Pittsburg, PA
Visiting the site of the Pittsburgh synagogue shooting
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I noticed the colorful drawings first.
They were printed onto pieces of canvas that hung on a long fence. They carried messages like “Rebuild together” and “Be happy,” alongside drawings of rainbows, flowers and trees.
These were the images that welcomed me and others at Religion News Association’s annual conference to the site of the deadliest act of antisemitism in U.S. history.
On Oct. 27, 2018, a man entered a building used by three different Jewish communities and opened fire, killing 11 people and injuring others.
The juxtaposition between cheerful drawings and horrific memories is intentional. Those who oversee the site of the Pittsburgh synagogue shooting told us the images serve as reminders of the good and kind acts that came in response to the shooter’s acts of death and destruction. They were sent in by schoolchildren who wanted to do what they could to help.
Throughout the morning we spent with people affected by the shooting, the same message came up again and again: You must remember the good, as well as the bad.
You must celebrate the kindness and compassion in the world, even as you call out the evil.
You can’t forget how those 11 men and women died, but you also can’t forget how they lived.
Today, the site of the 2018 shooting is being transformed into a unique kind of community center. It will host worship services, as well as lectures on antisemitism and the beauty of Jewish life.
It will serve as a reminder of what’s possible when we pull together instead of pulling apart.
And until construction is complete, those drawings will hang from the fence outside, calling us to remember not just what happened on Oct. 27, 2018, but also what happened next.
Fresh off the press
USC canceled its valedictorian’s remarks. Does that promote public safety — or hurt free speech?
Term of the week: Matzo
Matzo is thin, unleavened bread that plays a special role in Jews’ Passover festivities. Made of just flour and water, it’s baked before it rises, which means it looks more like a cracker than a loaf.
“To be kosher for the Passover holiday, which begins Monday evening, the dough has to be prepared and cooked all within 18 minutes,” according to The Associated Press.
By eating matzo, the modern Jewish community commemorates the experience of Jews who fled Egypt during the Exodus story. Those men, women and children were in such a rush that they couldn’t bake normal bread.
The Jewish speaker on a panel about religion and food at last weekend’s conference described how special matzo is to him despite being essentially tasteless. It symbolizes God’s care for the community, he said.
What I’m reading…
Becoming a parent means reckoning with everything you won’t be able to protect your children from. But in the midst of the unexpected heartbreaks and anxiety, you can choose to create moments of immense joy. “Parents cannot shield their children from the world’s cruelty or our failures, but we can try to counter those things. We can provide moments that may become positive recollections to sit alongside harsher ones,” writes Esau McCaulley for The New York Times.
This fall, Sacred Heart Major Seminary in Detroit is going to get serious about limiting screen time. First-year students, who are on the path to becoming priests, will be asked to be more intentional about their relationship with technology and to spend more time socializing with others and in prayer than buried in their phones, according to Catholic News Agency.
My colleague Jennifer Graham wrote a beautiful profile of writer Nancy French earlier this month. The story explores French’s new memoir, her battle with cancer and her place in the unfolding story of evangelical Christianity.
Odds and ends
I was honored to bring home a second-place award from the RNA conference that recognized my efforts to analyze and explain faith-related Supreme Court cases and policy moves. Here are the three stories that were part of my winning entry:
It’s only fitting that one of the most eventful offseasons in Pittsburgh Steelers history will be capped by an equally unpredictable NFL draft. Owning 12 picks, including five in the top 100 for the first time since 1999, GM Omar Khan has a chance to radically change the franchise’s trajectory in front of a home crowd in Pittsburgh.
Last time they held five picks in the top 100, the Steelers found a couple very good long-term starters like OLB Joey Porter Sr. and DE Aaron Smith. But they also struck out on WR Troy Edwards, DB Scott Shields, and OT Kris Farris.
At a pivotal, transitional phase in franchise history, the Steelers can’t afford to find just two good starters. That may be a challenge in a draft lacking top-end talent that falls off a cliff in the later rounds. If they are out of range of coveted players, they can’t be timid in the trade market.
I posed the question on this week’s episode of The Depot Dive: Over or under 2.5 trades for the Steelers? I wanted to take the over, but it’s hard to make that work without a trade down. I settled on two.
All that said, here’s my best attempt at predicting what the Steelers will do in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Round One (12th Overall) – Spencer Fano/OL/Utah – 6054, 311 pounds
Trade: Steelers send Patrick Queen + Pick No. 21 + Pick No. 121 + Pick No. 224. Cowboys send Pick No. 12 + 2027 sixth-round pick.
If they want Vega Ioane or Fano, I think it will require a move up. But I don’t think the Steelers will want to sacrifice a lot of picks to accomplish that. Queen is an easy target with the Cowboys having reported interest in trading for him during free agency.
Using our Dave Bryan’s trade idea as a loose template, I like the Steelers to jump up in the first round to solidify the trenches once again. This is the best move for the current—which we know the Steelers place a heavy emphasis on—and the future as they lock in a potentially elite offensive line for the next decade.
It’s a bonus that Fano can play guard now — and potentially tackle later if Broderick Jones or Dylan Cook don’t work out. Fano is Dane Brugler’s top OL in the class. If he makes it to 12, I like the value a lot.
Others Considered: OG Vega Ioane, WR Makai Lemon, TE Kenyon Sadiq
Spencer Fano Scouting Report
Round Two (53rd Overall) – Jacob Rodriguez/ILB/Texas Tech – 6013, 231 pounds
Trading Queen creates a need that outweighs others (like wide receiver). Maybe Rodriguez doesn’t fall this far, but he should be the Steelers’ top target if he does.
As a former quarterback, Rodriguez has a unique football IQ that could be a force multiplier for the entire Steelers defense–something Patrick Queen never really turned into. I witnessed it firsthand at the Senior Bowl. He got everybody aligned correctly pre-snap in an environment where all had to learn a new defense in just a few days.
He’s also the most decorated defensive playmaker coming out of college in decades, even more than Payton Wilson’s impressive list of accolades from a couple years ago. This would be a home-run pick.
Others Considered: WR Denzel Boston, ILB CJ Allen, S Treydan Stukes
Jacob Rodriguez Scouting Report
Round Two (59th Overall) – Germie Bernard/WR/Alabama – 6012, 206 pounds
Trade: Steelers send No. 76 + No. 99. Texans send No. 59.
Another move up to make sure the Steelers get a receiver they like at the end of the second round. Bernard was a pre-draft visitor and has the size and athletic profile that Mike McCarthy likes at the position. He does everything well, and played a healthy mix of slot and outside receiver to fit in the rotation with DK Metcalf and Michael Pittman Jr.
Others Considered: WR Zachariah Branch, WR Chris Bell, ILB Jake Golday
Germie Bernard Scouting Report
Round Three (85th Overall) – Kamari Ramsey/S/USC – 6002, 202 pounds
Not every selection will be a pre-draft visitor, and Ramsey fits the description of the type of defensive back the Steelers have looked at. He has played a strong mix of safety and nickel and is capable of being a chess piece in Patrick Graham’s defense. Given the Steelers’ crowded secondary, he could focus on backing up Jalen Ramsey at free safety in the beginning.
Others Considered: S Jalen Kilgore, OG Keylan Rutledge, QB Drew Allar
Kamari Ramsey Scouting Report
Round Four (135th Overall) – Carson Beck/QB/Miami (FL) – 6046, 233 pounds
The Steelers have spent too much time scouting quarterbacks not to take one. And Beck has several traits they are looking for, including his track record as a winner and his size at nearly 6-5. Their view of Mike McCarthy as a QB whisperer suggests they will give him as many projects as possible until one sticks.
Others Considered: CB Tacario Davis, QB Garrett Nussmeier, WR Ja’Kobi Lane
Carson Beck Scouting Report
Round Five (161st Overall) – Ephesians Prysock/CB/Washington – 6033, 196 pounds
Prysock has all the traits to turn into an impact starter, and the Steelers have gravitated toward th long, rangy athletes at cornerback. He wouldn’t need to see the field right away with a crowded stable of defensive backs, but he has plenty of long-term upside.
Others Considered: WR/KR Kendrick Law, WR Josh Cameron, S Michael Taaffe
Ephesians Prysock Scouting Report
Round Six (216th Overall) – Kaden Wetjen/WR-KR/Iowa – 5090, 193 pounds
Calvin Austin III and Kenneth Gainwell both departed in the offseason, which means the Steelers need a kick and punt returner. Wetjen is the top return specialist in the draft with six total return touchdowns in college.
Others Considered: OT Aamil Wagner, CB Thaddeus Dixon, WR Caleb Douglas
Kaden Wetjen Scouting Report
Round Seven (230th Overall) – Josh Cuevas/TE/Alabama – 6033, 245 pounds
Cuevas is versatile enough to be a rotational backup tight end, and to play H-back or fullback in certain personnel packages. He’s a committed and aggressive blocker and has enough receiving skills to be a dependable option on passing downs, either running routes or blocking.
Others Considered: DL David Gusta, RB Jaydn Ott, TE Matthew Hibner
Josh Cuevas Scouting Report
Round Seven (237th Overall) – Brett Thorson/P/Georgia – 6012, 237 pounds
The Steelers brought back Cameron Johnston, but they didn’t even keep him over Corliss Waitman after last year’s training camp competition. Johnston is 34 years old and has dealt with injuries in each of the last two seasons. Thorson has a relationship with Johnston as a fellow Aussie, so it could be a decent pairing for another training camp competition this year.
Others Considered: WR CJ Daniels, QB Sawyer Robertson, TE John Michael Gyllenborg
Brett Thorson Scouting Report
A United flight traveling from Chicago to New York City diverted to Pittsburgh International Airport on Saturday afternoon for what was described as a “reported threat.”
According to information provided by the Allegheny County Airport Authority and FBI Pittsburgh, United Flight 2092 diverted to Pittsburgh and landed safely.
The passengers have deplaned safely, and no injuries have been reported.
“The plane was diverted and landed at Pittsburgh International Airport,” FBI Pittsburgh said in a statement provided to KDKA-TV. “All passengers and crew safely evacuated the aircraft. FBI Special Agent Bomb Techs and Special Agents are on the ground coordinating with local authorities.”
The airport authority has said that law enforcement is on the scene and investigating.
This is a developing story, and will be updated.
Pittsburg, PA
Pittsburgh’s 2026 Draft Short List – The Team’s Eight Most Likely First-Round Selections
The NFL Draft is always unpredictable and under a new head coach, it’s fuzzier than any time in recent memory to guess who the Pittsburgh Steelers will select in the first round. But if history continues predicting the future, it’ll be one of the eight below names.
Every year since at least 2010, Pittsburgh’s first-round pick has fallen into one of two camps: either the player came in for a pre-draft visit or a decision maker, head coach or general manager, attended that prospect’s pro day.
So let’s assume that holds true even though we know it may not. Under those criteria, there are eight names that fit. Let’s break them down into the two buckets.
Pre-Draft Visit
WR Denzel Boston/Washington
WR Makai Lemon/USC
OT Spencer Fano/Utah
OG Vega Ioane/Penn State
CB Chris Johnson/CB San Diego State
S Emmanuel McNeil-Warren/Toledo
Pro Day Attendance
OT Monroe Freeling/Georgia
ILB CJ Allen/Georgia
Could you stretch it to more? I suppose. Texas Tech ILB Jacob Rodriguez could be argued in the first round. Ditto with Georgia Tech OG Keylan Rutledge and Arizona DB Treydan Stukes. But those feel far less likely to be taken on Day 1, let alone at No. 21.
Mike McCarthy and Omar Khan attended only the Bulldogs’ Pro Day this year, an unusually low number of workouts compared to the past. McCarthy told reporters he planned to attend six but only made it to Georgia. That leaves just two names from that bucket, and Freeling could easily be off the board by the time Pittsburgh picks. He may be on Cleveland’s radar.
Of the eight, who is most likely? That opinion can and will vary. Receiver and offensive line have been specific areas of focus, but there’s no telling how the board will fall. I’ll have my final mock draft Tuesday with my answer.
If the Steelers’ pick isn’t one of these eight, it’ll break a longstanding tradition. And in future years, open up the field of how the team could take at the top.
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