📰“Press freedom groups are warning that the arrests of two independent [now released] journalists, including the veteran former CNN anchor Don Lemon, signal a chilling new crackdown on U.S. media by the Trump administration. Lemon was taken into custody on Thursday night by federal agents in Los Angeles, despite a magistrate judge declining to sign off on charges against him a week ago in connection with a protest at a Minnesota church against violent government immigration enforcement actions.

Georgia Fort, another reporter who covered the January 18 protest at the Cities church in Saint Paul, posted a live stream of her arrest early on Friday on Facebook.

“The justice department’s arrest of journalists reporting on anti-ICE protests is extremely alarming, especially given that multiple judges refused to approve arrest warrants just last week,” Jameel Jaffer, executive director of the Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University, said.”

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Happy Black History Month. While every day is a day to honor Black history, February gives us a collective moment to pause, reflect, and celebrate as Black History Month 2026 begins. This is a time to honor the pioneers, leaders, and ancestors whose courage and brilliance shaped the world we live in, while also uplifting today’s champions who continue to move history forward and write what comes next. ...

📩If anyone has contact information for Mr. Davis, please send us a message as soon as possible. Thank you!

"Nearly a week after the winter storm dumped inches of snow across Pittsburgh, cleanup efforts are still underway and some residents still say they`ve been left behind.

In the city`s Hill District, Fred E. Davis says his street remains unplowed, leaving him and his wife effectively trapped at their home on Colewell Street.

Davis, who has lived in the neighborhood for decades, said he has never experienced anything like this. While nearby streets were cleared, he said plows pushed snow and blocked access from the bottom of the street, creating a solid block of ice.

"This being plowed in is unacceptable," Davis said.

To speak with KDKA, Davis walked roughly eight minutes through deep snow.

"I can`t get out if I`m plowed in," said Davis. "The thing about it is, the plow had to see that car right there, and they plowed them in, even if you didn`t know I lived up over the hill."

When the storm hit, Davis said he followed city guidance and stayed inside. On Tuesday morning, he attempted to leave his home in his truck, managing to make it down the road before realizing there was no way out.

The situation has raised serious concerns for Davis, particularly in the event of an emergency. He and his wife are the only residents on the road. Davis is 70 years old.

"Emergency, fire, just off the top of my head," said Davis. "And my son dropped off a few supplies for me last night."

"This never happened," said Davis. "It never happened, never got plowed in."

He said he has repeatedly contacted officials seeking help but has not seen any response.

"I called 311 and left a message and called 311 again, and then they told me they`re getting 200 calls an hour," said Davis. "I said I can send pictures, and they said we ain`t going to look at them anyway, because that`s how busy we are."

Read more here: https://www.cbsnews.com/pittsburgh/news/pittsburgh-man-plowed-in-hill-district-colewell-street/
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🚧 Mayor Corey O’Connor has announced a focus on tidying up and blight removal through the City’s Clean and Lien program. This program allows municipal crews to clean privately owned properties and recover costs through liens. If unpaid, those liens can lead to public control of the property from private ownership. City officials report that more than five hundred properties were addressed last year, with plans to expand the program and move some properties through the Pittsburgh Land Bank (PLB). The land bank, which was formed in 2014, has been slow to act; however, the entity received a boost in confidence and authority in late 2025 when the three taxing bodies (County, City, and School District) signed an agreement to strengthen the body to expedite access to vacant, abandoned, and tax-delinquent properties by buyers, government agencies, and developers.

For the Hill District and similarly situated neighborhoods, the expansion of Clean and Lien will need to be thoughtfully administered, managed, and transparent. For property owners, this means that caring for vacant properties is essential; otherwise, an owner may be hit with a significant bill for cleanup. Since many residents in working-class and low-income communities do not have disposable income or savings, fees in the thousands from the City can lead to an unpaid bill and ultimately property loss. This method has been utilized in the Hill District for years, specifically as it relates to demolition of buildings. In the past, the City has condemned properties followed by demolition; then the City would bill the owner for the demolition and site cleanup. Ultimately, this practice, coupled with confiscation of land through tax delinquency, has led to large swaths of vacant publicly owned land in the Hill District, as many property owners could not afford to pay the bill. To make the matter more complicated, these now publicly owned properties have become overgrown, untaxable, and undeveloped eyesores.

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