Letter to the editor: Will what goes around, come around, for Trump?
Have you heard the expression “what goes around, comes around”? It was one of my grandmother’s favorite pieces of wisdom. Donald Trump and his henchmen would do well to heed this. I believe Trump has trampled our Constitution and forced his personal preferences on the American people. He’s declared President...
Editorial: Penn State choices made union push inevitable
Penn State faculty are not unionized. That could change soon. If the university’s leadership doesn’t like that, it’s their own fault. The Penn State Faculty Alliance turned in thousands of union authorization cards to the Pennsylvania Labor Relations Board. While imprecise, that’s still a considerable chunk of the university’s 7,498...
Silvia Rodriguez Vega: Barney, Big Bird and immigrant children need you
Barney the purple dinosaur was my first English teacher. Through songs, make-believe and games, I learned how to greet people, ask kids if they wanted to play and talk about the weather, which turned out to be useful for conversation in the United States. I also learned about sharing, respecting...
Peter Morici: Fed should tap the brakes, not hit the gas
After cutting interest rates in September and October, the Federal Reserve should pause at its December meeting — the jobs market isn’t in crisis but inflation remains menacingly high. By the summer of 2023, the economy was at full employment but continued to grow robustly. From September 2023 to December...
Letter to the editor: Will the Steelers ever be respectable again?
For many years now, the Pittsburgh Steelers have become a .500 team under the coaching of Mike Tomlin. Tomlin inherited a Super Bowl team from Bill Cowher — period! Tomlin has turned the team into a .500 team. That’s good enough for him, but not for us, the fans. Since...
Letter to the editor: Politicians are in it for themselves
Pennsylvania voters are stupid, complacent or both. I have no respect for politicians. I think they are mostly in it for themselves and not for their constituents. What is really frustrating is they don’t pass a budget for four months after it is due but they get their yearly automatic...
Editorial: A child wasn’t protected. The law must change
Renesmay Eutsey was supposed to be kept safe. That is why she was removed from the care of her mother, Christina Benedetto, in 2019 when she was 3. It’s why she was placed with Benedetto’s cousin, Sarah Shipley, and her biological father’s cousin, Kourtney Eutsey, and why she would eventually...
Letter to the editor: Those who refuse unlawful orders are not traitors
In 1970, four students were killed by National Guardsmen at Kent State University. Two of the dead were bystanders, not part of the protest. At that time I was an Air Force member, drafted during the Vietnam War and stationed at Strategic Air Command (SAC), Omaha, Neb. President Richard Nixon...
Kelly McKinney: Thoughts on ‘Frankenstein,’ AI and the perils of our unfinished creation
We are nearing a tipping point with artificial intelligence. Scientists call it the singularity — the moment when machine intelligence surpasses our own. Some experts warn that it could come as soon as next year. AI already writes our code, drives our cars and designs our weapons — yet no...
Ron Grossman: There are echoes of World War II in Donald Trump’s peace plan for Ukraine
By his account, Donald Trump has been repeatedly denied the Nobel Peace Prize he was due. Like the 1980s standup comedian Rodney Dangerfield, he complains: “I don’t get no respect.” This time, Trump is determined by hook or crook or shady diplomacy to get a Nobel. He’s proposed a peace...
Letter to the editor: Committed to fire hydrant safety
Your editorial “Fire hydrants are critical infrastructure” (Dec. 2, TribLive) about the Elizabeth Township hydrant underscores the importance of this infrastructure, and we want to clarify Pennsylvania American Water’s (PAWC) commitment to reliability and safety. We adhere to American Water Works Association protocols for annual hydrant inspection and maintenance, and...
Editorial: $3 million moonlighting failure leaves Pittsburgh in the dark
Pittsburgh police have been over budget for years, particularly regarding overtime. Mayor Ed Gainey’s proposed budget all but ignores the cost of overtime in a manner that, frankly, makes no sense. Go to any pizza shop, corner store, hospital or university, and keeping overtime under control is a priority for...
Letter to the editor: Pets don’t make for good holiday gifts
As the holidays approach, many people are looking for meaningful gifts, and some believe a new pet makes the perfect surprise. But giving animals as gifts, especially without the recipient’s knowledge, can endanger both the person and the pet. A surprised new guardian has no chance to prepare for the...
David M. Drucker: It’s getting harder for governors to run for president
There’s a reason George W. Bush was the last governor to win the White House: In the 25-plus years since, governors have proven incapable of weathering the intense public scrutiny and navigating the media barrage of gotcha questions that accompany running for president. There are reasons for that. As local...
Claudia Sahm: $2,000 tariff checks are a good idea badly planned
President Donald Trump is promoting the idea of sending a $2,000 check to most Americans funded by revenues brought by his tariffs on imports. The scheme has received a frosty reception from Trump’s fellow Republicans in Congress and economists alike, and they are unlikely to happen. If the White House...
Letter to the editor: Kudos to DMV workers
There are always jokes about the DMV. Recently I renewed my driver’s license. It was a pleasant experience. The workers were warm, friendly and helpful. I had a little problem, which was my fault, which they turned into no problem. It wasn’t too busy, but everyone was working steadily and...
Letter to the editor: A look at Trump’s track record
Did President Trump partake of the offerings of Jeffrey Epstein? If any victims testified positively to this, they’ll probably face death threats. So let’s consider Trump’s track record instead. 1. His lifetime reputation as a womanizer, the $130,000 payoff to Stormy Daniels and accusations of sexual harassment or worse by...
Editorial: In praise of the handwritten Christmas card
We’ve all come to dread checking the mail. And not just when property taxes are due. Most of the year, the only post we get is bills, which are depressing, or advertisements, headed straight for the trash. Our mailboxes, once filled with interest and promise, have become a breeding ground...
Letter to the editor: Another view on the real Christmas story
The letter “The real Christmas story” (Dec. 2, TribLive) claims Christ’s birthdate is unknown; I agree. However, our views then diverge. Roman periodic censuses were used for tax, military and demographic purposes. Joseph’s family’s hometown was Bethlehem. Scheming to conform to prophesy is implausible. The Sanhedrin rejected Jesus as messiah,...
Mallard Fillmore cartoons for the week of Dec. 8
Mallard Fillmore cartoons for the week of Dec. 8....
Editorial cartoons for the week of Dec. 8
Editorial cartoons for the week of Dec. 8....
Letter to the editor: Killing survivors a sign of our moral collapse
As a veteran, I never imagined my own government would publicly acknowledge issuing an order that ended with the killing of defenseless survivors in the water. Yet the White House has admitted the order was given. That alone should tell every American this country has slipped off its constitutional foundation....
Editorial: What’s the future of health care independence?
In 2022, Excela Health announced a merger with Butler Health System. It was all about taking the two organizations and giving them “the requisite scale to accelerate and elevate its relevancy … in the region’s highly competitive health care marketplace.” That public-relations speak could be interpreted as allowing the hospitals...
Letter to the editor: Shop local, strengthening our communities
As the holiday season arrives, Westmoreland County comes alive — lights glowing in storefronts, families sharing traditions and our business districts filled with excitement. It’s the perfect time to remember a simple truth: Every dollar spent locally strengthens the foundation of our community. Whether you’re exploring boutiques in Downtown Greensburg,...
Joseph Sabino Mistick: Is Trump being conned? Or is he conning us?
As President Donald Trump tells it, when someone criticizes him it is a “con job” or “fake news.” At a cabinet meeting last week, Trump told struggling American families that they are not struggling, that affordability is a “con job” and a “Democratic scam.” Average Americans know that inflation has...
