Editorials category, Page 35

Hate crimes are different from other crimes because they have an impact more broad than on just the intended victim. They are a form of terrorism that is hard to address with other anti-criminal actions. That is why the U.S. Department of Justice addresses them. But while hate-motivated attacks are...

In a lot of ways, a government agency and a corporation are similar. They are arranged in hierarchies. They have people making decisions on behalf of the organization. They can be legally bound to do certain jobs. They both live and die by mountains of paperwork and legal agreements. But...

Elections often are talked about in terms of what makes them consequential. An election is supposedly important because of a presidential year or the midterms when congressional seats are on the line. It ostensibly matters because it decides the governor or the attorney general or the state legislators. That message...

There is a difference between an obstacle and an emergency. An obstacle is something in the way. It is a pothole. A detour sign. A hurdle in the path of a race. An emergency is an all-hands-on-deck situation. A house on fire. A train derailment. A flood. Notice the difference...

If you think you are feeling faint at the gas pump, it’s about to get worse at the mailbox. Just wait until you see the June electric bill. This week, the Public Utility Commission revealed that electric suppliers are set to raise prices by 6% to 45% as of June...

Methamphetamines can kill. The illegal drugs themselves can be lethal, but it doesn’t stop there. The labs are dangerous when they are operating. They give off gases. They can explode. They are a tinderbox that has to be handled like a time bomb, but people manufacturing illicit drugs aren’t notoriously...

Laurel: To a worthy consideration. Murrysville is taking a look at putting a “do not knock” registry in place that could cut down on the number of solicitors showing up at residents’ homes. Door-to-door salesmen might seem like an antiquated custom that went out with someone lugging encyclopedias from house...

Another day, another incident that proves Westmoreland County government has political problems that transcend party. This one starts with Donald Trump and Mehmet Oz and ends with Westmoreland officials accusing each other of lies and deception. Just your typical Tuesday. Sheriff James Albert, who was a Democrat until switching parties...

There are times when action has to come before input. In an emergency, there have to be priorities, and deciding those is never the time for a committee. When you are putting out a fire, you can’t poll the locals on whether the building should be saved. You extinguish the...

It’s long past time that we evaluate schools honestly. Assessments of schools by magazines like U.S. News and World Report or websites like GreatSchools.org or Pittsburgh’s own Niche.com are often used to decide where to send a kid or where to buy a house. They evaluate schools based on a...

In an increasingly partisan Pennsylvania, the way for one party or the other to win isn’t about the people who register Republican or Democrat. It’s about engaging the independents who haven’t declared a side. There are about 1.3 million registered independent voters in Pennsylvania. They make up about 15% of...

Orson Welles famously said that we are born alone and we die alone. He was only half right. Few people are truly born alone. That first birthday sets up a relationship that defines our lives. When we are born — whether it is in a hospital or a home or...

An algorithm is a process that uses math or computers to work through a problem to find a solution. They have become more and more a part of our lives as computers run everything around us. Algorithms are behind traffic lights, facial recognition on phones and ads that pop up...

Laurel: To a vision to move forward. Since October 2018, the corner of Wilkins and Shady avenues in Squirrel Hill has been more than just an intersection. The building has been more than a gathering place. It has been a crime scene, a battleground and a memorial to the 11...

You have to have a Real ID. You need to get one by May 3, 2023. No kidding this time. On Monday, PennDOT laid down the law about the federally required super-identification. “Although a year seems like a long time to get ready, the deadline will be upon us before...

Every Pennsylvania voter will have his or her say if a leaked document from the U.S. Supreme Court, indeed, alters the landscape of abortion in this country. The document is a draft opinion from Justice Samuel Alito, a George W. Bush appointee now in his 16th year and known as...

What is bail? You might think you know even if you have no experience with the criminal justice system because you have watched television and read mystery novels. You have heard the word. You’ve used the expression “bailed out.” But bail is not quite what “Law & Order” would have...

Bullying is an idea that conjures images of elementary school playgrounds and high school cafeterias. We think of mean girls. Jocks ganging up on nerds. The fat kid. The new kid. The weird kid. But is that fair? Are kids being tagged as the perpetrators when the problem is much...

Inflation is on the rise. That’s not news to anyone who has been to the grocery store lately. Or bought a house or car. Or signed a lease. If you’ve spent money on literally anything in the past two years, you have seen the cost steadily rise. A U.S. Commerce...

A Wayne County judge has responded to a three-page, handwritten petition from a Poconos woman by granting a temporary protection-from-abuse order against her husband. This isn’t unusual. The petition complains of verbal, physical and mental abuse, including stalking the wife at work, preventing her from seeing her family — even...

Laurel: To a natural treatment. College is stressful all the time, but heading into finals? That’s when things get really tense. Mental health on university campuses has been a growing problem for years. The University of Pittsburgh and Penn State have worked to increase access to support for students at...

Pennsylvania property owners need better friends in Harrisburg. On Tuesday, the state House of Representatives passed a bill with the kind of overwhelming majority that is usually only seen for naming bridges after fallen soldiers. A legislative body that tends to vote along party lines on almost everything threw those...

In 2020, dropping off a ballot for no-excuse absentee voting was pretty easy. In Allegheny County, there were drop boxes in satellite locations of the elections office weeks before the election date. You could fill out your ballot and hand it over Downtown at the elections office in the County...

For the past two years, America has dealt with a weird paradox. While many people were out of work, many businesses were suffering from an inability to find workers. While some of the most obvious examples were the front-facing service industry, it wasn’t just a problem for fast-food joints and...

Pennsylvania is one of the most important states in national politics — even in a year when only state races are on the top of the ticket. With less than a month until the primary election, the contests for governor and U.S. senator are heating up, both in rhetoric and...