Much to the despair of community members, advocates and several elected officials, Pittsburgh City Council Tuesday approved by a 7-2 vote the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center’s request for a $2 billion dollar expansion.

Council approval came after weeks of public outcry from Pittsburgh residents who had issues with the health network’s treatment of its employees as well as the absence of a community benefits agreement, or community input in general, according to them.

Members of the state Democratic Committee have selected Ben Sanchez as their new candidate in the solidly blue 153rd Legislative District.

Sanchez, a local real estate attorney and CPA, was picked unanimously by the committee after previous office holder Rep. Madeleine Dean (D-Montgomery) dropped out of one of the two electoral races she was in.

Gov. Tom Wolf was at Cheyney University Tuesday to announce the school’s partnership with Thomas Jefferson University, Starbucks Coffee, and Epscot Crenshaw Corp. to create an institute that will study issues related to race and diversity.

“Cheyney University is the perfect location for this new initiative that partners the oldest historically black university in our nation with Thomas Jefferson University – one of the oldest medical colleges in the country,” Wolf said. “This new institute will provide the kind of STEM learning and training that Pennsylvania needs to create a well-educated and skilled workforce and drive our economy forward.”

Members of Nurses of PA joined in the Capitol Rotunda Tuesday afternoon to rally and tell legislators that they need better staffing and they need legislators to vote in bills to make it happen.