Opinion category, Page 209
Jonah Goldberg: Trump’s rants about NATO making U.S. weaker
On Sept. 12, 2001, 24 hours after the 9/11 attacks, representatives of the then-19-member North Atlantic Treaty Organization convened to invoke Article 5 of the NATO charter, which holds that an “armed attack” on one member “shall be considered an attack against them all.” This was the first and only...
Letter to the editor: Why the poor grammar from professionals?
Turn on your TV or radio and listen to the “professional” broadcast journalists. Whether it’s the local news or sports talk shows, the lack of knowledge of English grammar and pronunciation is disturbing. I don’t know if it’s a Pittsburgh thing, but so many add an “h” to words beginning...
Editorial: Flooded homeless camp highlights failure to address problems
Imagine you have almost nothing. The clothes you have are on your back. If you have a blanket, it might be around your shoulders. Your mattress is the cardboard from an old box. The only roof is the thin fabric of a collapsible tent. If you have things that are...
Letter to the editor: Biden not doing enough for Americans
It’s finally happening, but it’s too late. It seems now, after three years, the Democratic governors who said “our gates are open, come on in” are crying about the drains on their resources from illegal immigrants doing exactly what they were invited to do. Suddenly they think their puppet, President...
Letter to the editor: Stealing money from public schools
Last year, the Commonwealth Court ruled Pennsylvania’s school funding system is unconstitutional. It is estimated that at least $5.4 billion is needed to correct this situation. Harrisburg is struggling to come up with solutions to this problem. One wonders why, when we desperately need funds for public education, our lawmakers...
Jennifer Apicella: Robots built in Pittsburgh changing the world
In the heart of Southwestern Pennsylvania, a robotics revolution is unfolding. Examples of paradigm-shattering robotics and automation companies fill our neighborhoods. Some, like Astrobotic, pull the national spotlight by launching a historic mission to the moon. Inside Aurora, teams are creating autonomous vehicle solutions that are radically changing the trucking...
Peter Morici: 2024 election is a referendum on the Biden presidency
Progressives around the world are worried. Right-wing populists have won national elections in the Netherlands and Italy and enjoy rising strength in Germany. In the United States, despite indictments on 91 counts in three states and Washington, D.C., former President Donald Trump leads President Joe Biden in the 2024 election...
Ellen Duffield: Pa. can ensure a healthy economy by investing in worker education
The health care sector has experienced extraordinary stressors over the past few years, including staffing shortages. Research indicates these shortages will worsen in 2024 and beyond. One 2021 study projects more than 6 million lower-wage health care professionals in the United States will permanently leave their positions by 2026, while...
Letter to the editor: How can anyone vote for Trump?
I don’t know how anybody could vote for Donald Trump. The man is a bully, always making fun of people and calling them names. But don’t say anything about him or he will retaliate against you. And remember, he is never wrong — it’s always somebody else, not him; everybody...
Letter to the editor: Protecting children’s health and safety
Bad news, good news and sad news. Okay, first the bad news. A month ago, a friend broke his right hand rather badly. He is a young, talented, hard-working and right-handed plumber. Now the good news: An orthopedic doctor reset the bone and applied a temporary cast. In only a...
Editorial: Does anyone want to be a school superintendent?
Why do you need a school superintendent? The job might seem hard to understand for some taxpayers. Teachers? That one makes sense. They’re the people in the room with the students, opening their eyes to reading and math and science. Principal? That’s the person in charge of a school —...
Letter to the editor: We need smart energy policies
With inflation having risen in December, many Americans remain concerned about their economic future, as discussed in “U.S. inflation edges up, fueled by food and housing prices, but many other costs rise only mildly” (Jan. 11). Inflation is an economy-wide issue that affects everyone. Given the role of energy as...
Tom Purcell: The sad future of AM radio
You had a great 100-year run, AM radio, and your demise is breaking my heart. According to the Wall Street Journal, carmakers such as Tesla, Volvo and BMW no longer are providing AM radios in their new vehicles. Why? In part, because of the emergence of electric vehicles. As the...
Seth Lavin: I bought a flip phone and tried to get by without my smartphone. Here’s how that went.
About three months ago, I bought a flip phone and turned off my smartphone for good. I am part of a trend — interest in old-fashioned flip phones is up — but I don’t feel trendy. When I flip my phone open in a hallway of the middle school where...
Letter to the editor: Leave Punxsutawney Phil alone
I think it’s ridiculous about PETA saying Punxsutawney Phil needs to be retired taken to a nice place to live. Believe me, Phil is not being abused. Why change the tradition? It’s an event that everyone enjoys, whether Phil gets the weather right or wrong. Who cares? It helps bring...
Letter to the editor: Plastic bag bans only serve to make people feel better
New Jersey’s plastic bag ban was followed by an increased use of plastic. This has happened in California and across the land, including here in Pittsburgh. But data doesn’t matter. “There’s clearly a hiccup on this,” Democratic New Jersey Sen. Bob Smith told The New York Times. Makes some people...
Editorial: Keep asking questions about school violence
“No child should ever go to school and never come home.” Terra Campbell is absolutely right. She knows that better than anyone. Her son, Marquis, was shot and killed as he sat in a school van outside Oliver Citywide Academy on Jan. 19, 2022. On Thursday, Eugene Watson was sentenced...
Letter to the editor: No time to go backward on abortion safety
Karnamaya Mongar was a female immigrant patient who died as a result of the negligence of West Philadelphia abortionist Kermit Gosnell. It was a tragic death that could have been prevented. It is in the memory of Karnamaya and all those women who suffered at the hands of Gosnell that...
Letter to the editor: Prioritize brain health
As Pennsylvanians keep to their New Year’s resolutions, the Alzheimer’s Association Greater Pennsylvania Chapter is urging everyone to make brain health a priority in 2024. Currently, two-thirds of Americans have at least one major risk factor for dementia. The need for effective risk reduction strategies to help all communities grows...
Mallard Fillmore cartoons for the week of Jan. 29
Mallard Fillmore cartoons for the week of Jan. 29....
Letter to the editor: Look to character rather than party affiliation when voting
I believe, in light of the American political climate today, party affiliation is less important than a candidate’s character and positive accomplishments. A commitment to truth, a strong moral compass, empathy toward those less fortunate, compassion for those who are sick in mind and body, and a commitment to a...
Letter to the editor: Patience of Pirates fans is wearing thin
Jan. 12, 2007, may have been the worst day in the life of every baseball fan in Pittsburgh. As they were fathered by a new principal penny-pinching owner who has justifiably earned the nickname “Bottom Line Bob.” As the fans of the once-great ball club long for change, the reigning...
Editorial: Shapiro’s big idea on colleges needs more detail
Gov. Josh Shapiro has proposed an overhaul to the way postsecondary education works in Pennsylvania. The state is a leader when it comes to going to college. It sports an Ivy League school in the University of Pennsylvania, one of the largest universities in the country in Penn State, groundbreaking...
Letter to the editor: Keeping Tomlin shows disregard for players, fans
I have been a Steelers fan for well over half a century and remember the days when Buddy Parker was allowed to walk away, Mike Nixon was terminated after only one season and Bill Austin was let go after three. What has followed may have earned Dan and Art Rooney...
Joseph Sabino Mistick: Clemente magic
Democrat Chris Deluzio and Republican Guy Reschenthaler, two Western Pennsylvania members of the U.S. House and unlikely allies on any piece of legislation, have co-sponsored a bill. The Roberto Clemente Commemorative Coin Act sounds like an easy layup for both politicians, but nothing is easy in politics these days. Just...
