Opinion category, Page 94
Editorial: Gergely seat illustrates importance of respect with lack of majority
Pennsylvania’s House of Representatives is once again locked in a tie. The chamber has reflected the paper-thin margins of state politics since 2023 — or more precisely, since the moment votes were counted in the 2022 general election. That election gave the Democrats a narrow majority with one hand but...
Letter to the editor: Will our species go extinct?
I found the letter “More meat, more CO2 among resolutions” (Jan. 12, TribLive) appalling. Has the writer heard about climate change? He obviously isn’t a climatologist and chooses to ignore the findings of those who are, as well as the overwhelming evidence that climate change is real and here now....
David Mastio: 2 Trumps, contradictory as always, were on full display at his inauguration
If Donald Trump has a natural environment, it is cognitive dissonance. Nowhere was that on display more than the moment in his inauguration speech when he said, “I want to be a peacemaker and a unifier.” No American politician for 50 years has thrived more on strife and division than...
Derrick Tillman: Collaborations, investments key throughout Pittsburgh communities
Growing up in Section 8 housing, I witnessed firsthand the struggles of living day-to-day when it came to underserved and underrepresented populations. Not only did I see neighbors being displaced, but I saw family members wrestling with bills, trying to meet the needs of daily life. In each of those...
William Beaver: Does nuclear power have a future?
America will need more electricity to keep the lights on and our electronic devices running. The demand for electricity is predicted to increase by 18% by 2033 due largely to data centers needed for artificial intelligence and more electric vehicles. One of the ways to meet that demand would be...
Letter to the editor: Permitting rodeos is a step backwards
On Jan. 24 and 25, there is going to be a rodeo at PPG Paints Arena! For 32 years, Pittsburgh law has prevented the use of cruel electric prods, flanks, backing straps and sharpened fixed spurs, all of which burn, wound and/or dig into animals’ skin and sensitive tissue —...
Letter to the editor: Learning to think for ourselves
The other evening, I listened to President Biden’s farewell address. I was surprised when he warned us about the amount of misinformation we receive and that the very rich — some of whom own media platforms — are forming an oligarchy. Immediately after his speech, I turned on Fox News...
Editorial: ‘A multitude of malicious actors’
“Today’s cyber landscape is threatened by a multitude of malicious actors who have the tools to conduct large-scale fraud schemes, hold our money and data for ransom, and endanger our national security.” That’s according to a 2023 FBI report on internet crime that was quoted this month in The (Cumberland,...
Letter to the editor: Boycott Starbucks
Starbucks employees started unionization efforts in 2021. The company has been blocking their efforts, sometimes with intimidation and illegal activity such as firing employees who were trying to unionize (“Fueled by anger and caffeine, 200 Starbucks workers strike in Pittsburgh area,” Dec. 24, TribLive). The new CEO of Starbucks was...
Cal Thomas: The second time around for Trump
According to the Frank Sinatra song, “Love is lovelier, the second time around.” We’ll see how that works out in the second coming of Donald. J. Trump, now president of the United States for a second time, following a four-year “intermission.” The two terms will be a contrast in policy,...
Alison L. Steele: Linking Pa.’s shale gas industry to Calif. wildfires
Thousands of Californians have been displaced by wildfires that continue to rage across the landscape. Their homes and businesses have burned to the ground, and a growing number of lives have been lost. Many more families await evacuation orders, their bags packed, their children prepped, their pets leashed or caged,...
Colin P. Clarke: Why Israel can’t just ‘cut the head off’ of Hamas or Hezbollah
Since the horrific Hamas terrorist attacks of Oct. 7, 2023, Israel has been at war in the Middle East. The conflict has stretched across borders, spanning Gaza to Lebanon to Iran. Over the course of 15 months, the Israel Defense Forces and Israel’s intelligence services have taken the fight directly...
David L. Nevins: MAGA and immigration — the unstoppable force meets the immovable object
There’s an old saying about what happens when the unstoppable force meets an immovable object, a situation where two equally powerful and contradictory forces are in opposition to each other. Such a situation is rapidly unfolding between two powerful forces within the Republican Party on the all-important issue of immigration....
Mallard Fillmore for the week of Jan. 20
Mallard Fillmore for the week of Jan. 20....
Letter to the editor: Tomlin needs pointers on forming a dream team
It’s too bad O.J. isn’t still around; he could have given Coach T a few pointers as to how he assembled his “dream team.” Having stated this, with all the seeds available, it certainly isn’t any major accomplishment to get to the playoffs. Coach T, anything short of making it...
Letter to the editor: Freeport should follow the rules
At a time when Pennsylvania is facing a teacher shortage that’s critical and worsening, the Freeport Area School District should be respecting teachers and the legally binding contract that the district negotiated with teachers, not dragging people into court when they were sick or hurt and need to take the...
Editorial: Secret Service will be shaped by events in Butler
The Butler Farm Show grounds shooting will have a lasting impact on the U.S. Secret Service. That was evident from the moment the first shot rang out and when Donald Trump clutched his ear. Few Secret Service-protected events have body counts. Buffalo Township firefighter Corey Comperatore was not there to...
Letter to the editor: DOGE is critical to our nation
Check out usdebtclock.org, where you’ll see our debt at $36.4 trillion with spending at $7.2 trillion against $5.0 trillion in revenue. Think about that! If we continue this spending trajectory, our debt will be $48.1 trillion in 2029. The need for innovative solutions like the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE)...
Joseph Sabino Mistick: We can all do better being good neighbors
Last week, as Americans mourned the destruction and death caused by raging fires in Los Angeles, both Canada and Mexico sent firefighters and equipment to California. It is what good neighbors do. They help each other as best they can when help is needed, without being asked and without keeping...
Colin McNickle: PPS’ continuing chronic absenteeism crisis
Chronic absenteeism in Pittsburgh Public Schools remains abysmal, concludes the latest data from watchdog A+ Schools. And the district’s chronic tardiness in addressing the matter has become inexcusable, says a scholar at the Allegheny Institute for Public Policy. “The duty of PPS administrators is to put an end to the...
Cal Thomas: Trump’s second inaugural address
Who remembers Donald Trump’s first inaugural address? Probably not very many, unless they have Googled it, as I did. That’s likely because after the speech Trump became fixated on the size of the crowd, which he repeatedly claimed was larger than official estimates. As I reread it, I was surprised...
Letter to the editor: Hegseth ‘jagoff’ question shows lack of respect
Regarding the article “Pete Hegseth asked to define ‘jagoff’ at Senate confirmation hearing” (Jan. 14, TribLive): The esteem normally accorded to the U.S. Senate reached a new low when Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I., asked Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee to be secretary of Defense, to define and explain the term...
Shih-Yu Simon Wang: Fiery and icy weather of West, East coasts is no coincidence
The Hollywood sign stands sentinel above Los Angeles, watching as embers dance through the January night like wayward stars. Glowing debris floats on warm winds past million-dollar mansions, while emergency crews battle a blaze that shouldn’t exist — not in winter, not here, not now. Two thousand miles east, in...
Sounding off: Trump, Biden, Steelers among week’s topics
Free-for-all coming with Trump in charge So here we are. A convicted felon will be our president. We will be led by billionaires and millionaires, an oligarchy. As if any of them know what it’s like to live this life without any of the struggles that those with less encounter....
Letter to the editor: Free-for-all coming with Trump in charge
So here we are. A convicted felon will be our president. We will be led by billionaires and millionaires, an oligarchy. As if any of them know what it’s like to live this life without any of the struggles that those with less encounter. It’s all about power. My father...
