To those familiar with the rust belt, Youngstown and Flint have had it bad, but Braddock, PA may take the cake in terms of how.... To those familiar with the rust belt, Youngstown and Flint have had it bad, but Braddock, PA may take the cake in terms of how far it has fallen. A New York Times article reveals how a new mayor is trying to make a difference.

Mr. Fetterman, now 39, is hard to miss, at 6-foot-8 and 325 pounds, with a shaved head and goatee. He has a master’s degree in public policy from Harvard but came to Braddock in 2001 to work for a county youth program. He won the May 2005 Democratic primary by exactly one vote.

Did I mention he has the zip code tatooed on one arm and the dates of killings in the city on the other?

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A related item is this article about the Schwab mansion in North Braddock