Maria Carter

Pittsburgh

Co-Founder and Writer at Pioneer PGH

@pioneerpgh, previously, @citycast, @905wesa, @HarvestPM editor, @kcur news director.

Articles

How federal cuts could weaken public media in Southern Oregon

1 week ago | ijpr.org | Maria Carter

The order directs the Corporation for Public Broadcasting to eliminate all federal funding for NPR and PBS, citing claims of political bias. CPB distributes about a half-billion dollars a year in public funding to public broadcasters. Roughly 70% of that goes directly to local PBS and NPR stations. Paul Westhelle, Jefferson Public Radio executive director, said the loss of federal money would hit JPR and other rural broadcasters especially hard.
New Shasta County clerk supports hand counts, despite state ban

2 weeks ago | ijpr.org | Justin Higginbottom |Roman Battaglia |Maria Carter

Clint Curtis, an attorney licensed in New York and self-described election integrity advocate, will fill the position vacated by Tom Toller, who stepped down this month due to health issues. Toller was appointed in July 2024 after the elected clerk resigned amid health concerns. At Wednesday’s meeting, Curtis said the appointment fulfills a long-held mission. “We can show the world exactly how this can be done so everybody’s happy with it,” he said.
Are defense contracts the new VC hotness?

Dec 8, 2023 | pioneerpgh.substack.com | Maria Carter

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CorePower Magnetics gets $20 million boost

Dec 1, 2023 | pioneerpgh.substack.com | Maria Carter

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Comments - Season’s end - by Maria Carter - Pioneer PGH

Nov 17, 2023 | pioneerpgh.substack.com | Maria Carter

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Full steam ahead on battery-powered trains

Nov 10, 2023 | pioneerpgh.substack.com | Maria Carter

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Q: Are we not a tech hub?

Oct 27, 2023 | pioneerpgh.substack.com | Maria Carter

Being snubbed once hurts a little. But a second snub from the feds in one month? And this one focused on tech? Now, that feels like a blow to Pittsburgh’s collective ego. But should it be? Okay, the flub is too harsh. The competition was steep, with more than 400 applications, including multiple from some cities. In the end, only 31 were picked in this round.
Do Pittsburgh’s robots rule the world?

Oct 20, 2023 | pioneerpgh.substack.com | Maria Carter

Maria: As the folks in the news biz say, that chart has legs! You did a nice job of reporting on it, and you are maybe the only writer to respond who had a complex understanding of the numbers. And yes, I am a Pittsburgh booster and I have a vested interest in the success of robotics and other technology companies in the region. So, I am prone to be positive. You are correct that the July numbers are only three companies and mostly just Aurora. And September is better due to one company's funding.
Do Pittsburgh’s robots rule the world?

Oct 20, 2023 | pioneerpgh.substack.com | Maria Carter

While some local boosters have christened Pittsburgh the “Robotics Capital of the World,” many in the Twitterverse (or X-verse if you’re feeling proper) were perplexed to learn that the Steel City led the world in robotics fundraising in July. An anonymous political blogger tweeted a chart last weekend that shows local companies raked in more than $870 million that month, almost twice as much as second-place China. The tweet wondered: What could Pittsburgh’s robotics sector be planning?
5 things to know about BioForge’s big tenant

Sep 29, 2023 | pioneerpgh.substack.com | Maria Carter

It’s a go. The city Planning Commission has okayed the University of Pittsburgh's plans to build Bioforge, a $250 million biomanufacturing facility in Hazelwood Green. Massachusetts-based ElevateBio will hold down the fort as the new site’s anchor tenant, occupying about half the building. A rendering of the planned BioForge facility in Hazelwood Green. Construction is expected to start later this year.