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What to know about Paris unrest ahead of Steelers-Saints game

The NFL is boosting security as new protests are planned ahead of Sunday's historic game.

News

The Pittsburgh Steelers and New Orleans Saints are still scheduled to play the first NFL game in France on Sunday, despite violent unrest in Paris that has prompted heightened security and the cancellation of a Steelers fan event.Why it matters: Steelers and Saints fans traveling to Paris for the historic matchup face uncertainty as French authorities prepare for another round of demonstrations this weekend.

Pittsburgh startup swaps plastic pill bottles for paper

Point Breeze-based Parcel Health, fresh off a spot on TIME's Best Inventions list, is building momentum beyond Pennsylvania.

A Pittsburgh startup has a new prescription for plastic waste: a mostly paper pill bottle.Why it matters: Billions of plastic prescription bottles are discarded annually in the U.S., and Point Breeze-based Parcel Health aims to replace them with packaging that cuts plastic use without compromising medication safety.

Shapiro sets his sights beyond governor's race

The governor is pouring millions into downballot races as speculation about 2028 grows.

Politics

Gov. Josh Shapiro is running like he&#x27;s behind, even though polls show he&#x27;s up by wide margins.Why it matters: Shapiro wants to run up the score and aim for a rare Democratic trifecta in the state legislature. A big win could boost his national profile for a possible <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="presidential run" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2025/12/07/shapiro-pennsylvania-strategy-midterms-2028" data-vars-content-id="9b848c3d-72ba-4d4d-8b86-b03bbd0c69a1" data-vars-headline="Shapiro sets his sights beyond governor&#x27;s race" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2025/12/07/shapiro-pennsylvania-strategy-midterms-2028" target="_self">presidential run</a>, according to political experts who spoke to Axios.

Allegheny County passes 12-week parental leave rule

The first-of-its-kind law in Pennsylvania applies to county employers with 15 or more workers.

Allegheny County Council passed a law Tuesday night requiring employers with 15 or more workers to provide new parents and legal guardians with 12 weeks of paid leave.Why it matters: Pennsylvania doesn&#x27;t require private employers to offer paid parental leave, so Allegheny County&#x27;s measure could significantly expand workplace benefits.

Citizens Live at The Wylie opens

Citizens Live at The Wylie holds 4,300 people next to PPG Paints Arena in the Hill District

Pittsburgh&#x27;s newest entertainment venue opens this week in the Hill District. Why it matters: <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Citizens Live at The Wylie" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/pittsburgh/2026/07/28/citizens-at-the-wylie-tour-pittsburgh" data-vars-content-id="d87cef82-b668-467f-b8b6-8d98062cac2b" data-vars-headline="Citizens Live at The Wylie opens" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/pittsburgh/2026/07/28/citizens-at-the-wylie-tour-pittsburgh" target="_self">Citizens Live at The Wylie</a> adds another piece to the Lower Hill&#x27;s redevelopment, decades after the neighborhood was demolished in the name of urban renewal.

Local data centers test if there's a "right way" to build

Opposition is still strong to local data centers despite on-site power and community benefits.

Western Pennsylvania&#x27;s two biggest data center projects are making strides to mitigate opposition, but it might not be working.The big picture: As backlash against <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="hyperscale data centers" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/pittsburgh/2025/12/18/pennsylvania-data-center-expansion" data-vars-content-id="ab5670ec-29c6-43a2-8e2f-fcd914b325f4" data-vars-headline="Local data centers test if there&#x27;s a &quot;right way&quot; to build" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/pittsburgh/2025/12/18/pennsylvania-data-center-expansion" target="_self">hyperscale data centers</a> grows, some Pennsylvania companies are responding by generating their own power and water and choosing sites that previously housed dirtier industry.

Mapped: Pennsylvania's data center pipeline

Pennsylvania has roughly 88 projects proposed for after 2026, per the company.

Development

Pennsylvania could have more than 100 large data centers in the coming years if all planned projects are built, increasing the state&#x27;s capacity 40-fold to 22,000 megawatts, per an analysis by market intelligence company Cleanview.By the numbers: Pennsylvania has roughly 88 projects proposed for after 2026, per the company.

Hazelwood Green redevelopment takes off

New housing, research facilities and public spaces are transforming the former steel mill site.

After a slow start, redevelopment at Hazelwood Green — the former site of Pittburgh&#x27;s largest steel mill — is finally taking off.Why it matters: Civic leaders planned for decades the redevelopment of a <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="massive brownfield site" data-vars-click-url="https://benedum.org/hazelwood-green-transforming-a-brownfield/" data-vars-content-id="dae58c48-bdd8-4aa3-86c7-88fa8211c883" data-vars-headline="Hazelwood Green redevelopment takes off" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://benedum.org/hazelwood-green-transforming-a-brownfield/" target="_blank">massive brownfield site</a> along the Monongahela River in Hazelwood, and it wasn&#x27;t certain it would come together with new office space, light industry, multi-unit housing, retail and parks.

Pittsburgh renters are paying more for less

New apartments lost 142 square feet over a decade while inflation-adjusted rents rose.

The average new Pittsburgh apartment shrunk by 15% in the past decade, per a new survey from <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="RentCafe" data-vars-click-url="https://www.rentcafe.com/blog/rental-market/market-snapshots/national-average-apartment-size/" data-vars-content-id="72d3e5a6-9504-411c-b1bb-31c47954daa5" data-vars-headline="Pittsburgh renters are paying more for less" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.rentcafe.com/blog/rental-market/market-snapshots/national-average-apartment-size/" target="_blank">RentCafe</a>.Why it matters: Despite shrinking square footage, Pittsburgh renters are paying more — even accounting for a 39% rise in inflation.

How Pa. went from data center darling to strict controls

Community opposition is reshaping how Pennsylvania handles its data center boom.

To paraphrase &quot;The Graduate&quot; — I&#x27;ve got two words for you, Pennsylvania: local control. That&#x27;s the past, present and probably future.The big picture: The Keystone State was set to be a key player in the next economic revolution thanks to <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="$90 billion in AI and energy investment" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/pittsburgh/2025/07/15/pittsburgh-pennsylvania-ai-energy-investment" data-vars-content-id="1b4a7bb9-8a2e-499c-bad8-53ef49a9fcff" data-vars-headline="How Pa. went from data center darling to strict controls" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/pittsburgh/2025/07/15/pittsburgh-pennsylvania-ai-energy-investment" target="_self">$90 billion in AI and energy investment</a> announced in Pittsburgh last year, but grassroots uprisings, fear of changing local communities, and shifting feelings about tech have combined to put Pennsylvania on a new course of anti-data-center backlash.

What Pittsburghers are saying about data centers

Two dozen readers weighed in, and opposition to large data centers dominated the responses.

We asked our readers what they thought of data centers, and the message was loud and clear: you don&#x27;t want them.Zoom in: Two dozen people voiced their disapproval in response to an <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Axios Pittsburgh social media post" data-vars-click-url="https://www.instagram.com/p/Dcbp4d7lbXT/" data-vars-content-id="3d450f57-517c-4ee5-b11f-f452ad4fc955" data-vars-headline="What Pittsburghers are saying about data centers" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Dcbp4d7lbXT/" target="_blank">Axios Pittsburgh social media post</a>, bringing up concerns about water consumption and contamination, increased utility costs, more natural gas production, and AI&#x27;s effect on creative fields.

Zara to open first Pittsburgh-area store

The new store will anchor a broader redevelopment at the North Hills shopping center.

Global fashion brand Zara is coming to Ross Park Mall.The big picture: The Spanish retailer — known for its fast-fashion, accessories and beauty products — is bringing its first store to the Pittsburgh area as part of a broader expansion throughout the U.S.

PPG to invest $280M in Ohio expansion

The project will add jobs and boost automotive coatings production, per PPG.

<a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Pittsburgh-based" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/pittsburgh/2026/03/20/ppg-paints-arena-wifi-upgrade-6ghz" data-vars-content-id="d8624c44-4801-42f0-8cff-8565fa06cf5c" data-vars-headline="PPG to invest $280M in Ohio expansion" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/pittsburgh/2026/03/20/ppg-paints-arena-wifi-upgrade-6ghz" target="_self">Pittsburgh-based</a> paint giant PPG is expanding an automotive coatings manufacturer facility in central Ohio and investing $280 million.Why it matters: The expansion will boost production and add 100 jobs to the site in Delaware, Ohio, located 40 minutes north of Columbus, per a PPG press release.

Caffeena to open Yemeni cafe, grocer Downtown

The new café will feature Yemeni coffee, bakery and grocery items in a large gathering space

Food and Drink

Caffeena Coffee House is doubling down on Pittsburgh with plans for a Downtown flagship that owners say will rank among the city&#x27;s largest coffee shops.The big picture: The Yemeni-American coffee chain that announced its <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="first Pittsburgh café in Oakland " data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/pittsburgh/2026/02/02/yemeni-coffee-shop-caffeena-coming-to-oakland" data-vars-content-id="63cf5b99-11b3-405a-9b0a-5c1385a210b9" data-vars-headline="Caffeena to open Yemeni cafe, grocer Downtown" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/pittsburgh/2026/02/02/yemeni-coffee-shop-caffeena-coming-to-oakland" target="_self">first Pittsburgh café in Oakland </a>earlier this year is expanding with a 4,500-square-foot footprint inside the LiveWell Apartments building — the <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="former GNC headquarters" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/pittsburgh/2025/02/20/former-gnc-building-housing" data-vars-content-id="63cf5b99-11b3-405a-9b0a-5c1385a210b9" data-vars-headline="Caffeena to open Yemeni cafe, grocer Downtown" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/pittsburgh/2025/02/20/former-gnc-building-housing" target="_self">former GNC headquarters</a> at Sixth Avenue and Wood Street.

Bar chart shows the average size of new apartments, ranging from 1,156 square feet in Tallahassee, Fla., to Seattle at 645 square feet. The U.S. average is 910 square feet.

Development 🏗️

Citizens Live at The Wylie opens

Local data centers test if there's a "right way" to build

Mapped: Pennsylvania's data center pipeline

Hazelwood Green redevelopment takes off

Pittsburgh renters are paying more for less