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Mike Wereschagin

@wereschagin.bsky.social
49 followers 44 following 157 posts

Assistant managing editor, data and investigations @post-gazette.com. Co-author, Gone at 3:17, the story of the worst school disaster in U.S. history (bit.ly/4lfcKRi). Under water whenever possible.

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Mike Wereschagin @wereschagin.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
Mayor O’Connor’s first budget predicts the city will run out of money in five years without major changes www.post-gazette.com/news/politic... by @hlauer.bsky.social
post-gazette.com
Mayor O’Connor’s first budget predicts the city will run out of money in five years without major changes
Mayor Corey O’Connor has finally given Pittsburghers their first look at his fiscal plan, and the picture it paints of the city’s financial...
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Mike Wereschagin @wereschagin.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
As ICE reaches deeper into Western Pa. communities, a backlash grows www.post-gazette.com/news/politic... via @post-gazette.com
post-gazette.com
As ICE reaches deeper into Western Pa. communities, a backlash grows
Amid the bustle of caregivers and lifesaving machines at UPMC Children’s Hospital, Freddy Tacuri finally met his son last week, two months after...
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Mike Wereschagin @wereschagin.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
Pitcairn council declines to rescind police partnership with ICE www.post-gazette.com/local/2026/0... by @lpshachnow.bsky.social
post-gazette.com
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Reposted by Mike Wereschagin
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette @post-gazette.com · 11/09/2026
9/11 25 years later: These men are dedicated to keeping the stories of Flight 93 alive
post-gazette.com
9/11 25 years later: These men are dedicated to keeping the stories of Flight 93 alive
  In the early morning of Sept. 11, 2001, an open field stood near Shanksville, in a former coal mine surrounded by hemlock trees. Hours later, the...
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Mike Wereschagin @wereschagin.bsky.social · 03/09/2026
‘We are sounding the alarm’: Mayor says the city’s financial picture is far more dire than previously known www.post-gazette.com/news/politic... by @hlauer.bsky.social
post-gazette.com
‘We are sounding the alarm’: Mayor says the city’s financial picture is far more dire than previously known
Ten months ago, former Mayor Ed Gainey stood inside City Council chambers to deliver his final budget address — and to defend his financial stewardship...
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Mike Wereschagin @wereschagin.bsky.social · 27/07/2026
The viral online attack on Pittsburgh doctors that sparked a national debate over vaccines www.post-gazette.com/news/health/... via @post-gazette.com
post-gazette.com
The viral online attack on Pittsburgh doctors that sparked a national debate over vaccines
One by one, the faces of the doctors splashed across the screen in a dramatic video created to reach thousands of viewers with a simple message. The HPV...
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Mike Wereschagin @wereschagin.bsky.social · 16/07/2026
Spiking fire truck prices are threatening fleets across the country, including Pittsburgh www.post-gazette.com/local/city/2... by @hlauer.bsky.social
post-gazette.com
Spiking fire truck prices are threatening fleets across the country, including Pittsburgh
As Pittsburgh firefighters spent hours containing a 3-alarm blaze ripping through a former church on Mount Washington last week, a warning was lighting...
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Mike Wereschagin @wereschagin.bsky.social · 15/07/2026
County Council abandons its plan to ask voters to lift its spending cap www.post-gazette.com/news/politic... via @post-gazette.com
post-gazette.com
County Council abandons its plan to ask voters to lift its spending cap
In a swift reaction to community blowback, Allegheny County Council repealed legislation it approved just weeks ago that would have asked voters to eliminate...
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Mike Wereschagin @wereschagin.bsky.social · 15/07/2026
Amid a push for paid parental leave, Allegheny County Executive Sara Innamorato announces she's pregnant www.post-gazette.com/news/politic... via @post-gazette.com
post-gazette.com
Amid a push for paid parental leave, Allegheny County Executive Sara Innamorato announces she's pregnant
Allegheny County Executive Sara Innamorato announced that she is pregnant and expecting to have her first child this year as she continues to push for...
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Mike Wereschagin @wereschagin.bsky.social · 10/07/2026
Pennsylvania measles cases surpass 100, now spreading in 7 counties www.post-gazette.com/news/health/... by @jrcloutier.com and @hannamwebster.bsky.social
post-gazette.com
Pennsylvania measles cases surpass 100, now spreading in 7 counties
Pennsylvania has surpassed 100 measles cases this year — a grim milestone reached this week as a dozen new infections were confirmed by state health...
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Mike Wereschagin @wereschagin.bsky.social · 09/07/2026
Despite 3 years of work and $1 million in public funding, a long-shuttered Pittsburgh rec center remains empty www.post-gazette.com/news/politic... via @post-gazette.com
post-gazette.com
Despite 3 years of work and $1 million, a long-shuttered Pittsburgh rec center remains empty
For nearly two decades, the forgotten pool building on a hillside in Hazelwood sat empty, crumbling into disrepair after the city slashed services in its...
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Mike Wereschagin @wereschagin.bsky.social · 26/06/2026
UPMC, Highmark pledge $45 million to upgrade Pittsburgh's aging fleet of public safety vehicles www.post-gazette.com/news/politic... by @hlauer.bsky.social
post-gazette.com
UPMC, Highmark pledge $45 million to upgrade Pittsburgh's aging fleet of public safety vehicles
For years, Pittsburgh’s aging fleet of vehicles has been a mounting concern for the financially troubled city — but a combined $45 million...
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Mike Wereschagin @wereschagin.bsky.social · 23/06/2026
"When you take the cap off, anything goes." A year after raising taxes 36%, County Council members could soon give themselves more benefits and a bigger budget www.post-gazette.com/news/politic... via @post-gazette.com
post-gazette.com
A year after raising taxes 36%, County Council members could soon give themselves more benefits and a bigger budget
For the framers of Allegheny County’s new form of government, the citizen legislature they were creating would bring ordinary people into crucial...
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Mike Wereschagin @wereschagin.bsky.social · 23/06/2026
City Council races to tax gaming terminals before the state steps in www.post-gazette.com/news/politic... by @hlauer.bsky.social
post-gazette.com
City Council races to tax gaming terminals before the state steps in
A recent Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruling has forced the city of Pittsburgh into a mad dash to approve a new tax that primarily targets skill games before...
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Mike Wereschagin @wereschagin.bsky.social · 22/06/2026
A year after raising taxes 36%, County Council members could soon give themselves more benefits and a bigger budget www.post-gazette.com/news/politic... via @post-gazette.com
post-gazette.com
A year after raising taxes 36%, County Council members could soon give themselves more benefits and a bigger budget
For the framers of Allegheny County’s new form of government, the citizen legislature they were creating would bring ordinary people into crucial...
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Mike Wereschagin @wereschagin.bsky.social · 18/06/2026
As measles cases spike, Pennsylvania lawmakers are trying to tighten school vaccine exemptions post-gazette.com/news/health/... via @post-gazette.com
post-gazette.com
How Pennsylvania lawmakers are trying to tighten school vaccine exemptions as measles cases spike
With the spread of dangerous childhood diseases rising across Pennsylvania, top lawmakers say they want to rein in the legal exemptions that have allowed...
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Mike Wereschagin @wereschagin.bsky.social · 18/06/2026
Western Pa. native says she plans to move to Mexico to keep her family together after husband’s immigration arrest www.post-gazette.com/local/region... via @post-gazette.com
post-gazette.com
Western Pa. native says she plans to move to Mexico to keep her family together after husband’s immigration arrest
Soon, Amanda Smail-Carrizalez plans to pack up as much of her family’s belongings as she can, leave behind the home she and her husband bought and...
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Mike Wereschagin @wereschagin.bsky.social · 11/06/2026
Amid a measles resurgence, Pennsylvania leaders say plunging vaccine rates in thousands of schools will be made public www.post-gazette.com/news/health/... via @post-gazette.com
post-gazette.com
Amid a measles resurgence, Pennsylvania leaders say plunging vaccine rates in thousands of schools will be made public
As measles cases in Pennsylvania spike to levels not seen in decades, state officials say they will disclose the vaccination rates in classrooms across...
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Mike Wereschagin @wereschagin.bsky.social · 10/06/2026
City of Pittsburgh quietly reverses course on legal challenges to tax-exempt properties www.post-gazette.com/news/politic... by @hlauer.bsky.social
post-gazette.com
City of Pittsburgh quietly reverses course on legal challenges to tax-exempt properties
Just over a year into his term, former Mayor Ed Gainey launched an aggressive legal campaign with the goal of forcing large nonprofit organizations to...
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Mike Wereschagin @wereschagin.bsky.social · 12/05/2026
Federal prosecutors charge ship operator, employee in Key Bridge collapse www.thebanner.com/community/cr...
thebanner.com
Federal prosecutors charge ship operator, employee in Key Bridge collapse
Federal prosecutors have leveled criminal charges in the Key Bridge collapse against the operator of the Dali, Synergy Marine Group, and one of its employees.
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Mike Wereschagin @wereschagin.bsky.social · 12/05/2026
Pa. Supreme Court justice leaves Democratic Party over concerns of rising antisemitism www.post-gazette.com/news/politic... via @post-gazette.com
post-gazette.com
Pa. Supreme Court justice leaves Democratic Party over concerns of rising antisemitism
Pennsylvania Supreme Court Justice David Wecht said he has left the Democratic Party over what he said is a growing tolerance for antisemitism. Wecht,...
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Mike Wereschagin @wereschagin.bsky.social · 11/05/2026
Pennsylvania lawmakers: Falling school vaccine rates need to be made public post-gazette.com/news/health/... via @PittsburghPG
post-gazette.com
Pennsylvania lawmakers: Falling school vaccine rates need to be made public
With hundreds of children sickened by measles nationwide, top Pennsylvania lawmakers say the state needs to disclose the vaccination rates of all schools...
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Mike Wereschagin @wereschagin.bsky.social · 29/04/2026
Judge: Search warrants served on city of Pittsburgh will remain sealed over 'actual fear of retaliation' www.post-gazette.com/news/politic... by @meganguzapg.bsky.social
post-gazette.com
Judge: Search warrants served on city of Pittsburgh will remain sealed over 'actual fear of retaliation'
A search warrant served on the city of Pittsburgh last month will remain sealed, a judge ruled Wednesday, in part because cooperating witnesses have expressed...
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Reposted by Mike Wereschagin
Jimmy Cloutier @jrcloutier.com · 27/04/2026
Incredibly grateful to @healthjournalism.org for recognizing our investigation on black lung disease. Kudos to @michaeldsallah.bsky.social, @wereschagin.bsky.social, and the @medillschool.bsky.social student journalists who contributed to the investigation. healthjournalism.org/blog/2026/04...
healthjournalism.org
AHCJ announces winners of 2025 health journalism awards
Now in its 22nd year, the Awards for Excellence in Health Care Journalism recognizes the best of health care reporting across all platforms.
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Mike Wereschagin @wereschagin.bsky.social · 23/04/2026
Can Allegheny County ban ICE from wearing masks? It’s complicated www.post-gazette.com/news/politic... via @post-gazette.com
post-gazette.com
Can Allegheny County ban ICE from wearing masks? It’s complicated
Efforts to unmask Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents have been steadily spreading across the country, including into Allegheny County where an...
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Mike Wereschagin @wereschagin.bsky.social · 20/04/2026
A six-month @post-gazette.com investigation found that school leaders have allowed thousands of children into schools who aren't fully vaccinated and have no exemptions from the shots, leaving communities across the state at risk of outbreaks newsinteractive.post-gazette.com/pennsylvania...
newsinteractive.post-gazette.com
How Pa.'s falling school vaccination rates and enforcement failures put thousands of children at risk
A six-month Pittsburgh Post-Gazette investigation found that school leaders have allowed thousands of children into schools without all the required vaccines even though they had no special exemptions...
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Mike Wereschagin @wereschagin.bsky.social · 25/03/2026
How the NFL Draft exploded from hotel ballrooms to a massive outdoor spectacle www.post-gazette.com/sports/2026-... via @post-gazette.com
post-gazette.com
How the NFL Draft exploded from hotel ballrooms to a massive outdoor spectacle
Mel Kiper Jr. has gotten plenty wrong over the years. That’s going to happen when you make thousands of NFL Draft predictions over a nearly 50-year...
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Mike Wereschagin @wereschagin.bsky.social · 24/03/2026
Allegheny County eyes mandatory property reassessments www.post-gazette.com/business/dev... by @madaleinerubin.bsky.social
post-gazette.com
Allegheny County eyes mandatory property reassessments
More than 15 years after the state’s highest court ruled that Allegheny County’s property assessment system was illegal, local officials intend...
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Mike Wereschagin @wereschagin.bsky.social · 19/03/2026
Pittsburgh City Paper to relaunch under new nonprofit after closing in 2025 www.post-gazette.com/business/pit... via @post-gazette.com
post-gazette.com
Pittsburgh City Paper to relaunch under new nonprofit after closing in 2025
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Mike Wereschagin @wereschagin.bsky.social · 19/03/2026
'No Tax on Overtime' falls short of expectations for many workers www.post-gazette.com/business/mon... via @post-gazette.com
post-gazette.com
'No Tax on Overtime' falls short of expectations for many workers
Across Pittsburgh and beyond, workers are discovering that a new overtime tax break is proving less generous — and more complicated — than...
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Mike Wereschagin @wereschagin.bsky.social · 19/03/2026
Habeas filings soar in Western Pa. amid immigration detention surge www.post-gazette.com/news/crime-c... via @post-gazette.com
post-gazette.com
Habeas filings soar in Western Pa. amid immigration detention surge
When Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers stopped Luis Gilberto Loja Mayancela outside a Lowe’s hardware store in Monroeville on the morning...
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Mike Wereschagin @wereschagin.bsky.social · 17/03/2026
Property assessment appeals board to sue Allegheny County over staffing, independence dispute www.post-gazette.com/business/dev... by @madaleinerubin.bsky.social
post-gazette.com
Property assessment appeals board to sue Allegheny County over staffing, independence dispute
Allegheny County will soon face a lawsuit from a small agency within its own ranks. The Board of Property Assessment Appeals and Review plans to sue the...
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Mike Wereschagin @wereschagin.bsky.social · 17/03/2026
Dayslong power outages leave some Pittsburgh residents, schools and businesses reeling www.post-gazette.com/news/weather... by @lpshachnow.bsky.social
post-gazette.com
Dayslong power outages leave some Pittsburgh residents, schools and businesses reeling
Amanda Ritchie was trapped inside her home with her husband and two young kids over the weekend. The 38-year-old Robinson resident lost power Friday afternoon...
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Mike Wereschagin @wereschagin.bsky.social · 16/03/2026
"The stress alone is uncalled for, unbearable." TSA lines — and worker discontent — growing as DHS shutdown stretches into second month www.post-gazette.com/news/transpo... by @lpshachnow.bsky.social
post-gazette.com
TSA lines — and worker discontent — growing as DHS shutdown stretches into second month
Hourslong lines at airport security checkpoints around the country have wreaked havoc on passengers as lawmakers remain at a standstill over Department...
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Mike Wereschagin @wereschagin.bsky.social · 16/03/2026
90 years after St. Patrick’s Day flood swallowed Pittsburgh, lessons still shape the region www.post-gazette.com/news/weather... via @post-gazette.com
post-gazette.com
90 years after St. Patrick’s Day flood swallowed Pittsburgh, lessons still shape the region
The first signs of trouble came along the riverfront. Rising water spilled onto the Mon Wharf and crept toward Downtown Pittsburgh. Then floodwaters...
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Mike Wereschagin @wereschagin.bsky.social · 06/03/2026
Senators calls for Trump admin to end contract with Pittsburgh-based juvenile detention center housing immigrant children www.post-gazette.com/news/politic... via @post-gazette.com
post-gazette.com
Senators calls for Trump admin to end contract with Pittsburgh-based juvenile detention center housing immigrant children
U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden called on the Trump administration on Friday to terminate a contract the federal government awarded a Pittsburgh-based juvenile detention...
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Mike Wereschagin @wereschagin.bsky.social · 06/03/2026
Sen. John Fetterman quickly backs Trump's new DHS pick after Kristi Noem is fired www.post-gazette.com/news/politic... by @samjanesch.bsky.social
post-gazette.com
Sen. John Fetterman quickly backs Trump's new DHS pick after Kristi Noem is fired
WASHINGTON — U.S. Sen. John Fetterman immediately threw his support behind Donald Trump’s new pick to lead the Department of Homeland...
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Mike Wereschagin @wereschagin.bsky.social · 06/03/2026
Advocates urge Gov. Josh Shapiro to close juvenile detention center plagued by sexual abuse claims www.post-gazette.com/news/crime-c... via @postopinions.bsky.social
post-gazette.com
Advocates urge Gov. Josh Shapiro to close juvenile detention center plagued by sexual abuse claims
In summer 2024, horrific claims alleging decades of sexual abuse at juvenile detention centers throughout Pennsylvania run by Pittsburgh-based Abraxas...
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Mike Wereschagin @wereschagin.bsky.social · 04/03/2026
What the Strait of Hormuz has to do with the price of gasoline in Oakdale www.post-gazette.com/business/pow... via @post-gazette.com
post-gazette.com
What the Strait of Hormuz has to do with the price of gasoline in Oakdale
Now would be a good time for consumers of pretty much anything to find the Strait of Hormuz on a map to see why it matters for the price of gasoline in...
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Mike Wereschagin @wereschagin.bsky.social · 04/03/2026
John Fetterman prepares to vote ‘no’ on reining in Trump on Iran as other Democrats decry ‘unnecessary’ war www.post-gazette.com/news/politic... by @samjanesch.bsky.social
post-gazette.com
John Fetterman prepares to vote ‘no’ on reining in Trump on Iran as other Democrats decry ‘unnecessary’ war
WASHINGTON — As Congress prepared to vote on whether to rein in the American assault on Iran, U.S. Sen. John Fetterman joined Pennsylvania...
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Mike Wereschagin @wereschagin.bsky.social · 27/02/2026
Shapiro calls GOP state senator's criticism about arson attack aftermath 'shameful' www.post-gazette.com/news/politic... via @post-gazette.com
post-gazette.com
Shapiro calls GOP state senator's criticism about arson attack aftermath 'shameful'
In a brief radio interview Friday morning, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro said recent comments from a Republican senator were “shameful” and...
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Mike Wereschagin @wereschagin.bsky.social · 26/02/2026
As Pa.’s bird flu cases surge, farmers and agriculture leaders warn of possible effects on poultry industry www.post-gazette.com/news/health/... by @lpshachnow.bsky.social
post-gazette.com
As Pa.’s bird flu cases surge, farmers and agriculture leaders warn of possible effects on poultry industry
State officials and Western Pennsylvania farmers are warning of possible threats to Pennsylvania’s multibillion-dollar poultry industry as the highly...
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Mike Wereschagin @wereschagin.bsky.social · 26/02/2026
With the post-Cold-War period over, military leaders look to Pittsburgh for innovation www.post-gazette.com/business/tec... by @chloejad.bsky.social
post-gazette.com
With the post-Cold-War period over, military leaders look to Pittsburgh for innovation
During the Cold War, the threat of the Soviet Union drove the U.S. to supercharge its military and industrial strength — until the USSR collapsed...
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Mike Wereschagin @wereschagin.bsky.social · 24/02/2026
Community, lawmakers rally in support of Sewickley father arrested by ICE as daughter undergoes cancer treatment www.post-gazette.com/news/politic... via @post-gazette.com
post-gazette.com
Community, lawmakers rally in support of Sewickley father arrested by ICE as daughter undergoes cancer treatment
The immigration arrest of a Sewickley father — whose daughter is battling cancer — has drawn outrage across the suburban Ohio River community...
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Mike Wereschagin @wereschagin.bsky.social · 24/02/2026
Snowy week on tap for Pittsburgh as East Coast digs out from record-setting blizzard www.post-gazette.com/news/weather... by @lpshachnow.bsky.social
post-gazette.com
Snowy week on tap for Pittsburgh as East Coast digs out from record-setting blizzard
After a massive nor’easter dumped more than 2 feet of snow on parts of the East Coast but skirted Western Pennsylvania, scattered snow showers and...
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Mike Wereschagin @wereschagin.bsky.social · 23/02/2026
Beyond the betrayal: Decades after displacement, Seneca Nation seeks a voice in the future of the Kinzua Dam www.post-gazette.com/news/politic... via @post-gazette.com
post-gazette.com
Beyond the betrayal: Decades after displacement, Seneca Nation seeks a voice in the future of the Kinzua Dam
WARREN, Pa. Maurice “Moe” John made a promise to his father. Now a councillor in Seneca Nation, he was just 12 years old, sitting on a hillside...
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Mike Wereschagin @wereschagin.bsky.social · 23/02/2026
Allegheny County race among key special elections that could shape power in Harrisburg www.post-gazette.com/news/politic... via @post-gazette.com
post-gazette.com
Allegheny County race among key special elections that could shape power in Harrisburg
HARRISBURG — When voters go to the polls Tuesday for a pair of special elections — including one in Allegheny County — it will ring the...
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Mike Wereschagin @wereschagin.bsky.social · 23/02/2026
Federal funding freeze stalls growth for Western Pennsylvania small businesses www.post-gazette.com/business/tec... via @post-gazette.com
post-gazette.com
Federal funding freeze stalls growth for Western Pennsylvania small businesses
Despite a push from the Trump administration to unleash American competitiveness, Congress has failed to reauthorize the nation’s largest innovation...
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Mike Wereschagin @wereschagin.bsky.social · 20/02/2026
'Potentially dangerous' ice jams are forming along the Allegheny River north of Pittsburgh www.post-gazette.com/news/weather... by @lpshachnow.bsky.social
post-gazette.com
'Potentially dangerous' ice jams are forming along the Allegheny River north of Pittsburgh
The National Weather Service issued a flash flood warning Friday for areas north of Allegheny County as river ice jams threaten the region’s waterways. The...
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Mike Wereschagin @wereschagin.bsky.social · 18/02/2026
After calling the police for help, a Brentwood man was arrested by ICE at court www.post-gazette.com/news/politic... via @post-gazette.com
post-gazette.com
After calling the police for help, a Brentwood man was arrested by ICE at court
Maklim Escalante called Brentwood police to report that a drunken man had shown up to his house uninvited and tried to force his way in, according to police...
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