Opinion category, Page 101
Evan Ramstad: Anger and debate over health care will continue after Thompson’s killer is sent away
The arrest in the slaying of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was the first step to putting his killer behind bars, though it won’t end the power struggle in health care illuminated by public reaction afterward. Another wave of criticism rose against Minnesota- based UnitedHealthcare, the nation’s largest health insurer, and the...
Letter to the editor: How to pay for services in Hempfield
The election is over, and the duly elected people in Hempfield have made it clear they want to grow the township. More parks and more people equal more traffic on roads, and more houses and buildings means the need for better public safety. So I do agree that at some...
Letter to the editor: Why don’t more schools test for radon?
Some of us will do anything to save a buck, even indirectly kill other people in the process. We let cancer kill about 500,000 Americans each year. Allow me to break this down to any hometown. A hometown is part of a school district, and the district is funded by...
Editorial: Pennsylvania should better regulate the products already available before legalizing more
Marijuana is legal in Pennsylvania. Kind of. Except not really. The twisting vines of what is and isn’t OK in the Keystone State have been growing like weeds since 2016. That was when the state legalized medical marijuana. It was broadly bipartisan. In a senate that has been solidly in...
Letter to the editor: Ladies, get your gun permits
It appears that law enforcement has become more dangerous. I have witnessed Sheriff James Albert write a letter to the editor in order to release a thinly veiled political rant and weaponize his public office (“Keeping Westmoreland County safe,” Dec. 10, TribLive). His office has seen an increase in women...
Stephen Mihm: Nixon set the stage for Trump’s plan to control the budget
As pundits imagine the coming Donald Trump presidency, much of the attention has focused on the most extreme measures he has promised to implement, from mass deportations to abolishing the Department of Education. Yet these may pale in significance next to his promise to use something less showy but ultimately...
Kerry Ann Knapp: I’m a longtime family caregiver. It makes me a better person.
Thirty-one years ago, my husband, Bruce, and I took on the role of a lifetime. I became the legal guardian, and Bruce the caregiver, for my nephew Dan Bivins, who was 7 at the time and born with Down syndrome. That still stands as one of the luckiest days of...
Letter to the editor: Luigi Mangione is not a hero
Why is so much praise being heaped on assassin Luigi Mangione? The man he killed, Brian Thompson, had two sons, ages 19 and 16. Please tell me what crimes these two young men have committed. Mangione has sentenced them to a life without their father. I lost my father when...
Letter to the editor: Trump’s reckless nominations
Since he won the presidential election this year, Donald Trump has demonstrated to me he will be every bit as unreasonable and reckless as many of us feared. When he nominated U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio to be secretary of State, there was hope, but then we saw the most unqualified...
Editorial: AI is ‘helping’ with your online holiday shopping, whether you like it or not
The holiday shopping season has started fast, especially online, and those automated chatbots are working overtime. Artificial intelligence is increasingly finding its way into decisions that once were purely human, like whether or not to buy a sweater. This year, more than ever, smart computer programs are stepping between customers...
Letter to the editor: No more tax cuts for the wealthy
In a March 2023 article, the Center for American Progress states, “Tax cuts are primarily responsible for the increasing debt … . House Republican leaders have used the size of the debt to call for spending cuts, but it does not address the true cause of the rising debt …...
Mallard Fillmore cartoons for the week of Dec. 16
Mallard Fillmore cartoons for the week of Dec. 16....
Editorial cartoons for the week of Dec. 16
Editorial cartoons for the week of Dec. 16....
Letter to the editor: Sources to locate mine risks readily available
With condolences to the family of Elizabeth Pollard, there are many ways to raise awareness of the history of Pennsylvania mining — and the subsidence risk across the state. Ground instabilities are common, and the peppering of fracking and oil and gas wells adds to the state of risk. Wide...
Letter to the editor: Schwager a force for behavioral health
Mental health, much like physical health, is something we all have in common. Where one person experiences back pain, another lives with depression and anxiety. That’s why I’d like to take a moment to recognize someone who has devoted her career to destigmatizing mental health and strengthening our communities. Over...
Editorial: Post-traumatic stress is a shock to the system for first responders
At any emergency, there is a concern beyond bandages and oxygen. The victims of a car crash, fire or other event are observed and kept calm. An emergency medical technician may wrap in a blanket someone who doesn’t have any outward signs of injury. It is more than about keeping...
Letter to the editor: Where is sheriff’s evidence of danger?
I am confused as to the purpose of Sheriff James Albert’s letter “Keeping Westmoreland County safe” (Dec. 10, TribLive). Was it a press release that they will cooperate with ICE in 2025? Or was it to instill fear in the citizens of Westmoreland County? “… society has become more dangerous.”...
Joseph Sabino Mistick: Basics count in local government
Any mayor who fixes the potholes, plows the snow and picks up the garbage can get reelected forever. That’s an old saying in local politics, and all it means is that the average citizen cares first about the basics of government — those services and actions that affect their daily...
Point: Time to get real about renewables
The debate over fossil fuels has produced a narrative that is long on rhetoric and short on realism. Those who argue for a complete transition from coal, natural gas and oil ask us to do what John Lennon suggested: “Imagine.” Imagine the world they want and not engage with the...
Counterpoint: Trump’s big oil cronies poised to prop up fossil fuels
Why in the world should the public provide giant subsidies to the giant corporations that are rushing us to climate catastrophe? Showered with tens of millions of dollars in oil and gas campaign contributions, President-elect Donald Trump is poised to pay back the favor thousands of times over — at...
Letter to the editor: Future with Trump looks grim
The future with Trump looks very grim. A friend who owns an oil company hinted that the stock market is going to crash. I’m glad I am soon to be on regular Social Security. Whatever gets passed into law will not affect me. Maybe the age and amount people get...
Sounding off: Politics, abortion, U.S. Steel among week’s topics
Democrats need a new direction I am very confused. Will the DNC continue to walk away from rural America, thus our district, or will it open its eyes and look in the mirror? My bet is that nothing will change, and we will continue to lose elections by larger and...
Letter to the editor: Holiday drinking
A festive holiday cocktail can help make the season merry and bright but only if consumed responsibly. Whether you’re enjoying an Irish coffee after caroling through your neighborhood or enjoying a glass of poinsettia punch at the office party, it’s important to remember the ABCs of ABVs: A — Alcohol...
Editorial: There is no justice in Biden’s commutation of Kids for Cash judge
Michael Conahan should be familiar with what goes into difficult decisions about crime and punishment and their effect on a person’s life. Conahan was a Temple-trained lawyer who spent 13 years as a Luzerne County Court of Common Pleas judge. For four years, he was the county’s president judge —...
Letter to the editor: Nippon key to U.S. Steel’s future
After reading the ad in the Dec. 8 paper promoting the U.S. Steel-Nippon merger, I wanted to share an outside opinion, as I have no stock and never worked for USS. I did work for the Elliott Co. in Jeannette, which was bought by Japanese-owned Ebara Corp. in 2000, so...
