30 minJun 9, 2026

Does Our State Bird Suck? Plus, ICE Updates & Vacant Lots

Show Notes

Ever wanted to make public art or host an event in an abandoned lot? City Council is considering a proposal to let residents put vacant lots and underutilized park space to good use. Host Megan Harris and executive producer Mallory Falk explain the proposal, plus discuss the unannounced visit U.S. Reps. Summer Lee and Chris Deluzio made to Moshannon Valley Processing Center — the largest immigrant detention facility in the northeast, just a couple hours outside of Pittsburgh. Then City Cast's Elizabeth Kauma joins to diss the ruffed grouse as our state bird (game bird?) and make the case for why Pennsylvania should be repped by the scarlet tanager instead.

Notes and references from today’s show:

Pittsburgh seeks to turn its green space, vacant lots to productive uses [TribLive]
Adopt-A-Lot Program [City of Pittsburgh]
O'Connor to seek state funding to prep city's vacant lots for new housing [Business Times]
Two Pa. Democrats become first members of Congress to access Pennsylvania’s largest ICE detention facility [Philadelphia Inquirer]
ICE detainee who spoke out about conditions in Moshannon was punished, transferred [Spotlight PA]
How many people held by ICE in Pa. have criminal records? Fewer than you might think [PennLive]
When Do 'Detention Centers' Become 'Concentration Camps'? Experts Look to History [Marshall Project]
ICE has detained hundreds in Pennsylvania in ‘collateral’ arrests, most of whom have no criminal record [P-G]
Should the scarlet tanager be our official state migratory bird? [P-G]

Learn more about the sponsors of this Tuesday, June 9th episode:

Pittsburgh CLO

The Frick Pittsburgh

Westmoreland Museum

Athens County Visitors Bureau

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