Opinion category, Page 214
Editorial: Cyberattack on court system is frustrating and familiar
Cyberattacks on essential services are happening more often. Hackers have hit at financial institutions. They have struck hospitals. In 2021, a ransomware attack on Colonial Pipeline affected the nation’s natural gas supply. While these things might seem like the stuff of suspenseful TV shows or James Bond movies, they aren’t....
Letter to the editor: Does Trump really want to solve border crisis?
In the article “Senate deal on border and Ukraine at risk of collapse as Trump calls it ‘meaningless’” (Jan. 25, TribLive), we see that there was a compromise deal on border security and aid to Ukraine funding reached in the Senate, and Donald Trump intervened to sink it simply because...
Letter to the editor: Border, not abortion, is top issue
Since the New Hampshire primary, which indicated that the No. 1 issue for those interviewed was the border, I have seen and heard the talking heads in the mainstream media telling us that, in reality, the main issue of Americans for the coming election is abortion. Really? With hundreds of...
Tom Purcell: Shaming Girl Scout cookies
I’m in hiding again, as I always am this time of the year. We’re in the thick of Girl Scout cookie season, after all, and I’m on my winter diet. I’m easy prey for the young, highly skilled sales ladies who will no doubt one day run our companies and...
Stephen L. Carter: Too many security cameras, not enough safety
Civil libertarians are celebrating the recent announcement by Amazon that law enforcement agencies will no longer be able to obtain Ring doorbell camera videos just by asking. Henceforth, the company will require a subpoena or a search warrant. That’s great news. One needn’t be anti-cop (I’m certainly not) to agree...
Matthew Yglesias: Don’t let Trump and Biden abandon the debates
One of the few bipartisan traditions left in American politics is hating on the presidential debates. They’re never substantive enough, the moderators always intervene too much or too little and they have little effect on voters. Who needs ’em? So reports that President Joe Biden and Donald Trump are contemplating...
Letter to the editor: Civil War ’causes’ and morality of slavery
As to the causes of the Civil War, one question needs to be asked before any other: Is it ever right or moral for one human being to claim ownership of another human being? Read the history of slavery and see the horrors perpetrated by slave owners. Read the history...
Letter to the editor: Biden should be removed from office
On Jan. 20, 2021, Joe Biden spoke the following words inscribed in the body of the Constitution: “ I, Joseph R. Biden Jr., do solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my Ability, preserve, protect and...
Editorial: Closed pharmacies came with no spoonful of sugar to help the medicine go down
When you need your medicine, you need your medicine. A doctor prescribes what is needed and the timetable to take it. Every morning, every four hours, whatever the doctor says goes. People can be hamstrung by availability. We are used to the restrictions of money when a certain prescription costs...
Letter to the editor: Help available for heating bills
January’s frigid temperatures provided a stark reminder of just how volatile winter weather can be and how vital it is for people to have access to safe and reliable heating sources during stretches of bitter cold. For Pennsylvanians at risk of being without heat or struggling to pay utility bills,...
Editorial cartoons for the week of Feb. 5
Editorial cartoons for the week of Feb. 5....
Mallard Fillmore cartoons for the week of Feb. 5
Mallard Fillmore cartoons for the week of Feb. 5....
Letter to the editor: Supporting Ukraine is the right move
Supporting Ukrainian victory against Russia is one of the best returns on military spending this country has ever seen. Stopping now because the issue has somehow become partisan is a short-sighted move from every senator and representative currently holding office, especially considering most of the money spent stays here at...
Letter to the editor: Westmoreland should go to 1 county school district
It is evident that several area school districts are deeply engaged in addressing facility challenges — maintenance, renovations, construction, security. Having been responsible for a variety of facility assets, I am empathetic to all those involved. The question looming over all decisions, how to pay for these issues? Perhaps it...
Letter to the editor: Ending single-use plastics key to stopping pollution
The letter “Plastic bag bans only serve to make people feel better” (Jan. 29, TribLive) questioned the effectiveness of plastic bag bans. Fortunately, a new report found well-crafted bans, including the one in effect in Pittsburgh, have helped eliminate billions of plastic bags across the country. Pennsylvania is overflowing with...
Editorial: Should U.S. Steel deal be open to political threats?
Some things are too complicated for a campaign promise. That never stops anyone from making them, though. On Wednesday, former president and Republican front-runner Donald Trump said that, if elected, he would block the sale of U.S. Steel to Nippon Steel Corp., a leading steel producer based in Japan. The...
Letter to the editor: Water concerns in Brackenridge
The Pennsylvania Coalition for Oral Health, a nonprofit working to improve oral health for all Pennsylvanians, has concerns regarding recent developments in Brackenridge. For nearly 75 years, water fluoridation has been recognized as a health measure to safely prevent tooth decay that reaches everyone. Benefits of water fluoridation are particularly...
Letter to the editor: Nikki Haley is the only answer
The 2024 election may be the most important election in American history. Our enemies (Russia, China, Iran, etc.) are laughing at the disarray in this country, and the unbelievable election comedy brewing between a chaotic, uncontrollable, baggage-laden Donald Trump, and a feeble, party-hack, questionably sentient Joe Biden. A vote for...
Joseph Sabino Mistick: Border politics trump the national interest
It is clear now that some Republican members of Congress have a hard time taking “yes” for an answer. For years, during both the Trump and Biden administrations, they have demanded immigration reform — tighter border controls and asylum and parole procedures. In October, Republicans felt so strongly about new...
Letter to the editor: Looking at Trump’s ‘foibles’
I didn’t see hate in the letter “Trump’s your guy” (Jan. 15, TribLive). I saw a letter listing very succinctly all the many reasons why President Trump should not be our guy. The letter “Trump’s my guy” (Jan. 25, TribLive) says we should look past the “foibles” of Trump. I...
Sounding off: Tomlin, Civil War, Casey among week’s topics
Keeping Tomlin shows disregard for players, fans I have been a Steelers fan for well over half a century and remember the days when Buddy Parker was allowed to walk away, Mike Nixon was terminated after only one season and Bill Austin was let go after three. What has followed...
Letter to the editor: Steelers’ version of Groundhog Day
Every year, it’s “rinse and repeat.” I’m talking about Steelers owner Art “The Enabler” Rooney who, like Punxsutawney Phil, comes out of office, sees his shadow and declares at his annual postseason season press conference that his team is improving. He clearly thinks Steelers Nation are a bunch of morons...
Editorial: What is going on in the Westmoreland County Register of Wills office?
It is a little embarrassing to be called on the carpet at work. It’s a lot worse when the person doing the scolding is a judge — or two. In a hearing Wednesday, Westmoreland County Common Pleas judges admonished Register of Wills Sherry Magretti Hamilton. The language was longer and...
Letter to the editor: Biden has not been a unifier
After reading the letter “Trump’s call for unity rings hollow” (Jan. 22, TribLive), I again felt compelled to respond. As usual, the letter-writer either fails to, or refuses to, look at both sides. I agree that President Trump can be less than ideal when addressing his political opponents. And there...
Gary Franks: A good economy? I don’t think so.
How strong is America’s economic chain? Our federal government just reported that in 2023 we had a near $2 trillion annual deficit. Add this to the nearly $6 trillion that President Joe Biden racked up in prior years, and you have almost $8 trillion of spending that we could not...
