Julie Grant got her start in public radio at age 19 while at Miami University in Ohio. After studying land ethics in graduate school at Kent State University, Julie covered environmental issues in the Great Lakes region for Michigan Radio’s Environment Report and North Country Public Radio in New York. She’s won many awards, including an Edward R. Murrow Award in New York, and was named “Best Reporter” in Ohio by the Society of Professional Journalists. Her stories have aired on NPR’s Morning Edition , The Splendid Table and Studio 360. Julie loves covering agricultural issues for the Allegheny Front—exploring what we eat, who produces it and how it’s related to the natural environment.
Jeremy Long / WITF
Karen Feridun, co-founder of the Better Path Coalition, left, and Greg Schwedock, head of product and technology
of Climate Clock, unveil the climate clock that will sit at the capitol for the rest of the legislative session. The clock was unveiling at a Pennsylvania Climate Convergence press conference in the East Wing of the Capitol complex on Monday, June 13, 2022
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When it comes to action on climate change, likely Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris has a strong record compared with Republican Donald Trump. But that doesn’t mean people who see climate as a top issue will necessarily vote for Harris.
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On the campaign trail, former president Trump has painted Vice President Harris as an extreme liberal and has repeated her 2019 comment that if elected, she would ban fracking.
Of course, that hasn’t happened, and Harris has said in recent days that she will not ban fracking.
In fact, the Biden administration oversaw record-breaking oil and gas production because of fracking.
“They’re taking two steps forward and one step back when it comes to…solving climate change,” said Ned Ketyer, a retired Pittsburgh-area pediatrician, who is now president of the board of Physicians for Social Responsibility Pennsylvania, which is concerned about the health impacts of fracking on frontline communities.
Some environmental leaders have said they are ecstatic with Harris’s candidacy because of her strong record on climate and clean energy efforts.
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Under the Biden-Harris leadership, the country has made big investments in climate action. “You have really important things like the Inflation Reduction Act and the [Bipartisan] Infrastructure bill,” Ketyer said.
Those laws have provided the nation’s largest-ever investments in climate action, providing billions of dollars for everything from clean-running school buses and offshore wind to updates to the nation’s electric grid. All of this is meant to shift the country away from fossil fuels.
But at the same time, Ketyer is disappointed that the administration has supported the oil and gas industry.
“You’ve got approval of drilling in Alaska, which isn’t a good idea from a climate standpoint, and new gas pipelines through the mountains and valleys of Virginia,” he said.
But while Ketyer doesn’t think Harris’ record on climate and clean energy is perfect, “The alternative is like 10 steps back, and the contrast is so real and so obvious to me,” he said.
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Ketyer cites the right-wing Project 2025, which promotes fossil fuels. While Trump has not endorsed it, according to reports, he did ask oil executives to donate $1 billion to his campaign and promised to reverse President Biden’s environmental rules that hamper their industry. During his previous term, Trump rolled back nearly 100 environmental regulations.
Campaigning on climate
While climate change is not a top issue for the electorate as a whole, it could still help the Harris campaign in Pennsylvania, according to Parrish Bergquist, who is an assistant professor of political science at the University of Pennsylvania, focused on climate, energy and environmental policy.
She said Harris could tout the clean energy projects that have been funded in Pennsylvania through the Inflation Reduction Act and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
“Talking about those, I think, would be politically beneficial. Rather than talking about banning fracking, talking about building a new [clean energy] industry in communities that are suffering,” Bergquist said.
Harris could also have an educational role to play when it comes to helping people understand climate change as more than just a niche issue, Bergquist said. “So that it… feels like an economic issue, and a family issue, and a lifestyle issue, and…an issue that matters right now.”
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Caring about climate but not voting
For people already focused on solving the climate crisis, the election is not Democrats versus Republicans. “They’re largely deciding not between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump,” said Nathaniel Stinnett, “but between Kamala Harris or staying home on the couch.”
Stinnett leads the Environmental Voter Project, a non-profit that is strategically targeting people who prioritize climate change in Allegheny County and around Philadelphia, along with people in 18 other states, and encouraging them to vote.
He points out that the 2020 election was decided by only 80,555 votes in Pennsylvania. His group has identified 350,000 people in the state, the majority of them young people, who rank climate change as one of their top issues, but who might not vote at all.
Stinnett encourages the Harris campaign or any campaign that wants to take advantage of that to connect caring about the climate with voting.
“You want them to think that even more than biking to work or eating less meat, voting is how they can express themselves as environmentalists,” Stinnett said.
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Harris faces criticism from some climate hawks, who fault the administration for compromising with fossil fuel interests to get the climate laws passed. Stinnett thinks she should face this head-on.
“I would suggest to any politician that you can describe what happened in the past in an honest way, which was a victory built on a compromise,” he said. “But moving forward, you need to describe how you’re going to continue getting more climate victories.”
A young climate voter calls for bold action
Elise Silvestri, age 19, is currently a sophomore at New York University, but she became active in the Sunrise Movement, a youth climate and political group when she was in high school in Pittsburgh.
Her friends were not motivated to vote when the matchup was Biden versus Trump.
“But I think Harris being the new nominee is definitely exciting people a little bit more,” she said.
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The national Sunrise Movement has not endorsed Harris.
As a Pennsylvania resident, Silvestri understands why Harris might back away from a fracking ban. There’s political liability in the job losses it could cause. Still, Silvestri worries about the pollution from fracking. She wants Harris to revive her 2019 comment, that’s gotten her so much criticism from Trump, that she would ban it.
“As a young person, what I want is not her to be scared and try to cater to other people, but present a bold vision of a just transition,” she said.
Silvestri thinks that’s the kind of move that would get climate-conscious young people to the polls in November.
A stunning four-bedroom work of art designed by late Italian architect and loft pioneer Giuseppe “Beppe” Zambonini has just hit the market in Pennsylvania for $625,000—listing for the first time in more than two decades.
The upside-down 1987 trapezoid-style dwelling in Dingmans Ferry boasts a barrel vaulted ceiling supported by eight interior columns and is surrounded by expansive windows and decks to soak in the tranquil views of nature.
Each of the rooms was designed, not as a traditional rectangle, but as a trapezoid, a technique that was meant to maximize the amount of natural light inside the home, ensuring that each window has ample opportunity to let the sun shine through.
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It was a design method that Beppe came up with while working in New York City, where he was renowned for his work creating stunning loft spaces with “theater set” walls. He then brought that technique to Pennsylvania, where he sought to design his own weekend retreat, using the hallmarks that had turned him into a legend of Big Apple architecture.
The result is a home that appears, from the outside, almost like a stack of unevenly placed shipping containers—but on the inside is a stunning, light-filled dwelling, with enormous windows that offer beautiful views of the surrounding area from every room.
A stunning four-bedroom work of art designed by late Italian architect and loft pioneer Giuseppe “Beppe” Zambonini has just hit the market in Pennsylvania for $625,000—listing for the first time in more than two decades.HomeTourVision
The upside-down 1987 trapezoid-style dwelling in Dingmans Ferry, PA, boasts a barrel vaulted ceiling supported by eight interior columns and is surrounded by expansive windows and decks to soak in the tranquil views of nature.HomeTourVision
The result is a home with enormous windows that offer beautiful views of the surrounding area from every room.HomeTourVision
“There are numerous instances in the construction where hallways, rooms, and decks are not perfectly rectangular but rather are all trapezoid in shape,” says listing agent Shaun Burger of Keller Williams Real Estate Milford.
Beppe purchased the 2.44-acre land on which the home now sits in the 1980s, before crafting a home that would be used full time by his wife and their daughter—but was close enough to New York City that he could join them on weekends.
The idyllic parcel is perched above Nyce Lake in a development that would later become known as Traces of Lattimore.
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“It is only 90 minutes away from Manhattan but is a world away in terms of peacefulness and nature,” Burger noted. “There are a lot of properties here being used as second homes, but it could also be used as a primary residence.”
The unique home—which was constructed by Beppe and a team of his best students from his design school, Open Atelier of Design—drew immediate attention from design aficionados, even featuring in a play entitled “The Upside Down House” in New York and a feature film called “A Picture of You.”
In a nod to this heritage, the garage door features a design by one of Beppe’s students resembling a theater curtain that a local artist created using shades of Chinese red, gray, and white.
Burger says that with so much cultural and architectural history, the property feels as much like a piece of art as it does a residential dwelling, one that the current owner has taken great care to preserve and maintain.
“The seller is very much into the arts and feels more of a custodian of the home,” Burger shares. “He is looking to pass it along to the next steward.”
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What makes the dwelling so unique is that only one column is exposed on each floor, which is highlighted by a different color in each room. In the home office, the column is red while the primary bedroom features a blue support, and a yellow column can be found in the dining room.
In the 40 years since the property was built, it has changed hands on only one occasion, in 2005—when it was sold by Beppe’s wife, Claudia, to the man who owns it now for $396,000.HomeTourVision
The property is located just 90 minutes from Manhattan.HomeTourVision
“There are a lot of windows and sitting areas, so when you are inside, you feel like you are outside,” the listing agent says.HomeTourVision
A third-floor loft boasts Zambonini’s signature theater set walls.
“The home itself is so unique, which is what originally attracted the seller,” he added. “There are so many Colonials, ranches, and cookie-cutter homes in the area, so it is infrequent to find a home like this where there has been so much thought put into it.”
In the 40 years since the property was built, it has changed hands on only one occasion, in 2005—when it was sold by Beppe’s wife, Claudia, to the man who owns it now for $396,000.
“I scrupulously maintained the original colors of the house, inside and out, and kept the kitchen and bathrooms as I found them,” the seller writes in the listing. “After 21 years, it is time for a new custodian to live in this significant work of art.”
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According to Burger, the property would be the perfect retreat for someone who likes their privacy but also enjoys entertaining guests, offering ample room across its 2,850-square-foot design.
“It has four bedrooms and four bathrooms so it would be a nice home for someone who loves to entertain,” Burger adds. “There is plenty of space for guests.”
What’s more, the property offers the best of both worlds—surrounded by nature, but with all the convenience of proximity to nearby cities and towns.
“There are a lot of windows and sitting areas, so when you are inside, you feel like you are outside,” the listing agent says. “Dingmans Ferry is very quaint and has lots of lakes, waterfalls, hiking trails, and skiing. It’s a naturally beautiful area.
“I envision the next buyer to be an artist who will totally appreciate this work of art. The area has highly rated public schools for someone who has children. I think it will be someone who will want a getaway where they can reconnect and recharge with nature and will not want to change or renovate the home.”
CENTER VALLEY, Pa. (WFMZ) — 59 creameries across the Commonwealth are serving up a sweet summer connecting dairy lovers with Pennsylvania farms.
June 4 kicked off the Ninth Annual Scooped Ice Cream Trail.
Ice cream lovers can register online and fill out a digital passport as they visit participating creameries. Each visit earns points towards various prizes.
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The owners of Batch Microcreamery in Center Valley tell 69 News they’re excited to be part of the trail for the third year in a row, attracting visitors locally and out-of-state.
“This is the third location of the ice cream trail that I’ve been on,” said Kamden Acevedo.
Acevedo is originally from Staten Island and said he’s motivated to try other locations on the trail throughout the state.
“I love ice cream. I’m going to try, I’m going to try my hardest honestly,” Acevedo stated.
Dana Reibman and her daughter are just happy for the sweet treat.
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“We’re all up for ice cream all the time. We come here probably about once a month because we like trying the different flavors. As you can see, she really enjoys the cookie monster flavor,” Reibman explained.
Here’s what we know now about school cellphone bans
More states are implementing or considering phone bans in schools following guidance from the U.S. Surgeon General on children and social media.
Pennsylvania’s House of Representatives passed a bill requiring schools to create policies restricting student cellphone use.
Pittsburgh Public Schools already has a policy banning student cellphone use during the school day, which was approved in late 2025.
Under Pittsburgh’s policy, students must turn in their phones to school personnel for the duration of the school day.
If Pennsylvania sees statewide restrictions on cellphones in schools, would anything change in Pittsburgh?
It’s too early to say for sure.
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On June 1, the Pennsylvania House of Representatives passed legislation that would require school districts to adopt phone restrictions, leaving the details of the exact policy’s implementation up to individual districts, according to USA TODAY. Now, if cleared by the Senate — which already passed another version of the proposal with almost unanimous support — it will go to Gov. Josh Shapiro, who has repeatedly said he supports getting cellphones out of classrooms with a bell-to-bell ban.
“Here in Pennsylvania, Democrats and Republicans agree: We need to let our kids be kids again,” Shapiro said in a June 4 post to his X account.
But Pittsburgh’s already ahead of the curve when it comes to banning cellphones during school hours because of a school board policy approved in late 2025.
Here’s what to know.
Are cell phones banned in Pittsburgh schools?
Yes, cellphones are banned during the school day at Pittsburgh Public Schools.
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In December 2025, Pittsburgh Public Schools Board voted to ban the use of phones by students during the school day, Pittsburgh’s Action News 4.
Under the policy, the possession of phones by students is prohibited. While they may bring cellphones to school, the devices must be turned in to school personnel during the school day.
There are exceptions to the policy in cases where a student may need a phone for instructional activities, an Individualized Education Plan, a Section 504 Plan or for other reasons approved by a school administrator.
Why are schools banning cellphones?
Numerous states have already banned cellphones in schools, including Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New York, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and others, according to ABC News.
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This year, Indiana and Kansas banned phones during the day, implementing policies that require students to keep their phones in inaccessible locations through the entire school day, USA TODAY reported.
Recently, Delaware, Georgia, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Oklahoma, Utah, Virginia and Wyoming passed or updated less restrictive legislation on phones in schools, according to an analysis by the Becca Schmill Foundation, the Institute for Families and Technology, Smartphone-Free Childhood US and Jonathan Haidt’s The Anxious Generation.
Illinois, Massachusetts and Pennsylvania may follow suit.
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Do cellphone bans work?
Yes and no.
Cellphone bans keep kids off their devices, but they don’t appear to impact test scores, attendance, self-reported classroom attention or perceived online bullying, according to a study published in April by the National Bureau of Economic Research. Additionally, researchers found that during the first year of a cellphone ban, disciplinary incidents rose and students’ reported well-being fell, though the effects subsided as the years passed.
Still, there’s a push for bans nationally, with the U.S. surgeon general’s office warning on May 20 that “compulsive” screen use is linked to poor sleep, substance abuse, developmental disruptions and social, mental and behavioral issues. The office suggested that cellphone bans in schools are a way to help put excessive screen time in check.
Finch Walker is the Pittsburgh Connect Reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Contact Walker at FWalker@usatodayco.com. Instagram: @finchwalker_. X: @_finchwalker.
