Featured Commentary category, Page 52
Rachel Hadas: McCarthy’s departure from Congress reads like Greek tragedy — but he’s no hero
Rep. Kevin McCarthy’s departure from Congress brings to mind ambition and the other side of ambition’s coin: humiliation — the thirst for fame and power on one side, ignominious failure on the other. Classical literature abounds with ambitious characters; heroes are by definition ambitious. McCarthy says he will “serve America...
Michael Reagan: Has the party of Reagan become the party of quitters?
Monica Crowley summed up the sad state of the Republican Party perfectly last week in a single tweet. Following the House’s 311-114 vote last week to expel the lying GOP weirdo and future criminal defendant George Santos, she wrote: “Republicans bounced George Santos. “Kevin McCarthy is leaving this month. “Bill...
Wilson Beaver: Why are we doing so little to counter China’s military buildup?
Our National Defense Strategy identifies China as the primary challenge to the United States. To confront this threat successfully, our military needs more warships, aircraft and munitions. Now. But the Biden administration’s spending does not match its defense strategy. The president’s Emergency Supplemental Request made this clear by asking for...
Bob Donnan: Pa. must build EV infrastructure
As Pennsylvania continues to make significant strides toward a cleaner and more sustainable future, it is crucial that we seize the opportunity to leverage federal investments in building out our electric vehicle infrastructure. The recent allocation of $36 million in federal funding for EV charging stations, thanks to the Bipartisan...
Gary Franks: Press failed us on George Santos
OK already. What took so long? Good riddance to former House Rep. George Santos . The Santos saga begs the question: How did he get elected in the first place? Now we know it was due to massive fraud. But I would also add major failures on the part of...
Robin Abcarian: I thought Sandra Day O’Connor was too conservative. Now her moderation would be a godsend.
Years ago, I had the good fortune to be in Washington, when the National Portrait Gallery had a show starring portraits of Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, who died Dec. 1 in Phoenix at 93. In October 2006, nine or so months after she’d stepped down from the high...
Beth Pausic: Kooth’s mission is solely to provide care for kids
I would like to offer several corrections to former representative Lou Barletta’s op-ed “Say no to Kooth in Pa. schools” (Dec. 4, TribLive). First and foremost, I’d like to reintroduce readers to Kooth. We are a mental health support and pre-clinical care provider with a web-based application available to public...
Robert F. Powelson: Scrutiny will benefit PWSA customers
The realities of America’s growing water and wastewater infrastructure challenges are front and center in Pittsburgh. The Steel City’s vital infrastructure has long exceeded its life span. Across the country, water utilities, in close collaboration with a diverse range of stakeholders, are proactively addressing some of their failing infrastructure challenges....
George P. Hartwick, III and Chadwick Libby: Save our most vulnerable kids by investing in juvenile justice system
It’s often said that our children are our most precious resource. To protect and preserve this vital resource, we must invest in their care now, in order to enrich their future. In recent years, we have seen a focused investment in our juvenile justice system, which has helped lead to...
Teresa Ghilarducci and Christopher D. Cook: Why the senior poverty rate keeps rising
When it comes to seniors’ economic security, America is in poor shape. This October, an annual assessment of pension systems worldwide gave the United States a barely passable C+, ranking the country’s retirement security apparatus below Kazakhstan and just a slight notch above Colombia, two far poorer nations. How can...
Jonathan Bernstein: What Congress can learn from George Santos
The George Santos fiasco is finally at an end, at least in Congress, with the U.S. House of Representatives — including 105 of his Republican colleagues — voting Friday to expel him. The 311-114 vote comfortably cleared the two-thirds majority needed to make him only the third House member to...
Zakiya Stewart: Helping our children learn to read
During my time as a first grade teacher, my greatest joy was watching my students begin to fall in love with reading. I watched them transition from sounding out words letter by letter to reading and composing sentences. They were beginning to discover the world around them and, on the...
Aaron Chapin: Pa. must adopt clear, sustainable plan to address unconstitutional school funding
Every morning, 1.7 million students wake up and head off to public schools across Pennsylvania, eager to learn and grow in classrooms that are supposed to provide them with a “thorough and efficient system of public education.” That’s what our state constitution guarantees to every student. But in February Pennsylvania’s...
Lou Barletta: Say no to Kooth in Pa. schools
Strangers talking to schoolchildren on the internet — what could possibly go wrong? If that’s not bad enough, how about parents having no idea that it’s even happening? The newest threat to parental rights is entering our school districts behind closed doors. Kooth is a for-profit business from the U.K....
Rosalie Metro: Palestinian and Israeli children are endangered by ‘us vs. them’ narratives
“What do you want to do when you grow up?” I asked Muhammad, an 8-year-old boy. “I want to kill Israeli soldiers!” he replied proudly. This was in 1998, when I was teaching English in Shatila, a Palestinian refugee camp in Beirut. I’d come to Beirut to study abroad and...
Bruce Ledewitz: Is Christianity making a comeback?
We read stories all the time about the decline of organized religion in America. Around one-third of Americans answer “none” when asked on surveys about their religious affiliation. Self-identified Christians still make up a majority of the population — 63% — but that is down from 90% in the 1990s....
T.J. Rooney: White House, EPA must get on same page for U.S. economy
On the campaign trail in 2020, Joe Biden promised to be the most pro-union president in American history, and since taking office, he has championed the mantra “Invent it Here, Make it Here.” Both are lofty goals that should be welcomed by the American public, but have the promise of...
Commentary: Guilty plea of Illinois shooting suspect’s father should be a wake-up call for parents
Robert Crimo Jr.’s guilty plea to reckless conduct for helping his son obtain authorization to own firearms three years before Robert Crimo III allegedly opened fire on Highland Park, Ill., paradegoers should be a wake-up call to everyone: If you hear or see things about potential violence, you must alert...
Anthony Pacilio: Neurodiversity a strategic business advantage
The workplace of today is becoming increasingly diverse. However, diversity isn’t just about race, gender or age, but also about the differences in individual brain function and behavioral traits, known as neurodiversity. This range of differences includes but is not limited to autism spectrum disorder, dyslexia, dyspraxia and ADHD. With...
Mayor Ed Gainey: The NFL Draft in Pittsburgh? Let’s go get it
In cities across America, Pittsburghers gather every Sunday, dressed in their black and gold, ready to cheer for the Steelers on gameday. Nearly every city in America has a Steelers bar, and fans gather there to celebrate victories or to be with each other in heartbreaking defeat. Football has the...
Peter Morici: America needs a better president to remain a superpower
America is in grave peril. Lawlessness reigns in San Francisco, Chicago, New York and other cities. Our southern border hemorrhages with illegal arrivals. The Border Patrol is using unmarked buses to dump thousands of asylum-seekers on the streets, at bus stops and in train stations in San Diego. The United...
Robert Smith: The impending doom of our planet
With a simple search engine entry of “bug food plant,” you will see the central planning of your food world. The future of the Arby’s “we have the meats” slogan will mean cricket, mealworm and fly larvae, delicious. It has been decided: just eat the bugs. The world is doomed,...
Lainey Newman: How the UAW, and other unions, can capitalize on the momentum of the moment
Labor is seeing some of its biggest wins in years, and unions are back on the public radar and in the media limelight after decades of declining power and interest. Support for unionism amongst Americans is at a 50-plus-year high. The UAW is about to solidify one of the best...
Dan DeBone: The vital role of small businesses in the face of economic uncertainties
In the intricate tapestry of the American economy, small businesses, or as I fondly call them, the mom-and-pop establishments, serve as the vibrant threads that bind communities together. Growing up, I watched my parents toil seven days a week, paycheck to paycheck, running our family-owned restaurant for over 30 years....
By Lauren Cristella and Jeff Greenburg: Don’t take away one of our most effective tools for fighting election fraud
With the 2024 election now in view, ensuring an accurate voter list in Pennsylvania is not a partisan issue. Local election administrators across the state have trumpeted the importance of making sure every eligible voter can vote, is informed when they vote and votes with confidence. Pennsylvania’s announcement that it...
