Tom Davidson stories, Page 13

Pittsburgh mayoral candidate Ed Gainey has raised more than $130,000 since January, his campaign announced Wednesday. The money, which totals $134,286, , comes from 764 contributors from every ZIP code in the city. It was made public in advance of his filing with the Pittsburgh Ethics Hearing Board, where the...

Pittsburgh City Council moved forward Tuesday with a temporary ban on evictions during the emergency created by the coronavirus pandemic. The legislation, spearheaded by Councilwoman Deb Gross, with support from Mayor Bill Peduto’s administration, and several city activists, was unanimously approved, but only after extensive discussion among council members. They...

Old social media posts by Pittsburgh mayoral candidate Tony Moreno that support former President Donald Trump were condemned by the city’s Democratic Committee chairman less than a week before the party announces its slate of endorsed candidates. Moreno, 51, a retired city police officer from Brighton Heights, is one of...

Pittsburgh mayoral candidate Ed Gainey’s campaign manager and a Democratic activist who is critical of Gainey nearly came to blows during a dispute Saturday at a Duquesne Heights union hall parking lot. The activist, Kierran Young, 28, of Stanton Heights, said he is considering whether to pursue criminal charges after...

For more than a century, many of Pittsburgh’s office buildings in the Golden Triangle have been kept warm using steam heat generated at a North Shore factory that is conveyed Downtown. But the Pittsburgh Allegheny County Thermal (PACT) system is old, failing and beyond repair, Mayor Bill Peduto said last...

Pittsburgh City Council members said Wednesday they are committed to enacting a citywide eviction moratorium when they meet next week. Until then, council members will work with other city officials and Mayor Bill Peduto’s administration to craft a law that temporarily protects people facing eviction, along with providing a way...

Before the coronavirus pandemic took over the worldwide zeitgeist, there was the season of the loose crocodilian in Pittsburgh. Alligators, crocodiles and the like aren’t native to these parts because of the harsh wintry weather, but they’re kept as pets by some people. In May and June 2019, authorities responded...

State Rep. Ed Gainey, who’s running for Pittsburgh mayor in May’s Democratic primary, released an economic policy agenda that would renew Pittsburgh’s legal challenge to UPMC’s nonprofit status in an attempt to collect more city and school district taxes. “City investments and strong unions gave previous generations of Pittsburghers an...

Although the coronavirus pandemic has taken a toll on city finances, two bond rating companies have kept the city’s credit rating at AA- as Pittsburgh is set to float a $55 million bond for capital projects next month. “As the ratings agencies noted, the city’s strong fiscal oversight the past...

Pittsburgh City Council members are moving forward with legislation to prevent evictions in the city during the covid-19 pandemic. At its committee hearing on Wednesday, council will further discuss the ordinance that puts into place a moratorium on evictions as long as the city’s pandemic emergency is in place. It...

Despite a last-ditch plea from the leader of the city’s Commission on Human Relations, Pittsburgh City Council members Tuesday approved a revision to a law protecting city residents from discrimination because of their hairstyles. The revision removes language that extends protection to beards and other facial hair. “We must value...

Pittsburgh will again be linked with Paris Friday, as Mayor Bill Peduto will be among the dignitaries participating in a virtual event as the U.S. rejoins the Paris Climate Agreement. The mayor will be the last speaker during an “America Is All In” event Friday morning that will feature Special...

State Rep. Ed Gainey and Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto agree the city needs to work quickly on legislation that protects renters from facing eviction because of the coronavirus pandemic. “The city has the legal authority and a moral obligation to protect the health and safety of its citizens,” Gainey said...

Pittsburgh police officers must have neatly trimmed hair in a style that doesn’t interfere with their uniform cap. Most male officers aren’t allowed to grow beards, under a departmental policy last revised in 2017. But the CROWN Act, a law the city enacted in October, spelled out protections for Pittsburgh...

Criminal charges have been dismissed against a woman who had an encounter with a Churchill police officer while taking a walk. She said the 2019 incident left her handcuffed and briefly detained. Rebecca Suits, 60, of Boise, Idaho, was visiting her godmother in Wilkinsburg when she went for a walk...

Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto has the support of four City Council members and several labor unions in his bid for a third term. But Peduto, 56, will not be seeking the endorsement of the Allegheny County Democratic Committee. Two of the candidates challenging Peduto will seek the party’s endorsement, state...

Pittsburgh leaders on Tuesday said they want to help residents who are facing eviction because they can’t pay their rent during the pandemic. But they don’t want to give “false hope” by enacting something that won’t withstand legal challenges, city council President Theresa Kail-Smith said. “We all want to help...

After enacting a law last year to protect the rights of people with hairstyles that reflect their ethnic or religious heritage, Pittsburgh officials are expanding the protections for facial hair. But to do so, the city needs to be inclusive of people regardless of their ethnicity or religious background, Jam...

After delays wrought by the pandemic, Pittsburgh’s LGBTQIA+ Commission will be staffed with people Tuesday, when city council is expected to make 17 appointments as recommended by Mayor Bill Peduto. The mayor created the commission in June. It replaces a mayoral advisory council with a permanent city commission to act...

A nationally-known technology training provider will launch operations in Pittsburgh and offer free training to its first local class in March. When the first class of 30 people completes the 12- to 15-week program, they’ll be prepared for an entry-level programming job that pays between $50,000 and $60,000 per year,...

Pittsburgh Public School board members agree with city council members about the school system reaching a “state of emergency.” But if city officials are serious about helping, they can end collection of about $20 million in wage taxes, board members wrote in a response to the city’s proposal for an...