South Side Bar Closures, ICE Arrest Data & Squonk Gets Its Due
A new report from U.S. Rep Chris Deluzio's office found that more than half of immigration detentions in his district were because of local law enforcement partnerships with ICE. Host Megan Harris, creative producer Boen Wang, and contributor Colin Williams break down the numbers and explain how these partnerships are driving up arrests. Plus, we discuss how U.S. Steel is facing opposition to its a proposed $3 billion facility in Braddock due to pollution concerns, the closure of two so-called nuisance bars on the South Side, and new stamps that will finally give local cryptids their due. (Will someone please give the squonk a hug?) And in our members-only bonus segment, in honor of Friday the 13th, we discuss the strangest, most inexplicable Pittsburgh superstitions. (respect the towel)
Notes and references from today’s show:
- ICE detention surge tied to pacts with police in Beaver County, says congressman [Public Source]
- REPORT: Analysis of ICE Detentions and the Impact of 287(g) Agreements in Pennsylvania’s 17th Congressional District [Office of Congressman Chris Deluzio]
- How ICE and a data center turned a small Pittsburgh suburb into a civic battleground [Public Source]
- Public sounds off on U.S. Steel’s proposed hot strip mill in Braddock [Allegheny Front]
- U.S. Steel’s proposed hot strip mill faces criticism and support at permit public hearing [WTAE]
- Clairton Coke Works to resume work at battery that saw fatal explosions in August [TribLive]
- Safety Failures Led to Last Year’s Fatal Explosion at U.S. Steel Plant [Inside Climate News]
- Star Wars vending machine returns to Pittsburgh fire station [KDKA]
- Pittsburgh's Best Thanksgiving Takeout in 2026 [City Cast Pittsburgh]
- Where To Order Thanksgiving Takeout in Pittsburgh [City Cast Pittsburgh]
- DA shuts down Linx, another South Side bar snared in crackdown on trouble spots [TribLive]
- Crime down in Pittsburgh’s South Side since start of Street Fest [WPXI]
- U.S. Postal Service Announces Stamp Subjects for 2027 [USPS]
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