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PINJ has paid particular attention to the Allegheny County Jail throughout the pandemic, tracking the deaths of those in custody as well as the conditions incarcerated individuals have been forced to endure.
View all of our coverage on the Allegheny County Jail by clicking here.
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Advocating for accommodations has been a constant, but largely quiet, struggle for college students with disabilities since the Americans with Disabilities Act became law in 1990.
Read from our award-winning series, Leveling the Playing Field, here.
Books
The Beehive — A Caffeinated Look Back
Jody DiPerna With his new book, “Gen X Pittsburgh: The Beehive and the 90’s Scene” (The History Press) journalist David Rullo seeks to commemorate the end of the analog era in Pittsburgh and how the Beehive became a community center for DIY art, music and creation. Rullo sat down to talk about his new book,…
Keep readingBook Excerpt, “Death in Custody: How America Ignores the Truth and What We Can Do About It”
Roger A. Mitchell Jr., MD, and Jay D. Aronson, PhD. This month, Johns Hopkins University Press released “Death in Custody: How America Ignores the Truth and What We Can Do About It” by will be published on September 5 by Johns Hopkins University Press by Roger A. Mitchell Jr., MD, and Jay D. Aronson, PhD.…
Keep readingShadyside’s Cozy New Bookstore
story by Matthew Benusa /photos by Matthew Glover Pittsburgh’s newest bookstore doesn’t care to sell you books. The Cozy Corner Bookstore is here to give away the vibes. Enter the store at 5879 Ellsworth Ave in Shadyside, and you’ll find two pairs of shoes by the front door. Light filters through the picture window facing…
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Education in Pittsburgh was upended in March 2020 when the COVID-19 pandemic abruptly closed schools. Since then, as multiple virus waves have swept the nation, students have been in and out of physical classrooms, learning sometimes online, sometimes in person, sometimes not at all. How will they rebound?
Commentary
‘I wanted to read books’: Former Shuman Detention Center resident shares his story
Sean Johnson Editors Note: Sean Johnson was of the last cohort to be housed at the now shuttered Shuman Juvenile Detention Center in 2021. He writes that the education programming in the facility and a diverse library are the two most essential needs for child rehabilitation and learning. This is the first essay in a…
Keep readingPittsburgh Institute for Nonprofit Journalism turns two years old
By Brittany Hailer I started considering that PINJ was turning two in the wee hours of a maternity leave morning, and realized that my co-founder, Jody DiPerna, and I are not the best at patting ourselves on the back. But, I want to acknowledge the hard work of establishing and developing this young newsroom as…
Keep readingReview of “We Shall Not Be Moved,” a Modern Opera Exploring the Long Reach of the MOVE Bombing
by Matthew Benusa In May, 1985, the Philadelphia police dropped explosive devices onto the roof of the building occupied by the Black liberation MOVE organization. Fire spread through West Philadelphia. Six adults and five children were killed. More than 250 people were made homeless. “We Shall Not Be Moved,” a contemporary opera recently shown at…
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Social Justice