Featured Commentary category, Page 7
Jonathan Heawood: Regenerating the base layer of democracy — local news
This summer, the leader of Nottinghamshire County Council banned a local news outlet from engaging with any of his 40 elected representatives. Councillor Mick Barton of Reform UK also instructed council officials to stop sending press releases and event invitations to journalists at Nottinghamshire Live. Why? Because these journalists had...
Global information crisis poses dire threat to economic prosperity and human progress
Governments around the world are chasing the AI dream, pinning their hopes on these technologies to drive economic prosperity. And yet, they are not investing in the foundational resource that underpins all our 21st century economies — independent, verifiable information. Well-functioning economies rely on widely accessible, verified and trustworthy information....
Matt Smith: The Pittsburgh-Ireland partnership
Even before the first touchdown is scored in the NFL’s first-ever regular season game in Dublin, where the Steelers host the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday, the Pittsburgh region already has won big. With deep cultural ties, Southwestern Pennsylvania and Ireland have long shared a spirit of resilience and complementary economic...
Jason ‘J.J.’ Park: Psychological testing could help curb gun violence
The assassination of political activist Charlie Kirk by a rogue gunman led to renewed calls on both sides of the aisle to quell gun violence. As a Harvard graduate who has a severe mental illness and a felony arrest record, I believe my academic qualifications and lived experience are well-suited...
Dr. Nora Conway: Schools need comprehensive eye exams, so students don’t struggle
The school year is well underway for most children. They are settling in with new teachers, new friends and new experiences. But for some students, an old problem will creep into their lives — vision issues. These children will suffer from anxiety and the threat of falling behind academically and...
Barbara McQuade: What Pam Bondi gets wrong about ‘hate speech’
What is the federal offense of “hate speech”? It’s a good question because there is no such offense. That didn’t stop U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi from threatening to use the authority of her office to combat it. “We will absolutely target you, go after you,” she said, “if you...
Noah Feldman: Blaming violence on free speech is a very old trick
In the wake of Charlie Kirk’s assassination, the Trump administration is following a very specific, very old script. It argues that political speech causes political violence, and that this speech must therefore be punished. It is imperative that all defenders of free speech — whether on the left, right or...
Sheldon Jacobson: Is AI the ideal assistant coach in the NHL?
The start of the new NHL season is nearly upon us. With artificial intelligence (AI) regularly in the news, professional hockey is not immune from its influence. Given the surfeit of data available, AI may transform hockey in ways that few can predict. Yet for AI models to be most...
Michael R. Bloomberg: In dark times, Americans need leadership that unites
The assassination of Charlie Kirk has cast a dark shadow over the country, not only because the deed itself was abominable, but also because the reaction to it has been so disturbing. Instead of bringing out the best in America, as tragedies once did, it is bringing out the worst...
Maurizio Valsania: Yes, this is who we are — America’s 250-year history of political violence
The day after conservative activist Charlie Kirk was shot and killed while speaking at Utah Valley University, commentators repeated a familiar refrain: “This isn’t who we are as Americans.” Others similarly weighed in. Whoopi Goldberg on “The View” declared that Americans solve political disagreements peacefully: “This is not the way...
Mandy Steele, Bill McKibben and Joe Morinville: AI, crypto and Pa.’s war on the little guy
This Sunday is SUN DAY, a day of action celebrating clean energy. This is an opportune time to discuss a big problem in Pennsylvania. Artificial intelligence and cryptocurrency may be the shiny new frontier of technology, but behind the hype lies a brutal truth: They are devouring electricity, straining Pennsylvania’s...
Counterpoint: DC should not become a state. Ever.
The District of Columbia should not become a state. Ever. The Constitution established the District of Columbia to be the home of the newly created federal government so that it was not “in” and thereby “under the control or influence” of any one state. Put the capital city in New...
Point: Trump’s invasion of DC makes the case for statehood
President Donald Trump took over the Washington, D.C., police force and deployed the National Guard under the pretense of “rescuing the nation’s capital from crime.” Of course, masked officers roaming the streets and intimidating and harassing residents haven’t made the city feel safer. A checkpoint was set up just a...
Kevin Sunday: Of buggy whips and AI chips in Pa.
The buggy whip endures. Not, of course, as a commonly used piece of equipment to spur on a steed or two on your daily travels, but as a short-hand epithet deployed in conversations about the need to adapt or perish in the face of technological change and innovation. “It’s really...
Matt Shorraw: Natural gas not sustainable for Pa.’s data centers
Gov. Josh Shapiro recently defended using natural gas to power data centers in Pennsylvania, calling it “environmentally sustainable.” As an organization committed to public health, Physicians for Social Responsibility Pennsylvania strongly disagrees. The evidence shows that relying on natural gas — or labeling it as sustainable — poses serious risks...
Thomas Olp: Pa. families score touchdown for religious freedom
For many kids, sports are more than just a game. They offer physical and mental health benefits – better sleep, lower illness risk, reduced stress, and improved academic performance. In an age where children are glued to smartphones and screens at alarmingly young ages, athletics are more vital than ever....
LZ Granderson: Biden was supposed to be a bridge. He became a roadblock.
From the outside looking in, Gov. Gavin Newsom unofficially announced he was running for president March 30, 2023, the day he transferred $10 million from his state campaign funds to launch his PAC, Campaign for Democracy, along with a nationwide tour. Newsom unofficially suspended his campaign a month later, on...
John M. Crisp: Would more uncensored honesty make us a better nation?
Cellphones are ubiquitous these days, and just about everything that happens is recorded on video, usually from several angles. But I don’t think I want to see the graphic videos available on social media that show Charlie Kirk being assassinated in Utah last week. I hope you don’t either. As...
Bryan L. Kline: County prison’s disregard for religious freedom violates Pa. law
The treatment of inmate Kort Noel Eckman at Westmoreland County Prison is a troubling example of the systematic failure to respect religious freedoms in our correctional system. Eckman, awaiting trial on serious charges including attempted homicide, requested to wear a yarmulke in court and receive kosher meals aligned with his...
Robin Abcarian: Kirk’s killing undermines basis of our democracy
The killing of Charlie Kirk is a national tragedy. It is hard to overestimate the enormity of what happened Wednesday on the campus of Utah Valley University, where a civil debate about politics taking place under sunny skies turned into a bloody horror show with what are certain to be...
Ryan Spak: FDA must do better for smokers trying to quit
I’m a businessman and a real estate developer, so I’m no stranger to overcoming obstacles. But one of my biggest achievements has nothing to do with the business world — it was quitting smoking. I’m confident that anyone who’s done it will agree. It’s a habit that’s hard to leave...
Megan McDonough: HB 502 is a betrayal of local communities
When Pennsylvanians elect state legislators, we expect them to represent the will of their communities — not that of corporate polluters or political power brokers in Harrisburg. That’s why House Bill 502 is not just bad policy, it’s a betrayal. For Rep. Mandy Steele, D-Fox Chapel, the bill’s prime sponsor,...
Austen Campbell: Tired of the 2-party gridlock? Independents offer a way out
Something feels wrong. American democracy is supposed to be the beacon of hope that leads the free world. But for far too many, it feels like our votes do not elect leaders who truly represent what is best for our families and our communities. Affordability of basic necessities is out...
Mark Z. Barabak: ‘I think it was recklessness’ — Harris criticizes Biden’s late exit from 2024 campaign
When Kamala Harris left the White House, she was trailed by three big questions. She’s now answered two of them. First off, the former vice president will not be running for California governor in 2026. After months of will-or-won’t-she speculation, the Democrat took a pass on a race that was...
Angeles Ponpa: Why young people don’t run for office
One of the first lessons I learned when I tried to run for local office is that politics is less about ideas than it is about paperwork. I was in my early 20s, excited to run for alderman. I thought I could bring fresh energy to my community. At the...
