Opinion category, Page 20

Editorial cartoons for the week of March 10....

You may dislike him. You may hate him. You may even think he is evil incarnate. But you must admit that Donald J. Trump has led a truly extraordinary and very interesting life! Joe Marmo Cheswick...

I’m sick of people saying they are going to make America Great “AGAIN.” I was drafted into the Army in 1965 and served honorably during the Vietnam era. In all my 81 years, I have not found any place as “GREAT” as the United States of America. So there is...

I am encouraged that Robert F. Kennedy Jr., secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, has advocated for the importance of children getting vaccinated against measles. But this is not enough. More action is needed by HHS, particularly in regard to the flu. Each year there are new...

Plastics are a global disaster. All the plastic that has ever been produced is still on this earth. Plastic does not readily decompose; it just breaks down into smaller particles called microplastics and nanoplastics that scientists call “forever chemicals.” These “forever chemicals” leach carcinogens and other toxins into our bodies....

The federal government has threatened it before. It has dangled the string and tried to make us jump. It has coyly set deadlines only to pull back at the last minute. It’s happening! It is! Ha, ha, no, it’s not. No, this is not about the tariffs with Canada and...

After reading the letter “History in our backyards” (March 5, TribLive), I was prompted to list a few more things that Westmoreland County is known/little known for. Gen. John “Black Jack” Pershing’s great-great-grandfather is buried near Pleasant Unity in Smith’s Grave Yard; his settlement of Coventry still exists and there...

In the spirit of the Trump administration’s mass firings of government employees, in its reported attempt to reduce waste and save taxpayers money, let’s direct our attention locally. What is Westmoreland County doing to reduce waste and cut spending? In 2024, the county commissioners approved a 32.5% property tax increase...

Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey held a newss conference last week that Grant Street scuttlebutt had billed as a game changer for his struggling campaign for reelection. It did not go as Gainey had hoped. Gainey accused his Democratic primary election opponent Corey O’Connor of taking campaign contributions from Republican donors...

Resist the urge to publish the American Dream’s obituary. It’s alive, though unwell. It’s no secret that the hallmarks of the dream have become unreachable for many Americans. Homeownership seems impossible in communities. Marriage rates have dropped. Families have shrunk. Even lifespans are on the decline. The dream’s vital signs...

One astonishing phenomenon (of admittedly many) in this second presidency of Donald Trump is his voluntary transfer of America’s greatest asset to his counterpart in the Kremlin, Vladimir Putin. That asset is soft power. The concept was developed at the end of the Cold War by the international relations scholar...

Gasoline is now around $3.49 per gallon. While President Donald J. Trump is concentrating on downsizing government, perhaps he should also concentrate on downsizing the price of gasoline. If I remember correctly, when Trump beat Hillary Clinton in 2016 and became president, gas was $1.87 per gallon. So is the...

Imagine if you will, Steelers owner Art Rooney owned a restaurant — “Art’s Diner, home of the Skunk Sandwich.” It’s the only place around this side of Cleveland. You’re hungry for something, so you go there. Omar, the manager, greets you, and Russ, your waiter, seats you with a menu....

I find myself at odds on many occasions with columnist Joseph Sabino Mistick, except on the subject of progressives (“Progressivism killing the party, the city,” Feb. 23, TribLive). They are mortally wounding my Democratic Party. They are against all that makes our country great and our society function. All my...

In February, Millvale police arrested a 16-year-old Shaler Area High School student who was accused of having a semiautomatic weapon on a bus. The school resource officer was notified Jan. 30. The student was identified the next day. The student was then removed from school and the case turned over...

Elon Musk has justified his rampage, which I believe is illegal, through the U.S. government by arguing that he is efficiently cutting wasteful spending. A closer look at his efforts, though, to me reveals stunning sloppiness and incompetence. He orchestrated more than 300 firings at the National Nuclear Security Administration...

Remember all the “for Dummies” books that were so popular in the ’90s and 2000s? I would like to propose a “DOGE for Dummies/Democrats” to help caterwauling lefties understand why Elon Musk’s new department is necessary. Consider the following analogy: Let’s say you move into a neighborhood with a homeowners...

Early in my career as a pediatrician, it would not be unusual to get a phone call in the middle of the night from the worried parent of a child with a high fever. I got out of bed, met the family in the emergency room and sat with them...

After reading the letter “A rundown of the last 8 years” (Feb. 5, TribLive) while Presidents Trump and Biden were in office, I decided to check out my last eight years. While Trump was in office, my insurance company canceled my $15,000 life insurance policy, resulting in a future loss...

I turned on the news early Friday afternoon to witness exploding talking heads as Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was driven from the White House. Surprisingly, none mentioned the obvious: Zelenskyy’s childlike petulance to advance the cause of peace by: • Formalizing the minerals agreement, already been signed by his legislature,...

Just over a month into his second term, let’s just see how President Trump is making America great again. The especially smart moves so far include cutting the: • FAA air traffic controllers just before the start of the air travel season. • IRS just as tax filing season gets...

The recent House budget resolution almost certainly requires action from the committee that oversees Medicaid. This level of savings can only be achieved through devastating changes to the Medicaid program. There is no other way. I urge the public to contact their elected officials, particularly senators, to oppose the budget...

Laurel: To the start of the season. Lent is upon us. Ash Wednesday was this week, and now Fridays in the coming weeks — and the practice for many Christians of abstaining from eating meat — are a chance for churches, fire companies and other nonprofits to fundraise with fish...

Regarding the article “Hempfield supervisors spend $222K on vehicles after debate” (Feb. 27, TribLive): I applaud Chairman Douglas Weimer and Supervisors William Bretz and Jay Anderson for voting to invest in the local economy. Purchasing new vehicles is an investment in the improvement of township services, not simply replacing equipment....

U.S. Steel has been in the news quite a bit within the last couple of years. It is enough to confuse the savviest of strategists. To make sense of it all, I list the two sides, their belligerents and their identities: Free trade — trade conducted freely with no tariffs,...