Editorials category, Page 15

Domestic violence wraps its tendrils around parts of life that most people don’t consider unless they have been touched by it. There are things like doctor appointments. How can you go for a routine visit if you might have to explain bruises? What about work? It can be hard to...

Sometimes people want things from the government that sound great but just aren’t cost effective. It would be fantastic if utilities came without a bill, for instance. Long hot showers without worrying about paying for either the water or the heat? Who wouldn’t like that? But services come with a...

Forty-nine states have enacted some version of a “shield law,” preventing the government from forcing reporters to reveal their notes or sources. It’s well past time that the folks inside the Beltway followed suit. Shield law protections give life to the First Amendment. If the government can compel reporters, editors...

In a courtroom, there are rules about what can be introduced and when and how. For example, you can’t use evidence of a prior bad act as proof that someone did a new and different crime. You also can’t prosecute someone for a crime committed before a law was passed....

Pittsburgh police Chief Larry Scirotto is resigning his position effective Nov. 1. He isn’t doing it because of problems within the department. He isn’t doing it because of rampant crime that can’t be controlled by the officers under his leadership. He’s doing it because he would rather referee basketball games....

Laurel: To a new home. Ikon the police dog has taken a roundabout road to finding a forever home. The pup was gifted to Tarentum police by country singer Brian Kelley. It was a surprise donation when the former Florida Georgia Line frontman was playing a benefit concert hosted by...

A mall is not easy money. According to the International Council of Shopping Centers, an average mall might be 400,000 to 800,000 square feet — and that’s just the storefronts available for lease. It doesn’t include the common spaces that connect them and often serve as drivers for people to...

On Saturday, the 640-foot-long Panther Hollow Bridge in Pittsburgh’s Squirrel Hill neighborhood was closed unexpectedly. The reason given then was “an abundance of caution.” On Monday, the need for that caution was clarified: Steel trusses were found to be corroded. Inspectors said they could weaken areas of the bridge. They...

In 1861, Pennsylvania took steps to protect its citizens from potential fraud. It outlawed fortune telling. Whether you were prognosticating with tarot cards or crystal balls or any of the popular means of the day, charging people money to tell them the future was deemed illegal. Break the law, and...

Last week, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned a lower court ruling that had struck down a Pennsylvania law barring people under 21 from carrying firearms openly during declared states of emergency. It’s hard to really celebrate this as a victory given how basic common sense it is — that judges...

People like to be reassured about their choices. It doesn’t matter what those choices might be. We read reviews of movies or TV shows because we want someone to tell us we aren’t wasting our time. If a friend says this is a good book, maybe it’s worth investing a...

Election integrity is important. We have to be able to trust that the votes cast in an election represent the will of the people. That means they need to be the votes that belong to a specific area. While some circles of the internet and some political leaders point to...

Rumors can be hilarious. They are what sell supermarket tabloids. They make gossiping with friends entertaining. They are the little whispered snips that make a great story. The problem is that rumors are not always accurate. And sometimes, by the time that’s been figured out, the rumors have run too...

When more than 200 ex-residents of Robindale reunited 40 years after the town was destroyed by the 1977 flood, the love they still had for their former home was obvious. They shared memories of playing games in the streets, spending summer days at the baseball field, crossing a suspension bridge...

Are you turning on the heat yet? It’s a touchy topic in some households as October settles into its annual indecision. Fourteen days in, the month has had highs in the 80s and lows in the 30s. It creates the seasonal wardrobe quandary. What is warm enough to wear at...

It used to be common to see “Let’s Make a Deal” contestants leave the TV game show smiling after winning $100 for every coin they could pull out of their purse or pocket. But as America moves ever closer to becoming a cashless society, it’s just as likely to see...

Every year, the National Network to End Domestic Violence conducts a survey of those seeking help. It is not a total for the year. It is a snapshot of one day. How many people reached out? How many people found services? How many were adults, and how many were children?...

Is a private Facebook page a public record? It’s a complicated question — so complicated that the Pennsylvania Supreme Court is being asked to decide. The line between public and private isn’t as black and white as it might seem. Public officials are also private individuals. Sometimes the two sides...

Laurel: To breaking news. We like to be the first to give our readers the important headlines, but in this instance, we are willing to give credit where credit is due. Point Park University has a great journalism program. It showed just how great when it uncovered a story in...

On Tuesday, Allegheny County Executive Sara Innamorato put her first budget proposal on the table. The spending plan calls for $3.1 billion in expenses for county services. That’s not radically different from her predecessor’s last budget. A year ago, Rich Fitzgerald outlined his plan for $3 billion. Fitzgerald’s grew 3.4%...

The message of National Preparedness Month, a government campaign each September to promote preparation for disasters and emergencies, was driven home by the devastation caused by Hurricane Helene in North Carolina and other parts of the Southeast as the month came to an end. The sense of sympathy upon reading...

New programs in government often are nothing new at all. They are frequently just repackaged versions of previous ideas. When the opioid settlement with states and counties across the country was announced, it was easy to expect that to be the case again. That’s not to say the old ideas...

Imagine being in prison on the other side of the world for months or years. The charges are politically disingenuous or outright lies. The government is hostile, and you don’t know when you might ever see your family again. Then, finally, your prayers are answered and you get to come...

On Nov. 5, Pennsylvanians will turn out by the millions to cast ballots for offices including state legislators, a couple of Pennsylvania row offices, federal representatives and a U.S. senator. Oh yes — and president. Can’t forget that one. In Greensburg this week, the Westmoreland County voting machines were being...

Laurel: To an upside. It gets hard after so many truly dismal seasons to find a silver lining in the black-and-gold storm cloud that is the perennially underperforming Pittsburgh Pirates. It can be even harder when we started the 2024 season with uncharacteristic hope over rookie Paul Skenes and holding...