Featured Commentary category, Page 46
Counterpoint: A false equivalence: Antisemitism on the right and left
Neo-Nazis recently participated in the Conservative Political Action Conference, one of the largest annual gatherings of Republicans, where Donald Trump has been the keynote speaker for the last seven years. While white supremacists, including Nick Fuentes, had previously been turned away from CPAC, this year they openly mingled with Republican...
Point: Time for US Jews to rethink their Democratic loyalties
I was a guest on a Dallas radio call-in program several years ago. One caller told me that after having given the matter considerable thought, he finally understood why most Jews were Democrats. “You vote for the Democrats,” he declared, “to show the rest of us that you’re not as...
Chris Heck: New federal paid leave policy efforts would benefit many
When Congress left session at the end of 2023, many potential areas for much-needed reform were left unresolved. One such area is the federal paid family leave policy. Last year was the 30-year anniversary of the passage of the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), which guaranteed protection for workers...
Cal Thomas: Congress wants to shut down? Dock their pay.
When the government shuts down the people responsible continue to receive their pay because they are considered “essential.” These include the president and members of Congress. It reminds me of when it snows in Washington (as opposed to the snow jobs we get all year from politicians). The guy on...
Joseph Regan: Act would help stop ambushing of our police
It’s never been more dangerous to be in law enforcement. In Pennsylvania and across the nation, ambush-style shootings of officers have become all too common. On Jan. 2, 2023, Brackenridge Police Chief Justin McIntire was ambushed while responding to an hours-long chase with a suspect who also shot and wounded...
Jonah Goldberg: Nikki Haley keeps losing — and revealing something important about Trump and Republicans
Celebrating his victory in the South Carolina primary Saturday, Donald Trump declared, “I have never seen the Republican Party so unified as it is right now.” It was an indisputable victory for Trump, particularly given that it was in the home state of his last remaining rival for the nomination,...
Elwood Watson: Women and the future of politics
It should probably come as little surprise that a majority of American millennial and Generation Z women identify as liberal. A Gallup poll released this month indicated the ideological gap between men and women across various generations has increased over the past few years and that young women today are...
Nathan Flood: It’s time for all Pennsylvanians to enjoy the digital age
For many across Pennsylvania, the easy access and availability of broadband technology and the ability to connect to the world from the comfort of our own homes or businesses are taken for granted. Unfortunately, that isn’t the case for everyone who lives or works in the commonwealth. In fact, in...
Michael Hiltzik: Disinformation is a public health crisis. Here’s how scientists and doctors are fighting it
In recent years, disinformation has seemed to be on an inexorable march across the scientific and medical landscape. Prominent politicians, up to and including the former president, have promoted useless drugs as supposed cures for covid-19. Partisan attacks on the safety and efficacy of covid vaccines have expanded into attacks...
Steven Hill: The election may turn on inflation, but do we even understand it?
How big of a role will inflation play in the upcoming presidential election? That’s anybody’s guess, but one thing is certain: Democrats will cite facts and statistics that they hope will lead voters to think inflation is under control, while Republicans will focus on facts and statistics that counter the...
Chris Cargill: Bringing transparency to the cost of college
Is the cost of college still worth the price? According to the Education Data Initiative, the average student loan debt in the United States totals $37,338. The average student borrows more than $30,000 to pursue a bachelor’s degree. And more than 45 million Americans have student loan debt. High school...
Michael J. Socolow: How you can tell propaganda from journalism — let’s look at Tucker Carlson’s visit to Russia
Tucker Carlson, the conservative former cable TV news pundit, recently traveled to Moscow to interview Russian dictator Vladimir Putin for his Tucker Carlson Network, known as TCN. The two-hour interview itself proved dull. Even Putin found Carlson’s soft questioning “disappointing.” Very little from the interview was newsworthy. Other videos Carlson...
Counterpoint: Ukraine can no longer win
As the second anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of the country to its west passes and the latest aid package for Ukraine stalls in Congress, we must be clear-eyed about the future: There is no path for Ukraine to win this war. American support will not change this reality. Two...
Point: Ukraine can win — here’s how
Ten years into Russia’s long war against Ukraine, far too many Americans are falling prey to a destructive idea. They needlessly believe that Ukraine’s defeat is unavoidable. These Americans have lost their bearings. Defeat is never inevitable so long as a nation is willing to fight. George Washington proved this...
Michael Stelzig: No need to worry about national security in U.S. Steel deal
Anyone familiar with national security knows that Japan is an important mutual defense treaty ally to our country. And anyone familiar with Pittsburgh and Allegheny County knows how important the steel industry has been to this region. Just over two months ago, we witnessed these two worlds coming together —...
Cal Thomas: The new American antisemitism
In the aftermath of “from the river to the sea” anti-Israel protests on many college campuses and in the streets comes a perfectly timed book by Johns Hopkins University professor Benjamin Ginsberg titled “The New American Anti-Semitism: The Left, The Right, and the Jews.” Ginsberg is especially hard on progressives...
Pete Shelly: Equal treatment for skill games
As lawmakers consider Gov. Josh Shapiro’s timely proposal to tax and regulate skill games, they would be wise to follow the blueprint of one the nation’s most successful state gaming industries — and they won’t have to travel far to find it. Over the last 20 years, Pennsylvania has emerged...
Kenny Mostern: Summer Lee standing up for the vulnerable
Polls have shown since at least November that a clear majority of Americans support a permanent ceasefire in Gaza. The most recent data, from research by ISPU and Data for Progress, is stark: • 63% of the general public support a permanent ceasefire against only 16% opposed. • 78% of...
Ed Gainey: What we learned from Fern Hollow
When I woke up on the morning of Jan. 28, 2022, I was prepared for our city to be the focus of the nation with a visit from the president of the United States. But just weeks into my administration as mayor, we were met with one of our biggest...
Cory Yedlosky and Chris Taylor: How we exposed corruption in Pa.’s corrections union
Supervising inmates is no easy task. It’s easy to feel outnumbered and vulnerable. To do our jobs as corrections officers well, we have to trust that our colleagues will be there when we need backup. Together, we’re stronger. Likewise, for years, we trusted our union to have our backs and...
Jacqueline White: Rethinking our response to youth homelessness
Consider the situation of Charles — a young Black man who showed up at HOPE 4 Youth, a drop-in center for youth facing homelessness in suburban Minneapolis. His grandmother, who he was staying with, had given him until the end of the month to find a new place. His name...
Elwood Watson: Congressman shows we still have a long way to go on race
From the Duchess of Sussex and actress Meghan Markle to former Harvard President Claudine Gay to Vice President Kamala Harris, Black women have been the target of severe attacks in recent months. The most recent example (and there have indeed been many as of late) are the distasteful comments made...
Bradley Tusk: Pa. should feed all hungry kids
In Gov. Josh Shapiro’s budget address, he took credit for feeding kids in Pennsylvania. One line specifically caught my attention: “Pennsylvania Democrats and Republicans care about kids, and we are coming together to feed them.” But that’s not true. There isn’t a single additional kid who will be fed in...
Peter Morici: Higher interest rates, inflation will challenge post-covid economy. AI will save it.
The post-covid economy is emerging as Americans’ pandemic-era savings dwindle, while work-from-home activity moderates and new patterns of consumer behavior come to the fore. As households and banks consolidate finances, a few quarters of U.S. GDP growth in the range of 1% should be followed by a rebound and then...
Ruth A. Johnston: Disability, not danger, is the right standard
Eleven years ago today, my mother died. You may have seen our story on the news: my son Levi stabbed her while she was eating breakfast because he believed the Archangel Michael told him that, “it’s time to kill the witch.” You may have wondered why we hadn’t gotten his...
