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Featured Commentary category, Page 70

Pope Francis, first Latin American pontiff, dies at 88
Sara and Jonathan Mayo: Defending democracy
A serious threat to democracy is emerging as the 2022 election cycle draws near. Those posing the threat, of course, masquerade as protectors of our values. We’re seeing it here in Pittsburgh in the primary to elect a new member of Congress. As Jewish voters in this district, we are...
Robert Gregerson: Continuing the Pitt-Pennsylvania partnership
At the University of Pittsburgh’s Greensburg campus, community is important to us. In fact, it’s what drives us. As a community member for nearly 60 years, we have a long history of educating local students in a supportive environment, helping them gain the tools and opportunities necessary to stay here...
Lloyd Corder: Economists agree $15-an-hour would harm America’s economy
From worker shortages to historic inflation, Americans are concerned about the economy. While there are many disputes about what the right solution should be, economists agree about one thing: A $15 federal wage is not the answer. In fact, it could make matters worse. To get a better understanding of...
Rebecca Sohn: Honoring the bereaved mothers
Today we again celebrate and honor those who are mothers — an official holiday in the United States since 1914. Celebrations of motherhood are not new. They have existed in many iterations dating back to the Greeks and Romans and now take place throughout the world. However, what has and...
Rob Richie: A better presidential primary for 2024
No election in the United States is as important as our elections for president. Yet if the last two cycles have told us anything, it’s that how we nominate presidents is broken and deeply unrepresentative — a process as much about dumb luck as it is about candidate quality or...
Michael Torres: Pa.’s constitutional conundrum
Pennsylvania is experiencing a constitutional conundrum. State legislators, primarily Republicans, have proposed nearly 80 constitutional amendments in the last year, many on politically contentious issues ranging from abortion to voter identification. The allure of these amendments, which don’t need the governor’s signature, among Republicans is instigating growing distress among elected...
Peter Morici: The coming crisis in judicial appointments
The country is headed for a train wreck on judicial appointments. President Trump appointed 228 federal district and appellate judges and three Supreme Court justices, and with the help of the Federalist Society, pushed the judiciary harder to the right. Now, President Biden is taking the courts in the opposite...
Cal Thomas: The end of Roe, and what it could mean
Chief Justice John Roberts has confirmed the accuracy of a leaked document that revealed an initial majority vote to overturn Roe vs, Wade. In that memo, Justice Samuel Alito wrote that the 1973 case overturning restrictive state abortion laws was “egregiously wrong from the start.” So where do the 64...
Kristie Weiland Stagno: Building back for justice requires expanded Child Tax Credit
Who is most likely to be poor in America? Children. Their pre-pandemic poverty rate of 1 in 7 exceeds that of most developed nations. During the 2022 tax season that ended last month, many low-income families rejoiced over their refunds, but the celebration was bittersweet. A key tax break to...
Gordon Tomb: Disconnected politicians lose those who ‘vote their jobs’
After a protracted battle with lawmakers, Gov. Tom Wolf’s unilateral push to join the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) now moves forward. At risk are tens of thousands of jobs, including private union jobs held by people that contributed to his reelection in 2018. It’s a strange reality amid the...
Sheldon Jacobson: The dark side of gerrymandering
Most states have already finalized their new congressional maps, with candidates jockeying to gain their party’s nomination, and hopefully win a seat in the 118th Congress during the upcoming November midterm election. Ohio is bucking this trend, with the first Republican supported map invalidated by the state’s Supreme Court back...
Alexander Motyl: U.S. never considered Ukraine a vital interest, until Putin’s ambitions changed that
President Joe Biden and NATO allies in Europe are trying to help Ukraine fight off Russian aggression — but not so much that Russia will retaliate militarily against them. These leaders’ deliberations and calibrations are all taking place against a fundamental background question: Is Ukraine a vital interest to my...
Anthony Hennen: Pa. county demolition funds for blighted properties — a rural and urban divide
Blighted properties are a problem in every county across Pennsylvania, and a proposed bill would make permanent a new fee counties can impose to raise funds for demolition. Senate Bill 439, sponsored by Sen. David Argall, R-Berks/Schuylkill, would remove a 10-year sunset provision from Act 152 of 2016 that authorizes...
Mathias Bernard: Macron’s victory has deep challenges
Emmanuel Macron’s decisive victory over Marine Le Pen in the second round of France’s presidential election April 24 is no surprise. For more than a year, opinion polls had been predicting it. As early as April 2021, the leading polling institutes estimated the final score of the outgoing president in...
Dr. Myechia Minter-Jordan: Pa. just took major step to address maternal mortality crisis
Uncertainty. Anticipation. Fear. These are just a few of the emotions that run through the minds of almost every expecting parent. And for many expecting Black parents, those feelings can be more acute. That’s because for far too many, having a child can be a life-threatening event. Across our country,...
Anjana Susarla: Elon Musk’s plans for Twitter could make its misinformation problems worse
Elon Musk, the world’s richest person, acquired Twitter in a $44 billion deal April 25, 11 days after announcing his bid for the company. Twitter announced that the public company will become privately held after the acquisition is complete. In a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission for his...
Cal Thomas: Ignorance and apathy
There’s an old joke about a fictitious poll taker who asked people what they thought about ignorance and apathy when it comes to politics and elections. One respondent said, “I don’t know, and I don’t care.” I thought of that joke after seeing a recent YouGov poll. It shows a...
Stephen Mills: Don’t tell us it’s too late to get justice
Take it from me, the aftershocks of child sexual abuse last a lifetime. I’m 66, and the sexual violence I experienced at age 13 — a near-death experience, really — can still grip my body and mind when I least expect it. I thought I’d be released when my abuser...
Kyle Sammin: Pa. governor race GOP’s race to lose — but they can lose it
As Democrats raise money and work together to support prospective gubernatorial nominee Attorney General Josh Shapiro, the GOP remains at war with itself. Competition is the point of a primary: letting voters choose the best standard-bearer for November. This year, however, Republicans suffer from an excess of choice. Nine candidates...
David Hardy: Pa.’s students need a lifeline
The Pennsylvania House has been abuzz with anticipation of a vote on the Lifeline Scholarship Program, or House Bill 2169 (Reps. Clint Owlett and Martina White). Lifeline Scholarships would help children stuck in the lowest-performing schools in our commonwealth. HB 2169 empowers parents with restricted-use scholarship funding for a school...
Mario Oliverio: What are you running for?
My first thought just as the starter signal sounded last year for the Ohio River Trail Council 10K was not “I hope I set a personal record” or “I’m so glad to be raising money for a good cause” (sorry, ORTC), but rather — “Wait a second, am I really...
Tay Waltenbaugh: All of us must step up for the most vulnerable
Mental health challenges have always been with us, but the covid-19 pandemic has pushed Pennsylvanians, and our state’s mental health safety net, to the breaking point. Without meaningful and sustained support from our state lawmakers, many of our most vulnerable residents will confront unacceptable consequences. As the Tribune-Review’s reporting has...
Peter Morici: Let states decide whether to adopt daylight saving time
Americans are tired of losing sleep. On the second Sunday in March, Americans push their clocks forward, and the disruption to sleep patterns creates fatigue and a lot of irritable personalities. Church attendance is unusually sparse. Some folks miss the exercise altogether or show up late, just in time for...
LZ Granderson: Big Pharma won’t be happy about marijuana cutting into its profits
Before I start talking about pot and why the federal prohibition should end, here are some numbers for you to consider. Seventy-two U.S. senators accepted donations from the pharmaceutical industry ahead of the 2020 election. That number was 302 for the House. Combined, that’s more than two-thirds of Congress. If...
Point: The legislative filibuster is destroying Congress
Close your eyes and let your imagination transport you back to the ninth grade. Do you remember a teacher standing at the front of a classroom explaining the three branches of government? Division of power? Checks and balances? Me, too! But I’m increasingly concerned that many of our elected officials...


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