Opinion category, Page 189
Laurels & lances: Financial aid and fire
Laurel: To taking some time. There is no reason universities can’t take steps to make up for problems that affect their students. The Free Application for Federal Student Aid — or FAFSA — system was updated last year. While “update” might seem like a good thing, the process is creating...
Cal Thomas: Congress wants to shut down? Dock their pay.
When the government shuts down the people responsible continue to receive their pay because they are considered “essential.” These include the president and members of Congress. It reminds me of when it snows in Washington (as opposed to the snow jobs we get all year from politicians). The guy on...
Joseph Regan: Act would help stop ambushing of our police
It’s never been more dangerous to be in law enforcement. In Pennsylvania and across the nation, ambush-style shootings of officers have become all too common. On Jan. 2, 2023, Brackenridge Police Chief Justin McIntire was ambushed while responding to an hours-long chase with a suspect who also shot and wounded...
Letter to the editor: Biden playing ‘king’ with student loan debt move
In January 2021 President Joe Biden swore an oath of office to protect our Constitution. The Constitution clearly states our Congress controls coinage and the power of the purse. Biden is now playing “king.” The Supreme Court told him he did not have the authority to forgive student loan debt....
Editorial: Supreme Court’s sticky web: The First Amendment protects social media
The nation’s highest court Monday heard oral arguments in challenges to Florida and Texas laws in which state governments seek to force social media companies to let more people say more things on their platforms — in other words, to behave less like publishers and more like free-for-all public squares....
Letter to the editor: Minority rules in U.S.
In a democracy, the majority is supposed to rule. But, in Congress, a small minority under Trump-supported Speaker Mike Johnson is determining the fate of a nation by refusing to put Ukraine aid up for a vote even though large majorities in Congress support it. A handful of MAGA, Putin-loving...
Jonah Goldberg: Nikki Haley keeps losing — and revealing something important about Trump and Republicans
Celebrating his victory in the South Carolina primary Saturday, Donald Trump declared, “I have never seen the Republican Party so unified as it is right now.” It was an indisputable victory for Trump, particularly given that it was in the home state of his last remaining rival for the nomination,...
Elwood Watson: Women and the future of politics
It should probably come as little surprise that a majority of American millennial and Generation Z women identify as liberal. A Gallup poll released this month indicated the ideological gap between men and women across various generations has increased over the past few years and that young women today are...
Letter to the editor: Biden and border
On Jan. 20, 2021, President Joseph R. Biden signed a multitude of executive orders reversing some of the accomplishments of President Donald J. Trump. One of the most destructive orders, in my opinion, opened our borders to the world. Now Biden has announced he may sign an executive order to...
Letter to the editor: Biden must act now to clean up our air and save lives
Earlier this month, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) strengthened the National Ambient Air Quality Standards for particulate matter pollution. This is critical, because too many people live with unhealthy levels of particle pollution — more than 18.8 million people — according to the American Lung Association’s “State of the...
Letter to the editor: Democrats’ destruction
I believe that the Democratic Party has clearly been highjacked by the America-hating, Marxist cancerous tumor in their midst. In a previous letter, I opined that today’s Democrats can be described by a single word: destruction! Here are more examples from the multitude: President Biden’s destruction of the sacredness of...
Editorial: Does Robert Morris University need state money for a hockey arena?
Public money always seems to make its way into sports venues. The story is always the same. This field will be good for the community. It will generate income. It will provide value. As with so many other cities, the Pittsburgh landscape is defined by these venues. One also could...
Letter to the editor: Political instability, elections in the Roman Empire
The letter using a comparison of America today to Edward Gibbon’s “The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire” is a bridge too far (“Trump and Hitler? No comparison,” Feb. 9, TribLive). The writer cites “political instability” and lack of confidence in elections? First, there were no...
Letter to the editor: Citizens have ownership of what their taxes pay for
Regarding the article “Westmoreland DA will review Penn Township police video before public release” (Feb. 22, TribLive): Law enforcement just keeps getting more arrogant toward the taxpayers who pay for all their salaries, benefits, equipment and pensions. Who is “the township” referenced in the paragraph below, from the article? Is...
Nathan Flood: It’s time for all Pennsylvanians to enjoy the digital age
For many across Pennsylvania, the easy access and availability of broadband technology and the ability to connect to the world from the comfort of our own homes or businesses are taken for granted. Unfortunately, that isn’t the case for everyone who lives or works in the commonwealth. In fact, in...
Michael Hiltzik: Disinformation is a public health crisis. Here’s how scientists and doctors are fighting it
In recent years, disinformation has seemed to be on an inexorable march across the scientific and medical landscape. Prominent politicians, up to and including the former president, have promoted useless drugs as supposed cures for covid-19. Partisan attacks on the safety and efficacy of covid vaccines have expanded into attacks...
Letter to the editor: Advice for Steelers in NFL draft
On the Steelers’ 2024 NFL draft: The Steelers should trade with the Green Bay Packers, giving them their 20th pick for their 41 and 58 picks, giving them no first-round pick but three second-round picks. The Steelers should trade their picks at 196 and 237 to Chicago for their 142nd...
Letter to the editor: Shapiro should save Pa. pharmacies
After reading the article “Bitter pill: Customers lament loss of small-town pharmacies as reimbursement formulas become unsustainable” (Feb. 21, TribLive), it is unclear to me how a shadowy alliance of pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs), drug manufacturers and insurance providers can force the closure of many local pharmacies. Is this even...
Letter to the editor: Politicians work for us
Have the politicians forgotten who they work for? Time and time again, I have taken the time to contact my government representatives via phone, email or regular mail with concerns or issues. These representatives are from local, state and federal governments. I have found, 99% of the time, my concerns...
Letter to the editor: Cyber school costs must be reined in
Imagine you’re in the grocery checkout with a loaf of bread. Two people behind you have the same loaf. The cashier says, “You live in Greensburg. Your bread is $3.50.” To the next person, “You live in Ligonier. $4.” To the third, “You’re from Latrobe. $3.74.” Same bread. Same store....
Letter to the editor: Trump bringing down GOP
I am constantly amazed at Republicans’ total disregard for truth. They say they want immigration reform, and come up with a bipartisan agreement then refuse to support it because Donald Trump, who probably never saw it, said it was no good. This is the typical hypocritical response to anything that...
Editorial: Billionaire, small businesses and bipartisan lawmakers sick of pharmacy benefit managers
So much of American health care can be summed up with drugs. We often go to the doctor less to find out what is wrong than we do to get a prescription to fix the symptoms. While the long-term goal may be figuring out the underlying cause, the short-term objective...
Letter to the editor: A nation in denial
Strange days indeed when the elephant in the room is actually a donkey, one wearing aviator shades and eating an ice cream cone. But half the electorate and most of the mainstream media are in denial of this fact. As Mark Twain said, “Denial ain’t just a river in Egypt.”...
Tom Purcell: Will forgiving college debt win or lose votes?
President Biden recently sent an email to 153,000 student-loan borrowers reminding them to vote for him this autumn. Actually, his email said that he is going to put America into even more hock to repay the college loans they had willingly taken out years ago. Putting it bluntly, his email...
Steven Hill: The election may turn on inflation, but do we even understand it?
How big of a role will inflation play in the upcoming presidential election? That’s anybody’s guess, but one thing is certain: Democrats will cite facts and statistics that they hope will lead voters to think inflation is under control, while Republicans will focus on facts and statistics that counter the...
