Opinion category, Page 106
Editorial: Marc Fogel’s wrongful detention designation is just the start
It took more than three years, but it finally happened: The State Department has deemed Marc Fogel wrongfully detained. In August 2021, the teacher from Oakmont was returning to Russia to teach at the Anglo-American School of Moscow. He was arrested at Sheremetyevo Airport when he was found in possession...
Letter to the editor: Does hard work work pay off?
Does our hard work pay off? I ask because I’ve worked several full-time and part-time jobs. Some employers were fair, while others toxic. All employees have had the same experience at some level. Nevertheless, many of us work hard to make ends meet. Others work hard to be promoted or...
Gary Franks: Those we lost in 2024 — a governor, senator and congresswoman
As we close out 2024, there will be some folks who we will deeply miss. For me there is a special governor, senator and congresswoman who quickly come to mind — Connecticut Gov. Jodi Rell, Connecticut Sen. Joe Lieberman and my classmate at Yale, Congresswoman Sheila Jackson-Lee. Jodi, was placed...
John Wozniak: Seniors deserve alternatives to opioids for pain relief
In recent years, I have watched people I know try to navigate our health care system while seeking treatment for pain or recovering from surgery, and it has opened my eyes to the complexities and frustrations patients face when trying to access appropriate pain management. And it’s why I strongly...
Rachel Locke: Climate of fear is driving local officials to quit
Threats and harassment are pushing some politicians out of office, scaring off some would-be candidates and even compelling some elected officials to change their vote. Those are some of the conclusions of a new two-year study I led on political violence in Southern California. Rising threats against public officials is...
Letter to the editor: Westmoreland sheriff spreading hatred
Sheriff James Albert’s letter “Keeping Westmoreland County safe” (Dec. 10, TribLive), regarding “society becoming more dangerous” and women purchasing guns for protection, in which he repeatedly mentions “illegal aliens,” is fearmongering under the auspices of law enforcement. Most women who are victims of violence are abused by known partners, not...
Letter to the editor: Let Trump’s destruction play out
Democrats need to stay out of Donald Trump’s way this time and let him do what he does well, which is destroy the country, so his low-info voters feel it in the only place they seem to have any nerve endings left, i.e., their pocketbooks. These folks, mired as they...
Lori Falce: It’s time to talk about aging and politics
It is hard to have conversations about aging. We can talk about how to deal with illness because most people are stubbornly optimistic. We can talk about disabilities because we think those are things that happen to other people. We can place limits on children because we have been 16...
Laurels & lances: Getting things done
Laurel: To a meaningful name. Congress is not known to get much done — especially not in the last few years when lawmakers have been paralyzed by partisanship. But this month something crawled across the finish line for Southwestern Pennsylvania. In July 2023, U.S. Rep. Summer Lee, D-Swissvale, introduced a...
Letter to the editor: Hope for a better tomorrow with Trump
Although I am cautiously hopeful for our country during this holiday season, it’s hard to fully embrace an optimistic outlook when I consider the possibly irreversible damage done during our current presidential administration. A bungled, shameful Afghanistan pullout. A Chinese spy balloon permitted to fly the entire breadth of our...
Jonah Goldberg: This is the trouble with Elon Musk’s debut as a federal budget negotiator
In the wake of a successful effort to kill a year-end spending bill and replace is with more limited legislation to keep the government open, Elon Musk declared victory last week on X (formerly Twitter), the social media platform he owns: “Your actions turned a bill that weighed pounds into...
Jennifer Selin: What does the U.S. attorney general actually do?
Shortly after former Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz withdrew from consideration to serve as U.S. attorney general, President-elect Donald Trump announced he would nominate Pam Bondi for the position. A former Florida attorney general, Bondi also worked for Trump as a defense lawyer during the first of his two impeachment trials....
Letter to the editor: Freedom of speech, women and guns
Regarding the letter “Sheriff’s divisive letter tarnishes office” (Dec. 20, TribLive), about Sheriff James Albert’s opinion on women getting guns for their safety: Albert is a citizen of Westmoreland County and the USA and is entitled to his opinion, just as other public office-holders have written letters to the Trib....
Letter to the editor: The horror of NFL Christmas games
After reading Paul Kengor’s column “The NFL disses Christmas” you would think a Christmas NFL game is the worst thing to happen since someone walked on the grass at Grove City College! He proffers that Christmas NFL games on Sundays are OK, even though it causes him to fret about...
Editorial: The hope and light of Hanukkah
The symbol of Hanukkah is not what you might think it is. For many, the Jewish festival of lights is most identified with a menorah — a branch of flames atop candles or cups of oil. But what the uninitiated might mistake for a menorah is really a hanukkiah. A...
Letter to the editor: Thankful for Biden’s accomplishments
Throughout this Christmas season, when you attend church, be sure to say a special prayer for all the wonderful things that the great President Joe Biden has done for the American people. His humanitarian legacy will live forever in history. In my lifetime, only the legendary Franklin Delano Roosevelt and...
Michael J. Zoosman: Will Biden become another Pontius Pilate this holiday season?
This year, the Jewish and Christian winter holidays are in cosmic synchrony. The evening of Dec. 25 — Christmas Day on the Gregorian calendar — falls on the 25th day of the Hebrew month of Kislev — the first night of Hanukkah on the lunar calendar. These popular festivals in...
Cal Thomas: Oh, Christmas tree!
When Washington politicians speak of a Christmas tree this time of year, they are not referring to an actual tree. It means they’ve loaded up a bill with another kind of “green,” the kind that’s decorated with money. The “bipartisan” bill passed just before midnight last Friday, minutes before a...
Smitha Vishveshwara: What connects us in this polarizing moment through space and time and humanity
Reeling from a divisive and turbulent election season, many of us seek spaces of solace, light, unity and worship as we turn toward the winter holidays. The cosmos and its reflection within us harbor such spaces. By viewing and embracing scientific insights through the lens of humanity, you form a...
Editorial: Share the special glow of Christmas
Christmas trees are like snowflakes. No two are alike. Some are made of aluminum and plastic. They might be put up on Black Friday — maybe even earlier in November. Some are real trees bought from parking lots outside grocery stores or fire stations. Some were cut fresh from a...
Dan Rodricks: Luigi Mangione and where we are now
In February 1992, chicken magnate Frank Perdue received a pie in the face from a protester in a chicken costume during a meeting of the University of Maryland Board of Regents in Baltimore. Perdue was founder, president and CEO of one of the nation’s largest poultry processors. More than that,...
Cal Thomas: Biden-Trump, the worst transition ever
The soon-to-expire Biden administration is behaving as if an invading foreign power is about to take over and the house must be burned down to keep the “invaders” from succeeding. In the past few weeks, the cynicism meter has ticked up several notches because of the decisions made by the...
Letter to the editor: What could go wrong with Trump in charge?
Donald Trump holds the record for the biggest fine ever levied against a casino for repeated and flagrant money-laundering offenses. He had his charity shut down because he misappropriated $2 million of donations that were supposed to go to veterans and sick children. He was ordered by a judge to...
Letter to the editor: Allegheny County tax hike outrageous
It’s as predictable as the sunrise. Allegheny County has enacted another outrageous tax increase of 36%, after striking down a more outrageous increase of nearly 50%. This follows the same old pattern of county government: floating out a huge number, then slightly reducing it to try and appear as if...
Letter to the editor: Voters want more choices
I agree with the writer of the letter “Ranked choice voting gives all voters a say” (Dec. 13, TribLive) that something has to change. Ranked choice voting looks attractive, provided the politicians don’t “game” it. However, it seems that most of us just want more choices. Third parties exist, and...
