Fish fry season is back in Western Pennsylvania, drawing thousands to churches, fire halls, restaurants and social clubs.

Why it matters: Lenten fish fries are a cultural fixture that pull together churchgoers and secular diners for food and fellowship.

Context: Fish fry season kicks off on Ash Wednesday, marking the start of Lent — during which many Catholics abstain from eating meat on Fridays.

• Most fish fries start today or this Friday and continue each Friday through either March 27 or Good Friday on April 3.

Flashback: Last year, Axios Pittsburgh readers crowned Community Kitchen's fish fry the region's best in our tournament-style bracket.

By the numbers: There are roughly 250 fish fry venues in the greater Pittsburgh region, per Code for Pittsburgh's 2026 map.

How it works: Feast on fried or baked seafood alongside side dishes like haluski, pierogi, mac and cheese, stewed tomatoes, coleslaw and homemade desserts.

• Most places have large shared seating areas, but takeout is common, and some venues serve via drive-thrus or food trucks.

What's next: We plan to launch another bracket this year, but we want to hear from you first.

• Visit a few spots, then tell us which fish fries deserve a place in the competition. We want everyone's input, especially the die-hards who make the rounds each season or have sampled plenty over the years.

Email [email protected] or reply to this email with your go-to fish fry spot!

Go deeper: Hear our own Ryan Deto talk fish fry pro tips and etiquette on City Cast Pittsburgh.

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A home in Wilkinsburg practically powers itself.

Why it matters: Known as the Wilkinsburg Residence, it's the first single-family home in the state to earn a Passive House EnerPHit certification.

Context: The Germany-based Passive House Institute is an independent research firm recognizing performance-based energy standards in construction.

• EnerPHit is its es­tab­lished stand­ard for the en­ergy-ef­fi­cient ret­ro­fit of ex­ist­ing build­ings with pass­ive house com­pon­ents, and allows for a bit more energy consumption than traditional passive houses since they're retrofitted and not ground-up construction, per the institute's website.

Zoom in: The single-story, one-bedroom home in the Regent Square part of Wilkinsburg has 700 square feet of living space and a backyard. It was designed by Sewickley-based Studio St. Germain.

• Its HVAC system controls indoor air quality and all-electric utilities, and bypasses the use of fossil fuels.
• The home was converted from an old storefront and has large windows to let in ample natural light.

The bottom line

🎓 Carnegie Mellon could lose access to military tuition aid for its graduate programs under a new policy from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, as the Trump administration continues to take aim at foreign funding in higher ed. (CNN)

• CMU said it has not received any formal notice that a review is underway. (WESA)

🥒 Picklesburgh will return to Downtown July 16-19, adding a fourth day to help locals avoid the weekend crowds. Organizers will release the full schedule and map in the coming weeks. (Press release)

🏚️ Mayor Corey O'Connor announced a "demolition blitz" in Knoxville, Beltzhoover, St. Clair and Arlington yesterday targeting 23 blighted properties city officials have deemed a public safety threat. (Press release)

🤝 U.S. Sen. Dave McCormick headlined the launch of Power Northwest yesterday — a cross-sector advocacy group focused on boosting energy and tech development in 10 counties northwest of Pittsburgh. (Press release)

The Rev. Jesse Jackson, a towering figure in the civil rights movement who dedicated his life to fighting racial injustice, died yesterday. He was 84.

The big picture: Jackson leaves behind an expansive legacy, starting with his time alongside Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. to founding Operation Rainbow PUSH in Chicago.

Flashback: The civil rights pioneer grew up in Greenville, South Carolina, and after college joined King's Southern Christian Leadership Conference.

• Jackson was known for mobilizing young civil rights activists and organizing marches, taking part in famous events himself, including the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom and the 1965 Selma to Montgomery March.
• Jackson quickly became part of King's trusted inner circle. He was talking to King from the hotel courtyard just minutes before he was assassinated in Memphis in 1968.

Friction point: Jackson later butted heads with other civil rights leaders after King's assassination and started his own community outreach organization in Chicago in 1971.

• Operation Rainbow PUSH (now Rainbow PUSH Coalition) is dedicated to improving the economic conditions of Black communities.

Zoom out: Jackson famously ran for president in 1984 and 1988, becoming the first major Black candidate to mount a nationwide campaign, finishing second to Michael Dukakis in the 1988 Democratic primary.

• He remained highly active in politics for decades, playing a pivotal role in Barack Obama's presidential campaign in 2008.

Zoom in: Jackson made many stops in Pittsburgh throughout his career — campaigning for presidential nominations, speaking at the National Urban League Conference in 2003, joining Al Gore at the city's Labor Day rally in 2000 and hosting get-out-the-vote sermons in 2012.

What they're saying: "He taught us that democracy requires active stewardship, moral courage, and an unwavering commitment to truth and equality, especially in times when those values feel under strain," the Pittsburgh-based Black Political Empowerment Project said in a statement.

The bottom line: Jackson will go down in history as one of this country's most influential civil rights leaders.

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