Featured Commentary category, Page 17
Daniel Porterfield and Saleem Ghubril: Our nation must prioritize investing in our greatest natural resource
People are every nation’s greatest natural resource. Growing and investing in that treasure ought to be every leader’s priority. Globally, the United States is in 131st place in terms of population growth (0.67% growth rate, according to CIA.gov). It is anticipated that we will be in negative territory by 2042,...
Jason W. Park: Overworked, underpaid and unappreciated: Sound familiar?
Americans are finding “nice work if you can get it” an increasingly unlikely scenario. Whether down on the farm or high atop the skyscraper, manufacturing goods or providing services, at Fortune 500 corporations or mom-and-pop stores, employing college graduates or tradespeople, Americans feel completely exhausted, unfairly compensated and totally expendable....
The Conversation: What it’s like to be a scientist whose funding has been cut
Editor’s note: The following is portions of an interview conducted by Gemma Ware, host of The Conversation Weekly podcast, about what it’s like to be a scientist whose funding has been cut by the Trump administration with Brady Thomas West, a research professor of survey and data science at the...
Charles J. Russo: Court to decide if faith-based charter school a threat or necessity
As demonstrators gathered outside, the Supreme Court heard oral arguments on April 30, 2025, about whether Oklahoma can operate the nation’s first faith-based charter school. St. Isidore of Seville would be a virtual, K-12 school run by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Oklahoma City and the Diocese of Tulsa. Charters...
Dr. William Dailey: Penn State abandoning its people
The 30 pieces of silver have already changed hands. Pilate has washed his palms, pretending neutrality. And the die has been cast. That’s what it feels like as a Pennsylvanian watching Penn State turn its back on the very communities that built it, funded it and depended on it. I’m...
Adrian Wooldridge: The arc of history does not simply bend toward justice
Ronald Reagan was wrong. The nine most terrifying words in the English language are not “I’m from the government, and I’m here to help.” They are: “The arc of the moral universe bends towards justice.” This is a pretty phrase that was invented by a good person, Theodore Parker, and...
Parmy Olson: AI chatbots want you hooked — maybe too hooked
AI companions programmed to forge emotional bonds are no longer confined to movie scripts. They are here, operating in a regulatory Wild West. One app, Botify AI, recently drew scrutiny for featuring avatars of young actors sharing “hot photos” in sexually charged chats. The dating app Grindr, meanwhile, is developing...
Rich Harwood: Where is the ‘real America’?
Is there such a thing as a “real America”? A battle now rages over this simple question. Some Democratic Party operatives claim the real America are so-called “Trump voters,” who they say they need to better “study” in order to win future elections. Many Republican voices argue the real America...
Paul Siefken: Public media’s impact isn’t make-believe
Imagine Pittsburgh without Mister Rogers. Without public television, “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood” would not exist. There would be no Mister Rogers exhibit at the Heinz History Center or annual sweater drive at the Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh. No statue overlooking the city on the banks of the Allegheny. No trolley ride...
William M. Cotter: Print, digital access essential for public notice; bill would enhance government transparency
A developer wants to rezone a public park to allow high-density housing. The local school board weighs a plan to close an elementary school. City council considers selling the sewer system to a private party. Knowing in advance public officials are considering matters like these gives the public an opportunity...
Anantha Shekhar and Vishnu Vardhan: Pittsburgh at center of next-gen health care
The prevalence and financial burden of chronic disease continue to rise. We spend $1 trillion each year in the United States treating preventable illnesses such as diabetes, cancer and hypertension, which affect more Americans now than ever before. Globally, the spiraling rates of incidence and cost are even more stark:...
Rep. Guy Reschenthaler: Pennsylvania helped deliver Trump the presidency; he’s delivering prosperity back
On Nov. 5, President Donald J. Trump won back the White House in dominating fashion. His 312 electoral votes vastly dwarfed Vice President Kamala Harris’ total of 226. The key state in his victory? Unquestionably, our commonwealth with its 19 electoral votes. Driven by his messages of prosperity, safety, and...
Sheldon H. Jacobson: TSA isn’t perfect, but it’s way better than the alternatives
Republican Sens. Mike Lee and Tommy Tuberville recently introduced the Abolish TSA Act of 2025, effectively calling for the privatization of airport security. Against the backdrop of DOGE and the elimination of longstanding institutions like the Department of Education and the U.S. Postal Service, it appears that if ever there...
Kadida Kenner: State government can secure our access to the ballot
The federal SAVE Act would impose barriers to voting that could effectively disenfranchise millions, particularly married women, and disproportionately Black and brown people across the country. The anti-voter bill, teetering on a poll tax, has already passed in the U.S. House. Now we await the U.S. Senate’s vote to determine...
Jonathan Levin: What the tomato teaches us about free trade
Most tomatoes from Mexico will face a 21% tariff effective July 14, the U.S. Department of Commerce said recently. Ironically, the “love apple” may be the perfect illustration of how trade contributes to economic prosperity — and of the folly of President Donald Trump’s protectionist policies. First and foremost, the...
Leon Ford: Pittsburgh’s political divide shouldn’t break our bonds — a call for collaborative leadership
As Pittsburgh’s mayoral race heats up, a growing divide is surfacing — not just between candidates, but between neighbors, friends and even longtime community collaborators. We’re witnessing respected leaders fall out, meaningful partnerships dissolve and years of trust unravel over political affiliation. This isn’t new. We’ve seen it before —...
Scott L. Bohn: Equipping first responders for the age of synthetic opioids
When I started my career in law enforcement, I took an oath to serve and protect my community. Now I see that oath being lived by my fellow law enforcement colleagues throughout Pennsylvania. Members of the Pennsylvana Chiefs of Police Association represent every type of community throughout the commonwealth —...
Point: Trump’s first 100 days — the start of a Golden Age
President Donald Trump’s first 100 days back in office have been a whirlwind of action and change not seen in Washington in decades. The president won a decisive Electoral College victory in November to carry out his campaign promises of securing our southern border, repairing our economy and ending the...
Counterpoint: Trump’s first 100 days — a MAGA mess and authoritarian overreach
As we quickly approach the 100-day mark of the second Donald Trump presidency, let us look at what has happened. A lawless authoritarian blitz is a good summary. Maybe a MAGA mess? Let’s review some of the lowlights by checking in on some predictions and questions I asked after Trump’s...
John Eckenrode: Closing jails a death sentence for communities
Last month, hundreds of members of Pennsylvania State Corrections Officers Association (PSCOA) descended on Harrisburg to fight for the future of SCI-Rockview, SCI-Quehanna and the community corrections centers (CCC) of Progress and Wernersville — all of which are being targeted for closure by the Shapiro administration. The state Department of...
Staten Rector: Targeting international students puts America’s reputation at risk
Tufts University student Rümeysa Öztürk was on the way to see her friends when masked ICE agents in plainclothes cornered, handcuffed and forced her into an unmarked vehicle. She is now being detained over 1,500 miles away in Louisiana. Carnegie Mellon University student Jayson Ma had his visa suddenly revoked...
Steve Catanese: It’s time to recognize 911 workers for what they are — first responders
What’s the first thing we do in an emergency? Dial 911. The very first person you speak to typically works long, irregular hours. Your call may be about a cat stuck in a tree or a downed power line. It could be for a life-endangering accident or even a shooting....
Erika Strassburger: Pa. must lead on renewable energy
With the potential repeal of clean energy tax credits looming in Congress and crucial decisions about our power grid’s future hanging in the balance in the next few months, Pennsylvania stands at a crossroads. Our choices today will determine not just the cost of powering our homes, but also the...
Keith G. Kondrich: Today’s ‘traitors’ in good company
If it is treason to criticize U.S. health care policies based on pseudo-scientific half-truths and conspiracy theories promulgated by a charlatan, then I am a traitor and should be deported immediately to a maximum security prison in El Salvador. If it is treason to criticize the gutting of critical services...
Kimberlee Josephson: The hidden costs of IRS Direct File for Pennsylvanians
Tax season just came and went, but one Pennsylvania congressman appears worried that thousands of commonwealth residents may have overpaid. Republican Pennsylvania Congressman Mike Kelly, chairman of the House of Representatives’ tax subcommittee, has been sounding the alarm about the IRS’s new Direct File program, a government-run tax filing tool....
