Opinion category, Page 207
Tom Purcell: The urgency to become cybersecure in 2024
Cyberattacks will be significantly worse in 2024 for anyone who uses a digital device. Yet few are aware of, or prepared for, the threats they face — or how their poor cybersecurity skills are putting them and their families at incredible risk. Case in point: Last year, the top 10...
Mallard Fillmore cartoons for the week of Jan. 1
Mallard Fillmore cartoons for the week of Jan. 1....
Letter to the editor: Westmoreland County leaders should fix finances without tax increase
So our elected Westmoreland County officials have mismanaged our tax money again (“Westmoreland commissioners blame past fiscal neglect in approving 32.5% tax hike,” Dec. 21, TribLive). Because of this, we are facing a record tax increase. I don’t know where they expect everyone on fixed incomes to find this money....
Letter to the editor: Grateful for law enforcement, school leaders for keeping children safe
On Dec. 21 our family was at Burrell High School for a preschool program when the call for a lockdown came over the PA system. This was a new experience for us, as, during our school years, we only experienced the occasional fire drill. I can attest that the situation...
Editorial: Who owns Pennsylvania’s historical records?
Pennsylvania’s history is frequently bigger than the state. From the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall in Philadelphia to the sweeping battlefields of Gettysburg to the remains of Fort Pitt in Pittsburgh, the Keystone State is a rich cache of evidence of what came before. But it isn’t all buildings and...
Letter to the editor: Child care tax credit will help working families
The Dependent Care Enhancement Tax Credit recently approved by the Pennsylvania Legislature is a monumental milestone in supporting parents and caregivers, offering relief to working families throughout Pennsylvania. Recognizing the challenges posed by the lack of accessible and affordable child care, employers raised concerns about hiring difficulties, and the child...
Joseph Sabino Mistick: Resolve to pay attention in this new year
Anyone who writes a newspaper column welcomes the holidays as good column fodder. New Year’s Day is an opportunity to write about new beginnings, leaving the tough parts of the past year behind and starting fresh with the turn of the calendar page. It’s almost formulaic. My 2021 New Year’s...
Counterpoint: A gilded age for college football — and the rest of us
The richest men in college football, as in the rest of the economy, are getting richer. In 1982, the legendary Bear Bryant made $450,000 coaching football at Alabama, or $1.4 million in today’s dollars. Alabama’s current coach pulls down $11.4 million, over 10 times what Bryant pocketed. Five college football...
Point: In college football, a sport driven by tradition, a revolution looms
College football is a game of tradition — from marching bands and fight songs to rivalry games and raucous student sections. But the game is undergoing its biggest revolution since the introduction of the forward pass. Billion-dollar television deals, continuing conference consolidation and the uncharted waters of player compensation threaten...
Mark Z. Barabak: Biden’s fellow seniors have advice for the 81-year-old president
For those who doubt Joe Biden’s capacity to be president, Herb Klar has a suggestion: Swing by his neighborhood sometime. “They don’t come to Rossmoor and see all the octagenarians … and see how lively and bright and competent we all are,” said Klar, 76, a retired clinical social worker,...
Doug Gansler: Could a 3rd party be the answer we need in 2024?
Four more years of a Trump presidency would take an enormous toll on America and its democracy. Polling continues to trend in Donald Trump’s direction over President Joe Biden’s, and we seem to be hurtling toward a disaster in November’s presidential election. This is a rare and unprecedented moment in...
Letter to the editor: Differing views of Republicans, Democrats
I feel utter disappointment for the writer of the letter “Republicans revenge impeachment” (Dec. 21, TribLive) and his obvious failure to grasp history and retain any knowledge from it. He states that the GOP voted in unison for a “religious fraud.” Sounds like freedom of religion is something the writer...
Sounding off: Letter-writers focus on Gaza, Fetterman, Parkway congestion, Tomlin
Ceasefire won’t work in Gaza It’s clear that ceasefires have not brought peace in the Middle East, but instead prolonged the violence. Over the past 80 years, terrorist groups have attacked Israel and frequently killed innocent civilians. And whenever Israel fights back to the verge of victory, the U.N. calls...
Letter to the editor: Look at causes when addressing Parkway congestion
I applaud the idea of improving the traffic flow along the Parkway East (“$142M in federal funding to address congestion, transit along Pittsburgh’s Parkway East,” Dec. 19, TribLive). We all know it’s a mess. But I think they are missing the mark. Improving the shoulders so commuter buses will have...
Editorial: Why should the DA have to approve body camera video release?
The things we can see make a huge difference in the things we can understand. We show pictures not only because they add interest to a story but also because they can give as much information as the words. In addition, they can provide context. Pictures can help us not...
Letter to the editor: Hamas’ genocide of both Israelis and Palestinians
I am confused about the news saying that the Jews are committing genocide on the Palestinians. The pro-Palestinian protesters are saying that Israel should stop committing genocide. Where were the protesters when Hamas brutally attacked Israel and did indeed commit genocide? It is beyond comprehension that Hamas has no compassion...
S.E. Cupp: New Year’s resolutions for what’s ahead in 2024
Another year is closing, and with it comes some renewed optimism for a fresh start and some relief that we are leaving some sore spots behind. 2023 wasn’t an easy year for many of us. It was marked by war — in Ukraine and later in Gaza. With Hamas’ barbaric...
Andrew Good: Pennsylvania workers need wider E-Verify mandates
Pennsylvania lawmakers recently introduced a bill that would require all state and local government contractors, and their subcontractors, to verify that newly hired workers are either American citizens or legal immigrants. Contractors that refuse to do so would face stiff fines. If passed, this bill would prevent companies from using...
Adam Brandon: The fear factor and winning the independent voter
Voter trust and fear over the 2024 election are driving unprecedented interest in independent voters. The candidate who can address these fears, whether that candidate is President Joe Biden or former President Donald Trump, will go on to win. With only a handful of states up for grabs, they need...
Letter to the editor: Taking care of the whole child
Public school administrations and school boards, now smitten by the whole-child teaching approach and wanting to stay in touch, really don’t seem to know or care all that much, until they get bitten by the money and funding crunch. The whole-child approach has been in child care programs for decades...
Letter to the editor: Not all in Gaza are victims
Residents of Gaza are portrayed as victims of warmonger Israel. They claim they are innocent victims. This is not entirely true. Some Gaza residents are actually part of Hamas and believe they are justified in attacking Israel. It is very hard to keep a secret for a long time. Hamas...
Laurels & lances: Highs and lows of 2023
As 2023 comes to a close, we look back on some of the highs and lows of the past 12 months. Laurel: To healing wounds. Five years after the deadliest antisemetic attack in U.S. history, the Pittsburgh synagogue shooting finally had its day in court. Shooter Robert Bowers was convicted...
Letter to the editor: Grateful for first responders in Sewickley Valley
The borough of Sewickley Heights wishes to recognize and express its gratitude to the Sewickley Valley police, fire and ambulance services and other first responders for their remarkable coordinated emergency response to the incident that occurred on Backbone Road on Dec. 12. The Sewickley Heights police, with assistance offered by...
Cal Thomas: Looking back, looking forward
At the end of the year, we hear predictions about the future, many of which have been proven wrong: from the end of the world due to climate change, to the telephone is just a toy. (There is a story, probably apocryphal, that in 1876, the president of Western Union,...
Liz Hirsh Naftali: My 4-year-old great-niece was released by Hamas. When will the other hostages be freed?
There are 107 people, including seven Americans, still held hostage by Hamas since the brutal terrorist attack in Israel on Oct. 7. My great-niece, 4-year-old Abigail Mor Edan, was one of them. For 50 days, we did not know where she was, if she was alive, or if she was...
