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Editorials category, Page 29

Pope Francis, first Latin American pontiff, dies at 88
Editorial: Independence and the legacy of Pennsylvania hospitals
Hospitals are part of the fabric of Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania Hospital was founded in 1751 and was the first hospital in America to be founded as a medical facility and not as a workhouse or poorhouse. The state had the first mental health hospital. It boasts the oldest medical school and...
Editorial: Reduce toll of ‘tranq’ overdoses
Gov. Josh Shapiro has a solid track record in the desperate struggle against the raging opioid epidemic. Before the covid-19 pandemic eclipsed opioids as the nation’s most pressing public health emergency, Shapiro played a traditional enforcement role as attorney general. He also had roles in changing prescription and dispensing protocols...
Editorial: Could simple maintenance have prevented the Fern Hollow Bridge collapse?
The Fern Hollow Bridge collapse in January 2022 was not just a calamity for Pittsburgh. It was an alarm bell for every community with an uncoated, weathering, steel bridge like the one that fell into a Frick Park ravine. On Thursday, the National Transportation Safety Board issued a report that...
Editorial: Why did trimming executives take IUP so long?
Indiana University of Pennsylvania is making some staffing cuts. When this happens, people often expect to see the pain start at the bottom. Cut a few new hires. Freeze approval of replacements. Encourage some retirements. Let some openings go through attrition. It’s common in business. It’s very common in education,...
Laurels & lances: Selection and election
Laurel: To reaching a milestone. The slow march to justice for the Pittsburgh synagogue shooting achieved one goal Wednesday when the jury pool was settled. It took four weeks to whittle down hundreds of prospective jurors called for possible service in the death penalty case. The pool stands at 69...
Editorial: Municipal Assistance Program funding is a common good
Pennsylvania is one of four states that differentiate themselves from their 46 American brethren by use of a different word. Like Kentucky, Massachusetts and Virginia, it officially goes by the lofty sounding name of “commonwealth.” In practical use, there is no difference. It is the difference between pancakes and flapjacks...
Editorial: Springdale shouldn’t rezone Cheswick plant for housing
Recycling isn’t just for aluminum cans and water bottles. It is also how old properties find new uses. An old church can become a concert venue or comedy club. A school can become a luxury home with a multimillion dollar price tag or an affordable apartment building for seniors ....
Editorial: Even in a primary election, you have to show up and make your voice count
It’s that time again. Twice a year, we remind you to get up and do your job as a citizen — of America, of Pennsylvania and of the counties and communities that make up the red, white and blue crazy quilt of our region. Some people might yawn and shrug...
Editorial: Arrests of public officials are all too common
Very public investigations and arrests in recent years demonstrate the complexity of law enforcement that involves public officials. On a national level, the most obvious example is the various state and federal cases involving former President Donald Trump. There are also the charges announced recently against U.S. Rep. George Santos,...
Editorial: The discouraging infighting among Democrats in Allegheny County
Allegheny County government is proof that political fights can have nothing to do with party lines. The 15-member county council is overwhelmingly Democratic. Only at-large member Samuel DeMarco and District 2 member Suzanne Filiaggi are Republicans. Every county row officer is a Democrat too, including County Executive Rich Fitzgerald. So...
Laurels & lances: Sprucing up and cleaning up
Laurel: To gussying up. Prom season is upon us, and it’s important to remember, amid the fancy gowns and limo rides, that not every family can afford the cost of what can be a pricey milestone. For some, it can top $1,000. It’s hard to get in under $100 —...
Editorial: Westmoreland DA’s Office needs to watch the clock on criminal cases
Do you remember the Hasbro game Perfection? It’s a bright red frame with a blue board you push down. A dial is turned, starting a timer when the switch is flipped. You get one minute to take the 25 yellow plastic shapes and fit them into their corresponding geometric spaces...
Editorial: More musical chairs in Pennsylvania House special elections
When Pennsylvanians go to the polls Tuesday, for two regions, it won’t be just about nominating the people who will appear on the November ballot. In two areas on the eastern side of the state, the votes will have immediate impact. The state House of Representatives is facing its fourth...
Editorial: How to measure the gravity of a mass shooting
What is mass? It seems like a synonym for weight, but that isn’t quite right. Weight is how we measure the pressure that gravity exerts upon things. But mass? Mass is the actual presence of an item — its length and breadth and density. Mass has another meaning. It can...
Editorial: Pennsylvania has real role in regulating rail
A Pennsylvania legislative committee is in favor of expanding the state’s part in oversight of railroad safety. The House Consumer Protection, Technology and Utilities Committee gave 19-2 approval to House Bill 1028. It would authorize the state to maintain a tighter grip on the way trains operate. This isn’t surprising...
Editorial: Cross-filing and Pennsylvania political identities
Should candidates in Pennsylvania school board races be permitted to cross-file? Cross-filing is allowed only in lower-level judicial races and for school board candidates in the Keystone State. It is what happens when someone decides to appear on the Democratic and Republican ballots in a primary election. For some, that...
Editorial: Pennsylvania elections need uniformity
Westmoreland County voters, you have been warned. On Thursday, the county election board set its rules in stone for the May 16 primary. It was spelled out unequivocally: Screw something up on your mail-in ballot, and it will not be counted. Specifically, ballots must be dated and dated correctly. That...
Laurels & lances: Reaction and consequence
Laurel: To a quick response. For several weeks, we have had the unfortunate duty to chastise people for hoaxes. These involved reports of active shooters that were made up. They targeted Oakland Catholic and Central Catholic high schools in Pittsburgh, Laurel Highlands High School in Fayette County, Mt. Pleasant Area...
Editorial: World Press Freedom Day is a reminder of vital role
May 3 doesn’t really seem like a holiday for most people. It’s after Easter and before Memorial Day. It falls in that middle ground of spring days that just run into one another. But May 3 is a holiday that flies under the radar, although it speaks to something that...
Editorial: Can Re:Build reimagine manufacturing in Southwestern Pennsylvania?
Pennsylvania is built on the brute strength of production. For more than 100 years, the region was where people dug coal from the earth, turned ore into metal, baked bricks and fashioned glass. The creations of Pittsburgh and surrounding areas were the things that built the nation. That was something...
Editorial: It’s long past time we test our schools for radon
Radon is poison. It occurs naturally in the world, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t dangerous. It’s a gas that can seep up from the soil. It can filter through the water. It can be found in the bricks and boards of a building. You won’t see it. It has...
Editorial: Embracing and supporting career and tech education is critical
Commencement season is upon us. It is the time of year when the many universities throughout Southwestern Pennsylvania are suiting up their students in robes and mortarboards. The strains of “Pomp and Circumstance” are heard in the air. Thousands of college students will receive degrees and embark on their careers....
Editorial: Promising bipartisan start to House’s work
The Pennsylvania House of Representatives has done something that seems like a throwback to a quaint time we can barely remember. It did its job. More than that, after coming back into session following a lengthy break, the lawmakers got down to the business of making laws and not just...
Editorial: Pittsburgh Pirates season start shows possibility
On Thursday, Pittsburgh Pirates legend Dick Groat died at 92. It was a loss for his family and friends, but it also was a sad moment for Pirates fans. Groat, who swung a wicked bat and won National League MVP for the 1960 World Series champions, was not just a...
Laurels & lances: School buses and school boards
Laurel: To law enforcement. When it comes to keeping people safe or making things work properly, the first thing people think is often “someone should pass a law.” Often, however, what really needs to be done is to pay attention to a law that has already been passed. That’s particularly...


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