Opinion category, Page 123
Cal Thomas: Democracy lives in brightness
In the end, Kamala Harris was the wrong candidate with the wrong message at the wrong time. President-elect Donald Trump won the greatest comeback in American political history — bigger than Richard Nixon’s 1968 victory — by surviving two assassination attempts, a media that was shamelessly in the tank for...
James Stavridis: North Korea troop deal exposes Putin’s weakness
Russian President Vladimir Putin is suffering grievous manpower losses as a result of his illegal and immoral invasion of Ukraine. He has lost about 200,000 killed, double that number wounded and at least 500,000 young men fleeing the Russian Federation to avoid the draft: a butcher’s bill of over a...
Ken Zapinski: Maintaining a robust economy is also a public health issue
Most of the major metro regions in the U.S., including Pittsburgh, would not meet the new Clean Air Act standard for tiny soot pollution, according to the latest data from the Environmental Protection Agency. Of the 50 largest metro areas, 26 would violate the new standard established by the EPA...
Letter to the editor: Use math to set well pad setbacks
The state of Pennsylvania is over 100 years a Keystone State. In the 1920s, Canonsburg was called the “most radioactive town in America.” Also in the past decade, the Canon-McMillan School District was studied for three years by the Pennsylvania Department of Health and the University of Pittsburgh for suspected...
Letter to the editor: Harris, Walz didn’t ‘fail interviews’
Here’s a response to the letter “Harris, Walz failed their ‘interviews’” (Oct. 22, TribLive), in which the writer said he thinks Kamala Harris sounded stupid, faulted President Obama (who is not on the ballot) for not strengthening the Affordable Care Act and vaguely criticized Tim Walz for saying the NRA...
Editorial: Was dog attack a pit bull problem or a pet owner one?
People expect a few scares on Halloween. Maybe there’s a guy in a hockey mask with a rubber knife lumbering down the street. Maybe an animatronic zombie lunges off the neighbor’s porch. Maybe there’s a spooky haunted house set up in the garage at the end of the block. But...
Letter to the editor: Police chief has fouled out
Well, Pittsburgh police Chief Larry Scirotto, or should I say former chief as of Nov. 1, has taken his ball and gone home (“Pittsburgh police Chief Scirotto to step down amid refereeing controversy,” Oct. 25, TribLive). While he has gotten good reviews as chief, I guess he became greedy and...
Letter to the editor: Protect pharmacy benefits
Recently, I participated in a symposium hosted by the Pittsburgh Business Group on Health to discuss the key health care issues facing local employers. One takeaway was that rising prescription drug prices remain a significant challenge for small businesses as they work to attract and retain talent and protect the...
Cal Thomas: Is it too early to talk 2028?
What can a columnist do when his deadline is Election Day and he doesn’t know who has won the presidency and other offices (and we likely might not know for days, or more, if the polls are right about a virtual tie)? Answer: He speculates about 2028. Whether Donald Trump...
Rev. Erik Hoeke: Community is what we make of it
Seventy-two percent of Americans agree that in our complex society we have a shared responsibility to engage with people different from us, according to a 2023 study conducted by More in Common US. So why are politics so partisan and divisive? And how might we meet these challenges in our...
Letter to the editor: Halloween racism in Mt. Pleasant
Woo-hoo! Mt. Pleasant makes The New York Times (for racist Halloween float). Great job politicizing a family event in a denigrating fashion. I thought Halloween was about kids and treats. Guess I was misinformed. Tina Bobnar Greensburg...
Letter to the editor: Why can’t we all have nice things?
When I was little, when people asked “what do you want to be when you grow up?” I used to answer American Gladiator, then Olympic gymnast, then architect, but my overall goal was still the same: to be able to provide for and protect my family and loved ones, to...
Editorial: It’s your turn to change the world
OK. That’s it. The 2024 election cycle might be the longest and the shortest ever. In some ways, it feels like it’s been going on since Donald Trump announced his Republican candidacy in 2015. In some sense, it might be dated to 2021, when the former president suggested he would...
Letter to the editor: Leaders must address asthma
Childhood asthma leads to over 10 million missed school days annually in the U.S., making it a significant contributor to chronic illness-related school absenteeism. In the U.S., nearly 25 million Americans, including 5.1 million children, have asthma. In Pennsylvania, approximately 12.3% of school age children have asthma. Albuterol is a...
Joseph J. Ellis: The U.S. alone is saddled with an Electoral College. How did that happen?
In 2016 and 2020, Donald Trump lost the popular election by several million votes. But in 2016 he won in the Electoral College with slim majorities in several toss-up states. That is the only way he can win the looming election, a contest all the polls show is too close...
Letter to the editor: Allegheny Valley Hospital is the best
As you enter the front of Allegheny Valley Hospital, the “moment” has begun. The front-desk staff is helpful and caring, so professional in their jobs. All departments through the hospital are there for you. The moment of exiting the hospital provides a feeling of gratefulness and happiness. Thank you, nurses...
Letter to the editor: Pittsburgh Mills should never have been built
Regarding the article “Namdar Realty profits from Pittsburgh Mills, ‘dying’ malls” (Oct. 19, TribLive): More power to Namdar for figuring out how to make a profit. The real story, however, is that the mall should never have been built in the first place. Construction of the mall was discussed back...
Letter to the editor: Bureaus’ ‘errors’ are evil
One definition of the word “evil” as taken from the American Heritage Dictionary is “Morally bad or wrong; wicked.” This can be said about a lot of things, but two things come to mind that exemplify the word, two things happening right now in America which, when examined closely, have...
Editorial: McDonald’s fickle McFlurry machines are now more fixable. That’s more significant than you might think
With an E. coli scare linked to some of its Quarter Pounders, likely the slivered onions thereupon, McDonald’s and its franchisees have had a rough go of late, as reflected in its share price gyrations. But this week brought some good news for the Chicago- based fast-food giant. The notoriously...
Letter to the editor: Inspired by the people of Puerto Rico
We condemn in the strongest terms the recent racist identification of Puerto Rico as a “floating island of garbage.” The Sisters of Divine Providence have proudly served alongside the people of Puerto Rico since 1932. We are privileged to count native Puerto Rican women among our membership, and we are...
Letter to the editor: Library needs Southwest Greensburg’s support
In 2017, voters in Southwest Greensburg voted to financially support the Greensburg Hempfield Area Library through a ballot referendum, showing our children that the adults in this community support their access to reading and learning. In 2022, a referendum question appeared on the ballot again, introduced by the Southwest Greensburg...
Editorial page cartoons for the week of Nov. 4
Editorial page cartoons for the week of Nov. 4....
Mallard Fillmore cartoons for the week of Nov. 4
Mallard Fillmore cartoons for the week of Nov. 4....
Letter to the editor: Respect for others is a nonnegotiable
We can “agree to disagree” on the merits of pumpkin-spiced lattes, the wisdom of starting Russell Wilson over Justin Fields or the talent of various contestants on “The Voice.” However, we cannot “agree to disagree” when it comes to the inherent dignity of each and every person, regardless of their...
Letter to the editor: Stronger laws, voter ID would give Americans faith in our elections
During my tenure as judge of elections in Allegheny County for a number of years, I had many questions from people of both parties. If votes we’re going to be counted honestly. In my opinion, we must have strong election laws and voter ID. This will help reduce possible fraud...
