Opinion category, Page 18
Letter to the editor: Approve clean projects to bring down price of electricity
In her story “Why your electric bill is rising this winter and how to prepare” (Nov. 29, TribLive), Megan Trotter states “the price of power has surged because of international conflicts, growing energy consumption and the rising price of natural gas, which made up 43% of electricity generation in 2023...
Letter to the editor: Follow the money on marijuana
Everyone should have the right to choose what they put in their body. But when it comes to “weed,” it’s time to listen to science instead of a 22-year-old budtender claiming “Purple Kushberry Magic” cures depression, headaches and arthritis or an MD collecting $200 to certify the self-diagnosis you walked...
Letter to the editor: Pa. leaders failing us on guns
College campuses should be safe spaces for students. But in the U.S., they aren’t, as this month’s mass shooting at Brown University proved. After reading Megan Trotter’s article “Pittsburgh-area natives share their stories of Brown University shooting” (Dec. 15, TribLive), which detailed how Brown students from the Pittsburgh area were...
Jonah Goldberg: How do you solve a problem like Candace Owens?
Candace Owens has a very popular internet show in which she trots out deranged conspiracies about, among other things, the demonic nature of Jews, the murder of conservative activist Charlie Kirk (probably by Jews and their pawns, in her estimation) and the allegation that French President Emmanuel Macron’s wife is...
Cal Thomas: Why stop at the Kennedy Center?
Earlier this month I attended the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts with my wife and two friends to listen to a wonderful performance of Handel’s “Messiah.” The Kennedy Center has been among the few places in Washington (sports arenas are another) where one can get through a...
Sharon Sedlar: When students fear for their lives, families deserve genuine choices
Sending kids to school shouldn’t be an act of courage — but for many families, it is. Just one mile from my home, at Carrick High School in Pittsburgh, there was a stabbing. During this horrifically violent episode, kids texted with their parents to let them know they were ok....
Robin Abcarian: Australia just banned kids from social media. Shouldn’t we all?
Earlier this month, Australia became the first country in the world to enact a social media ban for kids under 16. As the children of Oz wept and gnashed their teeth (I presume), Prime Minister Anthony Albanese urged them to “start a new sport, learn a new instrument or read...
Letter to the editor: Let’s get the Dallas Cowboys to the Super Bowl
Although I am not a Steelers fan, I do understand fans’ anger, pain and frustration with the team. The last time my favorite team went to the Super Bowl, my children were in high school. Now I have four grandchildren. Every year I pray for my team, “Please just get...
Letter to the editor: Let’s rename GOP ‘Cult of Trump’
The letter “Let’s change Dems’ name to Communist Party” (Dec. 16, TribLive) manifests as many falsehoods as you’d hear at a Trump rally. It’s true that most Americans would like to have some safety nets to help the less fortunate, but that’s hardly communism. The writer presents no points that...
Lori Falce: Is mental illness a crime?
The news was impossible to ignore. Two people were found dead in their home after a relative contacted police. The loss was profound, the victims beloved in their community. The crime was brutal — and felt all the more so when investigators focused their attention on the couple’s son, who...
Laurels & lances: Charity & clarity
Laurel: To a spirit of giving. Western Pennsylvania communities deserve credit for stepping up — again — at a time when generosity is harder to give. This year’s Toys for Tots campaign was more important than ever as families through the region struggle with high prices and stretched paychecks. Hundreds...
Letter to the editor: Legislators must fix flaw in crypto GENIUS Act
As someone deeply involved in both my community and our local banking ecosystem, I’ve taken a close look at the newly passed GENIUS Act. It appears to have positioned us to be a leader in the fast-growing world of digital assets and cryptocurrencies. However, there’s a flaw in this legislation...
Todd L. Pittinsky: The Ivies can weather the Trump administration’s research cuts — it’s the nation’s public universities that have the most to lose
Most of the media coverage of the federal government’s recent cuts in federal research money for universities has focused on its effects on a handful of elite Ivy League universities, such as Harvard, Columbia and Cornell. “When you take money away from a Columbia or a Harvard or other institutions,...
Joe Palaggi: The season to remember we’re still one nation
Every year around this time, the noise starts to drop. The pace eases a bit. Families gather, neighbors reconnect and people who disagree on just about everything still manage to pass plates across the same table. Something about late November into December nudges us toward reflection. Whatever you call it...
Editorial: Are you naughty or nice?
Everyone knows about The List. Santa makes it. He checks it. He checks it again. Are you naughty? Nice? We don’t know. Santa does. The List is why we have elves sitting on shelves. It’s why kids brush their teeth more and pay closer attention to their homework after Halloween....
‘This year nearly broke me as a scientist’ — researchers reflect on how 2025’s science cuts have changed their lives
From beginning to end, 2025 was a year of devastation for scientists in the United States. January saw the abrupt suspension of key operations across the National Institutes of Health, not only disrupting clinical trials and other in-progress studies but stalling grant reviews and other activities necessary to conduct research....
Matt K. Lewis: Who can afford Trump’s economy? Americans are feeling Grinchy.
The holidays have arrived once again. You know, that annual festival of goodwill, compulsory spending and the dawning realization that Santa and Satan are anagrams. Even in the best of years, Americans stagger through this season feeling financially woozy. This year, however, the picture is bleaker. And a growing number...
Letter to the editor: Prayer in prison
I really appreciated Renatta Signorini’s article “Westmoreland County Prison prayer groups dispersed, raising religious freedom concerns” (Dec. 18, TribLive). Having worked in the criminal justice system for almost 40 years, I understand the mission of any correctional facility in maintaining inmate control in the interest of safety and security. As...
Letter to the editor: Memories of Pittsburgh Christmases and Bob Hope
Paul Kengor’s column “Recalling Bob Hope at Christmas” (Dec. 18, TribLive) brought back some great memories for me. I’m a native Pittsburgher and vividly remember Christmas shopping with my mother and grandmother at Kaufmann’s, Horne’s and Gimbel’s in the 1950s. Seeing the wonderful display windows and running amok in their...
Letter to the editor: Remembering ‘decorum’ during Clinton’s term
Regarding the letter “Whatever happened to decorum in politics?” (Dec. 18, TribLive): Professional decorum means behaving with dignity, respect and good manners appropriate for a work setting, encompassing polished conduct, suitable attire, respectful communication, self-discipline and adherence to workplace etiquette to show professionalism and build trust. The opposites of decorum...
Letter to the editor: America needs saving from Trump/Scrooge
Following President Trump’s pre-Christmas boastful address to Congress and other Trump self-delusional rants, American poet Berton Braley’s words reverberate: “We boast of vast achievements and of power … and here’s the bread line in the wintry street.” Trump is America’s unredeemed, unrepentant Scrooge. Tariff Trump hoards wealth gained at the...
Letter to the editor: Remember Battle of the Bulge heroes
There is a Pennsylvania National Guard unit located at 372 Donohue Road east of Greensburg. At the entrance is a large wooden sign simply stating, “BATTLE OF BULGE MEMORIAL CHAPTER 14.” Below it is a red insignia shaped as a keystone with the words “Co D 1/110TH INF.” This memorial...
Editorial: Taking political pay raises off autopilot
Wouldn’t it be great if your income automatically increased based on the cost of living? Higher food, gas or electricity prices would sting less. Rent increases might still hurt, but not nearly as much if paychecks rose alongside them. That is the reality for some in Pennsylvania. State lawmakers and...
Letter to the editor: A revised Christmas story
I fashion myself as somewhat of a storyteller. If I had written the Christmas story, I might have rendered it differently. I guess that is why I am not God. First, I would have probably choreographed it a bit differently. I would have had Joseph make reservations at an elegant...
Eva M. Meyersson Milgrom: You need more friends who aren’t like you
On a recent French language immersion course in Nice, I got to know one of my classmates, an academic from Russia. On the final day of class, I gathered the courage to bring up the war between Russia and Ukraine. This conflict is deeply personal for me. Though I am...
