🚌 Are Pittsburgh schools closing or not?!

What’s Next for Pittsburgh Public Schools?

The school board recently voted to reject a school closure and consolidation plan that was two years (and a quarter million dollars) in the making. The plan was supposed to save money and make the district more equitable. What happened, and what comes next? We explain on today's City Cast Pittsburgh podcast. [🎧 City Cast Pittsburgh]

• PPS is proposing a 4% tax increase to deal with a budget deficit. [Public Source]

City Pitches Budget Cuts for All Departments

In addition to a possible tax increase, Pittsburgh City Council is considering spending cuts across all city departments to address a $20-30 million budget shortfall. [🔐 Post-Gazette]

ICE Arrests Increase in Pittsburgh Area

There were more than 900 immigration-related arrests in the region between January and mid-October — more than triple the number during the same period last year. Here’s what to do during an ICE encounter. [Public Source / 📝🎧 City Cast Pittsburgh]

Pitt’s BioForge Center Lands Federal Funds

The university will receive funds through a federal tax credit program to help build a $250 million cell and gene therapy manufacturing facility in Hazelwood Green. Officials hope to complete the project by 2027. [TribLIVE]

Whether you’re queuing up your December watchlist or trying to impress visiting relatives, we’ve got some deep cuts for Pittsburgh film buffs. From true Christmas productions to movies that just brush up against the holiday season, here’s your definitive Pittsburgh holiday film companion.

Happiest Season’ (2020)

Abby (Kristen Stewart) is planning to propose to her girlfriend, Harper (Mackenzie Davis), during her family’s annual holiday party … until Harper confesses she hasn’t come out to her family.

• 📍 Pittsburgh cred: Filmed in Shadyside, Carnegie, McCandless, and Cranberry, with interiors on local soundstages. Harper’s character is also billed as a Post-Gazette reporter.

Love the Coopers’ (2015)

A dysfunctional family led by soon-to-be-divorcées played by Diane Keaton and John Goodman converge for Christmas Eve. Everyone is dealing with something as they try to enjoy one last “perfect” holiday together.

• 📍 Pittsburgh cred: Filmed all over the city — and you can really tell. Spot Ross Park Mall and Pittsburgh International Airport, as well as neighborhoods like Fox Chapel, Lawrenceville, and Downtown. Most exterior shots are unmistakably local.

Christmas Karma (2025)

Dickens' Christmas classic gets a musical reboot when hard-nosed Mr. Sood is forced to confront his past, present, and future — guided by three colorful spirits, including Pittsburgh's own Billy Porter as the Ghost of Christmas Present. Streaming now on Paramount+.

Jack Frost (1998)

This box office bomb punishes touring-musician-dad Michael Keaton with an untimely death on Christmas Day, then harnesses early CGI to bring him back to life one year later as a snowman trying to repair the relationship with his young son. Keaton's (snowman) eyebrows deserve their own award.

It’s a Wonderful Life (1946)

Indiana County's James Stewart plays George Bailey, a banker who considers suicide until an angel shows him glimpses of his community if he'd never existed. Initially a box office flop, the film was nominated for five Oscars, including Best Picture. When it entered the public domain in 1974, it quickly became a Christmas classic and is now recognized as one of the greatest films ever made. Learn more about Stewart’s local legacy at The Jimmy Stewart Museum in Indiana, Pa.