🏘️ Pittsburgh has 20K vacant homes

Steelers Hire Local As New Head Coach

Pittsburgh-born Mike McCarthy has verbally agreed to be the Steelers’ new head coach. He previously spent five seasons with the Dallas Cowboys and 13 seasons with the Green Bay Packers. He’s expected to sign a five-year contract. [Sports Illustrated]

• Former Head Coach Mike Tomlin left the team after 19 seasons. He’ll soon appear in the documentary “The Object of the Game” on Amazon Prime. [Sports Illustrated]

Pittsburghers Protest ICE, Mourn Shooting Victims

Protesters rallied on the South Side in freezing temperatures on Saturday following another shooting death at the hands of immigration officers in Minneapolis. Federal agents shot and killed Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old I.C.U. nurse. This follows the recent killing of Renee Good, a 37-year-old mother of three. Protesters also gathered at Target in East Liberty on Friday to protest the retailer’s alleged cooperation with ICE. [WESA / New York Times / Post-Gazette]

• Another local protest is planned for tomorrow evening on the South Side. [Frontline Dignity]

Police Chief & Public Safety Picks Go Under Oath

Pittsburgh City Council will interview Mayor Corey O’Connor’s nominees for police chief and public safety director this week. They'll be interviewed under oath, thanks to a new rule that gives council the power to remove officials if they lie during the process. [TribLive]

• The new rule was prompted by concerns that former Police Chief Larry Scirotto misled council during his interview. [🎧 City Cast Pittsburgh]

Pittsburgh Has 20,000 Vacant Homes

So how do we also have a housing crisis? Here’s why so many houses are sitting empty, what (if anything) the city can do about it, and why our neighbors in Cleveland are doing a much better job turning abandoned houses into affordable homes. [🎧 City Cast Pittsburgh]