IN THE LAST WEEK
Despite a lot of talk, task forces and legislation in recent years focused on an epidemic of fatal drug
overdoses locally and more broadly, there’s no sign of successfully stemming that scourge.
In Allegheny County, the 613 people who died from drug overdoses last year represented a 45 percent
increase over 2015. The number of drug fatalities was nearly three times as high as in 2010. Statewide numbers for 2016 are not yet available, but Gov. Tom Wolf does not expect Pennsylvania’s trend to be any different.
Fentanyl, heroin and oxycodone, in that order, were the drugs most likely to be involved in the local deaths. The most likely victims, demographically, were white males ages 25 to 34.
Mr. Wolf, who pushed successfully for a number of new state laws last year intended to address the epidemic, said the new numbers do not surprise him. “They sadden me, as I think they should sadden every Pennsylvanian,” he said. Flu cases, also potentially fatal but on a lesser scale, have been spiking as well. The number of cases counted in Allegheny County this winter and through April 1 numbered 4,701, compared to 1,993 a year ago, and nine deaths were among them.
Health officials say the known flu cases are fewer than the actual number. The reported cases this flu season, however, have not yet stopped, though they’re slowing down. A three-year dispute between
Uber and the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission finally was resolved with a settlement representing a compromise of sorts. On one hand, the $3.5 million fine the ride-sharing company agreed to pay marks the largest such penalty in PUC history. On the other hand, it’s nearly $8 million less than what the PUC originally sought to assess Uber for flouting regulations when it started up in the state.
Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto was a strong supporter of that law and of Uber generally until recent months.
Now he has gained attention for criticizing the company’s relationship with its drivers and with the community at large, suggesting its focus on profits comes at the expense of others. He initially embraced Uber’s arrival in Pittsburgh both to provide rides and develop technology for self-driving cars, but the relationship has cooled. While Pittsburgh has at times placed atop rankings of American cities, it still can be impressive even when it’s not No. 1. Livability. a website that evaluates more than 2,100 U.S. cities with populations between 20,000 and 350,000, ranked Pittsburgh 19th on its list of Top 100 Best Places to Live for 2017. It scored highly for health care, culture and sports teams and was the largest city to rank in the top 100.