Featured Commentary category, Page 78
Erika Strassburger: Repair the world, one vote at a time
On the morning of Oct. 27, 2018, I was standing with 30-some constituents, friends and fellow elected officials, drinking coffee and chatting quietly. We were gearing up for a morning of engaging in one of the most fundamental rituals of democracy — going door to door to talk to neighbors...
John C. Besley: Most Americans do trust scientists
Most Americans — 81% — think government investments in scientific research are “worthwhile investments for society over time,” according to the Pew Research Center’s latest survey on public perceptions of science. A similar proportion said they have at least “a fair amount” of confidence that scientists act in the public’s...
Athan Koutsiouroumbas: Pa.’s suburbs are not OK
For families living in Pennsylvania’s suburbs, things are not OK. The prosperity enjoyed by suburbanites is in peril, and they know it. Soccer field small talk has moved beyond gas prices. Polite conversation has moved into something more urgent: survival. Two recent studies help explain why suburbanites feel they are...
Rachel Marsden: Is it time for anti-woke populist non-interventionists to start their own U.S. party?
VANCOUVER — One of the most puzzling aspects of American politics to foreigners living in western democracies is the two-party straitjacket that hinders renewal. Appearing on NBC’s “Meet the Press” last Sunday, Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., spoke of her interest in preventing former President Donald Trump from ever again running...
Cal Thomas: Trump, you’re not a dictator
Former President Donald Trump says any member of his administration who runs for president against him — should he decide to run again in 2024 — would be engaging in an act of disloyalty. Appearing on Fox Radio’s “Brian Kilmeade Show,” Trump was asked about possible other GOP candidates, specifically...
Joe Randig: Vaccination the key to preventing more polio outbreaks
As long as polio exists anywhere, it is a threat everywhere, as evidenced by the recent paralysis of a young man and the detection of the poliovirus in the sewage in five counties in New York. Rotary and its partners in the Global Polio Eradication Initiative have made great strides...
Point: Inflation is not the main issue in the election
The media have been obsessed with inflation for the last year and a half, reporting that this is the only economic issue that matters to people. In the real world, people have other things to worry about, like jobs. Jobs are a huge deal for most people since it is...
Counterpoint: Focus on policy, not politics, this election
Sometimes the quieter political issues have more to say. High-decibel culture warriors have been getting people riled up over everything from Disney’s “The Little Mermaid” remake to a woman playing a flute. But more important things are going on right now, such as the highest inflation in 40 years. And...
Nathan Benefield: Pa. is epicenter of Democrats’ political spending
Democratic gubernatorial nominee Josh Shapiro’s overflowing campaign coffers underscore the importance of Pennsylvania to national politics — and the influence of government unions in elections. With four weeks remaining until the midterm elections, Shapiro reported raising a whopping $25.4 million in his latest campaign-finance report, bringing his total to a...
Brittany Crampsie: On the economy, Democrats deliver
A plurality of Pennsylvanians and Americans rate the economy as the most important issue right now. As we approach the midterm elections, economic arguments are the focal points of most campaigns. In most years, this works to the detriment of the Democratic Party, but this year could be different. Year...
Peter Morici: Abortion and the Republicans’ disappointing midterms
A few months ago, Republicans were confident about big gains in the midterm elections. Voter dissatisfaction with President Joe Biden on inflation, border security and the general direction of the country, crime in major cities and the culpability of the progressive prosecutors movement, and school children set back in math...
Cal Thomas: Justice denied in Parkland killings
If anyone ever was a good candidate for the death penalty,it is Nikolas Cruz. Four years ago, the then-20-year-old shot and killed 17 people, most of them students at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla. Cruz pleaded guilty to all counts and last week came the sentencing phase....
Matthew J. Mayhew, Christa Winkler and Musbah Shaheen: Boosting understanding between students of all faiths
Our research team has studied college students’ attitudes toward evangelicals, a topic that tends to prompt strong reactions. Some liberals don’t see the topic as worthy of discussion — why study whether Americans appreciate a privileged group with strong influence on society? Meanwhile, many conservatives are adamant that evangelical perspectives...
Michael Elkin: Will there be another Cuban missile crisis?
The hunt for Red October? It had its roots in a Halloween moment 60 years ago. “We will bury you!” blurted out Nikita Khrushchev, clad in funereal finery as any fashionable premier of the Soviet Union would be. But he wasn’t without holiday spirit: The Red Menace toted a trick...
Cindy Adams Dunn: Growing outdoor recreation in Pennsylvania meets public demand
The Tribune-Review editorial board recently posed the question, “How many state parks is enough?” (Oct. 3, TribLIVE) as it addressed the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) adding three new state parks to its system. Obvious bias notwithstanding, we believe this new investment is badly needed and hopefully is...
Paul Muschick: Day care’s carbon monoxide scare could have been prevented if lawmakers did their jobs
Most of those hospitalized Tuesday after a carbon monoxide leak at an Allentown daycare center are back home. That’s wonderful news. I hope the children rebound quickly and soon will be bouncing around again at Happy Smiles Learning Center. I also hope state legislators recognize what a tragedy this could...
Eric Bohannon: Eligible for Medicare? Here’s what you should consider when choosing a plan
As inflation causes us all to stretch our dollars, the majority of Americans are likely focused on finding the best prices without sacrificing quality. Health care is no different; picking the right insurance plan that meets individual or family needs can be critical to maintaining a balanced budget. Right now,...
Mary Prendergast: What’s next for ancient DNA studies after Nobel Prize honors paleogenomics?
For the first time, a Nobel Prize recognized the field of anthropology, the study of humanity. Svante Pääbo, a pioneer in the study of ancient DNA, or aDNA, was awarded the 2022 prize in physiology or medicine for his breathtaking achievements sequencing DNA extracted from ancient skeletal remains and reconstructing...
Brad Spellberg, Jaimo Ahn and Robert Centor: Medical guidelines should embrace humility of uncertainty
Clinical guidelines greatly influence how doctors care for their patients. By providing recommendations on how to diagnose and treat particular situations, guidelines can help standardize the care patients receive. For instance, when a patient is suffering from an infection, a physician can consult the relevant guidelines to confirm that antibiotics...
Dr. Adriane Fugh-Berman: Herschel Walker and abortion hypocrisy
Herschel Walker’s financial support of his former girlfriend’s abortion would be laudable if he weren’t running on a no-abortions-ever platform. As a former abortion counselor, I am not surprised at his hypocrisy. Anyone who has worked in an abortion clinic knows that people who claim to be against abortion get...
Janice Traflet: Learning to speak fearlessly in midst of college cancel culture
Many parents send their college students off for a new academic year with well-intentioned advice. For some, that now includes a cautious directive: maintain a low profile in the classroom on political and religious subjects. Parents have good reason to offer such counsel. Colleges are no longer robust arenas for...
Joyce M. Davis: Let’s talk about white nationalism in America
Robert P. Jones has spent a lot of time studying white Christians in America. As president and founder of the Public Religion Research Institute, he’s done extensive research into the history of Christianity in the United States and has found one irrefutable fact: They don’t like to talk about tough...
Rachel Kraus: Breast cancer awareness campaigns can do better
Is there anyone who isn’t aware of breast cancer? Since 1985, cancer-related nonprofits, along with pharmaceutical firms and other businesses, have sponsored an international campaign to observe October as Breast Cancer Awareness Month. During these weeks, the public is bombarded with awareness and education messaging featuring the campaign’s symbol, a...
Stephanie Vander Wel: Loretta Lynn was an advocate for white rural working-class women
Loretta Lynn’s death Oct. 4 at the age of 90 marks the end of a remarkable life of achievement in country music. Her dramatic life story — retold in the award-winning 1980 film “Coal Miner’s Daughter,” based on Lynn’s 1976 biography — made Lynn a household name. She grew up...
David McMillan: How new UK government stumbled into political, financial crisis of its own making
The new British government is off to a very rocky start — after stumbling through an economic and financial crisis of its own making. Just a few weeks into its term Sept. 23, Prime Minister Liz Truss’ government released a so-called mini-budget that proposed £161 billion — about $184 billion...
