TribLive stories, Page 1750

WASHINGTON — It is a big promise from Silicon Valley to a nation looking for ways to be freed from home confinement: Smartphones could discreetly detect those who may have covid-19 and nudge them to quarantine, blunting renewed outbreaks as Americans start to venture out. But as tech firms lay...

My wife and I are nurses. My wife is from the Philippines. I promised her years ago that I would take her to Pittsburgh to see the leaves change and again to see the snow on the slopes of Seven Springs. In these times my thoughts take me back home,...

The Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board’s phone-in order plan turned into a fiasco (“Pennsylvania liquor stores begin call-in orders with some confusion,” April 20, TribLIVE), just like the online process following the statewide liquor store closings. LCB spokesman Shawn Kelly said as the state tries to increase its capacity to sell...

As an EMT, I’m thrilled to hear that Pennsylvania is working toward getting its first responders full pay even if they have to stop working due to the coronavirus (“Pennsylvania bill would ensure full pay for first responders stricken with coronavirus,” April 13, TribLIVE). Just as the government is pushing...

President Obama and Vice President Joe Biden worked together for eight years in the Oval Office. One would assume that both men grew to know each other intimately. Prior to the South Carolina primary, when the media had placed Biden’s campaign on life support, Obama did not endorse his former...

I would like letter-writer Bob Grottenthaler (“Trump’s covid-19 response incompetent”) to point out why he thinks the Trump administration ignored the CDC pandemic plan from 2005. I went on the CDC website and read the plan. I understand President Trump’s committee may not have followed it to the letter, but...

I would like to thank Pioneer Hose Co. and all the other local fire and police departments for putting on a special parade for my son’s second birthday April 19. He couldn’t have a normal birthday because of the virus, so I made one call to Pioneer Hose and the...

In January 2016, when campaigning for the presidential nomination, Donald Trump boasted that he could shoot someone on Fifth Avenue and not lose any voters. Now it seems to me that he doesn’t care that hundreds of thousands of Americans — quite possibly more — could die due to his...

I am asking all superintendents and school boards to reach out to the governor and ask him not to cancel all 2020 graduation ceremonies. Hasn’t enough been taken away from our students and school staffs? The class of 2020 are the next teachers, medical professionals, chemists, engineers, etc. who will...

“Your check’s in the mail.” Who remembers that one? Even if the check wasn’t in the mail, it neutralized the receiver. In some cases, the check was not mailed but the sender could blame it on the post office and delay payment. The Democratic Party plan to deal with the...

I am an attending physician at Loyalhanna Care Center, Latrobe, which was recently in the news due to covid-19. Despite the strong efforts of the administration, the virus was likely introduced into the facility by a patient transferred from a hospital outside our locale. Over the past month it has...

I don’t pretend to be a statistician, and I understand the numbers I’m using are just raw data, but I’m concerned about the numbers being discussed during the covid-19 White House and state briefings. With our country having only 4% of the world’s population, we have 31% of the confirmed...

Sun Tzu wrote “The supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting.” The Chinese military strategist is long dead but like-minded people of power still exist. America and the world are fighting an invisible enemy, and it’s not just the microscopic virus that we can’t see. We...

Maybe the coronavirus pandemic can do something in Pennsylvania nothing else has been able to do. Maybe it will lead to reducing budgets at universities. On Friday, Penn State announced a series of moves to make the books balance in the face of a $100 million loss. The state’s largest...

Peter Salk still remembers the trepidation he felt when his father came home from work one day in May 1953 and promptly began boiling a set of needles and syringes on the kitchen stove. With several years of research and promising results in monkeys fueling high hopes, Dr. Jonas Salk...

When the government decides the coronavirus crisis is over, rest assured that the politicians will review their response, find minor areas of improvement and ultimately pronounce a job well done. Our parents and grandparents gave the governor the authority to close businesses — and to choose which businesses must close....

Well, President Trump is agitating against his own government. His tweets, with the help of Russian trolls, bring out people who do not understand “self-interest.” They are the usual set of “freedom lovers” who use “freedom” as a mask for their warped ideology. The “rallies” expose the people who care...

As a resident of District 17 represented by U.S. Rep. Conor Lamb, I’m troubled by his continued support of Joe Biden for president when he’s clearly against the shale industry here in Pennsylvania. I’m a natural gas industry employee, and we are an energy family in Lamb’s district. To hear...

Amid a pandemic, where social distancing is crucial to our survival, Pittsburghers are gathering outside to demand that Gov. Tom Wolf reopen businesses (“Protesters in Pittsburgh demand Gov. Wolf to reopen businesses amid coronavirus pandemic,” April 20, TribLIVE). This would be a tragic decision, as there are, as of April...

I have for two weeks been trying to find soccer shoes — not to play soccer, but for grass cutting. No stores that are open have them, and I have no internet to do online shopping. Because of covid-19 I can’t even get through when I try to call stores,...

Left-wing politicians advocate using the pandemic to shape the country with liberal ideology. What would happen if right-wing politicians used the pandemic to shape the country with conservative ideology? Imagine if in addition to spending $2 trillion on a coronavirus emergency response bill, we also placed a one-year moratorium on...

Did your neighbor call and check on you, or bring a mask or groceries? The Stroller wants to recognize those around us who are performing small acts of kindness for others during this stressful time. Send a short, one-paragraph note highlighting someone and how they helped you, your family or...

Constantly seeking out recipe-specific ingredients that may only be used once or twice can be a burden. Instead, keep your home stocked with necessities to simplify dinner prep with dishes made using common household staples. One perfect example: pastas. These recipes for Minestrone Pasta Saute with Ricotta, Creamy One-Pot Spaghetti...

Franklin Park William Krol sold property at 2402 Antrim Ct to Nelson Rauscher for $378,750. William Seipp trustee sold property at 2536 Riva Ridge Ct to Matthew and Leah Sudo for $428,000. Marshall Zang Tae Kwon Do LLC sold property at 355 Northgate Drive to Spurk HVAC LLC for $700,000....