Opinion category, Page 104
S.E. Cupp: Selfish Biden has given us four years of Trump
It’s been a rough go of it for those of us still clinging to antiquated notions that with leadership and power should come things like honesty, integrity, morality and expertise. But these long-gone vestiges of a forgotten America, one in which criminals don’t get to be president and sex offenders...
Robert Smith: Steel City’s steel saga continues
Pittsburgh was truly the Steel City. Coke plants, tar plants, steel mills, glass manufacturers and other ancillary heavy industry lined the banks of the rivers, producing the raw products of the country’s industrial revolution. A remnant of these days are the current U.S. Steel facilities still occupying their locations in...
Robin Abcarian: President Biden’s pardon of his son Hunter is understandable. It’s also unforgivable
It came as a surprise that President Joe Biden unconditionally pardoned his son Hunter, a convicted felon, after repeatedly vowing that he would not. For the past few months, each time Biden or his press secretary was asked whether a pardon was in the cards, they both emphatically said no....
Letter to the editor: Woe to you, Trump and Republicans
President-elect Trump and Trump Republicans sit in Moses’ seat ready to put the unjust like Kash Patel, a proponent of the QAnon cult’s bizarre and dangerous conspiracy theories, in charge of the FBI and other departments. They tie up heavy, cumbersome loads and put them on other people’s shoulders, but...
Lori Falce: The bitter pill of an insurance CEO’s murder
On Wednesday, a man died — and a lot of people just didn’t care. UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, 50, was gunned down on a sidewalk as he approached the Hilton Midtown Manhattan hotel for an investors meeting, right between Rockefeller Center and Carnegie Hall. It was an early-morning ambush, and...
Laurels & lances: Convention, collection & Christmas
Laurel: To looking ahead. The Westmoreland County Chamber of Commerce announced Monday the launch of a $25,000 study to explore construction of a convention center. “We feel the time is right to move forward with this next step,” Chamber President Dan DeBone said. The preferred location would be somewhere along...
Letter to the editor: Trump will change the world
Like the covid jab, progressives will soon be a note in history. Like magic, world leaders are changing their policies. Think tanks and TV news are changing co-hosts or canceling their shows or liberal views. “The View” and MSNBC suddenly flipped to moderate. Walmart has scaled back DEI. Even Sen....
Paul Kengor: Revenge of the covid rogues
Of all the cast of rebels and rogues selected by President-elect Donald Trump for his incoming administration, few are igniting a meltdown quite like Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Jay Bhattacharya. RFK Jr. has been nominated to head the Department of Health and Human Services. Bhattacharya has been selected to...
Sam Daley-Harris: Learning to make a difference between elections
For most Americans, this election has brought exhaustion, divisiveness and, for many, fear and deep pain. After the election, Tom Nichols wrote in The Atlantic: “Americans must stay engaged and make their voices heard at every turn.” And Liz Cheney tweeted, “Citizens across this country … must now be the...
Letter to the editor: Kudos to musical Freeport students, staff
Once again, Freeport Area High School students have excelled at entertaining and enriching us through their lively, accomplished and enjoyable presentation of “9 to 5: The Musical.” The singing was remarkable, the acting flirtatious and fun, and the costumes so authentic. The students and staff are to be commended for...
Letter to the editor: Thank you, Coach Albert
After 34 years, Sam Albert has decided to step down to become an assistant coach (“Kiski Area football coach Sam Albert hangs up head coach’s whistle after 3 decades,” Nov. 20, TribLive). He was a great coach, mentor and motivator. My first contact with Albert was after his first season...
Editorial: Why is Trump’s opposition to U.S. Steel sale a ‘gut punch?’
On Monday, President-elect Donald Trump took to social media to make a statement about his feelings on an issue of domestic economy and foreign relations. “I am totally against the once great and powerful U.S. Steel being bought by a foreign company, in this case Nippon Steel of Japan,” he...
Letter to the editor: Biden pardon sets dangerous precedent
“No one is above the law,” a notable quote President Joe Biden made on July 1, showing himself as an enforcer of the law lining up with his campaign rhetoric to bring back some semblance of unity to the U.S. Four years after his victory, on Dec. 1, Biden acted...
Jonah Goldberg: Why the American media and their critics won’t stop telling the same lie
The American media has a bootleggers-and-Baptists problem. “Bootleggers and Baptists” is one of the most useful concepts in understanding how economic regulation works in the real world. Coined by economist Bruce Yandle, the term describes how groups that are ostensibly opposed to each other have a shared interest in maintaining...
Cal Thomas: Institutions vs. We the people
New York Times columnist David Brooks, who is about as close to a conservative as that liberal newspaper publishes, wrote something last week that gets to the heart of why Democrats, especially, but also some Republicans, fear a second Trump administration. After extolling what he believes to be the personal...
Letter to the editor: Democrats are poor losers
The Democrat universe has shown that they are poor losers who don’t want to accept President Trump’s MAGA victory. There is not an ounce of “let’s work together” to remove the pre-election cloud over our country. Whining has a new vigor. I’m sure Whoopi Goldberg is patiently waiting to complain...
Letter to the editor: 10 ways to survive a Trump presidency
For those fearful of Hitler 2.0, here are some ways to blend in and keep you and your loved ones safe for the next four years: 1. Look patriotic: Wearing a MAGA hat or sporting an American flag will earn the trust of any MAGA Nazi. 2. Check your citizenship...
Editorial: A small but important win for FDA under fire
Given how the U.S. Supreme Court’s conservative majority is better known for limiting the authority of federal regulatory agencies than supporting them, last week’s small victory for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is an especially welcome one. The justices served the nation’s interest by essentially doing nothing — declining...
Letter to the editor: Strengthening our voting process
The voting process goal is not to have a large turnout, but to have a secure and accurate process. The article “Trust in election fades as lies swell” (Nov. 3) indicated people are losing confidence in our election process. I contend recent changes make the process more vulnerable. Here are...
Peter Morici: Computers will make mischief once they learn to talk, listen and reason
Personal assistants such as Amazon’s Alexa and generative artificial intelligence tools now appearing at work can amuse, streamline tasks and leverage productivity by gathering and organizing information, drafting documents and performing time-consuming tasks. But they can’t yet duplicate the prescience or situational awareness humans possess by virtue of our rearing,...
Mark Compton: Open road tolling to power economic development along turnpike system
The Pennsylvania Turnpike is proud of its designation as “America’s First Superhighway.” Our system opened in 1940, and, over the past 85 years, its groundbreaking innovation reinvigorated communities across the state and served as a model for the nation’s Interstate Highway System. Our core mission — to ensure safe, uninterrupted...
Letter to the editor: Imagining God
If we continue to view God as a white male, we will continue to accept white male dominance in our society. This serves to further legitimize racism, sexism, xenophobia, homophobia, colonialism, deportation and discrimination. An infinite God can never be captured by finite human metaphors. Our lack of imagination regarding...
Editorial: Is a social media ban here possible?
Social media is everywhere. It’s on the desktop computer that might be used for gaming. It’s on the laptop your teenager uses for homework. It’s on the tablet your kindergartner uses for videos. It’s on the smartwatch that counts steps. It’s on the phone tucked in every back pocket or...
Letter to the editor: Dems circumvented democracy
I find Joseph J. Ellis’ negative critique of America’s electoral system perplexing (“The U.S. alone is saddled with an Electoral College. How did that happen?,” Nov. 4, TribLive). He is concerned that it does not use the direct popular vote for selecting our president. But many believe it has served...
Andy Macey: Nippon best for future of US Steel
I read your editorial “Are there any guarantees with Nippon Steel?” (Nov. 23, TribLive). As a steelworker, I wanted to share my perspective. I started my career at U.S. Steel in 1977, had to leave the company for four years because of the horrible downturn in the industry in the...
