Opinion category, Page 258
Cal Thomas: The catastrophe du jour
King Charles III has launched a catastrophe countdown clock. It will tick until 2030, a year in which he predicts “serious consequences” if the world doesn’t effectively address “climate change.” Honestly, if you can’t trust the king, whom can you trust? It’s always good to be reminded of predictions like...
Paul Kengor: My July Fourth abroad
VERONA, Italy — For the first time ever, I missed July 4. I was an American abroad, in Italy. I spent the day in Verona and Venice. I missed the fireworks. At one point late in the evening, longing for my Independence Day celebration, we heard distant music that sounded...
Peter Morici: Biden and McCarthy’s debt-ceiling deal puts U.S. on course for fiscal trainwreck
The agreement that President Joe Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy reached recently to suspend the U.S. debt ceiling until 2025 avoided immediate turmoil in financial markets but does little to avert the crisis that may be brewing due to huge federal deficits. The deal cuts the 2024 deficit by...
John A. Sparks: In Sackett and Tyler, court bolsters property rights
In its last three terms, the Supreme Court has received a great deal of public attention — both positive and negative — due to its decisions on human sexuality (Bostock, Zarda) and abortion (Dobbs). This term, going relatively unnoticed, were two now-decided cases — Sackett v. Environmental Protection Agency and...
Letter to the editor: Heroes vs. idols
Idols and heroes: Synonymous? Not quite. Idols: Sports figures, movie stars, rock bands. Heroes: U.S. military, law enforcement, health care providers, first reponders. These heroes give us solace and safety. Regis Farrell Greensburg...
Letter to the editor: Respect voters when replacing Thrasher
When the 11 Common Pleas judges gather to choose a replacement to fill Gina Cerilli Thrasher’s soon-to-be-vacant seat, I hope they remember how much they respected the will of those who voted them into office. In the recent Democratic primary election, Ted Kopas won by a wide margin, 10,400 votes....
Editorial: Is leaving Pa. the way to find lower taxes and cost of living?
A Commonwealth Foundation poll shows a lot of Pennsylvanians are considering relocation. Tell us something we didn’t know. Pennsylvania has been aware of its changing demographics for years. Decades, actually. Pennsylvania lost one of its seats in the U.S. House of Representatives after the 2020 census, bringing the number of...
Letter to the editor: Won’t support NFHS over HSSN
It is such a shame that the WPIAL has dumped the TribLIVE High School Sports Network (HSSN) for a streaming service with a less-than-5-star reputation. I certainly hope the WPIAL got a boatload of money, as they really cheapened their reputation with many local sports fans by doing this. HSSN...
Letter to the editor: Urge action on air quality
I recently returned to Pittsburgh after being away for two weeks and was shocked that I couldn’t even go outside because of the foul air from the Canadian wildfires. Even inside, I had a headache and sore throat. As a teacher, I see firsthand how many students suffer with terrible,...
Jonah Goldberg: Why blocking Biden’s student loan forgiveness plan is healthy for politics
Last week, the Supreme Court scuttled the Biden administration’s attempt to forgive more than $400 billion in student loan debt. As a matter of policy, broad-based student debt cancellation remains a terrible idea for a host of reasons. While targeting relatively small debts held by lower income community college graduates...
Cal Thomas: Court’s affirmative action ruling a step toward true equality
It may not have had the significance of the Emancipation Proclamation, or the civil rights legislation of the 1960s, but last week’s ruling by the Supreme Court that affirmative action in college admissions violates the 14th Amendment’s equal protection clause is an important advancement toward equality for all. Reaction to...
Letter to the editor: Trump and Biden, who’s ‘above the law’?
In your two-page editorial section on June 18, I noticed that questions were asked about “above the law” and classified documents Donald Trump kept at Mar-a-Lago. President Biden’s keeping documents at his home in Delaware and elsewhere since his senatorial days, through his vice presidency and now were not mentioned....
Letter to the editor: Banning chocolate milk hurts farmers
Regarding the article “Federal rule could remove chocolate milk option in some Pa. schools” (May 25, TribLIVE): Here we go again. Under President Obama, the Department of Agriculture did the same thing, banning chocolate milk in schools. What happened? The price of milk went down. Then lots of farmers could...
Editorial: Late budgets are the norm in Pa., but 2023 is a little different
Yet again, Pennsylvania starts the fiscal year without a budget. Who could have predicted this? Almost anyone who has paid even grudging attention to the state’s woefully gridlocked government would have trouble missing it. Failing to have the legislative and executive branches agree on what the state will do and...
Letter to the editor: Don’t vote for obstructionists
It is encouraging to pick up the Trib these days and see the reporting of the increase in economic activity in our region. From the removing of dangerous and dilapidated buildings to the capping of abandoned oil and gas wells to the rebuilding of our roads, bridges, dams and airports...
Elwood Watson: Supreme Court’s affirmative action ruling is very revealing
After decades of aggressive and strategic efforts from influential right-wing forces, the Supreme Court outlawed race-conscious admissions at universities throughout the nation, dismantling decades of progress and crippling the potential of racial diversity and pluralism at our nation’s institutions of higher education. Chief Justice John Roberts, speaking for the majority,...
Todd Eachus: Working together to connect all Pennsylvanians
In a world increasingly driven by digital connectivity, access to the internet is no longer a luxury — it is a fundamental necessity that allows Pennsylvanians to communicate, learn, work, socialize, and access essential services. The covid-19 pandemic only magnified the challenges faced by those in our state who still...
Letter to the editor: MLB should pick one, umpires or computerized box
It’s time MLB decides to use either the umpire behind the plate to call balls and strikes or the computerized box that shows balls or strikes. How about that job? The umpire has to make split-second decisions, and everyone watching knows if he just made another bad call. The other...
Letter to the editor: School retirees deserve COLA increase
As a music teacher, assistant principal and principal in the Pittsburgh area for 32 years, I dedicated my time to helping students untap their skills, expand their knowledge and continue to grow with curiosity. When I retired in 2012, I soon realized that the contributions I, along with my fellow...
Letter to the editor: Why we left England
On this, the upcoming 247th celebration of Independence Day, let’s take a quick review of why we broke away from England. It seems that Thomas Jefferson had a poor opinion of King George III, even all those many years ago. The main problem — poor customer service. We oftentimes seem...
Letter to the editor: Say ‘no’ to Lifeline Scholarships
Sen. Kim Ward wants to fast-track Lifeline Scholarships (vouchers) for students to attend private and religious schools. She claims schools need accountability and that it’s senseless to dump more dollars into schools with failing test scores. Here’s the question: Will she hold Lifeline Scholarship schools academically accountable? Her care about...
Letter to the editor: Unsung patriotic heroes
When we think of the Fourth of July, we think about people like the Founding Fathers, but it’s just as important to remember those who have helped preserve our freedom. Fifty years ago this month, Alexander Butterfield testified of the presence of a recording system in the Oval Office before...
Editorial cartoons for the week of July 3
Editorial cartoons for the week of July 3....
Mallard Fillmore cartoons for the week of July 3
Mallard Fillmore cartoons for the week of July 3....
Letter to the editor: ‘Subtracting from the sum of human knowledge’
Thomas B. Reed of Maine was speaker of the House from 1890 to 1899. He ruled the House with an iron hand, partly through his acid wit. When one member said he would rather be right than president, Reed retorted, “The gentleman need not be disturbed; he will never be...
