Opinion category, Page 33
Editorial: Overpaying for Pittsburgh’s vehicle maintenance makes no financial sense
Imagine you are trying to save money on your grocery budget while making sure you get the food you need at the same time. You sign up for a subscription service that promises groceries for a flat fee every month. It’s a common scenario. It’s the business model behind dozens...
Letter to the editor: The only toxic spores at Norwin are online
Norwin schools have officially survived the Great Gorgonzola Panic of 2025. As reported in Joe Napsha’s article “Norwin officials: Schools safe to open after mold remediation” (Aug. 16, TribLive), the mold is gone, the schools are safe and yet the onlything still spreading faster than spores is online hysteria. The...
Cal Thomas: Did Trump get rolled in Alaska?
Promising severe consequences if Russian President Vladimir Putin didn’t agree to a ceasefire with Ukraine and then apparently reversing himself is what sends a signal of weakness, not only to Putin, but to the world. On Saturday, Trump posted this on Truth Social: “It was determined by all that the...
Maresa Strano: Once again, politicians are choosing their voters. It’s time for voters to choose back
Once again, politicians are trying to choose their voters to guarantee their own victories before the first ballot is cast. In the latest round of redistricting wars, Texas Republicans are attempting a rare mid-decade redistricting to boost their advantage ahead of the 2026 midterms, and Democratic governors in California and...
Steven R. Furlanetto: The true cost of abandoning science
Any trip to the dark night skies of our Southern California deserts reveals a vista full of wonder and mystery — riddles that astrophysicists like myself spend our days unraveling. I am fortunate to study how the first galaxies formed and evolved over the vast span of 13 billion years...
Letter to the editor: Proving research is not easy
As an old chemistry graduate (a slide rule not computers), I was pleased to read “You cannot ‘restore’ high scientific standards if they are already in place” (July 12, TribLive). Good op-ed, but one major fact was missing — you only disprove a theory using the scientific method; you cannot...
Letter to the editor: Fire department’s solar step good for Greensburg
Congratulations to Greensburg Fire Department’s Truck Company No. 2 for going solar (“Greensburg fire station could see savings with solar panels,” Aug. 18, TribLive). This is hopefully a first step for Greensburg going forward. The article anticipates generating more than enough electricity so they can sell excess to West Penn...
Editorial: Clairton Coke Works investigation demands safety board continue to exist
The explosion at U.S. Steel’s Clairton Coke Works is one of those massive incidents that require a careful, methodical review. The collapse of the Fern Hollow Bridge occurred Jan. 28, 2022. The final report from the National Transportation Safety Board was issued March 22, 2024. The Federal Railroad Administration’s final report...
Letter to the editor: We’re approaching dictatorship
Constitutionally, there should exist an equal balance of power between the executive, legislative and judicial branches of government. That doesn’t seem to be the case today. Aside from his “Big Beautiful Bill,” President Trump has ruled by executive order, ignoring Congress, whose job it is to make the laws. In...
Matt Shorraw: Protecting our workers and communities after U.S. Steel Clairton explosion
When an explosion at U.S. Steel’s Clairton Coke Works tore through the quiet summer day last week, it affected every single town along the Monongahela River. For those of us who grew up here, a plant explosion isn’t just news — it’s something we feel in our bones. This was...
Colin McNickle: A dubious expanded Pittsburgh sick-leave policy
Questions surround Pittsburgh’s amended Paid Sick Days Act set to go into effect at the beginning of 2026. But one thing is certain: It is a dubious public policy at best, according to researchers at the Allegheny Institute for Public Policy. “This is another significant detriment to achieving the goals...
Letter to the editor: All of us need to get back to the truth
The letter “Lies and conspiracy theories now the norm?” (Aug. 5, TribLive) was terrific. Lies in our politics and government have always been around, but I think this guy, President Trump, has made it it an art form; his lies have poisoned the truth so badly that I fear it...
Letter to the editor: In DC, crime prevention or power grab?
The recent decree to send the National Guard into the streets of Washington, D.C., because of crime is based on a false narrative. In fact, crime in the city is at a 30-year low. According to data from the FBI’s own Uniform Crime Reporting program, crime is down throughout the...
Editorial: The 401(k) needs better guardrails
Tax-advantaged employer-sponsored retirement savings accounts hit a milestone not long ago: At least half of all private sector U.S. workers now participate in a 401(k). That is good news in this respect: The alternative of not saving money for retirement could prove crushing. Finance experts have long cautioned against relying...
Letter to the editor: Is the NFL getting too powerful?
The value of the NFL has doubled in the last five years, and as they say, “business is booming.” Everone just wants a piece of the pie. Now that TV revenue is being collected all over the world, we need to put some away for a rainy day. The NFL,...
Mallard Fillmore cartoons for the week of Aug. 18
Mallard Fillmore cartoons for the week of Aug. 18....
Editorial cartoons for the week of Aug. 18
Editorial cartoons for the week of Aug. 18....
Letter to the editor: DUI drivers who kill deserve life in jail
Jeffrey Glowatski, 65, who allegedly killed Roxanne Bonnoni, should spend the remainder of his life in jail (“Driver faces DUI, but not homicide charges in Natrona girl’s death; family attorney reacts,” Aug. 13, TribLive). Glowatski had no business on the road, but Roxanne did. Her life ended at 11 years...
Letter to the editor: Rifles in Pittsburgh parks an accident waiting to happen
Pittsburgh officials approved a major expansion of bow hunting in city parks (“Pittsburgh expands limited archery season in various city parks,” July 15, TribLIVE). This expansion includes the use of high-powered rifles in some parks: “USDA-contracted marksmen conducted limited hunts in Frick and Riverview parks … .” City officials have...
Editorial: Why are Pittsburgh college students staying in hotels instead of dorms?
College students can take the dorm experience seriously. You can’t walk into Walmart or Target without hitting a wall of ready-for-campus furnishings and accessories. For many, the must-haves range from comforters and clothes baskets to microwaves and mini fridges. Social media is thick with inspiration pictures and decorating videos. But...
Letter to the editor: Raising minimum wage would benefit many
In his op-ed “One Big Beautiful Bill a gamechanger for Western Pa.” (July 5, TribLive), U.S. Rep. Mike Kelly stated, “tax cuts were a boost for families who have been crushed by years of inflation.” Yet, if you widen the lens a little, the average inflation rate over the past...
Joseph Sabino Mistick: Pittsburgh steel families built a nation
If you grew up in Pittsburgh or in one of the nearby steel towns, the deadly explosion at U.S. Steel’s Clairton Coke Works last week — killing two workers and hospitalizing 10 — struck home. There are fewer mills now, but this tragedy is a reminder of the values and...
Lisa Jarvis: A jump in colon cancer cases could actually be hopeful
New data shows a rise in colon cancer among adults ages 45-49. That’s wonderful news. Celebrating an increase in cancer rates might seem counterintuitive, but it comes amid a push for more screening of adults in this age group. And the result is more tumors are being caught in the...
Counterpoint: Save the summer break
Who can forget George Gershwin’s memorable song “Summertime and the Living is Easy”? Summers meant picnics in the park, vacations, camping, lounging at the pool, jumping in the lake, and reading favorite books. That was then, this is now. Now, we have children attending academically focused summer programs or athletic...
Point: How summer vacation became a burden, not a break
Contrary to a widely held perception, public school summer vacations are not getting shorter. And that’s a shame. Despite some movement toward “balanced schedules” that include more breaks during the school year, summer vacations still average 10 weeks, unchanged from 20 years ago. Trimming back this mind-numbing break would improve...
