This special edition zine captures the many sides of Oakland — from students and medical workers to longtime residents, artists and small business owners. Originally distributed in print throughout the Oakland’s four neighborhoods, we’re sharing it here so more neighbors and curious minds can explore the reporting, photography and reflections inside.
Whether you know Oakland as a place of learning, healing or exploration, we hope this collection helps you see the people and community life behind its well-known institutions.
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Oakland stories
Can GLP-1s trim more than weight? Effect on drug use, crime to be studied in Pittsburgh.
The $13.3 million study will be one of the largest and broadest looks at whether and how the popular weight loss drugs can impact a variety of social ills.
Timeline: Feds subpoena Pitt, others alleging visa fraud
A timeline of federal higher ed changes and responses by Pittsburgh-area colleges and universities.
CMU got a record $3 billion donation toward a new campus. What does that mean for Pittsburgh?
Hedge fund billionaire Kenneth Griffin’s unprecedented donation will go largely to a new Miami campus for Carnegie Mellon University, but Pittsburgh will see investment in computer science and unspecified priorities.
With federal aid stalled, Pitt offers med students notes to landlords
The university is offering students food and household products while they resolve a jam in loan money stemming from new Department of Education codes.
Professor Claude? College unions negotiate for protection against AI teachers and evaluators.
As AI threatens to supplant jobs and possibly upend teaching norms, university faculty, grad students and staff at Pitt seek security through contracts.
CMU admin could repaint Fence in emergency under new guidelines
Carnegie Mellon’s icon of campus expression has traditionally been governed entirely by students, but a year of controversy has led the administration to assert the right to repaint to avert “physical harm.”
PRT’s bus route ‘refresh’ could have short shelf life, unless state steps up
PRT hopes that a comprehensive redesign of its system can generate enough momentum to avoid painful cuts in service in a few years. The plan would shrink the agency’s footprint area while boosting weekend service.
Pittsburgh groups teach AI skills, including when not to use them
The push reflects growing concern that people without trusted guidance could be more vulnerable to scams, misinformation and widening inequities.
Tuition rises at Pitt’s main campus while satellites go free
A new tuition-free program at the University of Pittsburgh’s regional campuses has students at its main campus confused.
PPS spent $1.4 million on special education settlements as families, advocates continue to call for services
One family’s yearslong fight for special education services reflects what advocates say is a broader PPS failure to fix recurring problems.
Landlord NRM faces health code violations, judgments and now a rent strike
The owner of scores of properties with hundreds of units has lost court cases involving failed heat, air conditioning and leaks. Now its tenants are getting organized.
Can AI streamline government in Pittsburgh’s smaller suburbs?
While Pittsburgh and Allegheny County experiment with AI tools, many of the townships and boroughs in which most area residents live don’t yet have the knowledge or expertise to adopt time-saving tech. Some are relying on guidance from the City of Pittsburgh.
CMU president’s recorded comments reflect campus free speech tensions
Carnegie Mellon University has seen heightened debate over expression since President Donald Trump visited campus in 2025. University President Farnam Jahanian’s comments following that visit come amid renewed campus discussions of The Fence and national concern about academic freedom.
Pitt brings new dorm plan to Pittsburgh’s planners
A proposed nine-story building at Fifth and Ruskin avenues would add 420 dormitory beds as the University of Pittsburgh looks to break main campus enrollment records without further tightening the Oakland housing market.
Recording captures CMU president’s dilemma, thinking on controversial Trump visit
In audio of a Carnegie Mellon staff council meeting a year ago, university President Farnam Jahanian called the administration in D.C. “toxic” and characterized students as naive while detailing his efforts to protect the school by painting The Fence.
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