Letter to the editor: Remember the Christmas spirit
Christmas, a Christian holy day honoring the birth of Jesus Christ, was a rich religious tradition of faith, hope, joy, generosity and good will. It is my opinion that for many, Christmas has lost that sacred glow and is now more about the excessive exchange of gifts, party celebrations and...
Editorial: VA staffing cuts test a promise to vets
Our veterans are not just people who performed military service. Veterans are the front line of promises that should be kept and what happens when promises are broken. They are our neighbors and family. They are teachers and police officers, doctors and elected officials. They are the aging, the sick,...
Joseph Sabino Mistick: Let’s come together for peace on Earth
The Christmas message of “peace on Earth” is a heavier lift this year than in some years past. There is now turmoil on every front — internationally, domestically, in our communities and even within some families. The war in Ukraine continues as the tough Ukrainian people refuse to surrender to...
Sheldon Jacobson: The perfect gift may be the most difficult to give
The holiday season is here, and many are still searching for the perfect gifts for those special people in their lives. It may be a child or grandchild who means much to you, a friend who has been there for you during difficult times or a spouse who has the...
Point: Is Trump derangement syndrome real?
The term “Trump Derangement Syndrome” is often used by supporters of President Donald Trump to discredit virtually any criticism of him. It is a convenient slur because it allows someone to sidestep the actual criticism of Trump by suggesting the person making the criticism is mentally flawed. In fact, a...
Counterpoint: It’s real, and it’s spectacular
So there’s a scene in one of the old ”Star Trek” movies in which James Kirk is trying to persuade the bad guy to beam Spock onto his ship. When the bad guy refuses, Kirk asks why.” Because you wish it!” he replies. Message: Opposing something reasonable simply to show...
Letter to the editor: What right does administration have to kill without evidence?
What right does this current administration have to bomb boats off the coast of Venezuela without positive identification that they were indeed carrying drugs? In my opinion, they committed murder. It’s as if someone walks along the street and another person “thinks” they are a drug pusher and kills that...
Letter to the editor: Saving the post office
Regarding Peter Roff’s op-ed “How to save the post office” (Dec. 16, TribLive): Postal workers and mail carriers are forced to handle far too many charitable/junk items/realtor mailings. Implement the following: 1. Limit how many bulk/junk mail items one organization can pump into the system in a month. The constant...
Editorial: Religious freedom doesn’t stop at the jailhouse door
In Westmoreland County Prison, the freedom to worship is treated less as a right than a whim. On multiple occasions, prayer or Bible study gatherings have been disrupted by corrections officers. Tim Williamson of Jeannette spent about a month at the prison related to a misdemeanor arrest. He says he...
Letter to the editor: New facilities will make life better for jail officers
Some of the correctional officers at the Allegheny County Jail work 16-hour double shifts for four to five days in a row. Here is what two officers said about this tortuous work schedule in a 2025 correctional officer survey: “I can’t speak with my family for 16 hours a day,...
S.E. Cupp: Damage from Wiles interview could be far-reaching
Susie Wiles has a reputation. Ask anyone in Washington and words like “strategic,” “disciplined” and “skilled” come up. She’s widely held to be one of the most effective tacticians in modern politics. She’s also known for her low-key, low-drama energy, preferring to remain behind-the-scenes as opposed to preening for cameras...
Dave Anderson: Democrats and Republicans should each support some independents
The Democratic Party sent a strong message to President Donald Trump and the Republican Party in the 2025 elections, but ironically one part of their overall strategy forward should be to support Independents in House and Senate races where the chances of victory for a Democratic candidate are low. Double...
Letter to the editor: When will Adelphoi take responsibility?
Last year, I sent a letter to the Trib, “Adelphoi should take reponsibility for escapees” (Sept. 21, 2024, TribLive). Once again, Adelphoi has allowed a criminal juvenile (with a history of car theft) to escape and steal another car in Latrobe on Dec. 11. The state police had to chase...
Letter to the editor: It’s not deranged to expect character from our president
As the United States faced several tragedies this past weekend, our president, instead of consoling a grieving nation, noted that one of the victims possessed “a mind crippling disease known as TRUMP DERANGEMENT SYNDROME.” If an American citizen laments the lack of decency and character in their president, does that...
Laurels & lances: Charging & changing
Laurel: To giving students a break. It isn’t the fault of those enrolled at Penn State’s New Kensington or Fayette campuses that university leadership voted to close the schools at the end of the Spring 2027 semester. With that hanging in the not-so-distant future, it makes sense that some students...
Letter to the editor: Believing the true Christmas story
Regarding the letter “The real Christmas story” (Dec. 3, TribLive): First, I would agree that what we do not know in any narrative can be satisfied with tradition, adopted speculation and human interpretation. This, however, ignores valid historical truth. My belief is that the Christmas story is best told by...
Paul Kengor: Remembering Bob Hope at Christmas
This Christmas season, let’s remember Bob Hope, a truly special American. As pretty much anyone over 60 would attest, Hope was a household name once synonymous with Christmas in America. His annual holiday special on NBC was a must-see. He did comedy skits, sang songs in the snow with leading...
John E. Jones III: A year of challenges to the US justice system
Dickinson College President John E. Jones III was appointed as a federal judge by President George W. Bush and spent 20 years on the bench after being confirmed unanimously by the U.S. Senate in 2002. Jones spoke with The Conversation U.S. Senior Politics Editor Naomi Schalit about America’s legal landscape...
Lori Falce: If you can predict the votes, you’re doing it wrong
There are things you can set your watch by, things that are as predictable as sunrise. Your child will look at you like you are speaking Aramaic when you ask if his room is clean. The government might not pass a budget on time, but your tax bill will appear...
Jonah Goldberg: Does either party actually want to win the Senate race in Texas?
One of the worst features of the election primary system in our polarized “Red vs. Blue” time is the tendency of primary voters to flock to the candidate they most want to “destroy” the other party, not the candidate best positioned to do so. Let’s say a zombie is scratching...
Letter to the editor: Whatever happened to decorum in politics?
Lori Falce’s column about the language of our politicians was right on (“America needs a bar of soap — and not just for Ralphie,” Dec. 12, TribLive). The word “decorum” comes to mind. Look it up if you don’t know what it means. Very few of our politicians have it....
Letter to the editor: Greensburg parking problems
I was in downtown Greensburg on a recent Friday, and I drove to the library to inquire about book donations. I parked in front and ran up the steps and saw that the door was locked. There was a sign stating the library was closed on Fridays. I decided to...
Editorial: Transparency matters on ICE agreement
Did Springdale do the right thing in signing an agreement with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement without voting publicly or placing it on an agenda? It is hard to say yes, even if you agree with the partnership. For one thing, it wasn’t just hidden from residents. Springdale Manager Terry...
Letter to the editor: The politics of trickle-down hatred
Miami Mayor Eileen Higgins captured an uncomfortable truth when she warned of a “politics of trickle-down hatred.” You hear it in the hate-filled rants of Donald Trump that have normalized prejudice and bigotry. But the politics of trickle-down hatred didn’t arise spontaneously. It was cultivated and amplified by Trump, media...
Kate Harper and Conor Lamb: New energy sources needed now to combat soaring prices
From the industrial revolution to the digital revolution, Pennsylvania has led the way in American energy production. But now it’s clear that the AI-fueled tech industry boom is poised to push our electrical grid to the brink. The question is: Will Pennsylvania keep its place as America’s energy leader? Or...
