Pittsburgh will have a new mayor next year.

Why it matters: Corey O'Connor's victory in the Democratic primary means he will very likely become Pittsburgh's next mayor, showcasing that the city is looking for a change after one term for Mayor Ed Gainey.

By the numbers: With 97% of the vote counted, O'Connor leads Gainey 53%-47% and by about 3,300 votes, according to the Associated Press.

• AP called the race for O'Connor just after 10 last night.

What they're saying: O'Connor declared victory at 10:35pm at a watch party with supporters in Pittsburgh's North Side.

• "I'm ready to get to work, and I'm grateful to have you with me as we take the next steps forward, together," O'Connor posted on X.

The other side: Gainey conceded the race at about 10:30pm yesterday. He thanked his supporters at an event on the city's South Side and said he expects O'Connor to build on the accomplishments of his administration, like affordable housing and community investments.

• "Corey O'Connor must be ready to carry forward the transformational progress the people of this city demand," Gainey said in a statement.
• Gainey becomes one of the only Pittsburgh mayors to seek reelection and lose after his first term.

State of play: Some saw the race as a test for progressives in the Trump 2.0 era, and they could attribute Gainey's failure to Democratic voters turning away from some of the party's more left-wing characteristics.

• O'Connor's campaign criticized Gainey and said he failed to run basic city functions, pointing out his inability to hire a permanent police chief.
• The Allegheny County controller and former city councilmember, O'Connor won over more establishment groups like the local Democratic Party and trades unions.

Yes, but: O'Connor and Gainey agreed on a litany of liberal policies, like not cooperating with federal immigration enforcement without warrants, boosting minimum wage and sick leave, and supporting protections for LGBTQ Pittsburghers.

• Many other big city mayors elected during the pandemic and with different ideologies have lost reelection as anti-incumbent fervor spreads.

What's next

The global anti-food waste app Too Good To Go launched in Pittsburgh today.

Why it matters: About one-third of all food in the U.S. is thrown away, per the USDA, fueling greenhouse gas emissions and wasting resources like energy, water and labor — even as food insecurity rises in Southwestern Pennsylvania and nationwide.

• Too Good To Go tackles both issues with an app that connects local restaurants, bakeries and grocery stores to consumers eager to buy surplus food at a fraction of the original price, says Allie Denburg, U.S. strategy and planning lead at Too Good To Go.

Zoom in: Consumers typically pay half or one-third of the retail value for leftover food that's still fresh and safe to eat.

• Businesses pay an annual fee (typically $89) and $1.79 per bag sold.

What they're saying: "Businesses can recoup revenue from food that would otherwise be thrown out, and consumers can get great food for less," says Denburg, who discovered the app when she was a budget-conscious grad student.

By the numbers: Roughly 50 Pittsburgh businesses are already on board — from large retailers like Whole Foods to local spots like Macaron Bar in Lawrenceville and Bagel Factory in Squirrel Hill.

How it works

🏗️ Japan's Nippon Steel Co. says it will increase an investment pledge from $1.4 billion to $14 billion if U.S. regulators approve a multibillion-dollar purchase of Pittsburgh-based U.S. Steel. The pledge comes just before a new national security review deadline today.

• President Trump, who has previously voiced opposition, has 15 days to decide the fate of the transaction. (Reuters)

🍺 A 21-year-old man was charged with giving alcohol to the 20-year-old Pirates fan who fell 21 feet from his seat in right field onto the warning track at PNC Park last month. (KDKA)

🍫 "Hershey," a film about Pennsylvania's iconic chocolate company, started shooting Monday in Pittsburgh's South Side, transforming Bedford Square into a scene from the 19th century. (WTAE)

Drug overdose deaths in Pennsylvania dropped 31% last year, per preliminary CDC data.

Why it matters: Fatal overdoses initially rose during the COVID pandemic, but have been falling since 2023.

The big picture: The opioid crisis has hit Pennsylvania hard over the past decade. In 2017, the state saw 5,456 overdose deaths overall — third highest in the U.S. — with fentanyl driving deaths in nearly every county.

• Allegheny County alone recorded over 800 overdose deaths that year.

By the numbers: 3,358 Pennsylvania residents died from drug overdoses in 2024, the CDC estimates.

• That's a 31% drop from the 4,870 deaths in 2023.
• Meanwhile, Allegheny County recorded 405 fatal overdoses last year — down from 665 in 2023.

Between the lines: The drop in overdose deaths is partly due to the wider availability of naloxone, which reverses an opioid overdose, per CBS News, alongside harm reduction strategies.

• Narcan, the best-known version of the drug, was made available over the counter in 2023.

Zoom in: Allegheny County last week announced $20 million in new opioid settlement spending to support medication access, mobile wound care units and recovery housing.

Go deeper

We voted yesterday and got Allegheny County's newest "I Voted" sticker, designed by Mount Lebanon High School sophomore Molly Bozick.

Molly won a countywide contest this year, earning over 13,000 votes!

The "I Voted N'at" stickers will be available for this year's November election and elections in 2026, per the county.