Opinion category, Page 35
Editorial: Is it finally time for legal marijuana in Pennsylvania?
President Donald Trump is mulling a move on marijuana. The president said Monday his administration was considering rescheduling the substance, moving it from Schedule I to a Schedule III. Scheduled drugs are medications or other substances classified based on their impacts. Marijuana is a Schedule I drug, meaning it has...
Letter to the editor: Trump is destroying America
President Trump’s tariffs are the downfall of American and international economies. I predict they will wreak more havoc domestic and abroad than the Smoot-Hawley tariffs ever did, and the six-time bankrupt Trump will add a seventh and eighth to his belt. Trump tariffs will go beyond the “asinine,” the “economic...
James Fogarty: Getting to more inclusive and supportive schools for our kids in Pittsburgh
As we look to the future of our city, we all have a responsibility to ask, “how are the children”? Data from 2023-24 shows challenges in our schools: • Few complete post-secondary education: 343 out of 1,614 Pittsburgh Public Schools freshmen in 2014 finished college or trade school by 2024....
Commentary: How postsecondary opportunities for students are changing for the better
Americans are losing faith in higher education. Nearly half of adults believe a college degree is less important to get a well-paying job than it was 20 years ago, and only a quarter believe a four-year degree is a very important part of getting a job that pays well. The...
LZ Granderson: Vance is right to call out warped partisan representation
Believe it or not, Vice President JD Vance has said a number of things over the years that I agree with. For example, when he suggested “the American people will not tolerate another endless war” with regards to sending aid to Ukraine, I felt seen. When Vance told podcaster Theo...
Letter to the editor: Jail is not a 5-star hotel
OK, now I know we have gone nuts! Mommy wants her son to be served kosher food while in prison (“Westmoreland inmate accused of stabbing mother should have kosher meals, she says,” July 28, TribLive). Does she think “Prison” is the name of a 5-star hotel? This is not a...
Letter to the editor: Don’t be bamboozled by the enemy within
The MAGA GOP under President Trump is great at blaming others for what they are doing: weaponizing government and indoctrinating radically. What about MAGA’s antagonistic relationship with the mainstream and public news media? What about pardoning criminals? What about abuse of power and lawlessness? Who would ever think that the...
Editorial: Clairton Coke Works explosion is moment of calm in partisan storm
Partisanship is what happens in the quiet spaces between calamity. When trains are derailing or cars are crashing, there is no question of affiliation. When a building is burning, no one asks how the firefighters voted. When a hurricane smashes against the shore, Democrats and Republicans and those who have...
Letter to the editor: Save the ink — Pirates will keep losing
Most companies in the world have employees whose job is to cut cost. I have a suggestion for TribLive on that matter. At the beginning of each baseball season on the first day of the regular season, print in big bold print on top of the sports page PIRATES LOSE...
Joanne Kilgour: Allegheny County’s $1 million must jumpstart a bigger housing fix
When it comes to local government, every dollar counts. Smart investments are essential to make precious public resources go further and improve as many lives as possible. The goal is always finding ways to stretch taxpayer dollars while delivering better services and stronger communities. But now, a new budget challenge...
Jamil Bey: Reimagining public safety through planning and evidence-based innovation
For too long, public safety in American cities has been shaped more by tradition, politics and perception than by evidence and innovation. Policing practices often evolved from institutional culture and community expectations — frequently without a strong foundation in research or data. As a result, the science of safety has...
Mary Ellen Klas: The DOJ’s push to collect your data is a fishing expedition
With his approval rating sinking lower and lower, and facing the prospect of losing control of the House to Democrats, President Donald Trump is engaged in an unprecedented attempt to manipulate the midterm elections. He’s now got Attorney General Pam Bondi and the Department of Justice embarking on another insidious...
Letter to the editor: True Pirates fans not ‘stupid’
Mark Madden states we are ” stupid” if we support the Pirates, buy merchandise or go to PNC Park (“Stop supporting the Pittsburgh Pirates,” Aug. 4, TribLive). He also states that we are “stupid” if we even think Paul Skenes would sign with the Pirates, and if he did sign...
Letter to the editor: Ramifications of the Trump/Musk efforts
The writer of the letter “Get a real job and get over it” (July 23, TribLive) answered a letter from a government worker who had lost his job as part of President Trump and Elon Musk’s effort to wreck the federal government. He wrote, “Are you an unemployed government employee...
Editorial: The Fed was right to say no on interest rates
The Federal Reserve resisted pressure from the White House on July 30 and left its policy rate unchanged. It was the right decision. As Chair Jerome Powell acknowledged, the case for a cut was a bit stronger this time than in June — and two of the Fed’s policymakers, in...
Letter to the editor: Get over Epstein? Where’s the empathy?
I’ve written to this paper many times with concerns on things happening around this country. Of the current issues happening that I could choose to write about, I felt compelled to respond to the letter “Who cares about Jeffrey Epstein?” (Aug. 5, TribLive). This letter is concerning and shows the...
Mallard Fillmore cartoons for the week of Aug. 11
Mallard Fillmore cartoons for the week of Aug. 11....
Editorial cartoons for the week of Aug. 11
Editorial cartoons for the week of Aug. 11....
Letter to the editor: No one left to mow the White House lawn
I know now why President Trump cemented over the lawn and Rose Garden at the White House. He deported all the undocumented immigrants and now there’s no one left to mow the grass. Nancy Cochran Springdale...
Letter to the editor: Turnpike executives don’t deserve raises
This is totally unbelievable. Raises to Pennsylvania Turnpike executives who run the most expensive (by a lot) and poorly maintained toll road in captivity are insane (“Pa. Turnpike execs get 5-figure pay raises, including CEO’s $86K boost,” Aug. 7, TribLive). Let’s see, if you drive from Pittsburgh to Philadelphia, you...
Editorial: Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission fails transparency test
There are certain things we can depend upon in Pennsylvania. As certain as the sun will rise, there will be potholes, there will be football rivalries and the state Legislature will lock horns over something that should be an easy compromise. But hey, sometimes the potholes get paved (except at...
Letter to the editor: How did we get to today’s violent state?
If we take a few minutes to evaluate where America is today, we may not like what we see. In addition to the most obvious, our sharply divided and sometimes violent political divisions, there are several other troubling issues which are pulling our nation apart. Violence is more violent. What,...
Joseph Sabino Mistick: Moreno the underdog candidate for Pittsburgh mayor
It’s easy to dismiss Tony Moreno and his chances in his race for mayor of Pittsburgh. The retired city police officer is running as the Republican nominee, and the last time Pittsburgh had a Republican mayor was 1934. But for Moreno, it is not about political parties. He ran and...
James Stavridis: Moving nuclear subs isn’t something you announce on social media
Two political leaders have exchanged barbs recently underlining the powerful nuclear arsenals of their respective nations. It was not just a pointless demonstration of bravado — it also showed that careless words and vague military threats can move the world closer to a disastrous conflict. The first to lash out...
Point: Coal needs to be part of America’s energy future
There is no disputing it: Coal isn’t disappearing. Despite reports of coal’s demise, global coal use hit a record in 2024. Since the turn of the century, coal demand has doubled. The world needs a new political discourse on coal. This is not a fuel that is going to be...
