Featured Commentary category, Page 52
Lou Barletta: Say no to Kooth in Pa. schools
Strangers talking to schoolchildren on the internet — what could possibly go wrong? If that’s not bad enough, how about parents having no idea that it’s even happening? The newest threat to parental rights is entering our school districts behind closed doors. Kooth is a for-profit business from the U.K....
Rosalie Metro: Palestinian and Israeli children are endangered by ‘us vs. them’ narratives
“What do you want to do when you grow up?” I asked Muhammad, an 8-year-old boy. “I want to kill Israeli soldiers!” he replied proudly. This was in 1998, when I was teaching English in Shatila, a Palestinian refugee camp in Beirut. I’d come to Beirut to study abroad and...
Bruce Ledewitz: Is Christianity making a comeback?
We read stories all the time about the decline of organized religion in America. Around one-third of Americans answer “none” when asked on surveys about their religious affiliation. Self-identified Christians still make up a majority of the population — 63% — but that is down from 90% in the 1990s....
T.J. Rooney: White House, EPA must get on same page for U.S. economy
On the campaign trail in 2020, Joe Biden promised to be the most pro-union president in American history, and since taking office, he has championed the mantra “Invent it Here, Make it Here.” Both are lofty goals that should be welcomed by the American public, but have the promise of...
Commentary: Guilty plea of Illinois shooting suspect’s father should be a wake-up call for parents
Robert Crimo Jr.’s guilty plea to reckless conduct for helping his son obtain authorization to own firearms three years before Robert Crimo III allegedly opened fire on Highland Park, Ill., paradegoers should be a wake-up call to everyone: If you hear or see things about potential violence, you must alert...
Anthony Pacilio: Neurodiversity a strategic business advantage
The workplace of today is becoming increasingly diverse. However, diversity isn’t just about race, gender or age, but also about the differences in individual brain function and behavioral traits, known as neurodiversity. This range of differences includes but is not limited to autism spectrum disorder, dyslexia, dyspraxia and ADHD. With...
Mayor Ed Gainey: The NFL Draft in Pittsburgh? Let’s go get it
In cities across America, Pittsburghers gather every Sunday, dressed in their black and gold, ready to cheer for the Steelers on gameday. Nearly every city in America has a Steelers bar, and fans gather there to celebrate victories or to be with each other in heartbreaking defeat. Football has the...
Peter Morici: America needs a better president to remain a superpower
America is in grave peril. Lawlessness reigns in San Francisco, Chicago, New York and other cities. Our southern border hemorrhages with illegal arrivals. The Border Patrol is using unmarked buses to dump thousands of asylum-seekers on the streets, at bus stops and in train stations in San Diego. The United...
Robert Smith: The impending doom of our planet
With a simple search engine entry of “bug food plant,” you will see the central planning of your food world. The future of the Arby’s “we have the meats” slogan will mean cricket, mealworm and fly larvae, delicious. It has been decided: just eat the bugs. The world is doomed,...
Lainey Newman: How the UAW, and other unions, can capitalize on the momentum of the moment
Labor is seeing some of its biggest wins in years, and unions are back on the public radar and in the media limelight after decades of declining power and interest. Support for unionism amongst Americans is at a 50-plus-year high. The UAW is about to solidify one of the best...
Dan DeBone: The vital role of small businesses in the face of economic uncertainties
In the intricate tapestry of the American economy, small businesses, or as I fondly call them, the mom-and-pop establishments, serve as the vibrant threads that bind communities together. Growing up, I watched my parents toil seven days a week, paycheck to paycheck, running our family-owned restaurant for over 30 years....
By Lauren Cristella and Jeff Greenburg: Don’t take away one of our most effective tools for fighting election fraud
With the 2024 election now in view, ensuring an accurate voter list in Pennsylvania is not a partisan issue. Local election administrators across the state have trumpeted the importance of making sure every eligible voter can vote, is informed when they vote and votes with confidence. Pennsylvania’s announcement that it...
Christopher Baxter: Spotlight PA’s nonpartisan journalism cuts the noise and gets results
HARRISBURG State capitols are the testing grounds for the future of our country. New policies and novel legal theories on everything from abortion to education to election administration are being shaped at the state level. And the decisions made in Harrisburg have a far greater effect on your life than...
Daniel Pimentel: Sustainable fashion is a farce without virtual try-ons
Fashion brands entered this Black Friday seeing green not just because of sales but because they’re offering more sustainable products than ever before. From carbon-neutral T-shirts to sustainable shoes and eco-friendly hats, Santa will have his hands full keeping up with the more than $41 billion in projected online apparel...
Roger McNamee: Kids have been used like guinea pigs on Big Tech’s platforms. How much harm will we tolerate?
After more than a decade of uncontrolled experiments by internet platforms on millions of users, there is an emerging possibility that one group of users — kids — may finally gain some protection. A wave of court cases has an opportunity to fill a void left by the inaction of...
Letter to the editor: Dangerous vision for the future
You may not have heard of Project 2025. It is the Heritage Foundation’s vision for our future. Heritage, along with the Federalist Society, are radical-right, ultra-conservative groups that want to restructure our government. If you like how the Federalist Society has groomed lawyers since their college years with gifts and...
Raz Segal: Here’s what the mass violence in Gaza looks like to a scholar of genocide
I cannot stop thinking about the dozens of Israeli children held in captivity by Hamas and the Islamic Jihad in underground tunnels in Gaza, while above them Israel’s attack has killed, so far, nearly 4,500 Palestinian children. Stopping the violence, and returning the hostages, is urgent for any person who...
Ron Grossman: Today’s backlash against Jewish people is steeped in a long history of hatred
At the first reports of a massacre of Israeli civilians, I shuddered, fearing the worst was yet to come. Sadly, I was right. Before sundown on Oct. 7, Israel was being blamed for Hamas’ killings, mutilations and kidnappings of Israeli civilians. As a historian, I know only too well the...
Rabbi Ari Lev Fornari and Rabbi Shawn Zevit: Fetterman should join call for cease-fire
As rabbis, we have been proud to have John Fetterman representing us as a strong voice for humanitarian values in the Senate. We come from a faith that teaches that each and every person is created in the image of the Divine. We understand Fetterman to be someone who shares...
Jason Kavulich: Aging in Pa. will only get better
Pennsylvania is home to more than 13 million people, according to the 2020 Census, with more than 2.5 million of those residents being aged 65 and older. The growth rate of the commonwealth’s older adult population is more than 20 times higher than the growth rate of its entire population....
Cal Thomas: Solution to debt — cut spending
Congress just passed — and President Biden just signed — the latest short-term government funding bill to keep the government running. The bill, which essentially kicks the can down the road, ensures that taxpayers will continue to pay for a bloated government until January, Senate Appropriations Committee Chair Patty Murray,...
Kim Anderson: Well plugging must continue for health of Pa.
Seeing the sign for Hillman State Park in Hanover Township, Washington County, I turned off the main road onto a dirt one and followed it deep into the woods for about four miles. On this beautiful fall day, I noticed the colors of the trees and the brisk air. I...
Mayor Ed Gainey: Grateful for the people who make Pittsburgh the greatest
This year as we gather around tables with our families, friends and neighbors, I ask that we all take a moment to reflect on the year and lift up and celebrate those in our lives that we are truly thankful for. When I came into office, I knew that I...
Elizabeth Stelle: Don’t believe the hype — hydrogen hubs won’t create jobs or ‘green’ energy
Leading Democrats, including President Joe Biden and Gov. Josh Shapiro, are gleefully celebrating hydrogen hubs as a political two-for-one deal: good-paying union jobs coupled with clean, renewable energy. However, hydrogen hubs will create neither jobs nor clean-burning energy. Instead, these overhyped projects provide publicity to Biden and Shapiro, who are...
Michael Evans: What if we’re not feeling thankful?
Thanksgiving is upon us, and with it comes many mixed emotions. Houses will be filled with or vacant of loved ones, family and friends. There may be food, traditions and laughter. Or it could be this year is going to look different than years past due to the complexities of...
