Opinion category, Page 226
Editorial: Are later school start times really what’s best?
State Rep. Jill Cooper wants to introduce legislation that would set a minimum start time for Pennsylvania schools. The idea is grounded in science. There is plenty of research that advocates for more sleep for children, particularly high school students. “There is a consensus in the medical community that a...
Letter to the editor: Seek out truth about Israel
On Oct. 7 the world witnessed the most barbaric attack since the Holocaust on the Jewish state of Israel. Unthinkable acts of horror were unleashed on a country simply because it existed. Infants were beheaded and killed in front of their mothers, families were killed in their beds, young women...
Jonah Goldberg: House Republicans need a sudden onset of political maturity. What are the chances?
Israeli diplomat Abba Eban famously said that the Palestinians “never miss an opportunity to miss an opportunity.” Watching events in the Middle East over the last two weeks, that quote might seem newly relevant. But it seems even more fitting for the House GOP. At a time of international and...
Cal Thomas: What’s needed is renovation
Some popular shows on PBS and cable TV are about renovating old houses - taking dilapidated, out-of-fashion and dreary houses and turning them into modern, functioning, and attractive places in which to live. Renovation is precisely what is needed in our country whose national debt, open borders and as we’ve...
Peter Morici: Fiction writers demanding money from AI chatbots are lost in fantasy
Fiction writers are in an uproar that artificial intelligence will intensify competition. They want large-language models to either stop training on their literature or to be paid royalties. Like the Luddites weavers in the 18th century, who broke into factories to smash textile looms, these writers want special status to...
Letter to the editor: Biden better than Trump
To answer the letter “Happy with Biden?” (Oct. 12, TribLIVE): Yes, very much, compared to Donald Trump. Those of us who voted for President Biden believe in democracy and the Constitution, two institutions that wannabe dictator Trump attempted to overthrow. The writer can come up with all the Fox News...
Letter to the editor: Government leaders live in alternate universe
If people don’t think our government lives in one of Stephen Hawking’s alternate universes, take a look at the headline “3.2% hike in Social Security benefits fails to keep up with rising costs, Western Pa. seniors say” (Oct. 13, TribLIVE). This just screams that we live in a brainwashed America....
Letter to the editor: Zellers deserves vote for district judge
As a retired chief of police for the city of Lower Burrell, I, along with the members of the Allegheny Valley Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 39 and the Pennsylvania State Police Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 62, ask that you support attorney Leslie Uncapher Zellers for magisterial district judge...
Editorial: Get the info you need to make good voting choices
Pennsylvanians are in the prime political endorsement window for the general election. With the polls opening Nov. 7 and so many mail-in voters already considering their ballots, many organizations and news agencies are taking this time to put a stamp of approval on a particular candidate in this race or...
Letter to the editor: Girardi best choice for district judge
We are voting for Michael Girardi for district judge. Criminal activity has greatly increased over the past 20 years, so we need someone who knows, understands and can interpret the law on a day-to-day basis from the onset. The law has changed over the years and continues to do so;...
Letter to the editor: Vote Smail for Superior Court judge
Coming from middle-class roots, Westmoreland County’s Judge Harry F. Smail has a deep-seated faith and sense of personal responsibility, fair-mindedness and achievement through hard work. As an attorney and as a judge, he firmly holds to his strong belief that issues must be decided purely on the basis of the...
Letter to the editor: College football is a mess
I must be getting old … . After all the hype about the Ohio State/Penn State football game, what we saw on TV was at best high school football. If these are the No. 3 and No. 7 ranked teams, college football is a mess. Penn State High School was...
Julie M. Norman: Hamas and Hezbollah — how they are different and why they might cooperate against Israel
As Israel prepares for a massive military operation against Hamas in Gaza, risks of an escalating regional conflict loom large. The most critical additional threat to Israel is from Hezbollah, the militant group and political party based across Israel’s northern border in Lebanon. Hamas and Hezbollah are both backed by...
Letter to the editor: Presidential choices
Joyfully consider these options for president: Some say Donald Trump is crazy and Joe Biden is senile. I wouldn’t vote for anyone who calls his wife “Mother,” like Mike Pence. Sassy Chris Christie may float off the stage if he gets any bigger. Vivek Ramaswamy may be rich, but his...
Letter to the editor: Zellers best candidate as judge
I am writing in support of Leslie Uncapher Zellers for district judge. Our current magistrate is seeking another six-year term even though she can’t serve the whole term as a full-time regular district judge — she faces mandatory retirement when she turns 75. After 29 years, we finally have a...
Letter to the editor: Karaica cares about community
Many people complain about decisions made for their communities, but not many are willing to step up to the plate and run for a position where they could make a difference. I was a member of Springdale Borough Council for many years, and I know there is no way to...
Editorial: VA needs more than a review in wake of veteran suicide at facility
Suicide is a word people dance around. There is fear that it is part contagion that can spread if given too much exposure. There can be an idea that talking about it can give people ideas. While it is tempting to dismiss these as urban legends, there is data from...
Letter to the editor: Keep Peck Yakopec as judge
I am writing to endorse Judge Cheryl Peck Yakopec for reelection as district judge. I have known Peck Yakopec for 30 years. She has been our local judge and an active member of the Catholic Daughters of the Americas in Vandergrift. As a judge, Peck Yakopec has always been available...
Letter to the editor: Rockey best pick for Allegheny County executive
The members of the Pennsylvania Laborers’ District Council are proud to stand with the Steamfitters Local 449, our union brothers and sisters from the Boilermakers Local 154, and all of the local law enforcement unions in supporting Joe Rockey for Allegheny County executive. Why are unions lining up behind Rockey?...
Tom Purcell: The lost art of Halloween-costume humor
Halloween is upon us, which means you’d better be cautious about the costume you choose. Halloween has long been a staple of childhood, but in the past few decades it has been increasingly celebrated by adults — and for good reason. Until recently, it was the one day where adults...
Pat Browne and Jason Kavulich: How to get the most out of expansion of Property Tax/Rent Rebate program
When Gov. Josh Shapiro recently signed historic legislation creating Act 7 of 2023, he kept a promise he made to older Pennsylvanians by delivering a major expansion of the Property Tax/Rent Rebate (PTRR) program. The governor recognizes this program serves as a lifeline for hundreds of thousands of people in...
Nathan Benefield: Shapiro must reset his legislative strategy
The recent sexual harassment scandal rocking Gov. Josh Shapiro’s administration has made many headlines. And though Shapiro must take these accusations seriously, there could be a silver lining for the governor: Appointing a new head of legislative affairs offers the opportunity to reset his relationship with lawmakers. So far, Shapiro...
Letter to the editor: Innamorato still a socialist?
I am having a problem believing Allegheny County executive candidate Sara Innamorato on her explanation on her “former” affiliation with the Democratic Socialists of America. She claims she left in 2018 to run for the Pennsylvania state House. This is my first red flag, because it appears to be a...
Letter to the editor: Peck Yakopec best choice for judge
As a local attorney and retired state representative who served on the House Judiciary Committee, I have known Judge Cheryl Peck Yakopec for more than 34 years. I have appeared before many magisterial district judges, and Peck Yakopec is one of the best. She is honest, firm but fair, and...
Letter to the editor: Zellers should be next judge
It has been said that “there is no substitute for experience.” But there is a substitute for experience … and that is the truth. The truth is that our district deserves a full-time judge for a full six-year term. I believe Leslie Uncapher Zellers is the only candidate for district...
