Opinion category, Page 45
Joseph Sabino Mistick: Eradicating hate is a worthy cause
The Washington Examiner reported last week that Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem announced she was terminating funding for a federal program that supports the Eradicate Hate Global Summit, which was started in Pittsburgh after the massacre of 11 Tree of Life synagogue worshippers in 2018, still the deadliest antisemitic act...
Austin Sarat: In a democracy, protest is good for the soul, even if it does not change anyone’s mind
For the past several months, I have organized a weekly “Stand Up for Democracy” rally/protest on the busiest street corner in my hometown. On Fridays at 5:30 pm., students, teachers, townspeople and senior citizens come together, hold signs and wave at passing drivers, some of whom honk their horns in...
Rep. Mike Kelly: One Big Beautiful Bill a gamechanger for Western Pa.
Last week, Congress passed, and President Trump signed, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA). This historic package of legislation prevents the largest tax hike in modern American history while providing tax relief for Americans across the board. From employers to employees, from children to seniors, this legislation provides historic...
Letter to the editor: Nutting should think of the Pirates first
Dear Pirates owners Bob Nutting and family, I appeal to your responsibilities as Pirates owners to focus your management decisions on producing the best baseball team possible. I know this may conflict with your need to increase shareholder value and personal income, but you have a greater responsibility: to produce...
Letter to the editor: SNAP cuts would devastate local families
Food Assistance Match (FAM) is alarmed by the proposed cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), which would devastate families navigating food insecurity, especially in communities like ours. SNAP is among the most effective tools to reduce hunger, improve health and stimulate the economy. As a nonprofit that matches...
Editorial: What’s happening with police on the South Side?
In June 2024, a TribLive reporter and a photographer spent a night walking on Pittsburgh’s South Side. They were documenting the crime and general atmosphere. It had been almost a year since Pittsburgh police implemented a special patrol to address an uptick in crime and a perception that the area...
Letter to the editor: Cyber charter reform needed
The information revealed in a recent state audit of cyber charter schools should alarm every Pennsylvania taxpayer. These schools were so awash in excess funding that they had accumulated fund balances of $619 million in June 2023. This is money that should have been used for education or returned to...
Bill Lueders: Reasons to celebrate July 4
Every Fourth of July, Erwin Knoll, the late editor of The Progressive magazine, would host a party. He’d grill burgers and brats and tack copies of the Declaration of Independence and Bill of Rights to trees in his backyard in Madison, Wis. The U.S. government has never had a fiercer...
Rick LaRue: America 250 — a big opportunity slipping away
One year from now, the nation will mark the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. I fear it could be a shame, even possibly a sham. Don’t get me wrong. Our founding principles of freedom, liberty and the pursuit of happiness are worth celebrating. The optimist in me still...
Dan DeBone: Child care shortage threatens economy
As Pennsylvania lawmakers work to finalize the state budget, our communities face countless priorities competing for limited resources — from infrastructure needs and public safety to workforce development and education. This year, with so much uncertainty surrounding potential cuts to federal funding that could impact vital programs across the commonwealth,...
Destenie Nock: Summer’s triple threat — bills rising, grids straining, help shrinking
In July 2022, a tenant called to say her apartment thermostat read 89 degrees Fahrenheit and her infant had developed a painful heat rash. I drove to the store, bought the only A/C unit still in stock and installed it that same day. But afterward, I kept thinking about the...
Jamie Miller: Magee nurses forming union to be voice for you and your loved ones
I was a scared 17-year-old when I first went to Magee-Womens Hospital for my prenatal care. I had a high-risk pregnancy, and as a teenage mom, I had no idea what to expect. There was never any question about which hospital to go to. Magee is where my family has...
Editorial: Let freedom ring
The greatest thing America has ever done is to stand up to tyranny and declare itself to be free. Before our nation was a nation, we sowed the seeds of what we would become. Before we had a representational democratic republic, people acting in our collective interest sat in collaboration....
Lauren Holubec: Pa. needs to invest in youth workforce development
Pennsylvania is evolving, and our workforce development system needs to adapt to this change. For years, there have been flashing red lights on Pennsylvania’s demographic dashboard. Our population is aging, and retiring workers are not being replaced by new workers quickly enough. It’s leaving employers understaffed. Beyond that, there is...
Paul Kengor: Our nation’s founding, an American miracle
I recently had the privilege of being featured in the new film “The American Miracle.” The film is a docudrama, a mix of interviews with experts on the American founding and reenactments. The experts include the likes of Joseph Ellis and Robert George. The actors range from Richard Dreyfuss, Pat...
Letter to the editor: ICE agents’ actions a disgrace
The recent actions of Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Homeland Security Investigations agents ordered to the streets of America has been a national disgrace. The role of our federal agents is to protect us, not to terrorize us at our work, our retail stores, our restaurants or our schools …...
Letter to the editor: America needs unity, not protest
With the Fourth of July approaching, I wanted to reflect on the recent “No Kings” protest. Within our country, thousands of people protested President Trump and his policies, implying he is a tyrannical king. This is flawed. America has not been ruled by a king since July 2, 1776. An...
Letter to the editor: Closed primaries work just fine
Some argue “open primaries,” where independents can choose to vote in one of the two major parties’ primary election, will ensure more moderate candidates being chosen. But the opposite is more likely. This is just an invitation to sabotage an opposing party’s primary. One common justification for open primaries is...
Editorial: Public defender did not help client by going to Orphans’ Court
Isreal Moseby, 19, has multiple issues to face in court. There are charges of stabbing a woman in the neck and dragging her around her home in 2023. There are charges related to the June 4 death of Samantha Howells, 53, in Crafton Heights. As terrible as those crimes are,...
Mary Jo Simmen-Gray: The real story behind the Marcellus impact fee windfall
On June 24, Rep. Leslie Rossi, R-Westmoreland, announced that more than $1.3 million in impact fee revenue from Marcellus shale gas drilling will be distributed to Westmoreland County and municipalities in the 59th District, including Latrobe, Derry, Ligonier and Mt. Pleasant. She framed the announcement as a win: “These funds...
Jim Nowalk: America’s new crime wave is digital — federal solution required
Imagine a criminal speeding down an interstate highway, crossing from Ohio into Pennsylvania and then into New Jersey, stealing from homes in each town and vanishing before police can react. Now imagine if that same criminal didn’t need to travel at all — because with a few keystrokes and a...
Letter to the editor: Metered parking deters shoppers, diners
When are Greensburg and Latrobe going to do away with metered parking? It’s 25 cents for 15 minutes to park. I would love to shop in downtown Greensburg and Latrobe more often, but when I go I feel the need to run in, get what I need and run back...
Letter to the editor: Border Patrol agents doing their job
The southern border is essentially closed for the first time that I can recall. This was accomplished by executive orders, and freeing up our Border Patrol agents to do the job they were hired to do. During the Biden/Harris administration, we were told repeatedly by the Democrats that we needed...
Editorial: Does video sell Pennsylvania as state for business or just roast NYC?
Pennsylvania is trying to whisper sweet nothing in the ears of New York businesses. New York State Rep. Zohran Mamdani, a progressive Democrat, presumptively won his party’s nomination for mayor of New York City in the June 24 primary. He defeated former Gov. Andrew Cuomo and a host of others,...
Letter to the editor: Air pollution and dementia
As a neurologist, I am concerned about the increasing prevalence of dementia. Current estimates of dementia risk are 11-23% for Americans. The number of new dementia cases is expected to double by 2060. Some risk factors for dementia (e.g., genetics) are nonmodifiable. However, one important modifiable risk factor is exposure...
