🎥 Pittsburgh on the big screen

New Tax Break To Revitalize Downtown

Some Downtown developers can get 10 years of tax cuts if they make investments in affordable housing and create 50 or more full-time jobs, according to a new bill passed by Allegheny County Council. The bill caps tax exemptions at $250,000 annually per developer and hopes to bring in more residents after losing thousands of office workers during the pandemic. [TribLIVE]

• ➡️ Read on: The Allegheny Conference on Community Development released a three-year plan to revitalize Downtown.

School Police May Resume Summary Citations

After a pause in July, Pittsburgh schools may soon resume a controversial disciplinary practice. The Pittsburgh Public Schools Board of Education developed a new policy that would require the district to create monthly reports and referrals to law enforcement, giving the board “greater oversight” over their use. The board will vote Feb. 28.

• 📝 What prompted the pause? A 2020 Black Girls Equity Alliance report found this form of student discipline disproportionately targets students of color and can affect future background checks. Education advocates pushed for a permanent ban on summary citations because there’s “no evidence they actually reduce student misbehavior.” [PublicSource]

Pittsburgh on the Big Screen

The Pittsburgh-filmed comedy “Drive-Away Dolls,” hits theaters today. Margaret Qualley, Geraldine Viswanathan, and Beanie Feldstein star in this road trip love story with a taste of crime and dark humor. Margaret Qualley calls Pittsburgh a “home away from home,” and says “we really got to explore — from one side of Pittsburgh to the other.” [Pittsburgh Magazine]

Zoo Deaths, Water Quality & What Went Wrong on the Fern Hollow Bridge

The NTSB released its findings into the cause of the 2022 Fern Hollow Bridge collapse, the zoo closed for a day out of respect for recent animal deaths, and Presidential election season is heating up in Pittsburgh. The pod squad is talking about our city’s improved water quality and what, if anything, it means to have so many national political leaders darken our regional door.