Opinion category, Page 46
Jim Lee: Fetterman stuck between rock and a ‘hard’ GOP place
SP&R’s latest Pennsylvania poll conducted June 16-21 (with 713 likely voters) shows U.S. Sen. John Fetterman with a 41% job approval after 2½ years in office. On the surface, this isn’t so bad. For comparison, former U.S. Sen. Bob Casey had a 37% job approval rating in our polling in...
Letter to the editor: Roberts and the Constitution
Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts’ view of judicial criticism astounds me. Has he forgotten the very amendment (1) he is sworn to uphold? It’s one thing to encourage protection from obvious or disguised security threats or commentary intended to incite. However, his President Donald Trump and Sen. Chuck Schumer...
Letter to the editor: Did we really need a parade?
I love a parade. I enjoy the marching bands, floats and celebratory atmosphere. I have stood elbow to elbow, layer deep, on a New York City sidewalk hoping to get a glimpse of the St. Patrick’s Day marchers and other activity. Uncounted are the hours I’ve spent enjoying the Macy’s...
Editorial: A reminder in Africa that the religious freedoms we take for granted are fragile
As Christianity declines in the West, the faith is flourishing in sub-Saharan Africa, which is seeing the fastest growth in Christianity the world over. By 2060, more than 4 in 10 Christians worldwide are expected to live in sub-Saharan Africa, compared with just 1 in 10 in 1970, according to...
Letter to the editor: Musk’s problems just disappear
To date, 10 Starship rockets have failed to meet all their stated objectives (“SpaceX rocket explodes on test stand,” June 20), resulting in a zero success rate and a cost of over $5 billion. Colonizing Mars is Elon Musk’s fantasy dream, a project that scientists say has little chance of...
Mallard Fillmore cartoons for the week of July 7
Mallard Fillmore cartoons for the week of July 7....
Editorial cartoons for the week of July 7
Editorial cartoons for the week of July 7....
David M. Drucker: Mamdani’s rise is a gift Republicans are already using
Zohran Mamdani isn’t the most famous Democrat in America. But the front-runner to serve as New York’s next mayor is well on his way — and he’ll get there, if Republicans have anything to say about it. Immediately after the previously little-known state assemblyman from Queens won the Democratic nomination...
Letter to the editor: It shouldn’t take a law to bring back teaching cursive writing
I recently saw an article that stated Pennsylvania lawmakers are considering passing a law to teach cursive in schools again. Since when does it take a law by government to teach “cursive,” or what we called “writing,” in our schools? And by what law did it stop being taught? I...
Letter to the editor: Well sites must have evacuation plans
Thank you for your article “State environmental board maintains permit renewals for two Penn Township gas wells” (June 22, TribLive). My wife and I live within a half-mile of these proposed Drakulic site unconventional wells. The article states that “The site is tucked in among housing developments, and about 3,000...
Editorial: Giant Eagle might be just what the doctor ordered for pharmacy problems
Are grocery stores the key to fighting back against the high cost of prescription drugs? In recent years, drugstores have been caught between a rock and a hard place. The rock is Medicare and Medicaid co-pays. The hard place? Pharmacy benefit managers that act as a middleman between pharmaceutical companies...
Letter to the editor: Chicken restrictions too harsh in West Leechburg
I am writing as a concerned and engaged resident to urge West Leechburg leaders to reconsider the overly restrictive regulations on keeping backyard chickens in the borough. Backyard chickens are a source of fresh, healthy eggs, and they also offer families an opportunity to become more self-sufficient, teach children responsibility...
Joseph Sabino Mistick: Eradicating hate is a worthy cause
The Washington Examiner reported last week that Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem announced she was terminating funding for a federal program that supports the Eradicate Hate Global Summit, which was started in Pittsburgh after the massacre of 11 Tree of Life synagogue worshippers in 2018, still the deadliest antisemitic act...
Austin Sarat: In a democracy, protest is good for the soul, even if it does not change anyone’s mind
For the past several months, I have organized a weekly “Stand Up for Democracy” rally/protest on the busiest street corner in my hometown. On Fridays at 5:30 pm., students, teachers, townspeople and senior citizens come together, hold signs and wave at passing drivers, some of whom honk their horns in...
Rep. Mike Kelly: One Big Beautiful Bill a gamechanger for Western Pa.
Last week, Congress passed, and President Trump signed, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA). This historic package of legislation prevents the largest tax hike in modern American history while providing tax relief for Americans across the board. From employers to employees, from children to seniors, this legislation provides historic...
Letter to the editor: Nutting should think of the Pirates first
Dear Pirates owners Bob Nutting and family, I appeal to your responsibilities as Pirates owners to focus your management decisions on producing the best baseball team possible. I know this may conflict with your need to increase shareholder value and personal income, but you have a greater responsibility: to produce...
Letter to the editor: SNAP cuts would devastate local families
Food Assistance Match (FAM) is alarmed by the proposed cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), which would devastate families navigating food insecurity, especially in communities like ours. SNAP is among the most effective tools to reduce hunger, improve health and stimulate the economy. As a nonprofit that matches...
Editorial: What’s happening with police on the South Side?
In June 2024, a TribLive reporter and a photographer spent a night walking on Pittsburgh’s South Side. They were documenting the crime and general atmosphere. It had been almost a year since Pittsburgh police implemented a special patrol to address an uptick in crime and a perception that the area...
Letter to the editor: Cyber charter reform needed
The information revealed in a recent state audit of cyber charter schools should alarm every Pennsylvania taxpayer. These schools were so awash in excess funding that they had accumulated fund balances of $619 million in June 2023. This is money that should have been used for education or returned to...
Bill Lueders: Reasons to celebrate July 4
Every Fourth of July, Erwin Knoll, the late editor of The Progressive magazine, would host a party. He’d grill burgers and brats and tack copies of the Declaration of Independence and Bill of Rights to trees in his backyard in Madison, Wis. The U.S. government has never had a fiercer...
Rick LaRue: America 250 — a big opportunity slipping away
One year from now, the nation will mark the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. I fear it could be a shame, even possibly a sham. Don’t get me wrong. Our founding principles of freedom, liberty and the pursuit of happiness are worth celebrating. The optimist in me still...
Dan DeBone: Child care shortage threatens economy
As Pennsylvania lawmakers work to finalize the state budget, our communities face countless priorities competing for limited resources — from infrastructure needs and public safety to workforce development and education. This year, with so much uncertainty surrounding potential cuts to federal funding that could impact vital programs across the commonwealth,...
Destenie Nock: Summer’s triple threat — bills rising, grids straining, help shrinking
In July 2022, a tenant called to say her apartment thermostat read 89 degrees Fahrenheit and her infant had developed a painful heat rash. I drove to the store, bought the only A/C unit still in stock and installed it that same day. But afterward, I kept thinking about the...
Jamie Miller: Magee nurses forming union to be voice for you and your loved ones
I was a scared 17-year-old when I first went to Magee-Womens Hospital for my prenatal care. I had a high-risk pregnancy, and as a teenage mom, I had no idea what to expect. There was never any question about which hospital to go to. Magee is where my family has...
Editorial: Let freedom ring
The greatest thing America has ever done is to stand up to tyranny and declare itself to be free. Before our nation was a nation, we sowed the seeds of what we would become. Before we had a representational democratic republic, people acting in our collective interest sat in collaboration....
