Opinion category, Page 18
Editorial: Penn State cares more about coaching than campuses
Penn State has firmly held priorities. But are they the ones the university wants people to believe? The football team came into the season with the highest rank it has ever held to start the year; it was No. 2, right behind Texas and ahead of longtime rival Ohio State....
Letter to the editor: Jail officers’ dark perceptions of Jail Oversight Board
The 2025 Allegheny County Jail correctional officer survey, completed by 216 officers, found that 72.2% of the officers strongly disagree and 18.1% disagree with this statement: “Our Jail Oversight Board (JOB) communicates effectively with our correctional officers, understanding our officers’ challenges and is effectively working to improve conditions of employment...
Jackie Calmes: George Washington would be spinning in his grave
George Washington, who set long-followed precedents by voluntarily giving up first military and then civilian power, and who built the foundation of the nation’s wall between its military and partisan politics, would by all historical evidence be appalled by successor Donald Trump’s escalating efforts to tear down that wall in...
David M. Drucker: Politicians need to stop being so online
As it turns out, Twitter is not the town square. Someone might want to alert American political leaders. In the era of social media, Democratic and Republican politicians have grown hyper-sensitive, and responsive, to activists who seemingly live their lives online. Whether on X, formerly Twitter, where the right ruminates...
Letter to the editor: AI, absolute ignorance
The writer of the letter “We need competence, not chaos, from our leaders” (Oct. 9, TribLive) quips in his last paragraph, “Readers, I apologize for this poorly worded letter, but you can easily tell it was not written by AI, because it would be much better.” Well, sir, I respectfully...
Letter to the editor: Don’t shut down, America
As I witness another government shutdown, I contend that it is time to shut down the entire Trump regime. Remove President Trump from office and demolish both the White House and the Capitol building. Both have been forever sullied by Trump’s presence and his domestic terrorist assault of Jan. 6...
Editorial: Despite threats of violence, the Supreme Court can’t let fear shape its judgments
The Red Mass, a longstanding tradition marking the start of the U.S. Supreme Court’s term, brings judges, lawyers and public officials together at Washington’s St. Matthew’s Cathedral to pray for wisdom and moral clarity in the administration of justice. Since the 1950s, this ecumenical service — welcoming for people of...
Letter to the editor: Don’t let Big Money overtake Pa. court
Big corporations and Big Money have corrupted the Supreme Court of the United States. This explains their partisan decisions that favor corporations over the American people. Their ruling on Citizens United gives companies an outsized voice in politics, drowning out the voices of average citizens. Their elimination of the Chevron...
Editorial cartoons for the week of Oct. 13
Editorial cartoons for the week of Oct. 13....
Alex Wallach Hanson: Strassburger’s failed play on inclusionary zoning
On Wednesday, Pittsburgh City Councilwoman Erika Strassburger introduced a surprise amendment to the inclusionary zoning bill that has been debated in Pittsburgh City Council for months. This proposed amendment would gutthe bill. Instead of requiring developers of buildings with over 20 housing units to include at least two units of...
Mallard Fillmore cartoons for the week of Oct. 13
Mallard Fillmore cartoons for the week of Oct. 13....
Letter to the editor: Retain Supreme Court justices Donohue, Dougherty, Wecht
Throughout my legislative and legal career, I have had the opportunity to review the decisions of numerous judges, and Pennsylvania Supreme Court Justices Christine Donohue, Kevin Dougherty and David Wecht have proven themselves to be a few of the best. They are honest, firm but fair and knowledgeable. They are...
Letter to the editor: Civilized politics is possible
I never thought I would say this, but I applaud the actions of a Republican U.S. senator: Dave McCormick. By meeting with Democratic Sen. John Fetterman, to have a conversation free of hate and malice, he has shown me and many others that being a civilized, ethical politician may not...
Editorial: Increasing grocery prices hurt everyone
There are things we can stretch when money is tight. That pair of shoes might have to last another month or two. Replacing the tires could wait until you get your tax return. This electric bill could get shoved in a drawer until next time, even though it will be...
Joseph Sabino Mistick: DOMI’s latest folly — bike lane in the Strip
If you ever wonder what has driven so many people into the arms of Donald Trump and the MAGA crowd, look no further than the insistence of the City of Pittsburgh’s Department of Mobility and Infrastructure (DOMI) that a dangerous bike lane be installed along several blocks of Penn Avenue...
Mark Reinecke: A goal of zero youth suicides is reasonable. Here’s how we get there
After 35 years as a clinical child and adolescent psychologist and a medical school professor, treating hundreds of children and teens who suffer from depression and suicidal thoughts and meeting with thousands of parents, I had hoped that through research, training and clinical care, I’d eventually be put out of...
Henry I. Miller: Autism, Tylenol and the perils of easy answers
Half of all pregnant women take acetaminophen — better known as Tylenol or paracetamol — to relieve pain or reduce fever. The drug has been around for decades, is available without a prescription and is often one of the few options doctors consider safe during pregnancy. However, on Sept. 23,...
Mary Ellen Klas: Threats against judges have crossed the line
The destruction of South Carolina Circuit Court Judge Diane Goodstein’s home in a fiery inferno Oct. 4 immediately led to speculation it was an act of political violence. South Carolina officials are still investigating, and they said Monday “there is no evidence to indicate” the cause of the explosion “was...
Letter to the editor: Congress, Supreme Court must end Trump’s game
President Trump is running our country like a game. When he’s falling behind in the game he changes the rules. He flip-flops on his own words. His good friend Vladimir Putin is no longer his good friend. His one-hour tirade at the UN was embarrassing. He told Ukraine they’d have...
Letter to the editor: Lingg best choice for Murrysville Council
Jamie Lingg is running for reelection to Murrysville Council. We first met her years ago when she was knocking on doors in our neighborhood discussing her campaign for a council seat. We had a very nice discussion and were impressed by her honest openness and desire to keep Murrysville fiscally...
Editorial: Does Walmart need your money to rip down the Monroeville Mall?
Walmart is the largest retailer in the United States. You might think most of what is bought and sold in America is filtering through Jeff Bezos and his Amazon website, but you would be wrong. According to international professional services company Deloitte, the Arkansas-based superstore pulled in $648 billion in...
Letter to the editor: Trump has created a new type of civil war
Many U.S. presidents have attempted to deflect attention from their low poll numbers by sending troops to foreign nations to start wars or skirmishes, but President Trump has more reason to get voters to look elsewhere than any of these former presidents did. He is violating his campaign promise to...
S.E. Cupp: The politics of Donald Trump’s war on cities
A masked, federal agent in combat uniform leans out the passenger window of a Jeep and points a military rifle directly at the face of a U.S. citizen in Chicago, simply for recording him. It should send a chill down every American’s spine. President Trump’s revenge on America’s liberal cities...
Sheldon H. Jacobson and Dr. Janet A. Jokela: Sage advice — get a flu shot this year
The influenza (flu) season is fast approaching. With it brings the risk of upper respiratory discomfort, fever and various aches. Those over 65 years of age and children under 2years of age have historically been at the greatest risk of poor outcomes, including hospitalizations and even death. In the 2024-25...
Matt K. Lewis: Congress’ Democrats are wildly unprepared to face down Trump
Donald Trump has made politics into a dystopian reality show he loves to host, but Democratic leaders Chuck Schumer and Hakeem Jeffries are playing by the old rules — and the mismatch may cause Democrats to get blamed for the government shutdown. This is not because they’re dumb (they’re not)...
