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The Hill District Arts Festival 2026!

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AUGUST 5-11, 2026

New music venue in Hill District looking to hire 350 people

by Rob Taylor Jr. Courier Staff Writer

The New Pittsburgh Courier has learned that not only is the new "Citizens Live at The Wylie" music venue holding a hiring fair from Aug. 1416, 2026, but on the first day of the job fair, Aug. 14, only Hill District applicants will be interviewed.

The Hill District-only job fair on Aug. 14 runs from 5 to 9 p.m., and the job fair will be held at the Double Tree Hotel, One Bigelow Square, Downtown, just a stone's throw

from the new venue.

Two forms of identification should be brought by all applicants to the job fair. All applicants must be at least 18 years old.

The other two days of the job fair, Aug. 15 and Aug. 16, are open to applicants from anywhere. On Aug. 15, the job fair runs from 5 to 9 p.m., and on Aug. 16, the job fair runs from noon to 4 p.m., all at the Double Tree.

Open positions include operations, VIP upsells, cleaning, merchandise, security, guest services, and more, according to a Facebook post from Cit-

izens Live at The Wylie.

The music/event venue said it hopes to hire 350 people at a starting rate of $20 per hour.

“From the very beginning, we’ve said that Citizens Live at The Wylie is about more than bringing great live music to Pittsburgh—it’s about becoming part of the Lower Hill community,” said Tim Loudermilk, Pittsburgh Market President, Live Nation, in a statement to the Courier, Aug. 4.

“Dedicating our first hiring event to Hill District residents is one way we’re putting that commitment

into action. We want local residents to have the opportunity to be part of the venue’s story from day one, and we’re excited to build a team that reflects the neighborhood we’re proud to call home.”

Citizens Live at The Wylie's first Hip-Hop musical act will be Pittsburgh's own Wiz Khalifa, Friday, Oct. 2. Other musical acts coming to the venue include Chance The Rapper on Oct. 11, Boyz II Men on Oct. 16, Smokey Robinson on Oct. 23, and the Hip-Hop artist Glorilla on Nov. 2.

“CITIZENS LIVE AT THE WYLIE” RENDITION

Sharon Epperson, brain aneurysm rupture survivor, celebrates 30 years at CNBC Pittsburgh native to attend Brain Aneurysm Foundation Run/Walk, Aug. 15

by Rob Taylor Jr. Courier Staff Writer

Thirty years is a long time to be at one company these days.

Sharon Epperson, the Pittsburgh native and Allderdice High School graduate, has worked at the business/finance television network CNBC for 30 years...and counting.

The New Pittsburgh Courier learned that Epperson celebrated her 30year anniversary in July 2026, after being hired in July 1996.

However, through all of

the financial advice that she's given on-air and in the community, she told the Courier in an exclusive interview that the best advice she can give anyone is not finance-related.

It's to take care of your physical health.

Nearly 10 years ago, on Sept. 21, 2016, Epperson suffered a brain aneurysm rupture. A brain aneurysm rupture causes a hemorrhagic stroke, which is fatal about 50 percent of the time.

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SHARON EPPERSON’S ORIGINAL ID CARD AT CNBC IN 1996.

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This Week In Black History

A Courier Staple • AUGUST 5

AMOS C. BROWN SPEAKS after receiving the Spingarn Medal from Rev. Dr. Frederick D. Haynes III, left, as actor Morris Chestnut, second from left and Brown’s children, Kizzie Brown-Duah, second from right and David Brown, right, look on.

Rev. Dr. Amos C. Brown awarded NAACP’s 111th Spingarn Medal at 117th National Convention

by Special to The Post BlackPressUSA

Rev. Dr. Amos C. Brown, one of America’s most distinguished civil rights leaders, pastors, and advocates for justice, was awarded the 111th NAACP Spingarn Medal, the organization’s highest honor, during the 117th NAACP National Convention in Chicago on July 22.

The award recognizes Brown’s more than seven decades of extraordinary leadership advancing civil rights, racial justice, voting rights, religious freedom, and human dignity.

Hosted by acclaimed actor Morris Chestnut, the ceremony brought together NAACP delegates, civil rights leaders, elected officials, clergy, business leaders, and advocates from across the nation.

Special tributes honoring Rev. Dr. Brown were delivered by former Vice President Kamala Harris, former San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown, former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, California Governor Gavin Newsom, and Elder Holland from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints

each recognizing his unwavering commitment to justice and his profound influence on generations of leaders.

Established in 1914

by Joel E. Spingarn, the Spingarn Medal is the NAACP’s highest honor, presented annually to an African American whose achievements reflect the highest ideals of excellence, service, and leadership.

Previous recipients include Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks, Thurgood Marshall, Maya Angelou, Toni Morrison, Congressman James E. Clyburn, Dr. Hazel N. Dukes, and Vice President Kamala Harris.

Held under the convention theme “We, the People,” the 117th NAACP National Convention convened thousands of activists, elected officials, business leaders, clergy, and community advocates committed to advancing civil rights, equity, and opportunity as the United States approaches its 250th anniversary.

The medal was presented to Brown by Rev. Dr. Frederick D. Haynes III, a longtime friend, spiritual son, and fellow champion for justice and peace. In his heartfelt introduction,

the hard-fought gains of the Civil Rights Movement. Thank you, Amos C. Brown, and thank you, NAACP, for showing us the way toward that Third Reconstruction. “You the Birthday.”

During his acceptance remarks, Rev. Dr. Brown honored the women who helped shape his life and ministry—including his mother and father, sisters, his beloved wife, Jane Smith Brown, and Eliza Davis, founder of Third Baptist Church of San Francisco.

“I am deeply honored and humbled to receive the Spingarn Medal.

This recognition is not simply about one individual—it represents the countless people who have dedicated their lives to the ongoing pursuit of justice, equality, and human dignity. Our work continues.” said Brown.

He also recognized on stage his longtime friend and fellow prophetic voice, Rev. Dr. Jeremiah A. Wright Jr., urging that history faithfully preserve Wright’s influence on a generation of leaders.

Wright, the renowned Chicago pastor emeritus mentored then-Senator Barack Obama.

This year’s Spingarn Medal recipient is a

1865—President Andrew Johnson reverses an order giving land abandoned or confiscated from slave-owning Whites to former Black slaves. The order—Special Field Order #15—had been issued in January by conquering Union Major General William T. Sherman as he and his troops marched through the South. Over 40,000 exslaves had received over 400,000 acres of land in South Carolina, Georgia and Florida. But after Lincoln was assassinated, Johnson reversed the order and returned the land to the Whites. Johnson, a Southerner, did much to reverse the policies of Lincoln and stifle progress for Blacks. Indeed, an argument can be made that President Johnson had a more negative post-Civil War impact on Black progress than any president in American history.

• AUGUST 6

1870—In one of the most brazenly racist incidents of the post-Civil War period, White conservatives and racists employ assassinations and widespread violence to suppress the Black vote and take control of the Tennessee legis­ lative from a coalition of Blacks and progressive Whites. The violence and the election effectively ended Reconstruction in the state.

1941—Blacks started being inducted into the U.S. military around April of 1941 and one result was a series of violent incidents between Black soldiers and White soldiers and between Black soldiers and White civilians. The first major incident takes place on this day in August of 1941. A group of Black soldiers board a bus in Fayetteville, N.C., headed to Ft. Bragg. The White driver complains they are being “rowdy” and asks for help from Military Police (MPs). The MPs arrive and began hitting the Blacks with nightsticks. One of the Blacks grabs an MP’s gun and begins shooting. Additional fighting and shooting break out. When the dust settled, one Black private and one White MP were dead and two Whites and three Blacks had been wounded.

1965—President Lyndon Johnson signs the Voting Rights Act which was designed to guarantee the right of African Americans to vote. The Act ended a wide range of discriminatory voting practices in the South including literacy tests. The Act was probably the most significant piece of civil rights legislation ever passed. It was renewed for another 25 years in July of 2006.

It was weakened a bit by a 2009 U.S. Supreme Court decision but remains in effect.

• AUGUST 7

1970—Four people, including the presiding judge, are killed during a courthouse shootout in Marin County, Calif. A group of Blacks led by 17-yearold Jonathan Jackson stage an assault on the courthouse in a bid to free Jackson’s brother—famed Soledad Brother and militant activist George Jackson.

Jonathan was among those who died.

Professor and communist ­Angela Davis was charged with providing the guns for the bloody escape attempt but she would later be found not guilty.

• AUGUST 8

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Haynes affectionately described Brown as “You the Birthday,” a phrase from today’s young culture meaning, “You are amazing. You are awesome.”

Haynes celebrated Brown’s extraordinary life of service, recounting his many accomplishments, enduring influence, and unwavering commitment to preserving history of African Americans. Haynes praised Brown for using both his remarkable memory and his prophetic voice to uplift “the last, the least, and the left behind,” noting that he has always understood the sacred responsibility of standing for those who cannot stand for themselves— to speak the truth.

Concluding his tribute, Rev. Dr. Haynes offered a powerful charge: “Maybe it is both providential and prophetic that we are honoring Rev. Dr. Amos C. Brown today, because we need a Third Reconstruction in the face of a nation that is trying to dismantle

powerful reminder that we must continue to celebrate our own—to honor the women and men whose courage, sacrifice, and unwavering leadership have advanced the ongoing struggle for justice, equality, and democracy in America.

“This recognition celebrates not only our father’s extraordinary life of service but also the generations of people he has inspired to believe that justice requires both faith and action,” said Kizzie Brown-Duah, Brown’s daughter.

“Our family is deeply grateful to the NAACP for honoring a lifetime devoted to advancing freedom, dignity, and opportunity for all people.” Said Brown’s son, David Brown.

(This story came from the media relations department of the office of Rev. Dr. Amos C. Brown.)

1865—Explorer Matthew Henson is born in Baltimore, Md. Henson would become the first person to reach the North Pole on April 6, 1909. However, it was his boss Robert E. Perry who would receive widespread public recognition and a presidential citation for the honor. But in later years, records would show that Henson actually beat Perry to the top of the world. Henson would comment that when Perry discovered that he had beat him to the North Pole, he became “hopping mad.”

Years would pass before Henson would gain some recognition for his accomplishment. Nevertheless, to this day, most history books still continue to give the honor to Perry.

• AUGUST 9

1936—Sprinting sensation Jesse Owens wins a total of four Gold Medals at the Olympics in Berlin, Germany.

Born in Lawrence County, Ala., Owens gained international fame for his victories in the 100 meters, the 200 meters, the long jump and the 4?100 meter relay. His victories undermined Adolph Hitler’s claims of White, especially German, superiority over all other peoples.

However, Owens disputed claims that the Nazi leader was so infuriated with him that he refused to shake his hand.

According to Owens, during his only encounter with Hitler, “the Chancellor waved and I waved back.” The packa-day cigarette smoker died at the rel-

atively young age of 66 on March 31, 1980.

1963—Whitney Houston, one of the greatest singers of the past 50 years, was born on this day in Newark, N.J. Whitney Elizabeth Houston was born into a family of accomplished singers.

Her mother was Thelma Houston—an excellent gospel and R&B performer and her cousin was song stylist Dionne Warwick. During her heyday in the 1980s, Houston sold approximately 170 million albums including such hits as “You Give Good Love,” “Saving All My Love for You,” “How Will I Know?” and “The Greatest Love of All.” The singer was found dead in the bathtub of her Beverly Hilton Hotel room on Feb. 11, 2012, hours before a pre-Grammy party. She was 48.

1987—Lawyer and entrepreneur Reginald Lewis completes the largest business acquisition ever accomplished by an African American when he purchases Beatrice Foods in a leveraged buyout for $985 million. Under his leadership, the firm would soon become the first Black-owned company to achieve more than $1 billion in annual sales.

Lewis made the Forbes magazine list of the 400 richest Americans in 1992 with an estimated net worth of $400 million. Unfortunately, the Baltimore, Md., native would die of brain cancer at the age of 50 on Jan. 19, 1993. His contribution to telling Blacks how to achieve economic success came in his book entitled “Why Should White Guys Have All the Fun?”

• AUGUST 10

1867—Famed Black Shakespearean actor Ira Aldridge dies in Poland. Aldridge was born in New York, where he developed a love for the theater. But prejudice in America forced him to go to England to practice his craft. Despite running into racism there as well, he was able to find work. He came in for harsh criticism when paired with White female actresses. But after performing Shakespeare’s Othello, he was proclaimed “an actor of genius” by several newspapers. (Note: There is some authority that Aldridge actually died on Aug. 7.)

1981—A nationwide African American boycott of the giant Coca Cola bottling company ends after the firm reaches an agreement with Rev. Jesse Jackson’s Operation PUSH. Coke agreed to pump at least $34 million into Black businesses and increase the number of African American-owned distributorships. Critics would later charge that the beverage giant reneged on the deal and the amount of money pumped into Black businesses never came to more than $11 million.

• AUGUST 11

1868—One of the greatest White heroes of Black history dies in Washington, D.C. His name was Thaddeus Stevens. Stevens, a congressman from Pennsylvania, and Sen. Charles Sumner, of Massachusetts, led the Radical Republicans movement, which favored punishing the South for starting the Civil War and taking land from the former slave owners and giving it to the former slaves. He headed the powerful House Ways and Means Committee and he used his power at every turn to aid Blacks. Indeed, many of the pro-Black measures and legislation of the period attributed to President Abraham Lincoln were actually initiated by Stevens and Sumner. After Lincoln’s assassination, Stevens led the move to impeach President Andrew Johnson in part because Johnson, a Southerner, opposed many measures which would have benefited Blacks.

More than 20,000 people (nearly half of them Black) attended his funeral in Lancaster, Pa. 1921—Accomplished writer Alex Haley is born on this day in Ithaca, N.Y. Haley is best known for co-writing the “Autobiography of Malcolm X” and for “Roots”—a history of a Black family during slavery, which became a major television series during the 1970s. Haley died in February 1992.

1965—The largest, longest and possibly most destructive Black riot of the turbulent 1960s begins in Los Angeles, Calif. The Watts Rebellion lasted six days, caused between $35 million and $50 million in damage while leaving 34 people dead, more than 1,000 injured and nearly 4,000 arrested. It took place during a “long hot summer” when similar riots were taking place throughout the country.

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NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER

AUGUST 5-11, 2026 A3

Sharon Epperson, brain aneurysm rupture survivor, celebrates 30 years at CNBC EPPERSON FROM A1

Obviously, Epperson survived. But she told the Courier that she was the only person in her family of four generations to survive a brain aneurysm rupture.

Her great-grandfather, grandfather and aunt all died of brain hemorrhages. When Epperson was doing yoga, she was jolted by "the worst sensation you have ever felt in the back of your head," as she told the Brain Aneurysm Foundation for a report on its website.

She opened a "Sharon Epperson Chair of Research" via the Brain Aneurysm Foundation to help raise awareness and increase funding for research about brain aneurysms. It allots $10,000 to a recipient for one year of research on early detection, improved treatments and technological advances "that will save lives and improve the lives of patients with brain aneurysms," Epperson said for a story on the Brain Aneurysm Foundation website.

"Because this is a life-threatening development that impacts African Americans and African American women in particular more than other groups, I think it's really important for our community to come out and support this...learn more about it...learn about what having the worst headache in your life could really mean," Epperson told the Courier.

"Just as much as I'm very focused on people sharing their financial health to build financial wealth over generations, I'm very focused on people sharing their family health," Epperson continued. "Homegoing ceremonies are beautiful, wonderful blessings that we should have, but we also need to know why that happened.

Medically, why is that person gone? Because could that be hereditary? Could that happen to me?"

Epperson said her sister and daughter have been tested for brain aneurysms, and her son is getting his test soon.

On Saturday morning, Aug. 15, Epperson is returning home, to Pittsburgh, to participate in the Brain Aneurysm Foundation’s Annual Run/Walk, on the North Shore. Epperson encourages everyone to participate in the run/walk, or at the least, learn more about the warning signs of a brain aneurysm rupture.

In the U.S., 30,000 peo-

THE NEWSPAPER PRODUCED BY STUDENTS IN THE PITTSBURGH BLACK MEDIA FEDERATION’S URBAN JOURNALISM WORKSHOP IN 1985. SHARON EPPERSON IS PICTURED.

ple suffer a brain aneurysm rupture each year, and it affects African Americans nearly twice as much as Whites.

Brain aneurysms are most prevalent in people ages 35-60, but can occur in children as well. Also, women, particularly those over the age of 55, have a higher risk of a brain aneurysm rupture than men.

Epperson told the Courier that she considers her employer, CNBC, like family. The company stood by her as she was undergoing treatment for her brain aneurysm rupture.

"I was able to, after taking a year medical leave, return to my employer, be able to work that job part-time at first and then with accommodations, and continue that job now for 10

more years...it’s one of the greatest blessings in my life," Epperson said.

"For business owners... value your people. I believe that I am valued

by CNBC because I value my relationship with CNBC immensely, and that was a turning point for both sides."

Epperson, CNBC's senior personal finance correspondent, is a member of the Allderdice High School Hall of Fame, along with her sister, Lia Epperson.

Sharon Epperson credits a teacher at Allderdice in the mid-1980s, Marsha Tharp, with getting her into journalism.

Sharon Epperson took the class "Journalism 101," taught by Tharp, at Allderdice.

"She taught us how to do an advertising campaign," Sharon Epper-

son said about Tharp.

"She taught us how to do a radio show. She taught us how to write, and that was my goal, to write for the school newspaper (which she later did). But most importantly, she took a flyer she received from the Pittsburgh Black Media Federation (PBMF), and she showed it to me."

Sharon Epperson was then introduced to the PBMF, and the rest, they say, is history.

Sharon Epperson participated in the Urban Journalism Workshop in the summers of her 10th, 11th and 12th grade high school years from the PBMF. Those relationships led her to interning at the now-defunct Pittsburgh Press newspaper for three summers.

"Pittsburgh journal-

ism is so integral to my being as a journalist," Sharon Epperson told the Courier. "The Pittsburgh Black Media Federation is the reason why I joined the National Association of Black Journalists as a college student and why I'm still a member...Pittsburgh has had a national impact on Black journalists."

Sharon Epperson graduated from Harvard University in 1990 with a bachelor's degree in sociology and government. She earned a Master of International Affairs degree from Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs in 1993.

Prior to landing the job at CNBC, she worked as a correspondent for Time Magazine in its

New York City bureau.

Today, on the air, whether it's in the CNBC main headquarters in New Jersey or in its New York City studios, she spends time getting viewers up to speed on how to budget, what not to spend money on, and how to truly build wealth. But she told the Courier that her journalism and media chops all began and were honed not in the Big Apple, but in the Steel City.

"The education that I received in Pittsburgh in the Pittsburgh Public Schools, and through the Pittsburgh Black Media Federation," Sharon Epperson said, "has been the foundation of my career."

A4 AUGUST 5-11, 2026

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Influencer Jalisa VaughnJefferson inspires young women in Pittsburgh with symposium

by Rob Taylor Jr.

Public Hearings & Comment Period for Proposed Bus Line Refresh Major Service Changes.

Port Authority of Allegheny County d/b/a Pittsburgh Regional Transit (PRT) provides public transportation services within and for Allegheny County pursuant to the Second Class County Port Authority Act, as amended.

Bus Line Refresh (BLR) is an update to PRT’s bus network that reflects how people travel today while building on what already works. Rather than a major overhaul, BLR focuses on improving reliability, frequency, seven-day service, and connectivity throughout the network.

BLR was identified as a top priority for the agency in PRT’s 2021 long-range plan, NEXTransit. The project began in the fall of 2023 with two initial phases including review of existing conditions, travel market analysis, and public and stakeholder input to shape the project’s goals and outcomes. The next two phases involved an iterative process built upon public, stakeholder and internal feedback, including network development on a first draft, then robust public engagement, network development on a second draft, followed by another comprehensive series of public engagement events in March, April and May 2026, and finally network development to refine the proposed final BLR draft plan (BLR Proposed Final Plan).

The BLR Proposed Final Plan includes changes that are designed to:

Courier Staff Writer

Jalisa Vaughn-Jefferson has quite the following on social media.

Sixty-four thousand followers on YouTube. How about 607,000 followers on Instagram. And 415,000 followers on Tik Tok. Known professionally as Jalisa Vaughn, the Pittsburgh native left a lucrative career in Information Technology to become a content creator full-time.

She said that by 2017, she was making more income from her Instagram page than her previous career.

Now a Dallas, Tex., resident, Vaughn-Jefferson decided to hold a “Future Her” conference in her hometown of Pittsburgh to show young women their purpose, build their confidence and motivate them to their future successes.

The event was held, July 18, 2026, at Ice House Studios in Lawrenceville.

The “Young Influencers Symposium” was held from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. for those aged 13-21. The “Meet and Greet” was held from 6 to 8:30 p.m. for those over 21. The motto of the event was, “Empowering the next generation of young women to lead, create and influence.”

On her blog, Vaughn-Jefferson wrote that it was a “surreal” moment to bring such an inspira-

AUGUST 5-11, 2026

• Improve service quality and reliability by streamlining routes, making routes more direct, and improving on-time performance; • Prioritize equitable service by aligning routes with land use and socio-economic changes since our network was created, better serving transit-dependent and vulnerable riders; and • Expand transit connections to major job centers, healthcare facilities, shopping centers, and between neighborhoods.

The BLR Proposed Final Plan would significantly modify 56 routes, create 14 new routes, and discontinue 20 routes that are underperforming to create a network that best serves riders today. A total of 90 routes are impacted by a major service change, which applicable PRT policy defines as a change that affects more than 30% of a route’s daily trips, directional miles or service hours, or affects more than 2,500 annual service miles on a route and can also include the addition of a service day to a route. The total number of routes in PRT’s bus network would be reduced from 95 to 87.

The BLR Proposed Final Plan would also establish a frequent network of 19 bus routes that operate at 20-minute or better frequency during weekday peak hours throughout Allegheny County in addition to many corridors where multiple routes in aggregate will result in similar or better frequencies elsewhere. Improvements to the design and efficiency of the bus network will allow an increase in weekday, Saturday, and Sunday service hours.

This proposal is limited only to PRT’s fixed route bus service. It is not proposing any changes to PRT’s light rail or incline services or the PRT-sponsored ACCESS paratransit system.

A summary of the proposed BLR major service changes is provided below, and additional information is available on PRT’s website at: www.BusLineRefresh.com.

The public comment period for the purpose of PRT receiving public comments regarding this proposed BLR major service changes begins at 8 AM EST on Monday, August 17, 2026, and will conclude at 5 PM EST on Wednesday, September 30, 2026. Public comments will be accepted via any of the following ways: 1) Written comments submitted online at: www.BusLineRefresh.com; or 2) Written comments sent via e-mail by emailing BusLineRefresh@rideprt.org; 3) Written comments sent by U.S. mail or hand delivery to:

TAELOR SPENCER, JALISA VAUGHN-JEFFERSON, ADIA BOCCELLA. ed me exactly why ‘Future Her’ was created.”

For those who aren’t too familiar with content creators, it has become a big business. Social media sites like Facebook, YouTube, Tik Tok and Instagram allow “content creators” to post things about their lives, thoughts,

cated wife and mother of three children, regularly posts on Tik Tok about her family, vacations, and life’s ups and downs. She also posts about different fashions and hairstyles.

“This was only the beginning. I am so excited for ‘Future Her’ to become an annual experience

Pittsburgh Regional Transit Attn: Planning and Service Development Heinz 57 Center, 345 Sixth Avenue, Third Floor Pittsburgh PA 15222; or 4) Oral comments by calling (412) 566-5525 and leaving a message on a recorded line; or 5) PRT will also hold two (2) public hearings to receive oral public comments regarding these proposed BLR major service changes.

Prior to the public hearings taking place, PRT will hold an online-only public information session to present an overview of the proposed BLR major service changes. PRT, in its sole discretion and as time permits, may respond to questions from members of the public received during this public information session, but formal public comment will not be accepted during this information session.

PUBLIC INFORMATION SESSION Tuesday, August 18 from 5:30-7:30 PM EST Online only – Zoom meeting link will be posted on PRT’s website at: www.BusLineRefresh.com.

For the public hearings, registrants are asked to only sign up for one time slot at one meeting to allow time for others’ comments to be heard. Pre-registration is strongly encouraged and recommended. Walk-in speakers will be accepted as speaking times become available in the main testimony room or the auxiliary overflow testimony room. Individuals cannot donate or delegate their time to another individual interested in speaking, but they can read comments into the record on behalf of other individuals who may not be able to fully participate in the public hearings in person. Oral testimony will be limited to three (3) minutes per speaker. All hearings will be recorded and transcribed by a court reporter and made part of PRT’s official records.

Registration for each public hearing will close at 5 PM EST on the last business day before the scheduled hearing.

If any of the hearings complete all receipt of public comment prior to the scheduled hearing end time, the hearing may be terminated early in PRT’s sole discretion. In the case of inclement weather or other emergency situations that require cancellation of an in-person public hearing, PRT will contact in-person registrants to move them to an online, phone, or other alternative method of providing public comment, as applicable.

The first public hearing will be held Tuesday, August 25 and will offer two sessions; one from 9:00 am-12:00pm and the other from 3:00-6:00 pm at Heinz 57 Center on the seventh floor.

The second public hearing will be held Thursday, September 10 and will offer two sessions; one from 9:00 am12:00pm and the other from 3:00-6:00 pm at Heinz 57 Center on the seventh floor.

PUBLIC HEARINGS HEARING #1 - Tuesday, August 25, 2026, 9 AM EST to NOON EST AND 3 PM EST to 6 PM EST In person only – Pittsburgh Regional Transit, 345 Sixth Avenue, 7th Floor, Pittsburgh, PA 15222-2527 Please register for a time to provide oral public comment online at: https://form.jotform.com/261946228848067 or via phone by calling (412) 566-5187.

HEARING #2 - Thursday, September 10, 2026, 9 AM EST to NOON EST AND 3 PM EST to 6 PM EST In person only – Pittsburgh Regional Transit, 345 Sixth Avenue, 7th Floor, Pittsburgh, PA 15222-2527 Please register for a time to provide oral public comment online at https://form.jotform.com/262013942417149 or via phone by calling (412) 566-5187.

ACCOMMODATIONS

THOSE WHO CAME OUT, WITH JALISA VAUGHN-JEFFERSON IN MIDDLE. (PHOTOS BY J.L. MARTELLO) tional event to her hometown. “Standing in a room filled with so many bright, talented and ambitious young women was truly a full-circle experience,” she wrote. “I loved having the opportunity to speak with the girls, hear their stories and learn more about their dreams for the future. While I hope they left feeling inspired, encouraged and seen, I honestly believe the experience meant even more to me than it did to them. Their openness, excitement and willingness to receive everything we poured into them remind-

ideas, hangouts, etc. Social media sites then sell advertisements that appear prior to, in the middle of, or at the end of the content creators’ posts. Out of the billions of dollars the social media sites generate from advertisements, the companies “pay” the content creators a small portion of the revenue.

Oftentimes though, those “small portions” can be in the hundreds of thousands or even millions per year for the top content creators.

Vaughn-Jefferson, the Syracuse University-edu-

that continues to grow, reach more young women and create a lasting impact for years to come,” Vaughn-Jefferson wrote on her blog. “Pittsburgh, thank you for welcoming me home with so much love. I cannot wait to do it all again.”

PRT will provide an American Sign Language interpreter at all hearings. If any other ADA accommodations or language translation of a speaker’s comments if not being made in English are required, please contact PRT’s Director of Systemwide Accessibility, Deborah Phillips, at (412) 566-5323 or via e-mail at ada@rideprt.org at least seven (7) business days before the hearing date to submit your ADA accommodation or language translation request. If an ADA accommodation request for a hearing cannot be fulfilled for some reason, PRT will work with the individual(s) seeking the accommodation to provide their public comment via an alternative method. It is anticipated that language translation of a speaker’s recorded comments if not made in English would be made post-hearing and then made part of the public comment record. However, if that cannot be completed, PRT will work with the individual(s) seeking language translation to provide their public comment via an alternative method.

For more information, call Customer Service at (412) 442-2000 (TTY (412) 231-7007) or visit www.BusLineRefresh.com.

Summary of Proposed Bus Line Refresh Major Service Changes* The following major service changes are proposed as major service changes to be implemented, if approved

by PRT’s Board, in the latter half of calendar year 2027.

NEW ROUTES (Count: 14) • 3 Natrona Heights-New Kensington, 5 Aspinwall, 9 McCandless-Oakland, 17 Avalon-McKnight, 18 Wexford, 25 Robinson, 34 Carnegie-Brentwood, 45 Carrick-Oakland- East Liberty, 63 Renzie ParkOlympia, 66 Homestead-McKeesport, 70 Wilkins, 84 Wylie, 89 Penn Hills-CCAC Boyce, 92 Stanton Heights ROUTES WITH MAJOR SERVICE CHANGES (Count: 56) • 1 Freeport Road , 4 Troy Hill, 6 Spring Hill, 7 Spring Garden, 14 Ohio Valley, 16 Brighton, 24 West Park, 26 Chartiers, 27 Fairywood, 28X Airport, 29 Robinson, 36 Banksville, 39 Brookline, 40 Mount Washington, 41 Bower Hill, 44 Knoxville, 52L Homeville Limited, 53 Homestead Park, 54 North Side Oakland-South Side, 55 Glassport, 57 Hazelwood, 58 Greenfield, 59 Mon Valley, 61A North Braddock, 61B Braddock-Swissvale, 61C McKeesport-Homestead, 61D Murray Short, 64 Lawrenceville-Waterfront, 67 Monroeville, 69 Trafford, 71C Point Breeze Short, 71D Hamilton Short, 74 Homewood-Squirrel Hill, 75 Ellsworth, 77 Penn Hills, 79 East Hills, 81 Oak Hill, 86 Liberty, 87 Friendship, 88 Penn, 89 Garfield Commons, 91 Butler Street, 93 Lawrenceville-Hazelwood, G2 West Busway, O1 Ross Flyer, O12 McCandless Flyer, P1 East Busway-All Stops, P3 East Busway-Oakland, P12 Holiday Park Flyer, P13 Mount Royal Flyer, P16 Penn Hills Flyer, P68 Braddock Hills Flyer, P76 Lincoln Highway Flyer, P78 Oakmont Flyer, Y46 Elizabeth Flyer, Y49 Prospect Flyer ROUTE ELIMINATIONS (Count: 20) • 2 Mount Royal, 15 Charles, 17 Shadeland, 18 Manchester, 20 Kennedy, 43 Bailey, 51L Carrick Limited, 53L Homestead Park Limited, 65 Squirrel Hill, 71 Edgewood Town Center, G31 Bridgeville Flyer, O5 Thompson Run Flyer, P7 McKeesport Flyer, P17 Lincoln Park Flyer, P67 Monroeville Flyer, P69 Trafford Flyer, P71 Swissvale Flyer, Y1 Large Flyer, Y45 Baldwin Manor Flyer, Y47 Curry Flyer *The proposal also includes the following minor service changes to be implemented with the proposed BLR major service changes in the latter half of calendar year 2027. No formal public comment period, hearing and/ or PRT Board action is required for these proposed minor services changes, but they are included in this legal advertisement for transparency and completeness. Even routes without minor alignment changes may have minor scheduling adjustments.

ROUTES NOT IMPACTED WITH MAJOR SERVICE CHANGE, BUT HAVE MINOR ALIGNMENT CHANGES (Count: 6) • 12, 21, 31, 38, 83, P10 ROUTES NOT IMPACTED WITH MAJOR SERVICE CHANGE AND DO NOT HAVE ALIGNMENT CHANGES (Count: 13) • 8, 11, 13, 19L, 22, 48, 51, 56, 60, 71A,71B, 82, G3 To review the proposed BLR major service changes in more detail, please visit PRT’s website at www.BusLineRefresh.com.

A5

METRO

A6 AUGUST 5-11, 2026

NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER

The Hill District Arts Festival 2026!

by Ashley G. Woodson For New Pittsburgh Courier

The 5th Annual Hill District Arts Festival was presented by ACH Clear Pathways, which took place over the weekend of July 23–26, 2026, centering around the 1800 block of Centre Avenue in Pittsburgh.

Tyian Battle is the Founder/Executive Director of ACH Clear Pathways. The community-wide celebration featured over 30 local arts and vendor booths, food trucks, and free outdoor concerts.

The festival kicked off on Thursday, July 23, with a

stand-up performance by comedian Joe Torry at the Elsie H. Hillman Auditorium, which was transformed into “The Hill District Laugh Lounge.”

The weekend featured two major headlining free concerts on Centre Avenue. The legendary funk and R&B group Rose Royce performed on Saturday, July 25, while the iconic Hip-Hop artist Scarface closed out the festival on Sunday, July 26.

DJ Blakk Steel and DJ Selecta kept the crowd on their feet in between acts.

(FRONT) JACKIE TATUM, MONICA WILSON. (BACK) GINA FLOYD, LLOYD WILSON SR., VENDING AT THE HILL DISTRICT ARTS FESTIVAL.

HIP-HOP LEGEND “SCARFACE” HAD THE CROWD HYPE AT THE HILL DISTRICT ARTS FESTIVAL.

COMEDIAN/ACTOR JOE TORRY AND THE HILL DISTRICT ARTS FESTIVAL TEAM AT THE HILL DISTRICT LAUGH LOUNGE.

BILL HENRY, LASHAWNA HUMPHRIES. (PHOTOS BY ASHLEY G. WOODSON)

CLIFF AND THE FAMILY REPRESENTIN’ AT THE HILL DISTRICT ARTS FESTIVAL.

METRO

NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER

AUGUST 5-11, 2026

R&B BAND ROSE ROYCE HAD THE CROWD ON THEIR FEET AT THE HILL DISTRICT ARTS FESTIVAL, JULY 25, 2026. (PHOTOS BY ASHLEY G. WOODSON)

TALIA NICOLE, KYLA MIRANDA AND THE ONE AND ONLY ALEX MATTHEWS CHECKING OUT ROSE ROYCE...

TOSHA HATTEN AND WILL JACKSON REPRESENTIN’ AT THE SCARFACE CONCERT.

The debt trap eating your future: Why high interest, rising costs and poor savings habits are destroying wealth...

Damon Carr tells the story on Page B1.

A7

RELIGION

A8 AUGUST 5-11, 2026

NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER

Idella L. Michael honored

Reverend A. Marie Walker’s

Weekly Inspiration “Come to Me (Jesus), all who are tired from carrying heavy loads, and I (Jesus) will give you rest. Place my yoke over your shoulders, and learn from me, because I (Jesus) am gentle and humble. Then you will find rest for yourselves because my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

- Matthew 11:28-30 NIV

An appreciation service was held for administrator Idella L. Michael, for her many years of service at Green’s Temple Church of God in Christ, 1925 Bedford Ave., Hill District. The honor was given by the Green’s Temple Praise and Worship Ministry on Sunday, Aug. 2, 2026.

REV. WALKER SAYS: The verb COME: is to move towards something, or come to someone; Jesus is asking us to come and learn of Him. What is a YOKE referring to two oxen with a yoke around their necks, pulling and plowing a field together. Jesus is yoked with us while we go through this life together. Whatever we are carrying, pushing or pulling, Jesus is yoked with us.

COURIER CHURCH DIRECTORY ST. BENEDICT THE MOOR CATHOLIC CHURCH

BAPTIST TEMPLE CHURCH

CALVARY BAPTIST CHURCH

Sunday Worship: 8 a.m. and 10:45 a.m.

Sunday School: 9:15 a.m.

Sunday Worship Service: 10:30 a.m Wednesday Prayer Service: 7 p.m.

Wednesday Bible Study: 7:30 p.m.

7241 Race Street Pittsburgh, Pa., 15208

2629 Wylie Avenue, Pittsburgh, Pa., 15219 412-682-3352

Pastor—Rev. Dr. Rodney Adam Lyde

www.baptisttemple.church

Calvarybaptistchurch2629.com

Sunday School/Breakfast: 9 a.m.

EBENEZER MISSIONARY BAPTIST CHURCH

Sunday Worship Service: 10:30 a.m.

Sunday Worship Service: 11 a.m.

Bountiful Blessings: 1st, 3rd Tuesday, 5-7 p.m.

2001 Wylie Avenue Pittsburgh, Pa., 15219

NEW EVANGELISTIC MINISTRIES 412-281-3141 91 Crawford Street Sunday Mass Pgh., PA 15219 11 AM Rev. C. Matthew HawkinsAdministrator

312 Viola St. Duquesne, Pa., 15110

www.sbtmparishpgh.com

EAST LIBERTY PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH Sunday Services: 8:45 a.m. and 11 a.m.

Summer Worship Sundays: 10 a.m.

116 South Highland Ave. Pittsburgh, Pa., 15206 412-441-3800

www.elpc.church

Rev. Dr. Michael Diaz

2535 Universal Road Penn Hills, Pa., 15235

Pastor— Robin Horton

MT. CARMEL BAPTIST CHURCH

www.mtcarmelbaptistnv.org

Pastor—Rev. Dr. Barbara A. Gunn

SIXTH MOUNT ZION BAPTIST CHURCH

“The Love Church”

WHITE LILY BAPTIST CHURCH “Word Fed, Spirit Led” Sunday School: 10 a.m.

Sunday Worship Service: 11:15 a.m.

3621 Chartiers Ave. Pittsburgh, Pa., 15204 412-771-2533 Pastor—Rev. Antawn D. Coleman Sr.

www.secnbapt.com

Senior Pastor—Rev. Laphon Flood-Francis

Sunday Worship Service: 11 a.m.

319 N. 2nd St. Apollo, Pa., 15613 724-596-4032

6556 Shetland Ave. Pittsburgh, Pa., 15206 412-441-7839

www.smzbcpgh.org

108 W. 12th Ave. Homestead, Pa., 15120 412-461-8235

NEW LIFE BAPTIST CHURCH

Sunday Worship Service: 10:15 a.m.

Servant Pastor A. Marie Walker

Pastor—

Nathaniel Pennybaker

Sunday School: 9:30 a.m.

Sunday Worship Service: 11 a.m.

Sunday Worship Service: 11 a.m.

Pastor—Rev. James D. Burwell

18 Harriet St., Rankin, Pa., 15105

Email: triedstonebaptist@comcast.net

THE SECOND BAPTIST CHURCH OF HOMESTEAD

Wednesday Bible Study: 7 p.m.

90 Port Perry Rd. North Versailles, Pa., 15148 412-823-2841

Sr. Pastor—Rev. Dr. Vincent K. Campbell

TRIEDSTONE BAPTIST CHURCH Wednesday Prayer Meeting: 6:30 p.m.

Wednesday Bible Study: 7 p.m.

Sunday School: 9:30 a.m.

Sunday Worship Service: 11 a.m.

Tuesday eve. prayer line 313-209-8800, passcode 05277

ST. JOHN BAPTIST CHURCH Sunday School: 10 a.m.

Sunday Worship Service: 11 a.m.

209 Bridge St. Wilmerding, Pa., 15148 412-829-8925

www.ebenezerbaptistpgh.org

ROCK HOUSE OF PRAISE WITHOUT WALLS MINISTRIES Sunday Worship Service: 11:30 a.m Thur. Bible Study: 7 p.m.

CLARK MEMORIAL BAPTIST CHURCH Sunday School: 9:15 a.m.

Sunday Worship Service: 11 a.m.

1301 Glenn St. Homestead, Pa., 15120 412-462-1011 www.clark1889.org

Pastor—Rev. Dorothy Stubbs

Pastor— Rev. Marie Kelly

Pastor— Rev. John Welch

www.achurchforallpeople.org

Pastor—Rev. June Jeffries

CENTRAL BAPTIST CHURCH

MT. OLIVE BAPTIST CHURCH

“A Church with a vision, A people with a prayer, worshipping God with a praise”

Sunday School: 9:30 a.m.

Sunday Worship Service: 10 a.m.

2200 Wylie Ave. Pittsburgh, Pa., 15219 Pastor—Rev. 412-566-1437 Courtney D. Meadows

Sunday Worship Service: 10:30 a.m.

1201 Hiland Ave. Coraopolis, Pa., 15108 412-264-3125

Pastor—Rev. Brian Carswell Flanagan Sr.

SPORTS

NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER

AUGUST 5-11, 2026

A9

How dare Aaron Rodgers question Dr. Anthony Fauci The great Rodney King was a man who unknowingly and unwillingly volunteered to be a real live dummy on which the LAPD could test their state-of-the-art billy clubs on March 3, 1991.

For the sake of informing both generation Z and generation Alpha, Wikipedia tells us that: “Rodney King was an African American man who

on March 3, 1991, became a victim of police brutality when he was severely beaten by officers of the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) during his arrest after a high speed pursuit on California's state freeway. Three of the four officers were charged with excessive force. Within hours of their acquittals the 1992 Los Angeles riots started, sparked by outrage among minorities over the trial's verdict as well as long-standing societal

issues. King appeared on television to advocate for peace, that has been often paraphrased as, 'Can we all just get along?'"

That was the incident that convinced many people that when it comes to racial insensitivity issues, the eyes of many individuals in America “were very wide shut.”

The following negative comments about the legendary epidemiologist Dr. Anthony Fauci were reportedly made by Steelers QB Aaron Rodgers, a QB who for many years was forced to be a second-string QB behind a starter who at one-time during his career, could barely read a defense.

On the Pat McAfee Show, McAfee asked Rodgers about the mindset he had entering his final season with the Steelers and with the NFL. "I'm going to plead the fifth," Rodgers responded on the show at Steelers training camp in Latrobe.

"Like that absolute coward, Tony Fauci. Absolute coward. Are you kidding me? You got a pardon, and you pleaded over a hundred times at the White House?"

Rodgers continued to dig

into Anthony Fauci's Fifth Amendment statement to the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee.

That committee focused on allegations that Fauci helped fund lab research that led to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Republicans on the panel also alleged Fauci later attempted to mislead the American public on the origins of the virus from a lab in China.

There is no new scientific evidence that supports claims that the virus leaked from a lab, the Associated Press has reported.

Rodgers dug into the response that Fauci gave 111 times before turning his ire on the news media.

"How much time did the network spend on that?

How much time did they spend on my responses every week? On my vaccination status? On Taylor and Travis' wedding? Did they do even a minute on Tony Fauci?"

Check this out...how many Super Bowl rings has Travis Kelce earned since 2020? Well, the simple answer for the calculus experts is three; 2020, 2023, and 2024. Do you think that winning three

Super Bowl rings coupled with the fact that Kelce married billionaire musician Taylor Swift, one of the richest and most famous musicians in history, might have something to do with Travis Kelce's media coverage?

Travis Kelce is having a great personal and professional life. Can other people make a similar claim?

Well, if they discontinued being haters and became creators, they might have a shot. In my opinion, Aaron Rodgers should be worried about winning the AFC North and less concerned about the activities of the CDC, ABC, NBC, etc. Right now, in the Pittsburgh sports arena, we need to be sweating about the AFC and the NFC. Aaron Rodgers needs to be perspiring more about becoming the AFC offensive player of the week, and less about being featured on Washington Week.

In 2026, there will be no acceptable excuse for failure. Now is the time to shine and bask in the glow of success as opposed to filling the tank of the “bus of failure” with the “fuel of lies” to prepare to run over teammates in order

to shift the blame of failure. Is there a Megabus, gassed up and waiting in the parking lot of Acrisure Stadium for Jaylen Warren, Alex Highsmith, T.J. Watt, Cam Heyward and D.K. Metcalf to exit the locker room only to become speed bumps to slow down the journey of Aaron Rodgers and the team to their final “destination of incompetence?”

The Pittsburgh Steelers are surrounding Aaron Rodgers with many of the pieces of success for him to at least have an adequate chance of victory.

What else do they have to do? Are they going to have to place sharpshooters up in the outer reaches of "peanut heaven" at Acrisure Stadium with the intent of picking off the players of the opposing team one by one, to guarantee victory for the black and yellow?

Now back to the criticism of Dr. Anthony Fauci. Wikipedia has again chronicled that, “in 1981, the first AIDS cases were reported; Dr. Anthony Fauci immediately shifts his clinical and research focus to the new syndrome.” How can any jock or layman dare to offer a

critique of Dr. Anthony Fauci based on the flawed and asinine opinions created by and perpetrated by ill-informed dummies, especially Aaron Rodgers, because he was a millennial who wasn’t even born until December of 1983.

How dare any athlete who continues to sport a breast milk or Enfamil mustache offer criticism about a subject that they know very little about? Many of these naysayers can only offer insane solutions for the COVID-19 virus, such as injecting bleach into their bodies or waiting for Easter to arrive with a cure based on a successful Easter egg hunt.

While Fauci had his sleeves rolled fighting AIDS, other millennials like Aaron Rodgers were worried about what was going to be on the menu at the school cafeteria or going to soccer practice.

Fauci has spent a major part of his life fighting to protect the sanctity of life.

Many jocks have spent many years of their lives fighting to maintain and protect their athletic relevance.

DO YOU REMEMBER THE TIME??? :10—Of course that’s a loaded question. You need to know who, what, when, where and why.

Well, I’ll answer the why part of the statement first. “Why?”...Because it was a much better time to feel good about baseball in the City of Pittsburgh. No pain, plenty of gain, a ton of star power

and that feeling when you woke up of who’s next? :09—By now you of course know this is about your Pittsburgh Pirates.

That answers the “who” of all this. And “what” I am referring to is a time when the Pittsburgh Pirates were a relevant team, not just in Pittsburgh, but throughout

the baseball world...that would be your “where.” :08—Now the definitive answer to the “when” of it all and I got a few goodies for ya. The year was 1909 when the Pirates defeated the Detroit Tigers four games to three to win their first World Series. That had to be a good time had by all. It was the first.

Then, in 1925 they won their second title, defeating the Washington Senators four games to three. Now come on, you know that was a blast... it was, as they say, “The Roaring Twenties” after all, jazz music, flappers (what’s a flapper?), and prohibition. Now that’s a good time...well, as long as you were of the White skin persuasion! (No disrespect to my lifelong affiliation to any blue-eyed brothers and sisters, I’m just sayin’!) :07—Now we slide... (slide, get it? Baseball... slide...oh, never mind).

Anyway, on to an era that some of us actually remember. The year

was 1960 and your Battling Bucs shook up the world with an amazing walk-off home run by Bill Mazeroski in the ninth inning. That being the only time that Game 7 of the Series has ever ended with a home run. Maz was joined in baseball immortality by teammates Roberto Clemente, Vern Law, Dick Groat, Roy Face, and Bob Friend, just to name a few. Now that was a time to remember! :06—Now, we’re about to get the fun-mobile warmed up as “The 1971 Pirates had 'em all the way” to quote the late, great Bob Prince. Aside from being the first night game in its history (didn’t know that now, did ya), the Pirates overcame a two games to none Series deficit to beat the Baltimore Orioles, due in large part to Roberto Clemente’s all-around baseball brilliance with the bat, his glove, his throwing arm, and the speed of his legs.

And let’s not forget Wil-

lie “Pops” Stargell’s contribution to glory with a career high 48 home runs and scoring a vital run in the eighth inning of Game 7. Now I’ve got most of your attention and reminding you of how good it felt to be good! :05—The good times went sky high in 1979 when the Pirates won their last World Series to date with yet another world class effort and coming back from a three games-to-one deficit to send the Baltimore Orioles packing again in another 7 game Series.

The fireworks were set to explode when Stargell hammered a two-run homer in the sixth to put the Pirates ahead. This was the beginning and unfortunately the end of We Are Fam-a-lee, as the Bucs began a downward struggle since then. But the fun part of it...let me tell ya, cuz I was there... and please take this as only a point of reference, not any self gratification...man, it was special

and due mostly to Pops.

The stars on the caps, the ongoing par-tays and national recording stars Sister Sledge made it a time to remember! :04—Alright, boys and girls, fun times over.

That’s all I can say without getting arrested. But now you get it. Knowing what you now know, you can take a deep breath, put a smile on your face, and remember the time!

Yep, you knew this was coming...no good memories coming anytime soon! :03—Back to the real world. Your Pittsburgh Steelers ended the first week of training camp with no big surprises. All is well on the Eastern front. But this highlight was suggested. New coach Mike McCarthy may decide to keep all four quarterbacks: Aaron Rodgers, Mason Rudolph, Will Howard, and Drew Allar. (My guess is someone is going to conveniently get hurt, go on IR...Injured Reserve, and that someone will

be Drew Allar. I am just sayin’!) the :02—Reminder, Steelers aren’t the only football show in town.

Pitt and all the local colleges are set to go on the gridiron. And be mindful and careful, high school teams are about to bust loose...be aware behind the wheel! :01—Do-not-forget the Connie Hawkins Summer League Reunion, Saturday, August 15, at the Noblemen’s Lounge on Frankstown Road, Penn Hills. Summer-style dress to impress, admission cost $20, cash only...proceeds to benefit AGI’s Back to School Supplies Giveaway, cash bar and kitchen, and 50/50. For all Summer League ballers and their wives and girlfriends. This is a 30 and over celebration! :00—GAME OVER.

Steelers deep into 2026 Training Camp in Latrobe

Courier photographer Marlon Martin is at Steelers Training Camp, the 2026 iteration.

Will this be the year that the Steelers finally advance in the playoffs? If so, all the hard work starts now in Training Camp in Latrobe. These photos are from the Aug. 3, 2026, practice.

A10 AUGUST 5-11, 2026

NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER

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Restrictions apply. Not available in all areas. Select plans only. After 5 years, regular rates apply. For complete deals, visit xfinity.com/samedaywifi. All devices must be returned when service ends. Xfinity Internet is powered by fiber and connected to premises by coaxial cable. Most reliable WiFi claim based on Opensignal Awards USA: FBBE, 5/25; XB6+. © 2026 Comcast. All rights reserved.

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Nolan Wells and the Emmett Till comparisons

BUSINESS New Pittsburgh Courier

J. Pharoah Doss Page B4

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Find what you need from jobs to cars to housing B5-6

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WWW.NEWPITTSBURGHCOURIER.COM

Property is Power!

What Trump’s investor restrictions could mean for Black people At the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, U.S. President Donald Trump raised a question that may define the future of the American housing market: Who will own the homes of the future? “America will not become a nation of renters,” Trump declared while promoting restrictions aimed at limiting certain large institutional investors’ access to federally supported mortgage financing for single-family homes. “Homes are built for people, not for corporations.”

The statement resonates because it identifies a growing anxiety in the American economy. Across the country, working families are competing not only with other prospective homeowners but with investment firms capable of making cash offers, purchasing homes in bulk and moving through transactions at a speed few ordinary buyers can

Trump shell game biggest grift in world history

by Aswad Walker (Black Press USA Wire)—History is filled with breathtaking, inhumane thefts. Empires stole land. Colonizers stole labor. Enslavers stole genera-

ANTHONY O. KELLUM match. For Black Americans, however, the question carries a deeper significance. The issue is not simply whether corporations should be allowed to purchase single-family homes. The more consequential question is whether policies intended to restrain institutional investors will create a genuine path to ownership for Black families or merely reduce one form of competition while leaving the larger barriers to homeownership intact.

For Black America, homeownership has never been only about having a place to live. It has been a means of building stability, accumulating wealth, creating inheritance and establishing a measure of economic independence. In a country where Black families were historically excluded from landownership, denied access to many neighborhoods and subjected to discriminatory lending practices, property has represented something larger than shelter.

It has represented power. That is why the future of housing cannot be separated from the future of Black wealth.

The American home has always occupied two roles: It is both a place to live and an asset capable of producing opportunity. A home can provide security, but it can also create equity that helps finance education, support retirement, start a business or provide an inheritance to the next generation.

This is the central idea behind Property is Power. Ownership gives families economic leverage. It provides choices and allows households to participate in the growth of the communities where they live rather than merely pay for the right to remain there.

Yet the housing market is increasingly shaped by institutions that view homes primarily as finanSEE PROPERTY IS POWER B2

ond presidency has produced a rap sheet of reported conflicts of interest, “the likes of which you’ve never seen” (to use Trump’s own favorite phrase).

Investigative reporting has documented billions in wealth generated

business with Trump-related enterprises. Wealthy individuals have gained exclusive access through Mara-Lago. Trump-affiliated branding deals, cryptocurrency ventures, and business partnerships continue to

Investigative reporting has documented billions in wealth generated through Trump-linked businesses, cryptocurrency ventures, licensing agreements, and investments while he remains in office. Analysts have described an unprecedented intertwining of presidential power and private enrichment, arguing that loopholes in ethics laws make much of it difficult to challenge. tions. European institutions claimed African achievements as their own.

Indigenous nations were stripped of lands that became the United States.

As historian Dr. John Henrik Clarke argued, Europe even “colonized” the image of God. Those are monumental acts of plunder.

Yet America is witnessing something different: a president, Donald Trump, using the Oval Office as ground zero for unprecedented grift, while many of the institutions designed to provide checks and balances either look the other way or help make it possible.

Trump is colonizing his own country.

But the greatest scandal isn’t simply the money he’s pocketing; it’s the normalization of turning the Oval Office into a grift machine.

The presidency as a profit center Every administration faces ethics questions. But Donald Trump’s sec-

through Trump-linked businesses, cryptocurrency ventures, licensing agreements, and investments while he remains in office. Analysts have described an unprecedented intertwining of presidential power and private enrichment, arguing that loopholes in ethics laws make much of it difficult to challenge.

Really? Congressional Republicans were ready to impeach Barack Obama over a tan suit. Yet now we’re told that legal isn’t always ethical, that ethical isn’t always constitutional, and that constitutional isn’t always enforced.

Whatever. Eric Garner was choked to death by cops for making pennies selling loose cigarettes. Trump robs a whole-ass country blind, and he gets people making excuses. Miss me with that.

Bigger than one transaction The story isn’t one deal. It’s hundreds.

Foreign governments have done

expand.

Meanwhile, critics often find themselves targeted politically while loyalists receive prestigious appointments or lucrative contracts connected to Trump’s network.

Any one of these stories would have dominated headlines for months in another era. Together, they paint a picture of public office being used for private enrichment. I could have sworn that was illegal.

America250 or Freedom 250?

One of the most symbolic controversies surrounds America’s 250th birthday celebration.

Congress created America250 as a bipartisan effort to commemorate the nation’s semiquincentennial. Then came the Trump-backed Freedom 250 initiative.

Freedom 250 has been accused of steering donors and financial support away from America250 toward SEE TRUMP SHELL B2

The debt trap eating your future: Why high interest, rising costs and poor savings habits are destroying wealth Let me hit you with four numbers that tell one story.

22.16 percent. That’s the average APR on new credit card offers today.

93 percent. That’s the percentage of workers who say their raises aren’t keeping up with the cost of living.

47 percent. That’s the percentage of Americans who say they could cover a $1,000 unexpected expense using savings or cash they already have. That means more than half of the country would struggle to handle a relatively modest financial emergency without borrowing, using a credit card, or tapping into retirement savings.

33 percent. That’s the percentage of investors who reportedly carry more credit card debt than they have saved for retirement.

Those are four separate headlines but they’re chapters of the same story.

Americans are working harder, earning more on paper, yet falling further behind financially. High interest rates, rising living costs, inadequate emergency savings, and growing debt are colliding to create a wealth-building crisis.

This isn’t just an inflation problem. It isn’t just a debt problem. It isn’t just a savings problem.

It’s a wealth-building problem.

The financial system is quietly trans-

ferring money out of your household and into someone else’s pocket. If you aren’t paying attention, you’ll spend years getting everyone else rich except for you!

Interest Is Quietly Stealing Your Wealth Most people know their mortgage payment, rent, or car payment. They know what they spend on groceries and utilities.

But ask them how much they paid in credit card interest last year, and many couldn’t tell you.

That’s alarming because interest may be one of the biggest bills you pay.

At more than 22 percent APR, carrying a credit card balance isn’t just expensive—it’s wealth destruction.

Imagine investing money in something guaranteed to lose 22 percent every year. You’d never do it. Yet that’s effectively what happens when you carry revolving credit card debt month after month.

The people who you purchased from got paid. The bank earned interest. What

did you get? A bunch of stuff that’s cluttering your house! All that stuff used to be money. All that money used to be time. More importantly, that’s a wealth transfer happening in slow motion.

I say it all the time: Stop making companies rich and banks richer by financing stuff you don’t need or can’t afford.

Why Your Raise Doesn’t Feel Like Progress If your paycheck feels smaller despite getting a raise, you’re not imagining it.

You receive a raise. Then rent increases. Groceries cost more. Insurance premiums rise. Utilities climb. Car repairs become more expensive.

Before long, the extra money is gone.

Many families aren’t living beyond their means—they’re simply trying to survive in an economy where everyday essentials continue to rise in price.

That’s why so many households feel like they’re running harder just to stay in the same place.

When Savings Become a Deferred Spending Account Saving money isn’t enough if the money never stays saved.

The Federal Reserve reports that only 55 percent of Americans have an emergency fund large enough to cover at least three months of living expenses if they suddenly lost their primary source of income.

Many workers do exactly what financial experts recommend. They have money automatically transferred from every paycheck into a savings account.

That’s a great habit—but for many, the money never stays there.

A few days later, they transfer it right back into checking to pay bills, cover groceries, buy takeout, shop online, or handle everyday expenses.

That’s not a savings account.

That’s a deferred spending account.

Savings are supposed to grow. They’re supposed to be there for job loss, medical emergencies, major car repairs, home repairs, or unexpected family crises.

If every dollar you save is spent before the next payday, you’re not building financial security. You’re simply delaying your spending by a few days.

SEE DAMON CARR B2

BUSINESS

B2 AUGUST 5-11, 2026

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Trump shell game biggest grift in world history HOMEBUYING FROM B1

Trump’s organization, including allegations that prospective donors received Freedom 250 account information instead of America250’s. Freedom 250 denies wrongdoing, and investigations continue.

If proven, it would represent another example of public institutions becoming vehicles for private political gain.

How fitting that America’s birthday celebration would become entangled in a controversy over money and influence.

Pimping pardons Another controversy centers on presidential pardons. Reports have described wealthy individ-

uals and politically connected figures receiving favorable consideration while lobbyists charge enormous fees to pursue clemency for clients.

Whether perception or reality, pay-to-play justice undermines public confidence. If this were organized crime, we’d call it gangster. If poor Black people did it, we’d call it criminal. Instead, Trump continues making money while avoiding accountability.

Institutions that looked away The larger scandal may not be Trump himself.

Trump has spent decades cultivating an image built around aggressive dealmaking and pushing ethical boundaries. In The Art of the Deal, he celebrated

tactics that critics say rewarded refusing to pay and dragging disputes through the courts.

Americans knew who he was before they voted.

The Republican-controlled Congress has repeatedly declined to challenge him aggressively. Critics argue the Supreme Court has also strengthened presidential immunity. Federal ethics laws contain loopholes that previous presidents generally respected, but Trump has been willing to exploit.

Major media organizations often favor spectacle over sustained investigations, while social media platforms reward outrage and distraction.

The result is account-

ability nied.

delayed—or

de-

The cost to democracy Corruption is rarely just about money. Every dollar diverted is one unavailable for schools, healthcare, infrastructure, disaster relief, or veterans.

Every ethical line erased makes the next violation easier.

Eventually, Americans stop asking whether something is right and ask only whether it’s legal.

That’s how republics die.

History’s warning Past political scandals— from Watergate forward— generally ended with resignations, prosecutions, congressional investigations, or meaningful reforms.

Today, controversies dis-

appear beneath an avalanche of daily outrage.

Critics are demonized.

Millions tune out.

Perhaps the greatest grift is convincing Americans that corruption is simply how government works.

What citizens should do The answer isn’t cynicism. It’s civic engagement.

Vote for candidates committed to ethics and transparency.

Demand accountability from every administration, regardless of party. Support investigative journalism that follows the money.

Pressure Congress to conduct real oversight. Hold media organizations accountable when they ignore credible reporting or

normalize corruption.

History teaches that corruption survives only as long as citizens tolerate it.

America’s 250-plus years have included extraordinary achievements and profound injustices. If citizens believe government is being used for private enrichment instead of public service, the responsibility ultimately falls on “We the People” to decide whether enough is enough.

(Based on reporting by Houston Defender.)

(Originally published by Black Press USA Wire— https://defendernetwork.com/ news/opinion/trump-shellgame-biggest-grift-in-worldhistory/)

Property is Power! What Trump’s restrictions could mean PROPERTY IS POWER FROM B1

cial instruments. Large investors have purchased substantial numbers of single-family homes and converted many of them into long-term rental properties.

Investors can bring capital to neglected neighborhoods, renovate distressed properties and provide needed rental housing.

The problem is not investment itself. The concern is what happens when ownership becomes too concentrated.

When large institutions acquire and hold substantial numbers of single-family homes, fewer properties may remain available for families seeking to buy.

Those homes can become long-term rental assets, allowing institutional owners to collect rental income and benefit from future appreciation. The families living in those homes may receive the stability and flexibility of rental housing, but they generally do not build equity or share in the property’s increasing value. Over time, this can concentrate more of the wealth created by housing in the hands of large investors rather than among the households and communities where the properties are located. The concern, therefore, is not rental housing itself or the existence of investors, but whether the growing concentration of ownership limits opportunities for families who want to purchase homes and build longterm wealth through property ownership.

Trump’s proposed restrictions appear designed to address part of that imbalance. But they are not prohibited on institutional ownership. They do not prevent large investors from purchasing homes with cash, using private financing or relying on financial structures outside the conventional mortgage system. Even so, the policy signals an important principle: The American housing system should not be organized in a way that consistently gives corporate portfolios an advantage over families seeking a place to call home.

That principle deserves broad support.

But principle alone will not create homeowners.

If institutional demand declines, more homes may become available to individual buyers. Black families could benefit, particularly in the lower and middle segments of the market, where first-time buyers often face the strongest competition. Yet a home is not truly accessible

merely because an investor is no longer bidding on it. The prospective buyer must still qualify for financing, have sufficient income and acceptable credit, and possess enough savings to cover the down payment and closing costs. The buyer must still contend with high interest rates, rising insurance costs and a limited supply of attainable homes.

Reducing competition does not automatically create access.

That distinction is critical because many Black families face a challenge that is not simply one of income but of accumulated wealth. A family may be able to afford a monthly mortgage payment while lacking the savings required to purchase the home. A first-generation buyer may have no family equity to draw upon for a down payment or emergency expenses. Another family may have a strong record of paying rent but limited traditional credit history. The nation cannot simply tell corporations to step aside and assume that families will automatically be able to step forward. Families must also be given the tools to compete.

That requires a broader national ownership agenda, one that includes meaningful down-payment assistance for qualified first-generation buyers, greater access to responsible small-dollar mortgages and policies that encourage the construction of attainable homes rather than concentrating on new development at the highest price points. It also requires a more serious commitment to rehabilitating vacant and distressed properties for owner-occupants. In communities where affordable housing already exists but has fallen into disrepair, public policy should help families acquire and restore those homes rather than allowing them to become automatic opportunities for institutional acquisition.

The mortgage industry must also continue to explore responsible ways of recognizing the financial realities of modern households. Underwriting standards should remain sound, but access should not be unnecessarily limited by systems that fail to account for self-employed borrowers, entrepreneurs, non-traditional income or strong histories of rental payment. The objective is not to weaken lending standards. It is to ensure that responsible borrowers are not excluded because the housing finance system has

failed to evolve.

There is also a fundamental tension at the center of the housing debate. Policymakers want homes to become more affordable, but they also want to protect the wealth that existing homeowners have built through appreciation. Both goals are legitimate. For many Americans, a home is their largest asset. A dramatic decline in property values could erase household wealth, destabilize communities and create broader economic harm.

But rising home values have different consequences depending on whether a person already owns property. For an existing homeowner, appreciation may represent growing wealth; for a renter trying to buy, appreciation may represent a moving target. The same increase in value that strengthens one family’s balance sheet may place ownership further beyond the reach of another.

This is particularly important for Black Americans because the racial wealth gap means that many Black families enter the housing market with less inherited wealth and fewer resources available to overcome the initial costs of ownership.

The answer is not to destroy the equity current homeowners have earned, nor is it to accept a future in which ownership becomes increasingly concentrated among corporations and the already wealthy. The challenge is to protect the wealth of existing homeowners while expanding the ownership economy for those who have been left outside it.

That will require more housing, more attainable housing, more accessible financing and a more deliberate effort to help first-generation buyers build assets.

It will also require measuring housing policy by outcomes rather than rhetoric.

How many new homeowners were created? How many first-generation buyers entered the market? How many families moved from renting to owning? How much wealth remained within historically underserved communities? Those questions matter more than political declarations.

Renting is not a failure. Many Americans rent by choice, and rental housing will always be an essential part of a healthy economy. The danger arises when people who want to own are permanently prevented from doing so by rising prices, institutional competition and

a financial system that rewards existing wealth while making it difficult to build new wealth. A nation of renters is not defined by the existence of renters. It is defined by the disappearance of meaningful pathways to ownership.

For Black America, the stakes are especially high. The history of housing has been inseparable from the history of exclusion. The consequences of redlining, restrictive covenants and unequal access to credit did not disappear when those practices became illegal. They continue to influence wealth, homeownership and access to capital. Understanding that history is not an argument for remaining trapped by it. It is an argument for designing policies capable of producing a different future.

Trump’s declaration that America will not become a nation of renters should therefore be understood as the beginning of a policy conversation, not its conclusion. Restricting institutional investors may be a necessary step, but it is not a complete solution. America must do more than limit corporate competition; it must expand family ownership. It must create pathways for first-generation buyers, make small-dollar mortgages more available, increase the supply of attainable homes and help responsible borrowers overcome the down-payment barrier. It must also ensure that the wealth created through housing is not increasingly concentrated in the hands of institutions while working families remain permanent tenants.

The future will belong to those who own assets. The question is whether ordinary Americans and particularly Black Americans will have a meaningful opportunity to participate in that ownership economy.

Property is more than an asset. It is security, inheritance and economic independence. It is the power to shape not only where a family lives, but what that family can pass forward.

Property is Power!

(Dr. Anthony O. Kellum – CEO of Kellum Mortgage, LLC Homeownership Advocate, Speaker, Author NMLS # 1267030 NMLS #1567030 O: 313-263-6388 W: www.KelluMortgage.com.)

Property is Power! is a movement to promote home and community ownership. Studies indicate homeownership leads to higher graduation rates, family wealth, and community involvement.

The debt trap eating your future DAMON CARR FROM B1

The goal isn’t just to save money.

The goal is to keep money saved.

The Retirement Wake-Up Call One statistic should stop everyone in their tracks.

One out of every three investors reportedly carries more credit card debt than retirement savings.

These aren’t people who know nothing about investing. Many have 401(k)s or IRAs. Yet they’re trying to build wealth while paying more than 22 percent interest on consumer debt.

That math simply doesn’t work.

If your investments earn an average of 8 percent to 10 percent annually while your credit cards charge 22 percent, you’re moving backward financially.

You cannot consistently out-invest a 22 percent interest rate.

Paying off high-interest debt is often one of the best guaranteed returns you’ll ever receive.

Income Matters, But Habits Matter Too Let’s be fair. Some families genuinely have an income problem.

Housing costs have increased. Insurance costs more. Food prices remain elevated. Life happens.

But temporary financial struggles often become permanent because temporary spending habits become permanent lifestyles.

You may not control inflation. You may not control interest rates. You may not control what your employer pays. But you can control what happens after

your paycheck arrives.

Every dollar needs an assignment. If you don’t tell your money where to go, it will disappear without accomplishing much.

Grow the Gap One principle I teach is “Grow the Gap.” The Gap is the difference between what you earn and what you spend. The wider that gap becomes, the stronger your financial future.

Grow the Gap by increasing income through raises, additional skills, over-

time, side hustles, or multiple streams of income. At the same time, reduce unnecessary spending. Cancel subscriptions you no longer use. Delay impulse purchases. Drive your car longer. Buy assets before buying applause.

Every extra dollar you keep is another dollar that can work for you instead of working for the bank.

Your Game Plan If you’re overwhelmed, don’t try to fix everything overnight.

List every debt, balance, and interest rate. You can’t solve what you refuse to

measure.

Stop adding new credit card debt.

Attack high-interest balances aggressively using either the Debt Avalanche or Debt Snowball method—whichever keeps you motivated.

Build an emergency fund so unexpected expenses don’t send you back into debt.

Then automate your savings and retirement contributions. Wealth isn’t built through perfection. It’s built through consistency.

Money Is Talking The warning signs are everywhere.

Interest rates remain painfully high.

Raises continue struggling to outpace inflation.

Millions of Americans are borrowing simply to maintain their lifestyle. Remember this: Compound interest can become your greatest ally or your biggest enemy.

When you invest, it builds your wealth.

When you carry high-interest debt, it destroys it.

Choose carefully which side of compound interest you’re standing on.

Every dollar you use to eliminate high-interest debt is another dollar reclaiming your financial future.

The economy is talking.

The numbers are talking.

The only question is—are you listening?

(Damon Carr, Money Coach & Tax Pro can be reached at 412-216-1013 or visit his website at www.damonmoneycoach.com)

OPINION

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Guest Commentary Black Press preserves truths, champions Black voices

by Christopher Young America has never truly or fully stopped viewing and treating some Americans differently than others based on the color of their skin.

Today, we watch a large segment of America’s White majority, estimated by the Census Bureau at 56.3 percent, cling to the red, white and blue as if it were theirs alone. They use words like heritage, patriot, post-racial and merit to support their beliefs and behaviors—always endeavoring throughout our history to elevate themselves while diminishing the relevance, voice and culture of those who truly built America but do not look like them.

Enter the Black Press—Soldiers Without Swords. A collective of media professionals dedicated to the voices of those often diminished in mainstream media. They provide an independent voice to lift Black perspectives, issues and people. They are platforms where Black culture, in all its dimensions, is always heard loud and clear—always on the Cover Page.

A legacy of community journalism Most African American publishers are organized under the National Newspaper Publishers Association, which currently has more than 200 members. Daily readership is estimated at more than 22 million. These community newspapers deliver critical news, information and commentary relevant to readers, whether in print or online.

Nationwide, more than 40 percent of all newspapers have closed since 2005, predominantly because of ever-increasing production and printing costs, according to The Associated Press. The Black Press, in particular, has been harmed substantially by the anti-diversity, equity and inclusion policies of the Trump administration. Fearing backlash, major corporations have scaled back or eliminated diversity marketing. Amazon, Meta, Google, Disney, Paramount, Pepsi, Warner Bros., Target and Discovery are just a few of those corporations, according to Forbes.

Yet the persistence of the Black Press remains despite the decline of the print newspaper industry. Online readership has consistently grown, and many platforms have successfully transitioned their products to newsletters, podcasts and digital editions.

As the Black Press looks toward celebrating its 200th anniversary next year, it is important to look back on its origins and evolution. In 2009, when the Black Press had been in existence for 182 years, Howard University journalism professor Dr. Clint C. Wilson II shared its history this way: “In 1827, a group of prominent free African American citizens from states along the Eastern seaboard met in the New York City home of Bostin Crummell to discuss means to communicate their views on the various social, political, and economic issues that commonly confronted them and their respective communities. Although Black citizens utilized the church and social and fraternal organizations as a means of collective expression and dialogue, the usual channels of public media—particularly newspapers—were denied to them. Exacerbating the problem was the fact that elements of the established press routinely denigrated African Americans in print, even to the extent of questioning both the integrity and morality of the entire race.”

Dr. Wilson continued: “Over the years the list of contributors to the Black Press who have lent their talents as publishers, editors, journalists, columnists, and cartoonists has included the greatest names in American history. Among them are Frederick Douglass, W.E.B. DuBois, Ida B. Wells Barnett, Langston Hughes, Romare Bearden, James Weldon Johnson, Mary McLeod Bethune, and Daisy Bates.… In 1941, under the urging of John Sengstacke of the Chicago Defender, a meeting of leading Black publishers from across the nation was held in Chicago. Sengstacke said the meeting was designed for ‘harmonizing our energies in a common purpose for the benefit of Negro journalism.’ At least one representative from 22 publications attended the meeting and the group decided to form the National Negro Publishers Association. In 1956, the trade association of the nation’s Black Press was renamed the National Newspaper Publishers Association.”

To the extent that African Americans have increasingly participated in democracy, the Black Press has lit the path. Its origins came 34 years before the Civil War. Beginning during chattel slavery, the Black Press has been there telling the story, showcasing Black truths, achievements, successes and heroism, ensuring African Americans are prominently displayed—always on the Cover Page.

Yes, there are depictions of African Americans in the arts, literature, music, medicine, athletics and humanitarianism throughout America’s mainstream media, but nothing compares with the depth of coverage of Black America found in the pages of the Black Press.

To this day, grandparents and parents, aunts and uncles, brothers and sisters reach for the scissors. That photo, article about a class reunion, story of a local girl or boy making good and so much more is preserved in the family scrapbook or displayed in a frame on the living room wall.

Looking ahead to 200 years An altar of freedom and justice for those oppressed in “the land of the free and the home of the brave” surely has the Black Press at its foundation.

As we draw closer to this phenomenal achievement—the 200th anniversary of the Black Press of America—consider how you can support your local community newspapers. Subscribe, advertise, donate, tell a friend or train the next generation through a gift subscription.

And don’t forget to reach out to share your own story and the issues that have affected your community. The Black Press is, and always has been, about you.

(Christopher Young is a frequent contributing writer for The Mississippi Link, an independent, African American-owned newspaper and media company.)

(Reprinted from the Philadelphia Tribune)

Rod Doss Editor & Publisher Stephan A. Broadus Assistant to the Publisher Allison Palm Office Manager

Rob Taylor Jr. Managing Editor

John. H. Sengstacke

Editor & Publisher Emeritus (1912-1997)

Ashley Johnson Sales Director

B3

Morals? They have none!

(TriceEdneyWire.com)—A few days ago, the United States Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee held a hearing involving Dr. Anthony Fauci’s personal diary. Thank God the only substantive response they received was the one his attorneys advised him to give. Invoking his constitutional rights, Dr. Fauci stated: “On the advice of counsel, I respectfully decline to answer based upon my rights under the Fifth Amendment of the Constitution.”

Given the nature of the questions being asked about what I believe were deeply personal matters, I believe he was absolutely right to take that position.

Throughout the hearing, Republican members of the Committee were, in my view, unnecessarily rude and disrespectful. Yet Dr. Fauci remained calm and composed. He never raised his voice, never returned insult for insult, and conducted himself with the professionalism that has characterized his decades of public service.

Senator Rand Paul, an ophthalmologist, seemed more interested in performing for the cameras than engaging in a serious discussion with one of the nation’s most accomplished scientists and immunologists. Dr. Fauci led the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases from 1984 until 2022 and later served as Chief Medical Advisor to President Joseph Biden. His career has spanned multiple administrations, Republican and Democratic alike, and has been recognized by presidents of both parties as well as countless medical and scientific organizations.

When COVID-19 threatened the

Dr. E. Faye Williams, Esq.

Commentary nation, Dr. Fauci offered medical guidance grounded in science. Americans may remember that President Donald Trump repeatedly suggested the virus would simply disappear as the weather became warmer. Most of us also remember other suggestions that left many Americans shaking their heads.

Thankfully, the overwhelming majority of people understood that following the advice of medical professionals was far safer than following political speculation.

What troubled me most about this hearing was not simply the tone—it was the purpose. Members of the Senate, few if any of whom possess Dr. Fauci’s medical expertise, devoted their time to questioning him about a personal diary.

A diary is exactly that—personal. It is often where people record their private thoughts, reflections, fears, hopes, and frustrations.

I understand that personally.

Years ago, someone had the audacity to find and read my diary and then question me about what I had written.

In that moment, something that had been intensely personal was no longer mine alone. The violation was so painful that I destroyed the diary altogether.

My journals contained thoughts intended for no one but me, and I can only

imagine that Dr. Fauci’s diary served the same purpose for him.

That is why I believe this hearing crossed an important line. At a time when our nation faces enormous challenges—from economic uncertainty to international conflicts to pressing domestic concerns—it is difficult to understand why the Senate chose to devote its attention to a scientist’s private writings. The American people deserve better use of their elected officials’ time.

Before closing, let me update you on another influential Republican ally: Elon Musk. After recently saying he believed he had become “too involved in politics,” he has reportedly announced plans to spend millions of dollars in several key states during the upcoming midterm elections to support Republican candidates while working to defeat Democrats. Americans should remember the enormous influence that concentrated wealth can have on our political system and remain vigilant about who is shaping public policy and whose interests are being served.

We are living through a time when civility, respect, and common decency too often seem to take a back seat to political theater. Public servants who have devoted their lives to serving this country should be treated with fairness, whether we agree with them or not.

Political disagreements are inevitable in a democracy. Personal humiliation should never become a substitute for meaningful governance.

That is why I ask again: Morals? They have none.

(Dr. E. Faye Williams is President of The Dick Gregory Society.)

Mass deportations are everyone’s problem (TriceEdneyWire.com)—During the 2024 Republican National Convention, attendees and delegates were ecstatic when waving their “Mass Deportation Now” signs and cheering Donald Trump as he pledged for the largest deportation operation in U.S. history. Immigration and border security have always been hot-button issues, and the red meat message about mass deportation was what the convention crowd craved to hear.

During the campaign, voters were told that deporting immigrants with criminal records was the priority.

Therefore, it is not surprising that the Pew Research Center indicated that nearly 90 percent of registered voters who supported Trump strongly favored the mass deportation of undocumented immigrants. We can all agree that foreign-born persons living in the U.S. without official legal permission is a complex problem.

But does simply being an undocumented immigrant make you a criminal? Living in a country without authorization is generally treated as a civil matter under immigration law rather than a major criminal violation. Now that the presidential election is over and Trump is back in power, the true policy details of his mass deportation pledge are coming to light.

The description of a criminal is now expanded to include the broader undocumented population. As a result, the Trump administration has effectively categorized all undocumented migrants as criminals. The reality we face regarding U.S. immigration comes down to the fact that immigrants, both documented and undocumented, play a vital role as workers.

Key sectors such as construction, agriculture, food processing, farming and ranching, hospitality, healthcare, cleaning services, landscaping, and manufacturing rely on foreign-born workers.

The ripple effect on the U.S. labor market and economy from mass deportations is real and is now becoming painfully obvious. No matter how undesirable a particular job may appear in one’s eyes, there will always be individuals who are willing to do the specific job. In addition, the U.S. economy has experienced labor short-

David W. Marshall

Commentary ages in recent years attributed to an aging workforce. Immigrants have played a significant role in addressing labor shortages, thereby bolstering the U.S. economy. The contribution by migrant workers to the U.S. labor market cannot be taken for granted.

In states like California and Texas, immigrants make up 40 percent of the construction workforce.

The South Texas Builders Association is raising the alarm on how immigration enforcement by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has scared immigrant workers from showing up to work sites, causing a labor shortage and delays in construction projects. People are starting to wake up and pay attention. After the death of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, a construction worker in Houston who an ICE officer fatally shot, the targeting of immigrant laborers by ICE is gaining attention. The builders’ association, in protecting its interest, is demanding worker protections such as permits that would allow immigrants to work legally in the country. Ronnie Cavazos, chairman of the South Texas Builders Association, said his own father was an immigrant and a hard worker. He imagined that Salgado Araujo, who was killed on his way to work, was similar and questioned why the community had supported a presidential administration that would shoot and kill a worker like him. “Let’s be real, we voted for it,” Cavazos said. “So, whose fault was it?” Where voters in Texas are having buyer’s remorse, the same is true in Ohio and Florida.

In 1990, Congress created the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) as a humanitarian immigration program for hundreds of thousands of Haitians and thousands of Syrians who have legally lived and worked in the United States. After weeks of short-term court extensions, TPS protections for Haitians ended when the Supreme Court ruled that the Trump

administration can move forward with its plans. While ICE has drawn up its plans to launch a deportation blitz focused on more than 300,000 Haitian migrants, Republican Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine told CBS News the deportations of Haitian migrants are a “mistake,” arguing the move could bruise the state’s economy and risk putting Haitians in danger in their home country. Many Haitians who live in Ohio have settled in the city of Springfield in recent years. “These are people who have helped Springfield really come back,” DeWine said, pointing to Haitians who have filled jobs and opened businesses in the economically challenged city. “The Haitians who are living there and employed there, they came there to work, and they came there because there were jobs that were not being filled by other people.”

No other state will feel the repercussions of the loss of the Haitian TPS recipients more than Florida, where about half of the 350,000 in the U.S. now live. The concerns surrounding the Haitian TPS holders prompted the Florida Health Care Association, which represents hundreds of assisted living facilities, nursing homes, and rehabilitation centers in the state, to write to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security requesting an exemption for their workers, the Florida Phoenix reported.

The real threat to the conscience of our nation is not the law-abiding migrants who are willing to address America’s labor gaps, but are now categorized as criminals due to their undocumented status. Nor is the threat Haitian TPS holders who legally work as nursing assistants and caregivers. The true threat comes from individuals who know the value immigrants provide to communities and yet remain silent when anti-immigrant agendas distort the truth.

The threat also comes from the Black community who sees the wrongful death of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo and remain unmoved and silent “because it is not in my community.”

(David W. Marshall is the founder of the faith-based organization, TRB: The Reconciled Body, and author of the book God Bless Our Divided America.)

‘The Trusted Messenger’ and the Black vote

by Dr. John E. Warren

Founded 1910

AUGUST 5-11, 2026

It is a well-established fact that the Black Press is and always has been the “Trusted Messenger” of the Black community. With this being said, it is also very interesting that when many political organizations and donors decided to support Voter Registration and Get Out The Vote, those donors give their dollars to predominantly Black organizations like the Urban League or NAACP, League of Voters or other nonprofit groups.

Those groups will prepare and send out press releases about such voter participation efforts since Black people were responsible primarily for the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

What is most interesting is that those press releases rarely find their way onto CNN or the major news networks. Those press releases and calls to Black voter participation are carried in the Black Press. However,

the dollars that support those press releases getting written, nor ads to carry the message of those releases do not reach the Black Press. Historically, the dollars behind those messages do not find their way to the very Black Press that carries those messages.

Now as we approach one of the most important Midterm elections in the history of this nation, it appears that once again the Black Press will be expected to carry the message of voter turnout, while the political and campaign dollars go to the White mainstream media. Those who are spending the billions of dollars that will go to Campaign Finance appear to have forgotten that elections are won and lost on a single vote. Now is the time to remind the candidates, the political Initiatives and Propositions that will appear on the ballots across this nation, that the Black Vote must not be taken for granted. It does not belong to any particular po-

litical party or interest group. It can not be judged by whether it exists in a Blue or Red State. The Democrats, Republicans and Independents and the supporters of Initiatives should not assume that our vote is not important. Elections are won on a single vote. The United States Supreme Court in Reynolds vs. Sims, 1964.

That case established the One Person, One Vote rule. The rule in that case made it mandatory to base legislative seats on population in districts rather than geography and guaranteed the Equal Protection coverage of the Fourteenth Amendment to the Constitution. That principle has not been abolished, and neither should act as if our one vote does not count.

Let us not forget our own values and we look toward the Midterm elections. The “Trusted Messenger” can make the difference.

(Dr. John E. Warren is Publisher San Diego Voice & Viewpoint Newspaper Chairman of the Board, NNPA)

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FORUM

AUGUST 5-11, 2026

Jim Crow 2.0 at the Pentagon BlackPressUSA Newswire—Pete Hegseth insists that he is restoring “merit” to the United States military.

But after months of dismissals, blocked promotions, and ideological purges, the evidence tells a different story. His campaign against so-called “diversity, equity, and inclusion” has become something far more dangerous: an assault on equal opportunity that falls with particular force on African Americans, while also targeting women, Latinos, gay Americans, and transgender service members.

The latest example is both troubling and infuriating.

Once again, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has reportedly blocked the promotion of an exceptionally qualified woman—Rear Admiral Amy Bauernschmidt. Bauernschmidt is no ordinary officer. She became the Navy’s first woman to command a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, one of the most demanding leadership assignments in the world. Her career reflects decades of exemplary performance, operational excellence, and leadership under extraordinary pressure.

Yet once again, a distinguished military career appears to have been subordinated to an ideological agenda masquerading as “merit.”

I call BS! The American people are expected to believe that one extraordinary officer after another suddenly fails to meet some undefined standard of excellence. We are expected to ignore impeccable service records while accepting that political appointees alone possess the wisdom to determine who is worthy of advancement.

The pattern has become impossible to ignore.

General Charles Q. Brown Jr., only the second African American to serve as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, was dismissed despite a career that placed him among the most accomplished military leaders of his generation.

Admiral Lisa Franchetti, the first woman ever to serve as Chief of Naval Operations, was removed despite decades of distinguished command experience.

Reports have documented interventions that blocked or delayed the promotions of Black officers and women selected through the military’s rigorous promotion system.

Now Rear Admiral Amy Bauernschmidt joins the growing list of highly accomplished officers whose careers have been derailed for reasons that have never been persuasively explained.

Wade Henderson

Commentary Where is Congress?

Its silence has become deafening.

Congress has an independent constitutional responsibility to oversee the armed forces. Instead, too many lawmakers have watched silently while one of the nation’s most respected institutions is subjected to ideological litmus tests and political interference.

This is not military reform. It is testosterone-fueled performative masculinity disguised as a philosophy of military excellence.

The irony is impossible to miss. Hegseth repeatedly invokes “merit,” yet his rhetoric begins with the assumption that Black officers, women, and other historically excluded Americans must somehow justify their achievements in ways that White male officers are rarely required to do.

That is not meritocracy. It is prejudice wrapped in patriotic language.

No one is asking that anyone be promoted because of race or gender. Americans simply expect that promotions be based on demonstrated competence, leadership, integrity, and service. The officers being targeted have already proven themselves repeatedly under one of the world’s most demanding evaluation systems.

Their records speak for themselves.

The attack on African American military leadership has been especially pernicious.

For generations, Black Americans fought in segregated units, earned decorations while denied equal treatment, and repeatedly demonstrated loyalty to a nation that often failed to extend them full citizenship. They broke barriers not because standards were lowered but because excellence finally overcame institutional discrimination.

Today’s campaign against “diversity” threatens to revive old assumptions under new slogans.

The implication that Black generals and admirals somehow owe their success to affirmative action rather than extraordinary performance echoes some of the ugliest stereotypes of the Jim Crow era. Yesterday’s segregationists claimed Black Americans were inherently less qualified.

Today’s culture warriors simply employ more politically acceptable language while inviting the same suspicion about Black achievement.

That is why Hegseth’s campaign increasingly resembles Jim Crow 2.0.

The targets may now wear stars on their shoulders instead of military patches on segregated uniforms, but the underlying message is hauntingly familiar: Black excellence is presumed suspect, while White excellence is presumed earned.

America’s military became the finest fighting force in history because it opened its doors to talent wherever it could be found. It grew stronger after President Truman desegregated the armed forces. It became stronger when women assumed greater command responsibilities. It became stronger when every qualified American was given the opportunity to serve to the fullest extent of their abilities.

Diversity is not a concession. It is a strategic advantage.

The nation’s adversaries do not fear an American military because it is racially homogeneous. They fear it because it draws upon the talents of more than 340 million Americans whose diverse experiences, perspectives, and abilities make our armed forces unmatched anywhere in the world.

Every politically motivated dismissal of a distinguished officer sends a chilling message throughout the ranks: excellence alone may no longer be enough if you belong to the wrong demographic group.

That weakens morale. It weakens recruitment. It weakens retention.

And ultimately, it weakens national security.

Pete Hegseth has every right to pursue military readiness. He has no right to redefine merit in ways that repeatedly cast suspicion upon the accomplishments of Black officers, women, and others who have devoted their lives to defending this nation.

America deserves better. The men and women who wear the uniform deserve better. The Constitution deserves better.

And unless Congress finds the courage to exercise meaningful oversight, history may well remember this period not as a restoration of military excellence, but as the moment political ideology attempted to resurrect, in modern form, the old poison of exclusion.

Jim Crow did not strengthen America. Jim Crow 2.0 will not strengthen America’s military. It will only diminish it (Wade Henderson, Strategic Advisor, Civil and Human Rights wade@wadejhenderson.com)

NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER

Nolan Wells and the Emmett Till comparisons Between 2012 and 2015, if you asked high school students, “Who was Emmett Till?” They would tell you that he was a Black teenager from Chicago who was lynched by White racists in 1955 while visiting relatives in Mississippi after allegedly flirting with a White woman.

They also would not claim to recall it from history class.

They would tell you that they learned about it after the national media compared the 1955 lynching of Emmett Till to the 2012 killing of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin by a neighborhood watch volunteer in Florida or the 2014 police shooting of 18-year-old Michael Brown in Missouri.

These comparisons were done strategically to emphasize that Martin and Brown were harmless teens who were unreasonably murdered by racists, but the comparisons were disingenuous.

In 2012, ABC News reported that they obtained the neighborhood watch volunteer’s medical report, which was compiled by his family physician. ABC reported that the volunteer was “diagnosed with a closed fracture of his nose, a pair of black eyes, two lacerations to the back of his head, and a minor back injury the day after he fatally shot Martin.”

The neighborhood watch volunteer said that he acquired the injuries during a “life and death” struggle with Martin. Martin was likely agitated because the volunteer was following him; Martin confronted the volunteer, hit him in the face, jumped on top of him, and repeatedly bashed his head against the pavement. The volunteer indicated that Martin attempted to remove his handgun from his waistband, but he blocked him from doing so before drawing the weapon and firing in self-defense.

In 2014, the national media initially reported that Brown surrendered to the Missouri police officer.

He raised his hands and said, “Don’t shoot,” but the police officer shot him anyway. Riots broke out in Missouri, and “Hands up, don’t shoot” became a national protest anthem.

After further investigation, it turned out that the “hands up, don’t shoot” version of events was false.

J. Pharoah Doss

Check It Out The Missouri police officer stated he encountered two Black men walking in the middle of the street.

The officer told them to walk on the sidewalk. Brown’s response was profanity-laced. The two ended up in a violent struggle over the officer’s gun. In the end, the officer fatally shot Brown in self-defense.

Martin and Brown were far from harmless; however, it is crucial to note that the neighborhood watch volunteer from Florida and the Missouri police officer were not comparable to the men who murdered Till.

Several days after Till’s encounter with the White woman, her husband and his half-brother arrived at the family house where Till was staying. They kidnapped and tortured Till for violating Jim Crow’s unwritten rule that Black males of any age were not permitted to make sexual advances toward White women. Till was shot in the head, and the men used barbed wire to attach a large metal fan used for ginning cotton to his neck before throwing his body into the river.

This takes us to the Nolan Wells incident. Wells was an 18-yearold Black male and freshman at Southwest Mississippi Community College. On July 4th, Wells and his White friends went to Horn Island, an undeveloped island 8 to 10 miles off the Mississippi Gulf Coast that can only be reached by boat, to party on the beach.

However, Wells did not return with his friends. Eventually, Wells was reported missing. Two days later, Wells’ body was recovered face down on Horn Island’s northwest beach. The authorities stated that Wells was discovered in the same area where he was last seen, and they had no suspicion of foul play. The Jackson County Sheriff indicated that there was no initial evidence of a crime. The sheriff stated that investigators were working hard to find out what

happened, but it was assumed that Wells drowned.

When the public learned that Wells was the only Black person among a large group of Whites and that he allegedly stayed on the island with a White female, it was assumed that Wells was harmed because of his race.

Then civil rights attorney Benjamin Crump was hired to represent the Wells family.

A staff writer at The Grio wrote, “Crump is helping this Black family fight for justice in the same state where a Black mother was unable to receive justice for their son Emmett Till when he was murdered in 1955 … there was no civil suit to file, no damages to pursue, no lawyer she could hire to force a fact into the record … The reason a family in Mississippi in 2026 has a lawyer running a parallel investigation is that a family in Mississippi in 1955 had no way to ensure accountability in the public sector.”

Crump added, 20 years ago, Black people would have had no hope of getting justice. The local authorities would not charge anyone, and nothing would happen. Nobody was allowed to bring civil actions in support of Black lives in America.

However, Trayvon Martin’s legacy marks a shift in our discourse about the value of Black life and the lived experiences of Black mothers and fathers who have suffered the unspeakable loss of their children.

This time, the comparison focuses not on Emmett Till and Nolan Wells themselves, but on their parents; however, this comparison is still disingenuous.

Till’s parents knew exactly what happened to their son. They also knew who was responsible because the men who killed their son were arrested but acquitted of murder by an all-White-male jury. To make matters worse, Till’s killers sold their story for $4,000 to Look Magazine, in which they bragged about murdering Till and depicted their actions as a chivalric defense of White womanhood.

Wells’ parents do not know what happened to their son, but they need someone to blame so that Crump can continue “the legacy of Trayvon Martin” and pursue civil actions.

If you don’t count it, you don’t have to fix it (TriceEdneyWire.com)—The Trump administration is not eliminating workplace discrimination. It is eliminating the receipts.

On July 23, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) proposed abolishing the EEO-1 report and five related workforce reports. For nearly sixty years, EEO-1 has required large private employers to report the race, ethnicity and sex of their employees across major occupational categories. The information helps us see who gets hired, who advances, who remains clustered at the bottom and who never gets through the door. Now the federal government proposes to stop collecting it.

This is far more than bureaucratic housekeeping. It is the deliberate destruction of evidence.

Without data, disparities cannot be adequately documented; without documentation, discrimination becomes more difficult to prove. An administration already committed to declaring our nation colorblind will then be free to point to the absence of evidence—an absence it created—as evidence that inequality no longer exists.

First they deny inequality. Then they destroy the evidence. Finally, they declare the problem solved.

The EEO-1 report has been collected since 1966, just two years after passage of the Civil Rights Act. Private employers with at least 100 workers, along with certain federal contractors with at least 50, have been required to provide workforce demographic information.

Approximately 110,000 employers are covered. While that is less than 2 percent of the nation’s nearly 6 million employer firms, these are among our largest employers and collectively employ a substantial share of the American workforce.

The proposed rule goes beyond private employers. It would also eliminate reports covering unions, state and local governments, public school systems, apprenticeship programs and institutions of higher education, as well as some of the recordkeeping requirements associated with those reports. The administration is not simply turning off the camera; it is also proposing to throw away the film.

The EEOC contends that these reports are burdensome, of limited usefulness and potentially unconstitutional because they

Julianne Malveaux

Commentary classify workers by race and sex.

That reasoning turns civil-rights enforcement on its head. In the twisted logic of this political moment, counting racial inequality is treated as a form of racial discrimination, while actual discrimination is rendered invisible.

Collecting information about race is not the same as discriminating by race. A thermometer does not cause a fever, nor does a scale cause weight gain. Data do not create inequality; they reveal it. Indeed, without data, claims of equal opportunity are little more than corporate advertising.

The EEOC estimates that eliminating the reporting requirements would save employers and the federal government about $278 million annually, including approximately $273 million for private employers. That sounds like a large amount until it is compared with the economic cost of workplace discrimination. Wage disparities, occupational segregation, biased hiring and blocked promotions cost workers—and the larger economy—far more than employers spend completing a report.

Furthermore, businesses already collect much of this information through their payroll and human-resources systems. The real burden may not be gathering the numbers but being held accountable for what those numbers reveal.

EEO-1 data are hardly perfect.

The report does not tell us everything about pay, promotions, discrimination or workplace culture; it offers a snapshot rather than a full biography. Still, snapshots matter.

They can reveal whether Black women are concentrated in administrative and support positions while White men dominate senior management. They can expose the distance between a company’s carefully worded commitment to diversity and its actual employment practices.

Such patterns do not prove every

individual allegation of discrimination, but they tell investigators where to look. They allow employers to identify problems before those problems become lawsuits, while giving researchers and policymakers a way to measure progress—or the lack of it. Eliminating the data will not make workplaces more equal; it will simply make inequality easier to conceal.

This attack on EEO-1 reporting is part of a broader war on facts.

The Trump administration has attacked diversity, equity and inclusion programs, weakened federal contracting protections and attempted to purge race-conscious analysis from government. It apparently wants a nation in which racial inequality may be experienced but not measured, described but not documented, protested but not proved.

Black workers know better, and so do women who continue to encounter occupational segregation and unequal opportunity. We know that fairness cannot be measured by a corporate slogan or a glossy photograph featuring a carefully assembled rainbow of employees. It must be measured by who is hired, what they earn, where they work, whether they advance and who holds power.

Data are instruments of democratic accountability because they allow ordinary people to compare promises with performance. That is precisely why those who resist accountability want the numbers buried. The proposed elimination of EEO-1 reporting is not colorblindness but willful blindness—a declaration that the federal government would prefer not to know what is happening inside American workplaces.

Inequality does not disappear when government closes its eyes.

When the people charged with enforcing equal opportunity stop collecting the evidence, they are not being neutral. They are choosing concealment over accountability and darkness over the illumination that data provide.

(Dr. Julianne Malveaux is a DC based economist and author.)

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B5

AUGUST 5-11, 2026

www.newpittsburghcourier.com

ANNOUNCEMENTS

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NOTICE Notice is hereby given that on August 11, 2026, at 7:00 o’clock PM at the Braddock Borough Municipal Building, 415 6th Street, Braddock, Pennsylvania, the Council of the Borough of Braddock, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania will act on an Ordinance to amend the earned income tax rate on residents and non-residents of the Borough of Braddock.

The proposed Ordinance would levy a two percent (2.00%) tax on all earned income and net profits on residents of the Borough of Braddock and a one percent (1.00%) tax on all earned income and net profits earned by non-residents for work done or services performed or rendered in the Borough of Braddock.

The increase in the earned income tax rate is necessary to offset revenue shortfalls, address increased operational costs, and ensure the fiscal stability of the Borough of Braddock. Council has determined that the increase is essential to maintain the fiscal health of the Borough of Braddock and to continue providing necessary services to its residents.

The earned income tax increase is estimated to generate approximately $51,737.07 in additional annual revenue for the Borough of Braddock in fiscal year 2027.

If adopted, the increased earned income tax rate will become effective on January 1, 2027.

The Ordinance in its entirety will be on display in the Borough of Braddock’s Municipal Building and shall be available for view during normal business hours.

The following is the Title of the complete body of the ordinance: BOROUGH OF BRADDOCK ALLEGHENY COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA ORDINANCE NO. AN ORDINANCE OF THE BOROUGH OF BRADDOCK, ALLEGHENY COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA AMENDING ORDINANCE NO. 1159 AS AMENDED BY ORDINANCE NO. 1169, ORDINANCE NO. 1182, ORDINANCE NO. 1185, ORDINANCE NO. 1185-A, ORDINANCE NO. 1194, ORDINANCE NO. 1195, ORDINANCE NO. 2002, AND THE EIT ORDINANCE PASSED IN 2021, TO AMEND THE EARNED INCOME TAX RATES ON RESIDENTS AND NON-RESIDENTS OF THE BOROUGH OF BRADDOCK, AND PROVIDING FOR AN EFFECTIVE DATE THEREOF. The general public can provide comments as to the content of the proposed codification at the public hearing at the time and place set forth in this Notice.

Extra Space Storage, on behalf of itself or its affiliates, Life Storage or Storage Express, will hold a public auction to sell the contents of leased spaces to satisfy Extra Space’s lien at the location indicated: 111 Hickory Grade Road Bridgeville PA 15017, August 19, 2026, at 12:30 PM. Michael Reis 1059, Erin Kerting 2259. The auction will be listed and advertised on www.storagetreasures.com.

Purchases must be made with cash only and paid at the above referenced facility in order to complete the transaction. Extra Space Storage may refuse any bid and may rescind any purchase up until the winning bidder takes possession of the personal property.

Extra Space Storage, on behalf of its affiliates, Life Storage or Storage Express, will hold a public auction to sell the contents of leased spaces to satisfy Extra Space’s Lien at the location indicated: 3200 Park Manor Blvd. Pittsburgh, PA 15205 on August 19, 2026 at 1:00 pm. 2170 Jay Blehi; 3236 Tesha Giles; 3324 Marjorie Siegert; 5006 Michelle Landsittel. The auction will be listed and advertised on www.storagetreasures.com.

Purchases must be made with cash only and paid at the above referenced facility in order to complete the transaction. Extra Space Storage may refuse any bid and may rescind any purchase up until the winning bidder takes possession of the personal property.

Extra Space Storage will hold a Public Auction to sell the contents of leased spaces to satisfy Extra Spaces Lien at the location indicated: 902 Brinton Road Pittsburgh, PA 15221 on 08/19/2026 at 11:30am.

Jonathan Holguin 1205. The auction will be listed and advertised on www.storagetreasures.com.

Purchases must be made with cash only and paid at the above referenced facility to complete the transaction. Extra Space Storage may refuse any bid and may rescind any purchase until the winning bidder takes possession of the personal property.

Extra Space Storage will hold a public auction to sell the contents of leased spaces to satisfy Extra Space’s lien at the location indicated: 1212 Madison Ave, Pittsburgh PA 15212, on 8/19/2026 @ 1:30pm.

For Jordan Webb 2055, Wilma Wofford 2063, and Reba Pyron 4131. The auction will be listed and advertised on www.storagetreasures.com.

Purchases must be made with cash only and paid at the above referenced facility in order to complete the transaction. Extra Space Storage may refuse any bid and may rescind any purchase up until the winning bidder takes possession of the personal property.

Extra Space Storage will be holding a public auction to sell the contents of leased spaces to satisfy Extra Space’s lien at the location indicated: 700 E. Carson St., Pittsburgh, PA 15203 on August 19, 2026 at 12:15pm. 4093 Alexis Washington.

The auction will be listed and advertised on www.storagetreasures.com.

Purchases must be made with cash only and paid at the above referenced facility in order to complete the transaction. Extra Space Storage may refuse any bid and may rescind any purchase up until the winning bidder takes possession of the personal property.

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Extra Space Storage, on behalf of itself or its affiliates, Life Storage or Storage Express, will hold a public auction to sell the contents of leased spaces to satisfy Extra Space’s lien at the location indicated: 1005 E Entry Drive Pittsburgh, PA 15216 on 8/19/2026 at 11:30 AM. For Patrick Kracklauer 2240. The auction will be listed and advertised on www.storagetreasures.com.

Purchases must be made with cash only and paid at the above referenced facility in order to complete the transaction. Extra Space Storage may refuse any bid and may rescind any purchase up until the winning bidder takes possession of the personal property.

Extra Space Storage will hold a public auction to sell the contents of leased spaces to satisfy Extra Space’s lien at the location indicated: 880 Saw Mill Run Blvd., Pittsburgh, PA 15226 on August 19, 2026 at 1:15pm. Amari Muhammad 4011, Paul Black 4130. The auction will be listed and advertised on www.storagetreasures.com.

Purchases must be made with cash only and paid at the above referenced facility in order to complete the transaction. Extra Space Storage may refuse any bid and may rescind any purchase up until the winning bidder takes possession of the personal property.

AVALON BOROUGH ADVERTISEMENT 1995 INTERNATIONAL FIRE TRUCK The Council of the Borough of Avalon announces its intent to sell a 1995 International Fire Truck via public auction. The auction runs from 10 a.m. on Wednesday, July 15, 2026, through 7:21 pm on Friday, August 15, 2026. Interested parties can view the listing and bid at www.municibid.com, Listing #84362653. At the conclusion of the auction, the vehicle will be awarded to the highest bidder, provided the reserve price is met.

The municipality reserves the right to reject any or all proposals. The vehicle is being sold as is, where is, with no warranties, express or implied. Please contact Dave Meyer, Chief, Avalon Volunteer Fire Company, or Jim Kenney, Assistant Chief, Avalon Borough Fire Company, at (412) 766-2244 or dmeyer@boroughofavalon.org with questions.

Borough of Avalon Lorraine Makatura, Secretary LEGAL ADVERTISING Legal Notices

Estate of MARGARET H. JOHNSON, Deceased of Munhall, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, No. 02-26-04476, Justin Bender, Administrator, 4848 Interboro Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15207 or to AUBREY H. GLOVER, Atty; BRENLOVE & FULLER, LLC., 401 Washington Avenue, Bridgeville, PA 15017 Estate of MARILYN CHRISTINE BRECHT A/K/A MARILYN BRECHT, Deceased of Pittsburgh, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, No. 02-26-04658, Robert J. Markovich, Executor, 201 Pine Valley Court, Fairview, TX 75069 or to TODD A. FULLER, Atty; BRENLOVE & FULLER, LLC., 401 Washington Avenue, Bridgeville, PA 15017 MS. SHARON KAY WILLIAMS A/K/A S. WILLIAMS, Deceased, of 936 Lysle Avenue, Mckeesport, PA 15133. Estate No. 02-2604444, Mr. Sean C. Williams, Executor, c/o Feldman Law Group, 1322 5th Avenue, Coraopolis, PA 15108

Estate of CHARLES J. BURKHART, JR., (deceased), of Whitehall. No. 7827 of 2025, Lois M. Vitti, Adm., 663 Fifth Street, Oakmont, PA 15139. To Lois M. Vitti and Vitti Law Group, Inc. Attys. 663 Fifth Street, Oakmont, PA 15139

Estate of BARBARA MURPHY, Deceased, of Pittsburgh, Allegheny County,Pennsylvania. No. 022604516, Deborah Murphy, Executor, 3112 Avalon Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15219.

MS. ZOE B. OESTERLING A/K/A ZOE OESTERLING, Deceased, of 2032 Laurel Drive, Coraopolis, PA 15108. Estate No. 0217-00598, Ms. Zoe LaRocca, Administratrix c.t.a., c/o Feldman Law Group, 1322 5th Avenue, Coraopolis, PA 15108

Estate of HILDA ROBINSON, deceased of ­ North Versailles, PA, Estate No. 022503204, Linda Baynes as the Administrator or to Quinntarra Morant, Esq., PO Box 10946, Pittsburgh, PA 15236

LEGAL ADVERTISING Bids/Proposals

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INVITATION FOR BIDS: The Allegheny County Housing Authority is requesting bids from qualified contractors for: CONTRACT: ACHA-1733-DOMESTIC HOT WATER SYSTEM REPLACEMENT AT HOMESTEAD APARTMENTS; Bids must be accompanied by a bid bond, certified check, or bank cashier’s check, payable to the Allegheny County Housing Authority in the amount of five percent (5%) of the bid.

DOCUMENTS: Bid documents & specifications will be available on/ after Monday, August 10, 2026.

Complete IFB Documents can be downloaded from the Housing Agency Marketplace: https://ha.internationaleprocurement .com /requests.html?company_ id=9739 (ACHA-1733); or from the Pittsburgh Builder’s Exchange, or the McGraw-Hill websites.

FEE: No Charge for Emailed / Electronic Transfer documents.

PRE-BID CONFERENCE SITE WALK THRU: (non-mandatory) Wednesday, August 19, 2026, at 10:00 AM EST at HOMESTEAD APARTMENTS, 421 EAST EIGHTH AVENUE, HOMESTEAD, PA 15136 QUESTION SUBMITTAL DEADLINE: Wednesday, September 2, 2026, at 10:00 AM EST BIDS DUE: Sealed bids will be received Wednesday, September 9, 2026, at 10:00 AM EST at the Allegheny County Housing Authority (ACHA) Central Office, 301 Chartiers Avenue, McKees Rocks, PA 15136 GENERAL INFO: The ACHA is an Equal Opportunity Employer and encourages participation from Section 3 businesses and minority -and women-owned firms. This project may be subject to federal labor standards provisions, including Davis-Bacon wage requirements.

LEGAL ADVERTISEMENT PORT AUTHORITY OF ALLEGHENY COUNTY D/B/A PITTSBURGH REGIONAL TRANSIT REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL NO. 26-18 Port Authority of Allegheny County d/b/a Pittsburgh Regional Transit (PRT) is requesting proposals for the performance of the following service (“Contract Services”): SMALL BUSINESS ENTERPRISE (SBE) CONSTULTANT SERVICES The work under the proposed Agreement consists of qualified contractors providing assistance to the Small Business Enterprise (SBE) Department of PRT with Federal Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) Semi-Annual Reports and State Annual Diverse Business (DB) Participation Reports, assisting in establishing goals and methodology for the FY27-29 Triennial Goals and the FY30-32 Triennial Goals, reviewing and updating the DBE Program Plan, Assisting with corrective actions born of audit results and keeping abreast of regulations and laws that may impact DBE and DV requirements.

The required services will be issued on a work order basis as they are approved to proceed by PRT. The Agreement will be for a 3-year period with the option to extend the term of the Agreement up to 2 additional one-year periods at the sole discretion of PRT. A copy of the Request for Proposal (RFP) will be available on or after July 27, 2026 and can be obtained by registering at the PRT’s ebusiness website: http://ebusiness.ridePRT.org and following the directions listed on the website. Please note that Proposers must register under the ebusiness categories of Professional Services (PROF), Professional Accounting/Auditing (PSAA), Professional Legislative Consulting (PSLC) for this RFP. Proposers may also register in other categories for any future RFPs issued by PRT. If you have specific questions regarding this RFP, please contact Keith Bayles at (412) 566-5434 or via email kbayles@ridePRT.org.

An Information Meeting for interested parties will be held at 10:30 a.m. prevailing time, August 19, 2026 via Microsoft Teams video conference and/or conference call to answer any questions regarding this RFP. To join by Microsoft Team video conference: • Meeting ID: 274 304 168 561 444 • Passcode: q6gv6gg7 To join by Microsoft Teams call-in number: • 412-927-0245 United State, Pittsburgh (Toll) • Conference ID: 257 609 927 The PRT call-in number has been set up and is as follows: • Toll Free Number (Canada/US): 1-800-974-5902 • Local Dial-In Number: (416) 874-8100 • Conference ID #: 4051776 Electronic proposals must be both received, and time stamped by a representative of the Procurement Department through PRT’s Ebusiness website at or before 2:00 p.m., prevailing time, September 2, 2026 at http://ebusiness.ridePRT.org. Proposals received or time stamped by a Procurement Department representative through PRT’s Ebusiness website after the advertised time for the submission of proposals shall be non-responsive and therefore ineligible for award. Each Proposer shall be solely responsible for assuring that its proposal is timely received and time stamped in accordance with the requirements herein.

This Contract Services may be funded, in part, by, and subject to certain requirements of, the County of Allegheny and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) of the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT). The proposal process and the performance of the requested services will be in accordance with guidelines and regulations of the FTA “Third Party Contracting Guidelines”, FTA Circular 4220.1F, as amended, and all applicable federal, state, and local laws and regulations.

Port Authority of Allegheny County d/b/a Pittsburgh Regional Transit, in compliance with 49 C.F.R., Part 26, as amended, implements positive affirmative action procedures to ensure that all Disadvantaged Business Enterprises (“DBEs”) have the maximum opportunity to participate in the performance of contracts and subcontracts financed, in whole or in part, with federal funds, if any, provided under or for the proposed Agreement.

In this regard, all recipients or contractors shall take all necessary and reasonable steps in accordance with 49 C.F.R., Part 26, to ensure that DBEs have the maximum opportunity to compete for, and perform contracts and subcontracts for, the Contract Services.

Port Authority of Allegheny County d/b/a Pittsburgh Regional Transit, in compliance with 74 Pa.C.S. § 303, as may be amended, also requires that certified Diverse Businesses, (“DBs”) have the maximum opportunity to compete for, and perform contracts and subcontract for, the Contract Services. In this regard, all Proposers, and the Contractor, shall make good faith efforts, in accordance with 74 Pa.C.S. § 303, to ensure that DBs have the maximum opportunity to compete for, and perform contracts and subcontracts for, the Contract Services.

Further, proposers and the Contractor shall not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, creed, age, disability, national origin, sex, sexual origin, gender identity or status as a parent in the award and performance of contracts or subcontracts for these Contract Services Port Authority of Allegheny County d/b/a Pittsburgh Regional Transit reserves the right to reject any or all proposals.

I N V I TAT I O N F O R B I D F O R PURCHASE OF INDOOR/OUTDOOR RIDING SWEEPER, INDOOR WALK BEHIND VACUUM AND WALK BEHIND FLOOR SCRUBBER The Sports & Exhibition Authority of Pittsburgh and Allegheny County (SEA) is soliciting bids for sweeper, vacuum, and scrubber for the David L. Lawrence Convention Center (DLCC) Bid documents may be obtained by emailing procurement@pgh-sea.com.

A Non-Mandatory Pre-Proposal Meeting will be held on August 6, 2026, at 10:00 A.M. at the DLCC East Lobby.

Bids are due at 2:00 P.M. on August 20th, 2026. Additional information is available at pgh-sea.com. or by c o n t a c t i n g C h r i s S t e l t e r, procurement@pgh-sea.com, or (412) 325-6156.

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THE BOARD OF PUBLIC EDUCATION OF THE SCHOOL DISTRICT OF PITTSBURGH Sealed bids will be received in the Bellefield Avenue Lobby, Administration Building, 341 South Bellefield Avenue until 11:00 A.M. prevailing time August 11, 2026 and will be opened at the same hour in the administration building cafeteria: Window CleaningVarious Locations General Information regarding bids may be obtained at the Purchasing Office, 341 South Bellefield Avenue, RM 349 Pittsburgh, PA 15213.

The bid documents are available on the School District’s Purchasing web site at: www.pghschools.org Click on Our Menu; Community; Bid Opportunities; Bids and Proposals; find under Open Solicitations.

The Board of Public Education reserves the right to reject any and all bids, or select a single item from any bid.

We are an equal rights and opportunity school district

Support the publication that is ALWAYS focused on Pittsburgh’s African American community.

Subscribe to the Courier today by calling 412-481-8302, ext. 136.

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AUGUST 5-11, 2026

LEGAL ADVERTISING

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NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER

LEGAL ADVERTISEMENT PORT AUTHORITY OF ALLEGHENY COUNTY D/B/A PITTSBURGH REGIONAL TRANSIT REQUEST FOR INFORMATION NO. 26-34 Port Authority of Allegheny County d/b/a Pittsburgh Regional Transit (PRT) is requesting information for the following service: Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) Replacement Consideration Phase The Request for Information (RFI) costs of gathering Information on the following.

Pittsburgh Regional Transit is currently on the PeopleSoft system that supports Human Resource Management System (HRMS), Payroll, Financials, and some budgeting and inventory activities. The goal is to consider options such as: 1) Move to a new comprehensive Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system (preferred) or a combination of systems that best supports PRT’s current and future operational activities; OR 2) Move to cloud-based version of PeopleSoft or PeopleSoft Fusion product; OR 3) Continue to utilize the current PeopleSoft on-premises product with enhancements.

The goal for this RFI solicitation is to allow PRT to gather the proper information from the market on available ERP software options. No contract will be awarded as a result of this solicitation. This RFI includes specific questions and high-level expectations to satisfy the unique needs of PRT. A firm or organization’s response to the RFI, or lack thereof, will have no impact on the review or evaluation of responses to any future solicitations.

A copy of the Request for Information (RFI) will be available on or after July 28, 2026 and can be obtained by registering at the PRT’s ebusiness website: http://ebusiness.ridePRT.org and following the directions listed on the website. Please note that Proposers must register under the ebusiness category(ies) of MISC, PROF, PSITS, PSSC for this RFP. Proposers may also register in other categories for any future RFPs issued by PRT. If you have specific questions regarding this RFP, please contact Keith Bayles at via email kbayles@ridePRT.org.

An Information Meeting for interested parties will be held at 10:30 a.m., prevailing time, August 14, 2026 via Microsoft Teams video conference and/or conference call to answer any questions regarding this RFP. To join by Microsoft Team video conference: • Meeting ID: 210 707 495 197 577 • Passcode: yp2Z5mZ2 To join by Microsoft Teams call-in number: • +1 412-927-0245 United State, Pittsburgh (Toll) • Conference ID: 734 460 229# The PRT call-in number has been set up and is as follows: • Toll Free Number (Canada/US): 1-800-974-5902 • Local Dial-In Number: (416) 874-8100 • Conference ID #: 4051776 Electronic proposals must be both received, and time stamped by a representative of the Procurement Department through PRT’s Ebusiness website at or before 3:00 p.m., prevailing time, August 31, 2026, at http://ebusiness.ridePRT.org. Proposals received or time stamped by a Procurement Department representative through PRT’s Ebusiness website after the advertised time for the submission of proposals shall be non-responsive and therefore ineligible for award. Each Proposer shall be solely responsible for assuring that its proposal is timely received and time stamped in accordance with the requirements herein.

Further, proposers and the Contractor shall not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, creed, age, disability, national origin, sex, sexual origin, gender identity or status as a parent in the award and performance of contracts or subcontracts for these Contract Services Port Authority of Allegheny County d/b/a Pittsburgh Regional Transit reserves the right to reject any or all proposals JOB OPPORTUNITIES

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Help Wanted

Help Wanted

DIRECTOR OF ALLIED HEALTH INSTRUCTION BIDWELL TRAINING CENTER Lead and supervise Medical Assistant and Medical Billing instructional programs, overseeing faculty performance, curriculum quality, and student success initiatives.

Responsibilities include faculty supervision and development, instructional quality audits, and collaboration with Student Services on retention and intervention efforts. Bachelors required, Masters preferred, plus 5+ years in postsecondary or workforce education and 3+ years supervising instructors; strong skills in leadership, analysis, MS Office, and Student Information System required.

The New Pittsburgh Courier....

Send Resume with cover letter and salary requirements to resumes@manchesterbidwell.org EOE HOSPITALISTS (MULTIPLE OPENINGS) Allegheny Clinic seeks Hospitalists (Multiple Openings) to prevent, diagnose, and treat adult diseases as well as coordinate care among specialists at the hospital. Send CV/cover letter with salary requirements to: Dianna DeWeese, Dianna.DeWeese@ahn.org with “Hospitalist Opportunity” in re line The University of Pittsburgh’s Swanson School of Engineering seeks an Assistant Professor – Industrial Engineering in Pittsburgh, PA, to teach a variety of core industrial engineering courses. Apply at https://www.join.pitt.edu, #26004536. Please upload a cover letter, statement of teaching and research interests, curriculum vitae, writing sample, a list of 3 references, and teaching evaluations. The University of Pittsburgh is an equal opportunity employer.

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Call Allison Palm for your subscription at 412-481-8302, ext. 136.

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SONNY BOY ANNOUNCEMENTS

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ANNOUNCEMENTS

Public Notice

Public Notice

Public Notice

THE NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER NOW HAS A PODCAST...!

OUR GOAL IS TO INFORM AND EDUCATE OUR COMMUNITY ABOUT THE RELEVANT ISSUES HAPPENING IN THE CITY OF PITTSBURGH.

IN EPISODE ONE, CATAPULT GREATER PITTSBURGH PRESIDENT/CEO TAMMY THOMPSON SAYS SOME BLACK WOMEN ARE IN A HOUSING CRISIS IN ALLEGHENY COUNTY, AND IT COULD LEAD TO MORE HOMELESSNESS. SCAN THE QR CODE BELOW TO HEAR TAMMY’S COMMENTS...

OR JUST GO TO OUR WEBSITE: NEWPITTSBURGHCOURIER.COM AND CLICK “PODCASTS”