Opinion category, Page 43
Paul Kengor: Trump assassination tragedy still on minds of many
One year ago, Donald Trump was nearly assassinated in Butler. In my hometown. It was a historic, tragic event that affected not only the loved ones of those killed or injured but so many of us in this region. Personally, it has been strange over the last year when I...
Stuart I.R. Haniff: Lawmakers must protect Pa.’s anti-hunger programs
A hunger crisis is happening across Pennsylvania — in every county and every legislative district — but you wouldn’t know unless you look. Food insecurity, according to Feeding America’s Map the Meal Gap Report, has risen 40% over the last two years in the commonwealth. Now, one in eight of...
Laurels & lances: New tech, new info
Laurel: To new access. We hear a lot about the dangers of technology, especially related to artificial intelligence. Yes, there are valid questions to raise. Yes, Hollywood movies and science fiction books have postulated vivid scenarios. But artificial intelligence also can give back accessibility that makes life easier. In some...
Pete Shelly: It’s time to rein in the skill games industry
Pennsylvania lawmakers have an opportunity to finally address a critical need and pass common-sense legislation to regulate and tax skill games in the coming days as they work to finalize the fiscal year 2025-26 state budget. This challenge is about much more than generating new tax revenues. It’s about public...
Rep. Summer Lee: One Big Beautiful Bill will harm many
On the Fourth of July, President Trump signed into law one of the most harmful bills in modern history. This legislation, the One Big Beautiful Bill (OBBB), makes the biggest cuts to Medicaid and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) ever, guts clean energy tax credits and investments, threatens hundreds of...
Letter to the editor: Clearances protect children
I must take issue with letter-writer who objected to the requirement for clearances in order to volunteer with a church (“What would Jesus think of all these clearances?,” July 14, TribLive). It is not only the Catholic Church that has this requirement, but any organization where children are served —...
Letter to the editor: Trump can’t win
You are damned if you do and damned if you don’t. That’s what our president is up against. Dion Urban East Vandergrift...
Letter to the editor: The president hates me
The president of the United States hates me, and he tells everyone. He hates me because I care about people and the environment. He hates me because I voted for Kamala Harris, Josh Shapiro, Chris Deluzio and Anita Kulic, among others. He says I have TDS, and I probably do...
Editorial: Energy and innovation aren’t the same as money and power
The Pennsylvania Energy and Innovation Summit at Carnegie Mellon University was ostensibly, as the name implied, about energy and innovation. In reality, it was about money and jobs. The event provided an opportunity for investors and politicians to get a moment in the sun as they announced a roster of...
Letter to the editor: Leg shackle referendum should be reviewed
At the recent Allegheny County Jail Oversight Board meeting, Allegheny County Councilwoman Bethany Hallam showed support for sheriffs taking over inmate hospital trips. They voted in favor of studying feasibility. She is vocally against corrections officers using leg shackles on inmates at the hospital but not sheriffs. This flip-flop is...
Jonah Goldberg: Yes, Mr. President, they’re still talking about Jeffrey Epstein
“Are you still talking about Jeffrey Epstein?” President Trump shot back at a reporter during a Cabinet meeting. “This guy’s been talked about for years. … I mean, I can’t believe you’re asking a question on Epstein at a time like this, where we’re having some of the greatest success...
Philip Martell: It’s time to modernize school funding and stop punishing property owners
For decades, Pennsylvania’s public school funding model has relied too heavily on one thing — the local property tax. It’s a system that rewards wealthier ZIP codes and punishes rural and working class communities. No matter how much we tinker around the edges, we cannot fix education in this commonwealth...
Jason ‘J.J.’ Park: Israel vs. Iran? Or the prime minister vs. the ayatollah?
The Israel-Iran conflict is a tit-for-tat. On June 13, Israel struck Iranian nuclear facilities and military leaders. On June 16, an Iranian drone targeted the U.S. Consulate in Erbil, Iraq. On June 22, the U.S. bombed three Iranian nuclear sites. On June 23, Iran bombed Al Udeid Air Base in...
Letter to the editor: The story of autism is complex
There has been some discussion recently about autistic children excluded from field trips. On the face it seems discriminating, but what do you know about autism? Autism is not a singular condition but a blanket covering a range of disabilities from mild to profound. In some cases it is hardly...
Letter to the editor: The fools are determined to believe the lies
Why do Americans keep falling for the lies of government propaganda? I’ve observed this throughout my 70 years. I was 8 years old when President John F. Kennedy was assassinated and clearly remember that day. But I grew up and stopped believing in the “magic bullet” theory, just as I...
Letter to the editor: First Amendment rights
I am tired of hearing about the sanctity of Second Amendment rights and then reading about the “violence” and “abuse” of First Amendment rights as expressed in letters “First Amendment doesn’t protect criminal behavior” (June 27, TribLive) and “Protests don’t look peaceful” (June 18, TribLive). To respond to the first...
Editorial: The impact of Bella Seachrist’s death
Bella Seachrist never had a chance. Bella missed an opportunity for simply living. She was just 3 years old — almost 4 — when she died, slowly, of starvation. Poverty will do that to a child. That isn’t what happened to Bella. Her stepmother, Laura Ramriez, had a room in...
Hallie Leach: We must work together to teach students about Holocaust, antisemitism
In an era marked by a troubling resurgence of antisemitism and misinformation, it has never been more critical for educators to work collaboratively and purposefully to ensure that students are learning not only the history of the Holocaust but also how its lessons apply to the world today. In June,...
Nate Picarsic: U.S. must keep pace with China on energy, technology
Today Pittsburgh hosts the inaugural edition of Sen. Dave McCormick’s Energy and Innovation Summit. The event will gather champions in energy and AI, investors, labor leaders and government officials. The focus will be on American energy dominance for a new technological era — and the opportunity that provides. Western Pennsylvania...
Mark Masterson: How much longer does Pittsburgh have to wait for inclusionary zoning?
Ten years ago, in June 2015, the city of Pittsburgh’s first ever Affordable Housing Task Force met for the first time. I was one member of the Task Force, along with members of City Council and other elected offices, local housing developers, building trades and organized labor, as well as...
Letter to the editor: Speeding on Route 30 must be stopped
Regarding the article “As traffic grows, Route 30 crash hot spots a concern for motorists, property owners, police and PennDOT” (June 29, TribLive): I agree that improvements need to be made on this dangerous state highway. In the article, speed is mentioned several times. All the improvements can be made...
Letter to the editor: Trump has plenty of his own money
The writer of the letter “Does Trump enjoy causing pain, chaos?” (July 10, TribLive) states that Trump is “using the presidency to enrich himself, earning potentially billions so far.” I wonder if the writer is aware that President Trump purchased Mar-a-Lago (1985) long before becoming president. Trump also purchased and...
Letter to the editor: Deporting veterans is a disgrace
While politicians claim to “support our troops,” reports of U.S. military veterans and their families being targeted by ICE suggest otherwise. Jermaine Thomas, born on a U.S. military base to a veteran father, was deported to Jamaica — a country he had never even visited. Purple Heart recipient Sae Joon...
Editorial: Faith in 911 system needs to be maintained
We take some things for granted. Turn a faucet, and water will pour out. Flip a switch, and lights will come on. Those can be interrupted by circumstances. Don’t pay a bill, and the water or electricity can be cut off. But there are some services we rely on so...
Letter to the editor: A coverup on the Epstein files?
Is it just me or do others find it strange that Attorney General Pam Bondi just announced that there is no client list or evidence of child sexual abuse that can be prosecuted in the Epstein case? Back in February the information was that she had mountains of evidence and...
