Opinion category, Page 15
Joseph Sabino Mistick: What can we do in the face of hate? Look to Roosevelt.
According to a recent report by the Southern Poverty Law Center, the number of hate groups in America has declined, but the influence of those that remain continues to grow. It seems that hate is more openly popular than ever, and no one has shown that better than President Donald...
Lionel Laurent: Louvre robbery gang used a brazen new criminal blueprintVideo
A ladder truck, an angle-grinder, a maxi-scooter and seven minutes. That appears to be all it took for thieves to nab priceless jewelry from the Louvre, the world’s most-visited museum. The vulnerability of this cornerstone of French soft power adds to the country’s sense of malaise, and fingers are being...
Counterpoint: Trump’s compact would cripple universities
Among the many dangerous actions President Donald Trump has taken, his push to force some of the country’s best universities into signing a sweeping federal “compact” ranks just behind his pardons for the Jan. 6 insurrectionists. The 10-part compact is a bizarre mix of bombast, authoritarianism and a few unremarkable...
Point: Trump to universities — olive branch compact or prosecution and defunding
American universities are at a crossroads. Their business model, which is overwhelmingly dependent on the twin pillars of federal grants and taxpayer-backed student loans, is failing in the face of declining public trust, financial malfeasance, a looming demographic cliff, and their publicly acknowledged discrimination, contrary to civil rights law. The...
Letter to the editor: Are we now OK with white supremacy?
I do not in any way believe that it is right to take someone’s life simply because they hold different views from mine. I believe our government officials should have a responsibility not only to uphold our Constitution but also to honor only those who support the fundamental principles and...
Letter to the editor: No Kings? No thanks.
I’m an advocate for the First Amendment with no holds barred, and I support the right to peacefully protest. But lately I need a whiteboard to follow the diversity of protests. The “No Kings” protests are now the hot ticket. Although I don’t remember a king being coronated, only a...
Editorial: The people have a right to know about government settlements
Legal settlements can be a locked box of information. In September, Reuters reported Tesla settled two cases regarding California crashes involving Autopilot software weeks after a $243 million award in a Florida case. Details in the California settlements were confidential. When it comes to a corporation, keeping details quiet can be...
Letter to the editor: Netanhayu and Trump
Israeli President Netanyahu sent the Israeli army into Gaza; President Trump sends troops into Los Angeles, Washington, D.C., Memphis, Portland and Chicago. Netanyahu tried to starve out the Palestinians; Trump throws 500,000 Americans off food stamps. Netanyahu bombed hospitals, killing health care workers; Trump takes away health insurance from over...
Letter to the editor: Why I’ll never vote for a Democrat
I rarely respond directly to those on the political left who attack conservatives with childish, personal insults; I always try to offer factual information to explain my political views. So, instead of juvenile insults, I will proffer several reasons why I refuse to vote for Democrats; I could cite dozens,...
S.E. Cupp: Trump’s excesses enrich only him, not Americans
The White House is full of so much rich history and tradition — it helps tell the story of America itself. And it’s an incredibly impressive and intimidating venue for facilitating international diplomacy. President Trump understands the value of first impressions, even (and especially) if they’re not painting an accurate...
Danitra Sherman: Your rights are on the ballot Nov. 4
Everything is political — and pretending that our political choices don’t have consequences for our family, our friends and our community is an act that we can no longer afford to keep up. With our Constitution, our democracy and the rule of law undermined and under daily attack by the...
Letter to the editor: Retain Smail as county judge
Since winning election to Westmoreland County Common Pleas Court in 2015, Judge Harry F. Smail has amassed an impressive record of achievement. As a constitutionalist, he has decided more than 1,000 cases involving local governments, businesses and families. He has demonstrated consistent respect for the rule of law, an understanding...
Lori Falce: Politics isn’t a kids game
Boys will be boys. Kids will be kids. These are the kinds of statements you often hear from parents. Sometimes they are faintly amused at the actions of their children, squabbling over who is next on the slide at the playground. Sometimes they are blushing in embarrassment, aware of their...
Laurels & lances: Fame, shame & hope
Laurel: To shining stars. On Monday, the Pittsburgh Walk of Fame was unveiled on Smallman Street in the Strip District. The inaugural class of honorees featured 10 people who have shaped the history and culture of the region, from investigative journalist Nellie Bly and industrialist Andrew Carnegie to baseball great...
Letter to the editor: Congress, get back to work
Taxation without representation is still tyranny. Mike Johnson, as speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, you have an absolute duty to keep Congress open to conduct the people’s business. The “Big Beautiful Bill” rammed through Congress shoveled money to the wealthiest Americans at the expense of the rest of...
Paul Kengor: Teaching ‘No Kings’ nonsense
I would prefer to ignore the No Kings movement. I wrote about it back in June and received emails from No Kings advocates oddly taking umbrage with my obviously correct assertion that Donald Trump is, of course, not a king. Trump could be called lots of things. He has been...
Matthew Yglesias: What makes this shutdown so different
During the 2013 government shutdown, I happened to be in Philadelphia, and I was surprised to find the Liberty Bell — which sits in its own little room with big windows — was “closed.” You could stand there and look at it but only through tourist-smudged glass. This time around,...
Jonah Goldberg: Despite infighting, Democrats can still unite around 1 common goal — Trump
The only thing the parties can agree on is that Donald Trump is the central issue of our time. Let’s start with a recent headline: “It’s 2025, and Democrats Are Still Running Against Trump.” “After a year of soul-searching and introspection by Democrats about what they should stand for after...
Letter to the editor: Retain our judges to save our democracy
This is an urgent SOS to every single American who knows the threat President Trump’s unchecked power poses to our freedoms and democracy. Our battleground is the state that has been indispensable to the very founding of our country and the preservation of American freedom and liberty for over 249...
Letter to the editor: Trump’s AI video abnormal behavior
How disturbed does the president of this great country need to get for those around him to wake up and admonish his loathsome behavior? On the day when millions of Americans staged peaceful protests against his policies across the country, he posted an AI-generated video of himself dressed as a...
Letter to the editor: Advice for our state and country
I would like to see less politicians in Pennsylvania. Florida has part-time politicians, and can then have free college for their people. Our state ranks in the top five in the country for the most politicians, most corrupt and highest paid. Wow! Do away with lobbyists. It’s just another way...
Editorial: Enough finger-pointing. Pass a budget
The Pennsylvania Senate on Monday passed a bill to let winners of large lottery prizes remain anonymous. The bill now moves to the House for consideration. It’s a good idea. The Pennsylvania Lottery awards a number of big-ticket prizes every year, from Powerball jackpots to the Millionaire Raffles to scratch-offs....
Eric Snoey: Cuts to Medicaid and to insurance subsidies will push ERs past the brink
Back in 2007, President George W. Bush was being challenged on his opposition to the Children’s Health Insurance Program — which provides health coverage for children in families too poor to afford private insurance, yet too “wealthy” to qualify for Medicaid. His response was honest, if characteristically clumsy: “People have...
Jim Nowlan: Politicians seem incapable of balancing the federal budget
I was struck, no, dumbfounded by this: Debt funded all federal government spending in 2025. The federal government plans to spend a total of $7 trillion in fiscal 2025 but only bring in $5.16 trillion in revenue. That leaves a deficit of approximately $1.8 trillion. The big four expenditures —...
Letter to the editor: Defend the rule of law — no president is above it
Our democracy depends on respecting the rule of law — and that includes obeying court orders. The president does not have the power to ignore judicial rulings, especially when it comes to deploying the National Guard to American cities. Judges are not political obstacles; they are constitutional safeguards. When a...
