Editorials category, Page 9
Editorial: Where does Trump stand on coal mining?
President Donald Trump has been adamant in voicing support for coal mining. From his first campaign, he has talked a lot about the importance of the industry as a domestic energy source. There’s also no underestimating the importance of speaking to coal miners when courting votes. While federal statistics tell...
Editorial: Schools can teach lessons about residential use
Schools are one of those ubiquitous structures that are familiar in every community. Whenever you have kids, you have schools. The evolution of the buildings can be seen in one-room relics, massive brick structures built in the 1930s, the more streamline baby boom buildings, and the newest campuses of recent...
Editorial: Does college still have a purpose in the age of ChatGPT?
For many college students, life is a breeze. Assignments that once demanded days of diligent research can be accomplished in minutes. Polished essays are available, on demand, for any topic under the sun. No need to trudge through Dickens or Demosthenes; all the relevant material can be instantly summarized after...
Editorial: This year is no time for a state budget battle
Pennsylvania Senate President Pro Tempore Kim Ward sounded adamant. “We’re certainly not going to raises taxes,” she said. The Hempfield Republican was speaking at the Westmoreland County Chamber of Commerce “State of the State” breakfast. It was a gathering of government and business leaders, so naturally the topic turned to...
Editorial: Pennsylvania needs a solution for senior care
Pennsylvania has a lot of senior citizens. According to federal records, the state has 2.5 million residents over 65 years old. That’s 19.6% of the state’s population. Only California, Florida, New York and Texas have more, which is unsurprising as they are also the only states with overall populations greater...
Laurels & lances: Musicals & mud
Laurel: To rising stars. On Saturday, the talent and hard work of 34 local schools was celebrated at the Benedum Center with the annual Gene Kelly Awards. It is the oldest regional high school theater awards event in America. It began in 1991 and is named after the Pittsburgh native...
Editorial: Americans should be able to easily e-file their taxes with the IRS for free
For millions of Americans, filing taxes is already a frustrating, time-consuming ordeal. Now a free online tool that promised to make the process easier is under political threat. The Associated Press last month reported the Internal Revenue Service is planning to eliminate its free Direct File tax-filing program, which debuted...
Editorial: Did retired cop deserve a break with drug crime sentence?
In Pennsylvania, committing a crime against a police officer is another crime unto itself. If you physically assault a police officer, you can be charged with assault and assault of a law enforcement officer. The same happens for murder. There is an additional charge for criminal homicide of a law...
Editorial: Republicans need to show work requirements can work
For weeks, Republicans in Congress have been haggling over cuts to Medicaid, the health care program for the poor. Some lawmakers see an opportunity to offset the cost of extending $5 trillion in tax cuts, a priority for the White House. Others worry their constituents could lose access to critical...
Editorial: Now it’s on you, Nippon Steel
On Friday, President Donald Trump pivoted. He dropped his previous opposition to the acquisition of U.S. Steel, a marquee name in the history of American manufacturing, by Nippon Steel, a larger force in metals on the global stage. “This will be a planned partnership between United States Steel and Nippon...
Editorial: Penn State trustees did not take time to explore options in closing campuses
Penn State trustees took a vote Thursday that will close seven Commonwealth Campuses. At the end of Spring 2027, the New Kensington and Fayette campuses, along with five others, will stop being land-grant university branches and become empty shells. The 28 trustees that voted for this looked at it dispassionately,...
Laurels & lances: Pay attention please
Laurel: To greater focus. When you get behind the wheel, there is a lot to grab your attention. You need to watch the road in front of you. You have to be alert for other cars at intersections. You need to watch for pedestrians and bicycles. You need to check...
Editorial: Voters ousted incumbents in dramatic primary races
Pennsylvanians went to the polls Tuesday. If they cast ballots earlier via mail, those votes were counted Tuesday. It might have been a bit anticlimactic. Turnout was so low in some areas that the Greensburg Fire Department Central Hose Company No. 2 polling place saw only 15 people as of...
Editorial: It’s Trump’s move on U.S. Steel sale
Nippon Steel is putting more money on the table. But will it matter? The nearly $15 billion elephant in the room is the Japanese company’s offer to acquire Pittsburgh-based U.S. Steel. It’s a deal that has been dragging on since December 2023. It slow-walked through the Committee for Foreign Investment...
Editorial: In red and blue Pennsylvania, primaries matter more than ever
Elections follow a certain rhythm. Presidential years are followed by municipal years where the ballots are filled with local, school board and county races. Then there are the midterms, in which state and federal lawmakers are elected. In Pennsylvania, that’s also a gubernatorial year. Then it goes back to more...
Editorial: How to cut U.S. drug prices without hurting innovation
The price of Wegovy, Novo Nordisk’s blockbuster weight-loss drug, is $1,349 a month in the U.S.; in Germany, it’s $328. The U.S. price for Keytruda, a cancer treatment, is $191,000 a year; in Japan, it’s $44,000. The U.S. pays three times more for branded prescription drugs, on average, than other...
Editorial: Why do some bills get attention in Harrisburg?
Is there nothing that can happen in Harrisburg without division? On Tuesday, we wrote about two bills wending their way through the Legislature. In the Senate, Republicans passed a bill banning transgender athletes in K-12 or collegiate sports within the state. In the House, Democrats passed a bill supporting legalization...
Editorial: Rite Aid closing leaves hole in marketplace
If you have been in a Rite Aid in recent months, the news of store closings was probably not a surprise. Many shelves are barely stocked. Outside of the pharmacy, the stores often have a ghost-town appearance. So when the company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy this month and began...
Laurels & lances: Advocacy & asphalt
Laurel: To taking steps. Bill Russell and Jim Rieker are among the roughly 500,000 people who have survived bladder cancer. The numbers for doing so are good. The five-year survival rate for bladder cancer is about 77%. For cases identified when the disease is still contained only to the bladder,...
Editorial: Will investing in airports pay off for Southwestern Pennsylvania?
Southwestern Pennsylvania has some extensive work being done on airports. The larger is the Terminal Modernization Program at Pittsburgh International Airport. Originally proposed in 2017, it had a projected price tag of $1.1 billion. Construction began in 2021. Costs are now about $1.7 billion. In a tour Tuesday, airport officials...
Editorial: Penn State needs to be open about closing campuses
Penn State leaders are proposing the shuttering of seven Commonwealth Campuses. The idea has been on the table since February. It would be brought up in May, it was suggested. But the May meeting of the board of trustees falls in a sweet spot between the annual Blue-White Game at...
Editorial: Divided legislature means pointless bills
The great frustration of a divided legislature is how it works so hard to stay in exactly the same place. Having a governor of a different party than the lawmakers is a challenge, but it still allows both sides to do their jobs. Legislators pass a law or decide on...
Editorial: Pope Leo XIV is symbol of hope in a world of suffering
Our world needs symbols of hope, compassion and something greater than the struggles of this life. For that reason, we believe so many people, not just Roman Catholics, pay great attention to the selection of a new pope, in the belief that faith, even a faith they may not share,...
Editorial: What is happening with John Fetterman?
U.S. Sen. John Fetterman, D-Braddock, does not seem pleased with scrutiny over his behavior. It hasn’t been about his language processing in the wake of his 2022 stroke. It hasn’t been about the depression that saw him hospitalized in 2023. It isn’t about his quirky fashion choices or even his...
Editorial: No excuse for not letting Pittsburgh City Council, controller know about emergency coordinator’s absence
“That’s my bad.” Pittsburgh Emergency Management Coordinator Darryl Jones used those incredibly underwhelming words to explain not making it clear to City Council or Controller Rachael Heisler that he was leaving the state or who would be in charge while he was gone. That’s the apology you offer for not...
