Pittsburgh's Public Source: Deep, independent Pittsburgh news

2026 Pittsburgh NFL Draft

Will the NFL Draft payoff make the $19M public investment worth it?

VisitPittsburgh estimates that this year’s draft will attract 500,000 to 700,000 attendees and produce between $120 million and $213 million in economic impact.

by Mia Hollie

ICE, immigration and local response

ICE agents present at Pittsburgh International Airport

by Charlie Wolfson

Care about Pittsburgh? Get local stories that matter, delivered to your inbox.

Environment

Lawmakers advance bill to boost oversight of new data center water use

by Ian Karbal

Economy & Housing

Affordable housing plan for Hazelwood Green aired for Pittsburgh planners

by Mia Hollie

ICE, immigration and local response

Council floats bills to limit cooperation with ICE in Pittsburgh

by Jamese Platt and Jamie Wiggan

Black information icon inside a speech bubble on a yellow circular background, ideal for highlighting publicsource announcements or tips.

Have a tip?
We have secure options for sharing information confidentially.

Send us a tip

SALARIES DATA

How historic overtime payments in 2025 drove up Pittsburgh’s budget

by Charlie Wolfson

WHO WE ARE

Pittsburgh’s Public Source informs and inspires the Pittsburgh region through the power of deep, independent journalism.

Pitt students built a website to scrutinize landlords — theirs, and maybe yours

by Ethan Beck

ICE, immigration and local response

Reporting on the reach and impact of immigration enforcement in Pittsburgh and across Southwestern Pennsylvania.

Guest commentary

Don’t let return-to-office fever push women out of the workforce

by Guest commentary by Holly McIlwain and Kelli A. Komondor

Digging deeper for Pittsburgh

Inside our Newsroom

From an Oakmont town hall: Fracking to front porches, and a yen for journalism that connects

by Sophia Lucente

Environment

How Shell’s cracker has polluted more than permitted with no new fines for three years

by Katherine Weaver

Inside our Newsroom

From a virtual town hall: AI raises concerns in society, journalism

by Matt Petras

Inside our Newsroom

From a Carnegie town hall: A hunger for close-to-home news and accountability

by Matt Petras

Pennsylvania

Pa. lawmakers seek to build on infrastructure to meet energy demands

by Ian Karbal

ICE, immigration and local response

Backlash to ICE agreement persists in Springdale, a month after police-prompted detention

Springdale Borough is one of two Allegheny County municipalities formally cooperating with ICE, as some neighboring towns and the county at large have adopted noncooperation policies.

by Jamie Wiggan

Education

PPS will turn to remote learning during NFL Draft days

Pittsburgh Public Schools leadership wants to avoid the traffic, parking problems and road closures that will likely accompany the event. The district is still trying to address hours of instruction lost to the pandemic.

by Lajja Mistry

From an East Liberty town hall: Housing, transit and affordability — and a plea for journalism that helps residents act

When communities want to step up for their underserved members, news outlets can help by providing journalism that features community voices and fuels discussion of solutions, according to attendees.

by Sophia Lucente

ICE, immigration and local response

Pittsburgh-area refugees, advocates prepare for Minnesota-style detentions

The Trump administration’s Operation PARRIS aims to detain refugees who haven’t reached permanent residency. It’s stalled in court, but area agencies are preparing refugees with an app that shares emergency instructions.

by Venuri Siriwardane

Inside our Newsroom

From a Bellevue town hall: News on local elections, schools can’t be ‘trapped in Facebook’

Municipalities and schools in the Ohio Valley, as elsewhere, serve important functions and face real challenges. There are fewer reliable sources of information for community members.

by Matt Petras

SALARIES DATA

PPS’s year of school consolidation talk ended with a bigger roster, higher payroll

The annual Public Source analysis of the Pittsburgh Public Schools payroll shows shifts in the average earnings gaps by race and gender.

by Lajja Mistry

Inside our Newsroom

Public Source challenges Allegheny County Sheriff’s Office decision to redact deputy names

Pittsburgh’s Public Source annually requests roster information from local governments. The Sheriff’s Office is seeking to withhold names of around half of its deputies. A county judge sided with the sheriff, but Public Source will appeal.

by Halle Stockton

Inside our Newsroom

From a McKeesport town hall: Neighbors say bad news travels faster than the good happening here

The Mon Valley session of Pittsburgh’s Public Source’s “You Have the Floor” series revealed that the glow of community is more powerful than the shadow of public safety concerns that dominates coverage.

by Matt Petras

Inside our Newsroom

From a South Hills town hall: In overwhelming times, media should be constructive

In the first of seven Pittsburgh’s Public Source “You Have the Floor” town halls, attendees told reporters that they want resources, not sensationalism or gloom and doom.

by Matt Petras

First person

Mt. Lebanon parking tickets led me on a quest for transparency

It shouldn’t take legal training, the Right-to-Know Law and complaints to local and county officials to clarify local parking practices. The street should be a place of celebration, not subjugation.

by First-person essay by Dan Joyce

Economy & Housing

Pittsburgh agency outlines post-Penguins plans for Lower Hill development

With the hockey club’s involvement in redevelopment ending, the Urban Redevelopment Authority board voted to seek proposals for a seven-acre slice of the former Civic Arena site, and distributed nearly $1 million to Hill businesses.

by Mia Hollie

Local Government

O’Connor says Pittsburgh budget short some $30 million in key areas

The mayor said he will make revisions to the 2026 budget that City Council passed just three months ago.

by Charlie Wolfson

Economy & Housing

How Pittsburgh’s commercial development slump could help ease the housing crunch

With remote work an established part of the economy, speculative office construction flatlined last year. Could builders’ switch to housing set the stage for an eventual commercial rebound?

by Mia Hollie

ICE, immigration and local response

School Board shoots down welcoming schools resolution at Allegheny Valley

The “Safe Zones” resolution followed the arrest by Springdale Borough police, and detention by ICE, of the father of two school-age children.

by Jamie Wiggan

Something went wrong. Please refresh the page and/or try again.

Local events

Get updates and diverse perspectives about gender and identity in Pittsburgh, sent directly to your email.

SIGN UP FOR SELVES

Home

Will the NFL Draft payoff make the $19M public investment worth it?

ICE agents present at Pittsburgh International Airport

Care about Pittsburgh? Get local stories that matter, delivered to your inbox.

Lawmakers advance bill to boost oversight of new data center water use

Affordable housing plan for Hazelwood Green aired for Pittsburgh planners

Council floats bills to limit cooperation with ICE in Pittsburgh

How historic overtime payments in 2025 drove up Pittsburgh’s budget

WHO WE ARE

Pitt students built a website to scrutinize landlords — theirs, and maybe yours

ICE, immigration and local response

Don’t let return-to-office fever push women out of the workforce

From an Oakmont town hall: Fracking to front porches, and a yen for journalism that connects

Quick Source

More local news

How Shell’s cracker has polluted more than permitted with no new fines for three years

From a virtual town hall: AI raises concerns in society, journalism

From a Carnegie town hall: A hunger for close-to-home news and accountability

Pa. lawmakers seek to build on infrastructure to meet energy demands

Our nonprofit newsroom needs your support.

Backlash to ICE agreement persists in Springdale, a month after police-prompted detention

PPS will turn to remote learning during NFL Draft days

Most Read

From an East Liberty town hall: Housing, transit and affordability — and a plea for journalism that helps residents act

Pittsburgh-area refugees, advocates prepare for Minnesota-style detentions

From a Bellevue town hall: News on local elections, schools can’t be ‘trapped in Facebook’

PPS’s year of school consolidation talk ended with a bigger roster, higher payroll

Public Source challenges Allegheny County Sheriff’s Office decision to redact deputy names

From a McKeesport town hall: Neighbors say bad news travels faster than the good happening here

From a South Hills town hall: In overwhelming times, media should be constructive

Mt. Lebanon parking tickets led me on a quest for transparency

Pittsburgh agency outlines post-Penguins plans for Lower Hill development

O’Connor says Pittsburgh budget short some $30 million in key areas

How Pittsburgh’s commercial development slump could help ease the housing crunch

School Board shoots down welcoming schools resolution at Allegheny Valley

Local events

Develop PGH

Board Explorer

Public-service guides

First-person essays