Axios Pittsburgh

July 14, 2025
🐕 It's Monday. Welcome back to the dog days of summer.
🌧️ Today's weather: Scattered showers in the afternoon, highs in upper 80s.
🎧 Sounds like: "Sam," by Sturgill Simpson.
🚗 Situational awareness: Take in 135 rare, classic and exotic cars lining Walnut Street in Shadyside today as part of the Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix. Show runs from 5-9pm.
Today's newsletter is 949 words, a 3.5-minute read.
1 big thing: Sip with your pup at these bars
The city's beer scene is becoming more dog-friendly, with a lineup of local bars and breweries rolling out the welcome mat for pups.
Why it matters: It's a sign that Pittsburgh is leaning into its reputation as a pet-loving city and hopping on a national trend.
The latest: Hound Haus opened in June at 6314 Broad St. in East Liberty as Pittsburgh's newest indoor-outdoor off-leash dog park, café and bar with over 10,000 square feet of play space, beer, cocktails, coffee, breakfast, sandwiches and salads.
The fine print: Always double-check before bringing your dog somewhere new — and call ahead to confirm the rules. Some places ask for fees, registrations and proof of vaccinations, especially off-leash places like Hound Haus and The Dog Penn.
- Many bars allow dogs, but often only in specific areas and on leashes.
Here are a few of our favorite dog-inclusive bars and breweries in the city:
- 🐶 The Dog Penn at 2614 Penn Ave. in the Strip District is a full-service, off-leash dog bar where guests can have a drink and socialize while their canine companions play.
- 🐕🦺 Allegheny City Brewing has draft beers, cocktails, hard ciders, seltzers, wine and food truck options with a cozy dog-friendly beer garden at 510 East Ohio St. on the North Side.
- 🦮 Trace Brewing at 4312 Main St. in Bloomfield is one of the rare breweries that allows well-behaved dogs in the indoor taproom and the outdoor beer garden. Trace has beers on tap, cocktails, wines, nonalcoholic options and food truck fare.
2. Trump, McCormick plan $70 billion in AI, energy announcements
President Trump and Sen. Dave McCormick will use tomorrow's summit at Carnegie Mellon to announce $70 billion in AI and energy investments for Pennsylvania, Axios' Mike Allen reports.
Why it matters: The investment would bring thousands of jobs to the state and overhaul our power playbook.
Driving the news: The Pennsylvania Energy and Innovation Summit, organized by McCormick, will host a bevy of tech and energy heavyweights.
Zoom in: Anticipated investments include new data centers, new power generation and grid infrastructure to meet surging data center demand.
- Blackstone President Jon Gray will announce a $25 billion investment in data center and energy infrastructure development in Northeast Pennsylvania — expected to bring 6,000 construction jobs a year and 3,000 permanent jobs.
The big picture: The summit will likely spotlight fossil fuels as the best way to quench data centers' electricity thirst.
- GOP lawmakers and the Trump administration have seized on rising energy demand to keep coal and gas plants open while seeking to fast-track new fossil fuel plants.
What they're saying: McCormick will say the $70 billion figure represents the "largest investment commitment in these industries in terms of dollars for the state and jobs created in the history of the Commonwealth," organizers tell Axios.
- Frank Wolak, CEO Fuel Cell & Hydrogen Energy Association, told Axios he expects a focus on the U.S. Steel sale and on natural gas' ability to power data centers, and is hopeful other energy sources get attention too, like nuclear and hydrogen created from natural gas, or blue hydrogen.
Friction point: Protests against Trump and Republicans are expected, reports TribLive.
3. The Bridge: Bucco Brick rebirth
🧱 The Pirates are building a series of commemorative bronze plaques on the exterior of the PNC Park featuring thousands of messages from fans that were originally displayed as part of the Bucco Bricks program.
- The plaques will be ready by next season. (MLB)
🏭 Demolition of the former coal-powered Homer City power plant was halted last week by a judge over claims about an alleged breach of contract. (TribLive)
🚨 A letter sent out by police in Hopewell Township has prompted online accusations of racial profiling. The letter details three incidents of "suspicious activity" around churches and "involving men that appear to be, or were reported as, Middle Eastern or of Hispanic ethnicity." The police chief denied any racial bias. (WTAE)
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4. That Social Security email, explained
Millions of Americans got a puzzling email from the Social Security Administration last weekend celebrating the passage of the "big, beautiful bill."
Why it matters: It's unusual for the agency to send an overtly political message to its email list, which includes retirees and those who've signed up online.
- Tax experts and former agency leaders are criticizing the email for spreading misinformation.
Zoom in: The email claims that the spending bill "eliminates federal income taxes on Social Security benefits for most beneficiaries."
Reality check: The big bill does contain a big temporary tax break for seniors, who get an enhanced deduction on their federal income tax for the next four years.
- But the bill does not eliminate taxes on Social Security benefits.
By the numbers: The email appears to have gone out to everyone who is signed up for a "My Social Security" account — 71 million people.
5. "One-in-a-million" view for sale
Pittsburgh's skyline view is craved by many and you have a rare chance to buy it, but it will cost you.
The intrigue: A parcel at 316 Cola St. in Mount Washington is up for sale, and the property has breathtaking views of the city's iconic skyline.
Yes, but: It's pricey. The property is currently vacant and the land itself is listed for $400,000, and a pre-set designed home will cost about $2.4 million on top of the property purchase, said real estate agent Justin Cipriani.
What they're saying: "Those views are so one in a million," said Cipriani, noting it can take decades for a residential property to become available there.

The details: The design imagines a minimalist and West Coast modern style two-story home.
- Four bedrooms, four and a half baths, and a three-car garage across about 4,000 square feet.
- An infinity pool looks out onto the Monongahela River and the skyline.
🦅 Chrissy is thinking about the relatable Ocho, a young eagle at U.S. Steel's Irvin Plant who's stumbling his way through adolescence.
🥒 Ryan is still sore from his 24-second mechanical pickle ride.
☹️ Alexis still hasn't been swimming this summer.
Thanks to Chloe Gonzales for editing this newsletter.
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