Opinion category, Page 28
Natalia Arcos Cano: Maybe I will ‘go back to where I came from’
As part of the Trump administration’s many moves toward tackling the United States’ “immigrant crisis,” the DOJ recently announced a prioritization of denaturalization procedures, a move that some migrant support organizations recognize as setting a dangerous precedent. But that’s not all. The Trump administration has also requested over $175 billion,...
Letter to the editor: Trump reaches new low with Putin
There he stood on the red-carpeted tarmac of the U.S. military installation Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, Alaska, dressed in his red tie, white shirt and blue suit uniform, awaiting his invited guest. Would an honor guard and flyover add to the pomp? President Donald Trump applauded the approach of...
Editorial: Are solar farms the latest NIMBY?
What do solar farms have in common with fracking, strip clubs, halfway houses and landfills? On the surface, it might be hard to see. Solar farms and fracking couldn’t be more different, with one promoting green energy and the other built on fossil fuels. Adult entertainment might be questionable, but...
Letter to the editor: Mankind endangered
Is mankind becoming an endangered species with this present generation of humanity being the last generation that can be termed pure humans? My opinion is yes. Consider: In the beginning of mankind’s creation, all things were clean, pure, unblemished and without fault. Since then, mankind has slowly and tumultuously progressed...
S.E. Cupp: It’s Trump against America and Americans now
It had a slightly more noble sound to it in 2023, when then-former President Donald Trump made the lofty but creepy promise to a friendly MAGA crowd at CPAC. “In 2016 I declared: I am your voice. Today, I add: I am your warrior. I am your justice. And for...
Carl P. Leubsdorf: Democrats face continued divisions over aid for Israel
At last week’s Democratic National Committee meeting in Minneapolis, chairman Ken Martin avoided a showdown over competing policy proposals on the troubled and increasingly divisive U.S.-Israel relationship. But neither Martin nor the party’s congressional leaders are likely to prevent continued collisions in Congress and some Democratic primary splits reflecting divisions...
Steve Lopez: I got covid for the first time and can’t smell. But RFK Jr.’s vaccine policies still stink
For five years, I dodged every bullet. I don’t know how I managed to beat covid-19 for so long, even as family, friends and colleagues got hit with the coronavirus. Although I took precautions from the beginning, with masking and vaccinations, I was also out in public a lot for...
David V. Auth: Pittsburgh must grow
Pittsburgh’s failure to grow has directly contributed to the simmering fascism that has exposed its face under President Trump’s second term. With cuts to lifesaving research and foreign aid, militarization of ICE, the National Guard being deployed in our own cities, and raids at work sites, it has never been...
Letter to the editor: Is Trump’s National Guard takeover a diversion?
Taxpayer costs to repair damage to our Capitol from the Jan. 6 attack were nearly $3 million, with only 15% of the damage paid back by the offenders. There were 140 police officers hurt during the attack; one officer died from his injuries, and four officers died by suicide. Donald...
Lori Falce: Who wants to be a Powerball billionaire?
The tickets to my future are tucked in my wallet next to my driver’s license and an overburdened credit card. They are the 10 different lines of numbers to play for the Powerball lottery. They should have cost $20. They were only $16 because I won $4 in Wednesday’s drawing...
Laurels & lances: Hits & hacks
Laurel: To an ap-peel-ing visit. The Savannah Bananas brought their signature form of entertainment married with baseball to PNC Park over the weekend. It was two days of fun and excitement rarely seen in the Pittsburgh Pirates’ home venue. Yes, the Bananas are out-of-town barnstormers. Yes, the event had a...
Letter to the editor: Governmental leaders should make public participation easier
I have some observations regarding public participation in local government. Based on my experiences attending local meetings, it seems that the current structure may inadvertently discourage broader community involvement. Public comment is typically limited to a slot before the meeting begins, with no opportunity for reaction or follow-up after votes...
Chris DeCardy and Sara Innamorato: Our region’s clean technology future — let’s get to work
Pittsburgh may have had more attention from our political leaders than any other region of the United States in the last four years. There are good reasons for that — there may be no region that better illustrates the changes taking place in our country’s economy, culture and politics. Pittsburgh...
Robert T. Smith: Earth’s time and climate change
According to a Newsweek article, a “study has highlighted the speed at which U.S. cities along the East Coast are sinking as sea levels continue to rise … . This subsidence is largely a result of climate change.” The point of the article is to proselytize once again for the...
Letter to the editor: A ‘village’ supports students in Latrobe
In 2025 the 50-year anniversaries of various momentous events of 1975 have been remembered. This is also the 50-year anniversary of high school graduation for those of us born in 1957, at the peak of the baby boom. In September I will gather with fellow graduates of the Greater Latrobe...
Editorial: No redistricting in Pennsylvania
Every 10 years, America asks the people to stand up and be counted. This is not about statistics. It’s not keeping score. It is about representation. Congress’ two chambers are populated in different ways. In the Senate, every state is equal. From tiny Rhode Island to powerhouses like Florida and...
Letter to the editor: Republicans ‘following orders’
Hannah Arendt, philosopher turned political theorist, covered for the New Yorker the war crimes trial of Adolf Eichmann, the bureaucrat primarily responsible for organizing the Holocaust. Arendt’s assessment was that it was Eichmann’s lack of thought and his desire to be part of a movement that enabled his evil. During...
Jonah Goldberg: What makes Trump’s power grab different?
For many, the evidence is in: Donald Trump wants to be an autocrat. If you haven’t read an op-ed or heard a radio, TV or podcast commentator make that case, it’s probably because you’ve tried hard to avoid doing so. It would require virtually never watching cable news, including pro-Trump...
Jamil Bey: A Pittsburgh where everyone belongs — if we choose it
As Pittsburgh plans for 2050, our goal in the comprehensive planning process is clear: build a city where everyone belongs. That means welcoming new neighbors while ensuring the people who have built our communities can afford to stay, grow and thrive. The housing policy debate now before City Council isn’t...
Reps. Aerion Abney and Jessica Benham: A transit deal that doesn’t risk public safety
In response to state Sen. Devlin Robinson’s op-ed “Standing up for Pittsburgh transit — funding, safety and accountability” (Aug. 24, TribLive), we want to share our hard work in the House to get mass transit funded. In the last two years, the House has passed five bills to fund our...
Letter to the editor: Trump’s billions
President Donald Trump has always enjoyed living high off the hog, but not necessarily with his own money. History shows he is a notorious cheapskate when it comes to paying his illegal immigrant workers, his lawyers and his subcontractors. Looking at Trump’s finances, it is difficult to determine who pays...
Editorial: Health insurance cost spikes don’t just affect patients
The budget of most Americans is a delicate balancing act. You know what you have coming in and what should be going out. A decrease on one side or an increase on the other can throw it out of whack. There have been a lot of increases in recent years...
Letter to the editor: Did voters really want to ban hospital leg restraints on prisoners?
Here is what 308,784 voters saw on the November 2021 ballot, which banned the use of leg restraints in hospital emergency rooms: “Shall the Allegheny Code Chapter 205, Allegheny County Jail be amended and supplemented to include a new Article III which shall set forth standards governing conditions of confinement...
Jennifer Brooks: The tragedy of a mass shooting at a children’s Mass
It was a mass shooting at a children’s Mass. Last Wednesday was the first all-school Mass for the first week of classes at Annunciation Catholic School in Minneapolis. Maybe the little ones prayed for the school year and the adventure ahead. Third grade. Fifth grade. The best year yet. Maybe...
Rachel Grezler: Fewer teens are working — and missing out on the skills needed to succeed
As an older millennial, my high school and college summers were defined largely by the jobs I held. Not many of today’s teens can say the same. Once a rite of passage, teen jobs are now endangered: Just 35% of 16- to 19-year-olds worked last summer, down from 54% in...
