PublicSource

06/16/2026

The Allegheny County Office of the Medical Examiner found that Daphy Michel died from hypothermia due to “the actions of another individual” after her release from ICE custody, but did not allege criminality.

Michel, 31, who lived in Charleroi, died March 2 of hypothermia, the medical examiner said in an update on her case issued Friday. She was found in a South Shore bus station, where she spent at least 24 hours, largely in sub-freezing temperatures, according to a Pittsburgh’s Public Source investigation.

Read more on publicsource.org.

✍️: Jamie Wiggan + Rich Lord
📹: Penny De La Cruz-Mustafa

06/16/2026

Walnut Capital eyes new apartments for Bakery Square expansion.
Pittsburgh’s Planning Commission heard developers’ plans to expand Bakery Square by constructing a 6-story residential building next to the tech hub.
https://buff.ly/bpAV3j2

The City Planning Commission heard developers’ plans to expand Bakery Square by building a 6-story residential building on the site

06/16/2026

Carnegie Mellon University announced it will give the City of Pittsburgh $3 million over the next five years, becoming the latest major nonprofit to pledge multimillion dollar commitments during the first six months of Mayor Corey O’Connor’s term.

A press release posted to CMU’s website Tuesday says the money will go toward the city’s “Rec2Tech” programming, which increases access to technology for city children, and enhancing green spaces and pedestrian, bicycle and vehicle infrastructure in the city.

“I’d like to thank CMU for this generous donation and investment in the future of Pittsburgh,” O’Connor said in a written statement. “CMU has long been a great partner and a great neighbor.”

CMU President Farnam Jahanian said in a press release that the university and city have “always been deeply intertwined.”

“We’re excited to extend CMU’s record of supporting communities across the City of Pittsburgh and to continue doing our part to build an even brighter future together,” Jahanian said.

Pittsburgh mayors have sought for years to obtain greater financial contributions from major universities and healthcare providers, which are largely exempt from property taxes under state law but own a large percentage of city property.

O’Connor said during his 2025 campaign for mayor he would change tact and ask organizations for money to fund specific projects rather than seeking a lump sum.

Read more on publicsource.org

✍️: Charlie Wolfson
📸: Stephanie Strasburg

06/16/2026

CMU to give Pittsburgh $3 million over five years.
The university is the latest tax-exempt nonprofit to announce a contribution to the city.
https://buff.ly/RsDSFm8

The university announced the multimillion dollar commitment to the city’s Rec2Tech program.

06/16/2026

AmeriCorps a year after the cuts: Organizations disrupted by cuts may yet emerge stronger.
DOGE sought to starve the agency which funded volunteers on whom many community organizations relied. Pittsburgh-area groups improvised and diversified.

After DOGE cuts made the future of AmeriCorps uncertain, Pittsburgh groups came back stronger.

06/16/2026

Death of Haitian immigrant following ICE custody ruled a homicide.
The Allegheny County Office of the Medical Examiner found that Daphy Michel died from hypothermia due to “the actions of another individual,” but did not allege criminality.

The death of Daphy Michel, a Haitian immigrant who died after being released from ICE custody, has been ruled a homicide.

06/15/2026

A horde of fans overran the Monroeville Mall for Living Dead Weekend Friday through Sunday for what may have been the final on-site iteration of an annual convention celebrating George A. Romero’s 1978 classic “Dawn of the Dead.”

With the mall reportedly set for demolition next year after the property’s acquisition by Walmart, this past weekend was one of the last chances for Romero diehards to congregate at the film’s beloved filming location.

Some traveled from across the country and abroad to pay tribute to the film and the director’s legacy.

✍️+ 📸: Jason Alpert-Wisnia

06/15/2026

Calming the ripples of Pittsburgh’s segregated swimming history.
Decades of violence and discrimination chased Black Americans out of swimming pools, reducing their comfort in the water even today. Local and national groups look to undo the damage.

Decades of violence and discrimination chased Black Americans out of swimming pools, reducing their comfort in the water even today. Local and national groups look to undo the damage.

06/15/2026

‘Dawn of the Dead’ fans pay tribute to Romero thriller before proposed Monroeville Mall demolition.
For perhaps the last time on location, zombie fans gathered for the annual fest celebrating George A. Romero’s horror classic “Dawn of the Dead.”

Horror fans gathered in Monroeville to celebrate zombie film “Dawn of the Dead”. Here’s why this convention may never happen here again.

06/15/2026

When Latrice Rose-Moore thinks of childhood summers, she remembers the small kiddie pool in her yard fondly, but also that her family didn’t go to the Allegheny County wave pool or any Pittsburgh city pools during the hottest months.

For years, Rose-Moore didn’t swim. The lack of exposure to the water growing up made her wary, and by the time she reached adulthood, the wariness had turned into fear.

She isn’t alone in this, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which reports that 64% of Black children and 36.8% of Black adults can’t swim.

The nation counts around 4,000 unintentional drowning deaths a year, and Black children are around three times more likely to drown than their white counterparts.

The reasons for this are both historical and cultural. Experts say that institutional racism, a lack of representation on professional swim teams, and inherited fears can keep Black Americans out of the water.

There was a time in the early 1900s when Black Americans swam at higher rates than white Americans. That changed in the 1930s. The decade ushered in a time when men and women could swim together, creating the perfect storm for discriminatory laws to exclude Black Americans from pools.

As their access to bodies of water fell, rates of swimming fell, and post-segregation measures such as privatized pools, neglect of public pools and the filling in of some pools entirely kept the rates down.

In recent years, locally and nationally, there’s been an effort to reclaim Black Americans’ practice of swimming and ensure Black children’s safety through lessons, crash courses in water safety and competitive teams. Leaders of these initiatives say their goal is to address the disparity and avoid another generation of Black youth being kept out of the water due to a lack of access and fear.

Read more at publicsource.org.

✍️: Atiya Irvin-Mitchell
📸: Stephanie Strasburg