquirer]
- ICE detainee who spoke out about conditions in Moshannon was punished, transferred [Spotlight PA]
- How many people held by ICE in Pa. have criminal records? Fewer than you might think [PennLive]
- When Do 'Detention Centers' Become 'Concentration Camps'? Experts Look to History [Marshall Project]
- ICE has detained hundreds in Pennsylvania in ‘collateral’ arrests, most of whom have no criminal record [P-G]
- Should the scarlet tanager be our official state migratory bird? [P-G]
Learn more about the sponsors of this Tuesday, June 9th episode:
Become a member of City Cast Pittsburgh at membership.citycast.fm.
Want more Pittsburgh news?
- Sign up for our daily morning newsletter.
- We’re on Instagram @CityCastPgh.
- Text or leave us a voicemail at 412-212-8893.
Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info here.
Subscribe To Our Newsletter

Stay connected to City Cast Pittsburgh and get ready to join the local conversation.
Latest Episodes
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...

Measles, Go-Karts & Wylie’s Opening Lineup
Pennsylvania’s measles outbreak is getting worse. At least four people have died and nearly 700 cases are being tracked statewide. Host M...

What To Do During an ICE Encounter in Pittsburgh
Community leaders and business owners in Beechview — the heart of Pittsburgh's Latino community — say ICE activity has been increasi...

Won't You Be a Reader? The Campaign to Raise Lifelong Readers {SPONSORED}
On this bonus episode sponsored by the Grable Foundation, we're talking about a local push to make sure every child has access to the boo...

Does Pittsburgh Have the Meats? A Guide to Pittsburgh BBQ
Can Pittsburgh hold its own when it comes to barbecue? We definitely don’t have the smoked-meat reputation of Texas or the Carolinas, but...

‘Your City Could Be Better’: How Las Vegas Is Handling Record-Breaking Heat — Presented By City Cast Pittsburgh
It may not feel like it right now, but extreme heat is coming for Pittsburgh, and Las Vegas might have the answers you need. An already s...

Iceburgh Loaf Pan, Fetterman's GOP Lovefest & Pittsburgh Remembers 9/11
Today marks the 25th anniversary of the September 11, 2001 attacks. Western PA was directly affected: one of the hijacked planes crashed...

