Opinion category, Page 91
Letter to the editor: City of Champions no more
Pittsburgh once rightfully boasted it was the City of Champions. Now the City of Chumps seems more appropriate. The Pirates haven’t won a championship in 46 years. Bob Nutting’s sole purpose is to make money, not win games. According to Forbes, they are the third most profitable team in baseball,...
Editorial: Where does Pennsylvania fall with the future of recreational marijuana?
Pennsylvania has not yet decided where it will stand with marijuana. Sure, the state has a position on medical marijuana. It’s legal with one of a list of approved diagnoses and a card issued by an approved doctor. Medical cannabis then can be obtained at an authorized dispensary. But that’s...
Letter to the editor: What we want, what we do are light years apart
Is it me or are we the least serious country in the world? I can’t remember exactly when this happened, but it seems the transition is complete. How is that, you ask? If you think about it, we expect safety, yet we have people who want to defund and demonize...
Joseph Sabino Mistick: We should respect the police, not make their job harder
Some people think that teachers have the toughest job in America. Others think that nurses have the toughest job. Or psychiatric social workers. But I think that police officers have the toughest job in America because they have to do all of those jobs and enforce the law. And Donald...
George Skelton: Natural disasters can destroy a politician’s carefully crafted career — or burnish it
Former Vice President Kamala Harris took a wise step toward potentially running for governor in her first action after returning to California. She visited wildfire victims, volunteers and firefighters and helped distribute free meals to people burned out of their homes. That doesn’t mean she’s running for anything. It’s highly...
Sheldon H. Jacobson: Do stowaways on airplanes expose a security risk?
This month, two bodies were found in the wheel well of a JetBlue airplane that departed from New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport en route to Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport. The bodies had already begun to decompose, suggesting that the people had died some time before they were discovered....
Counterpoint: Trump’s empty words ignore the heavy price Americans could pay for his presidency
As Donald J. Trump returns to the role of U.S. president, many Americans ask themselves a simple question: Will his administration protect their pocketbooks, their way of life and their health? While we want our government to do just that, Trump focused his first speech as the 47th president of...
Point: In second inaugural, Trump skips ‘carnage,’ embraces optimism
The New York Times called it “A Grim Picture of America.” Politico labeled it “American Carnage, Part 2.” However, for most Americans, President Donald Trump’s second inaugural address was a positive, hopeful vision of his America First politics. And the days when negative media coverage could convince them otherwise are...
Letter to the editor: Biden’s pardons
President Biden made the statement that no one is above the law. He then pardoned son Hunter after he was convicted on gun charges and now has pardoned Dr. Anthony Fauci, Gen. Mark Milley and other Democratic politicians who unlike Hunter have not been arrested, tried or convicted of any...
Editorial: Will Pittsburgh’s mayoral election continue electoral trends?
It’s time to think about elections. There’s a sentence no one was ready to hear. The effects of the 2024 election are just barely becoming reality. The inauguration happened Monday. Confirmation hearings for Cabinet members have only begun. Congress still is finding its footing. The state House needs a special...
Letter to the editor: Pond Lehocky sign is fine
A huge sign in the distance said “Iron City.” Most people have consumed great lakes of that outstanding, locally produced beer. I did. It’s good beer, and the Iron City sign reminded me of what a wholesome, ethical kind of place this is, Pittsburgh. The Iron City sign was replaced...
Letter to the editor: Down the Nazi road
To me, President Trump’s “Day One” inauguration gave America its first proof of Trump/Elon Musk taking America down the Nazi road emulating Hitler. Trump did not place his hand on the Bible while taking the oath. So much for his Judeo-Christianity and allegiance to ruling with God’s blessing or guidance....
Gary Franks: Biden and Trump pardons overshadow Inauguration Day
I never thought that my column this week would be about anything other than the inauguration of America’s 47th president, Donald J. Trump, and his visionary quest to bring America into a Golden Age. But then we had the pardons. They were all historic in nature. I am disappointed and...
S.E. Cupp: Where is the Democratic Party’s Ronald Reagan?
With all the attention deservedly on President Trump and what he intends to do with his defiant return to the White House, there’s a more than good chance we’ll spend the next four years consumed once again by all things Trump. There’s already been a dizzying amount: a giant raft...
Michael Hiltzik: A stem cell clinic tees up a Supreme Court challenge to rules protecting patients’ health and safety
For years, the Food and Drug Administration has taken up arms against clinics hawking unproven and ineffective stem cell treatments to desperate patients looking for cures of intractable diseases and conditions such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, multiple sclerosis and even erectile dysfunction. As the FDA has repeatedly cautioned, there is no...
Rev. Martin R. Bartel: The buck (of incivility) stops here
Having inaugurated the 47th president this week, it is worth reflecting on the example set by Harry S. Truman, our 33rd president. Truman was known for a sign that sat on his desk in the Oval Office: The buck stops here. This sign, crafted at an Oklahoma Federal Reformatory, symbolized...
Letter to the editor: Try a plant-based Super Bowl party
As Super Bowl Sunday nears, it’s worth considering the staggering number of chickens sacrificed for a single day of indulgence — an estimated 375 million, just for wings. This annual tradition, though beloved by many, comes at a great cost to animals, the planet and even our health. Fortunately, there’s...
Letter to the editor: Norwin board needs fiscal conservatives
The Norwin School Board race of 2023 was won by the “We aRe Norwin” Democrats. They swept all five seats. This included the loss by the conservative Republican candidate Bob Wayman, a staunch fiscal conservative. It set the stage for their tax increase last June, as taxes were indeed raised...
Lori Falce: A message from the pulpit transcends politics
When I was a kid, my favorite part about going to church was the homily. While the rest of Mass was a patchwork of Bible stories, songs and the kneeling, standing and sitting calisthenics of a Catholic Sunday morning, the homily was always new. It was different. It had a...
Laurels & lances: Winter weather & water woes
Laurel: To finding the upside. It’s hard to locate the silver lining in sub-zero temperatures, but bug experts gave Pennsylvanians a ray of hope. You might not like the deep freeze that settled across the state this week, but neither do spotted lanternflies. The invasive pest has been the bane...
Letter to the editor: We now have an oligarchy
Oligarchy is a form of government in which power resides with a small group of people. America’s recent presidential election has thrust the nation into a three-party system: Republican, Democrat and oligarchy. However, I believe the country is on the verge of evolving into a one-party system led by a...
Sam Ahwesh: We must restore Pittsburgh’s protections for rodeo animals
If you live in Pittsburgh, you may be surprised to learn that a rodeo bull riding event will be coming to town this weekend. This is an alarming development, as Pittsburgh has had protections since 1992 to shield animals from some of the most egregious practices used in rodeos. These...
FD Flam: What longhorn crazy ants can teach us about groupthink
When scientists constructed a puzzle-solving task and pitted teams of people against teams of ants, the insects sometimes proved to be the smarter species. That’s not to denigrate human intelligence — ants are smart, and their feats of coordinated activity are rare in nature. Still, it is fair to say...
Dan DeBone: Literacy is essential; Pa.’s workforce depends on it
There’s a looming crisis threatening our future workforce and economic stability: Pennsylvania’s literacy crisis. Today, only 1 in 3 of Pennsylvania’s fourth-graders are reading proficiently. It is a flashing warning sign of a system that’s not adequately preparing our children for the future. By fourth grade, students transition from learning...
Letter to the editor: Why doesn’t Trump have war settled yet?
During the June 27 presidential debate between President Joe Biden and then-former President Donald Trump, Trump stated, “I will have that war settled between Putin and Zelenskyy as president-elect before I take office on Jan. 20. I’ll have that war settled.” Trump was sworn in at noon on Jan. 20....
