Opinion category, Page 26
Paul Kengor: Teaching ‘No Kings’ nonsense
I would prefer to ignore the No Kings movement. I wrote about it back in June and received emails from No Kings advocates oddly taking umbrage with my obviously correct assertion that Donald Trump is, of course, not a king. Trump could be called lots of things. He has been...
Matthew Yglesias: What makes this shutdown so different
During the 2013 government shutdown, I happened to be in Philadelphia, and I was surprised to find the Liberty Bell — which sits in its own little room with big windows — was “closed.” You could stand there and look at it but only through tourist-smudged glass. This time around,...
Jonah Goldberg: Despite infighting, Democrats can still unite around 1 common goal — Trump
The only thing the parties can agree on is that Donald Trump is the central issue of our time. Let’s start with a recent headline: “It’s 2025, and Democrats Are Still Running Against Trump.” “After a year of soul-searching and introspection by Democrats about what they should stand for after...
Letter to the editor: Retain our judges to save our democracy
This is an urgent SOS to every single American who knows the threat President Trump’s unchecked power poses to our freedoms and democracy. Our battleground is the state that has been indispensable to the very founding of our country and the preservation of American freedom and liberty for over 249...
Letter to the editor: Trump’s AI video abnormal behavior
How disturbed does the president of this great country need to get for those around him to wake up and admonish his loathsome behavior? On the day when millions of Americans staged peaceful protests against his policies across the country, he posted an AI-generated video of himself dressed as a...
Letter to the editor: Advice for our state and country
I would like to see less politicians in Pennsylvania. Florida has part-time politicians, and can then have free college for their people. Our state ranks in the top five in the country for the most politicians, most corrupt and highest paid. Wow! Do away with lobbyists. It’s just another way...
Editorial: Enough finger-pointing. Pass a budget
The Pennsylvania Senate on Monday passed a bill to let winners of large lottery prizes remain anonymous. The bill now moves to the House for consideration. It’s a good idea. The Pennsylvania Lottery awards a number of big-ticket prizes every year, from Powerball jackpots to the Millionaire Raffles to scratch-offs....
Eric Snoey: Cuts to Medicaid and to insurance subsidies will push ERs past the brink
Back in 2007, President George W. Bush was being challenged on his opposition to the Children’s Health Insurance Program — which provides health coverage for children in families too poor to afford private insurance, yet too “wealthy” to qualify for Medicaid. His response was honest, if characteristically clumsy: “People have...
Jim Nowlan: Politicians seem incapable of balancing the federal budget
I was struck, no, dumbfounded by this: Debt funded all federal government spending in 2025. The federal government plans to spend a total of $7 trillion in fiscal 2025 but only bring in $5.16 trillion in revenue. That leaves a deficit of approximately $1.8 trillion. The big four expenditures —...
Letter to the editor: Defend the rule of law — no president is above it
Our democracy depends on respecting the rule of law — and that includes obeying court orders. The president does not have the power to ignore judicial rulings, especially when it comes to deploying the National Guard to American cities. Judges are not political obstacles; they are constitutional safeguards. When a...
Letter to the editor: How to ‘save our democracy’
Democrats and their media allies claim to be on a campaign to “save our democracy” by promoting total resistance to anything Trump, along with organized protests against his efforts to keep his campaign promises, which he was overwhelmingly elected to do. He promised to create secure immigration policies, reduce crime,...
Letter to the editor: Vance’s defense of Young Republican messages twisted
It is appalling that Vice President JD Vance is defending the leaked Young Republicans’ racist, antisemitic and misogynistic messages. It is reprehensible that he offers what is basically a “boys will be boys” defense and says “kids” make mistakes in reference to men (and women) in their 20s and 30s,...
Editorial: Naloxone in high schools could save kids’ lives
Opioid addiction doesn’t care how much money you make or where you live. It doesn’t respect ethnicity or skin color or political party. It does not draw a line at age. The addiction epidemic that has washed over the United States like a wave in the last decades has hit...
Letter to the editor: Trump is no dictator
How can anyone seriously call President Trump a dictator when he has complied with every judicial injunction issued against him — even the ones that appear blatantly partisan? A true dictator would simply ignore the courts. Some argue that judges have the right to block policies they personally disagree with....
David Wassel: Reimagining the Gainey campaign offers deeper look into Democratic Party
Since November, Democratic special and primary elections have been observed to measure how are playing out the internal tensions between progressive and institutional factions. This includes the Pittsburgh mayoral contest between Mayor Ed Gainey and County Controller Corey O’Connor. In Allegheny County the most prominent progressive candidates have been a...
Letter to the editor: What’s Trump doing for us?
The Trump administration, in refusing to negotiate with the Democrats to end the government shutdown, will likely cause health care premiums to possibly double or triple. Also, tariffs have created record food prices for Americans. How is the Trump administration dealing with these financial crises adversely impacting Americans? The Trump...
Letter to the editor: Public service is a commitment
Will she stay — or will she go? That’s a question Murrysville residents shouldn’t have to ask when choosing their local leaders. As a former eight-year Murrysville Council member, I firmly believe that public service to the community is a commitment, not a stepping stone. In 2021, Jamie Lingg was...
Letter to the editor: Steelers wrong to ignore Kirk’s death
I went to the Steelers vs. Seattle game Sept. 14. Painted at one end zone was “It Takes All of Us Together.” The other end zone had “End Racism.” I’m assuming it was put there during the time of George Floyd’s death and the Black Lives Matter protests at the...
Editorial: SNAP shutdown starves more than the poor
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program is the modern incarnation of what was originally called food stamps. The program was born during the Great Depression, when feeding families was a challenge on a broad scale. It was reconceived in the 1960s. President John F. Kennedy moved forward with a pilot program...
Letter to the editor: Help available to pay gas bills
October is the perfect time to explore assistance programs that can help lower your natural gas bill before the first cold snap. Peoples Natural Gas customers have access to programs that can save hundreds or even thousands of dollars this winter. Many customers assume they don’t qualify, but these programs...
Letter to the editor: Vote for candidates with integrity
Nov. 4 is Election Day. Normally when the president’s office is not on the ballot, there is low voter turnout. This is a critical election for local and county offices, and your voice is much needed, so please vote. I view integrity as the most important characteristic a candidate should...
Letter to the editor: Trump doesn’t deserve Nobel Peace Prize
It is preposterous that President Trump is being hailed as a peace-maker worthy of the Nobel Peace Prize. The current Israel/Hamas ceasefire is essentially the same as the ceasefire already in place when he took office Jan. 20, 2025. On March 18, 2025, Trump did not object when Israel reinvaded Gaza,...
Michael Ohler: Pa. needs more state prison boot camps
The Pennsylvania Department of Corrections (DOC) has one of the highest recidivism rates in the nation. That’s why its decision last month to close the Quehanna Boot Camp, the state prison with the lowest rate of recidivism and the highest rate of GED graduations, continues to deserve scrutiny. On the...
Allison Schrager: A zombie economy could be America’s future
Over the next decade, the U.S. economy will face two big challenges: higher interest rates and AI-generated disruption. Each invites the same solution: policies to keep rates below their market level. The strategy, also known as yield-curve control, is tempting, and it may even provide an immediate boost to the...
Letter to the editor: Improvements to Penn Avenue sorely needed
I love the Strip. It’s probably the most Pittsburgh neighborhood. It represents old and new, tradition and potential. It’s where I do much of my shopping, where I take out-of-towners and where I go when I really need a coffee. I am there at 6 a.m. on the coldest Christmas...
