Opinion category, Page 74
Joseph Sabino Mistick: The dignity of the American worker
As Donald Trump’s hatchet man, Elon Musk has embraced his assignment to fire government employees with gusto and bravado, even brandishing a chain saw for the media, as if this is somehow fun and entertaining. Musk’s utter coldness should surprise no one, since he has said, “The fundamental weakness of...
Kim Foxx and Cristine Soto DeBerry: Deleting the federal police misconduct database makes us less safe
President Donald Trump’s administration quietly deleted the first federal police misconduct database — a critical tool created to prevent federal law enforcement officers with histories of serious misconduct from being rehired by other agencies. This reckless decision undermines accountability, weakens public trust and makes our communities less safe. Ironically, it...
Meg Snead: What Kim Ward gets wrong in her fight to cut Medicaid
Earlier this month, Senate President Pro Tempore Kim Ward and Harrisburg Republicans sent a letter asking the Trump administration to shut down a Medicaid program designed to help new mothers, children and poor families. I previously served as the acting secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services and have...
Frank Barry: Call ‘migrants’ by their true name — immigrants
“What’s in a name?” Shakespeare’s Juliet asks, making the point that what matters is a person’s essence, not what we call them. That’s true in love. In politics, not so much. People entering the U.S. at our southern border are now routinely called a name — migrant — that is...
David M. Drucker: Reagan Republicans didn’t disappear. They were just demoted.
Over the last decade, it’s become commonplace to describe President Donald Trump’s takeover of the Republican Party as hostile — as if the one-time New York real estate mogul was the political version of a corporate raider. That’s a gross mischaracterization, one that has contributed to a misunderstanding of the...
Greg Fulton: Remembering our nation’s Vietnam veterans
For many, March 29 is just another day on the calendar. However, for those who served in Vietnam and their families and friends, the day has much more meaning. March 29 is National Vietnam War Veterans Day. It is a day to honor and show appreciation to the 2.7 million...
Sounding off: Trump, Republicans, football, more among week’s topics
Trump is not the bad guy in Ukraine-Russia war In 1994, the U.S., U.K., Ukraine and Russia signed a nonproliferation treaty. Nuclear weapons were removed from Ukraine and sent to Russia. Why did President Clinton let Russia have the weapons? In 2014, Russia invaded Crimea. President Obama and his foreign...
Letter to the editor: Penn State’s priorities
I was always under the impression the main role of a university was to educate our young people. I am not so sure that is the case at Penn State. Case in point: Head football coach James Franklin is paid $8.5 million per season. The defensive coordinator is paid $3...
Letter to the editor: All passionate voters should tone down rhetoric
Regarding the editorial “Political attacks are shameful slides to gateway violence” (March 19, TribLive): Thanks for addressing this issue. I believe the beginning of people expressing their opinions in a more aggressive or violent way came about during the 2016 presidential campaigns. Donald Trump would hold rallies to heat up...
Editorial: International students contribute to Pittsburgh and Pennsylvania
The Greater Pittsburgh region is home to dozens of colleges and universities. There are the large research facilities like the University of Pittsburgh and Carnegie Mellon University. There are public schools like Indiana University of Pennsylvania and Pennsylvania Western University. There are private colleges, religious colleges, community colleges. There are...
Letter to the editor: Making America great again?
Yes, let’s make America great again! Let’s cut the air traffic controllers at the start of the vacation season! Let’s cut Department of Veterans Affairs, since veterans only served our country and fought for our freedom! Let’s say we will end the war in one day — but don’t actually...
Letter to the editor: Trump is not the bad guy in Ukraine-Russia war
In 1994, the U.S., U.K., Ukraine and Russia signed a nonproliferation treaty. Nuclear weapons were removed from Ukraine and sent to Russia. Why did President Bill Clinton let Russia have the weapons? In 2014, Russia invaded Crimea. President Barack Obama and his foreign policy expert Joe Biden threatened consequences, but...
S.E. Cupp: No on-the-job training for national security
“Michael Waltz has learned a lesson, and he’s a good man.” This was the president of the United States’ defense of his national security adviser who’s embroiled in a humiliating, alarming and downright unfathomable breach of security — and confidence. In case you missed it, “Signalgate” is the latest controversy...
James Thrasher: NCAA’s NIL policy — No Integrity Left
$4.8 million is the NIL (name, image and likeness) valuation of Cooper Flagg, a freshman Duke basketball player. How is that even possible? In essence, Duke was able to buy the hired gun, Flagg, one of the most highly decorated high school players in the country. Do you think Duke...
Seth T. Kannarr, Derek H. Alderman and Jordan Brasher: America is caught in a name game where place names become political tools
Place names are more than just labels on a map. They influence how people learn about the world around them and perceive their place in it. Names can send messages and suggest what is and isn’t valued in society. And the way that they are changed over time can signal...
Letter to the editor: Demonizing Musk
The radical left (new Democratic Party) has put their insanity on full display for all to see with their attacks on Tesla dealerships, charging stations and Tesla vehicles. Their outrage at Elon Musk for supporting President Trump and lending his technical expertise to the administration in an effort to eliminate...
Lori Falce: Confession is good for the soul — unless you are a politician
As a kid, I was always cautioned that admitting my faults was the easier path. When you go to Catholic school, that is reinforced when you go to confession. The exit ramp from the road to hell was an earnest admission, a genuine apology and a few Hail Marys. Have...
Laurels & lances: Nostalgia, rules & Pirates
Laurel: To a taste of the past. If picking up a pound of chipped chopped ham at the grocery store deli doesn’t quite scratch the itch of those childhood trips to your favorite deli combined with an ice cream parlor, something is promising to fill that need. Jim Conroy, co-owner...
Letter to the editor: Fauci deserves thanks, not demonization
The writer of the letter “No one elected Fauci, either” (March 12, TribLive) seems to contradict herself. She acknowledges (correctly) that Dr. Anthony Fauci “knew better than anyone else.” She also acknowledges correctly that over a million Americans died. But then she complains about the restrictions Fauci recommended, many of...
Paul Kengor: The ACLU’s religious ignorance
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) gets defensive when accused of being hostile to the concerns and freedoms of Christians, but there’s no denying the troubling track record. Everyone knows it. A conservative Jewish friend of mine calls the ACLU the “Anti-Christian Liberties Union.” I’ve written about its history in...
Betsy Sinclair: Avoiding your neighbor because of how they voted? Democracy needs you to talk to them instead.
Are you angry about politics right now? Seething? You’re not alone. According to the Mood of the Nation Poll by researchers at Penn State, 9 in 10 Americans can name a recent news event or something about American politics that made them angry. Political scientists Steven Webster, Elizabeth Connors and...
Peter Morici: A recession could leave Americans humming ‘Oh, Canada’
President Trump’s convincing victory and mandate ignited optimism for more stock market gains, continued economic growth, and higher inflation. A leaner government, less regulation and lower taxes, combined with U.S. leadership in semiconductors and software for artificial intelligence, were expected to spark more innovation and investment. From Nov. 5 to...
Letter to the editor: Steelers have Rudolph, don’t need Rodgers
Very few teams reach the Super Bowl by hoping an older “has been” player might have one more spark left. Most teams rely on putting in the work and developing some continuity. If the Steelers sign a clearly washed-up, well-past-his-prime Aaron Rodgers, I’ll be through, finished, finito, done with a...
Letter to the editor: Trump’s treatment of veterans
For all you veterans who proudly wore T-shirts stating “Veterans for Trump,” the Trump regime now has plans to cut 80,000 jobs from the Department of Veterans Affairs, 25% of whom are veterans. As part of his pause on intelligence sharing with Ukraine, President Trump suspended access to satellite imagery...
Editorial: Is swing state Pennsylvania swinging even more in some areas?
Just when you think Pennsylvania has decided to zig, it zags. The November election proved the state’s reputation as swingy as a circus trapeze. Keystone State voters have blown with the political winds, siding with Donald Trump, Joe Biden, Trump again and Barack Obama in the last five presidential elections....
