Opinion category, Page 76

In a recent poll conducted by the Pew Research Center, health care was the third most important issue for voters in the presidential race, a concern voiced by 57% of respondents who were interviewed. In many cases, voters are worried about high drug costs. That’s why, this year before he...

While Donald Trump was president, the inflation rate averaged just a bit over 2%, and the month he left office it had fallen to 1.6%, one of the lowest rates in 40 years. Then President Biden and Vice President Harris come into office with their $5 trillion spend-and-borrow-and-print-money economic program,...

So Pittsburgh Public Schools has rolled out a plan to close schools (“Firm suggests closing 16 Pittsburgh Public schools, opening 2 new ones,” Aug. 14, TribLive). This is something that should have happened years ago. However, it will impact some of the lowest hourly employees first, from cafeteria workers and...

The lyrics to an old movement song, “Pass It On,” carry the warning that freedom “doesn’t come like a bird on the wing” and “doesn’t come down like the falling rain,” then advise that “freedom is a hard won thing” and “every generation has to win it again,” with instructions...

Children will make up elaborate stories to get out of trouble. The broken cookie jar is because of a monster. Or an imaginary friend. Or the dog. Yeah, that’s it. The dog did it. The child will tell that story with innocent eyes as big as the missing cookies. It’s...

Our Declaration of Independence states, “Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just Powers from the Consent of the Governed.” We the governed do not agree with this Supreme Court’s rulings. They are taking away our rights and freedoms and the laws and regulations that protect us. The Supreme Court...

Solar is the most affordable form of energy, but many face barriers to accessing its benefits. With funding available to expand solar in Pennsylvania, the best way is establishing a community solar program. Community solar allows everyone with an electric bill to benefit from solar: farmers who host projects, members...

President Biden’s political implosion has sparked one of the most chaotic election cycles in modern history. Desperate to put the turmoil behind them, Democrats moved with lightning speed to anoint Vice President Kamala Harris as the party’s presidential nominee. In doing so, they careened from one disaster to another by...

As someone who has dedicated my life to the service of this nation, I understand what it means to sacrifice for the greater good. I’ve witnessed the courage it takes to stand up in the face of danger and the strength required to put others before oneself. That’s why the...

As President Biden said during the Democratic National Convention, “Folks, we just have to remember who we are. We are the United States of America, and there is nothing we can’t do when we do it TOGETHER.” Whether we are independents, Republicans or Democrats, together we can fight for things...

In May, Bishop Larry Kulick asked Father John Moineau for his resignation as pastor of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton and Immaculate Conception parishes. At the time, many felt as though a knife had been thrust into them, as it was so painful and still is. Now, in August, we find...

I worked 36 years as an engineer and paid off my own student loan. I am an extremely hard worker, capable of fighting my own battles and not a stupid person. I vote independent and supported President Obama. I am looking for a competent executive to be president and manage...

U.S. Rep. Mike Kelly opened his news conference at the Butler Farm Show grounds Monday with an explanation. Kelly, R-Butler, co-chairs a committee investigating the July 13 shooting in which former President Donald Trump was wounded, Buffalo Township volunteer firefighter Corey Comperatore was killed and two others also were hit...

In this age of Donald Trump claiming to be Christian, Project 2025, white Christian nationalism aligned with Trump to teach their version of Christianity, and the Bible in schools, schoolchildren and the public should be reading Thomas Paine’s “The Age of Reason” as applied to Trumpism: “Infidelity does not consist...

The 43 acres Hempfield Township purchased from Excela Health three years ago has been providing profound benefits for the region for decades. The woodlands and meadow greatly enhance the air and water quality in nearby neighborhoods, as well as the greater surrounding area. They help mitigate the noxious emissions from...

As attorney general, in 2020, Josh Shapiro made a name for himself by publishing a grand jury report that called for 2,500-foot protective buffers between residents’ homes and fracking well pads. It cited reams of evidence that living near fracking infrastructure is dangerous to Pennsylvanians’ health. Shapiro’s track record as...

First-time teachers and first-time voters gearing up for the 2024 election may have only ever been exposed to toxic polarization — it’s their norm. But for those of us who’ve been in the classroom for decades, the landscape of teaching civics has changed dramatically. In the early 2000s, America was...

Does legalized online sports betting strain family finances? A recent study, “Gambling Away Stability: Sports Betting’s Impact on Vulnerable Households,” argues yes, but the conclusion reflects the moral assumptions of the authors rather than the statistical evidence. That’s not to say this is a bad study. It is a good...

I was at the recent Allegheny County Sheriff’s Department license to carry event in South Park, and I have to say that it was run as smoothly as it could possibly be. It took me 12 minutes to stand in line, have my photo taken and developed and be called...

I don’t understand why JD Vance and several Republicans keep badgering Gov. Tim Walz about his military service of 24 years. This could all be stopped by someone speaking up and saying, “What is Donald Trump’s military service record?” I’m just saying. Nancy Cochran Springdale...

In conjunction with the advent of the Harris-Walz ticket on the Democratic side, one area of continued focus and evaluation pertains to Gov. Tim Walz’s military record. The letter “Facts about Walz’s military record” (Aug. 17, TribLive) lays claim to having absolute truth to end all debate about Walz’s service....

Back in 2016, it was the Russians who interfered with the U.S. presidential election, stealing emails and computer files from the Democrats and giving them to WikiLeaks to publish, seeking to embarrass the party and damage nominee Hillary Clinton. The culprit was the FSB, the Kremlin’s successor to the KGB,...

President Biden (and Vice President Harris, by association) have had four years to fix the rising prices, the out-of-control borders and soaring inflation that affect all of us, whether Democrat or Republican. The fact that the Biden administration has done practically nothing to fix those and the other problems they...

The enthusiasm and energy of Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign will continue to be a force that can’t be ignored. It presents hope for the future. “We won’t go back,” the slogan that emanated from the people, resolves to abandon the chaos, disparity and embarrassment of the Donald Trump presidency....

Editorial cartoons for the week of Aug. 26....