Commentary
Fetterman will wear a suit in the Senate. Can we all move on now? Please?
For anyone who thought the furor over U.S. Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) wearing shorts and a hoodie on the Senate floor was eventually going to die down, well, you and I were both sorely mistaken. I steered away from writing about it here or covering it as “news” because it seemed like there were other, […]
Opinion: School vouchers in Pennsylvania would violate the principles of ‘public’ education
By Marc Stier Pennsylvania Republican legislators support a voucher program they say is meant to help a small number of students who attend schools they claim are failing. (They don’t say that those schools are also severely underfunded.) However, they and their supporters, including billionaires Betsy DeVos and Jeffrey Yass, have made no secret that […]
Corporate consolidation is hurting Americans. Now is the time to rein it in.
By Justin Stofferahn Just weeks after Sanford Health and Fairview Health Services called off a mega-merger that would have remade Minnesota’s healthcare system, Cleveland-Cliffs announced its interest in acquiring U.S. Steel, a combination that would remake Minnesota’s Iron Range. The relentless pace of merger news is no anomaly though. In 2021 merger activity set an […]
It’s time for Pennsylvania to open its primary elections to all voters
This article is part of U.S. Democracy Day, a nationwide collaborative on Sept. 15, the International Day of Democracy, in which news organizations cover how democracy works and the threats it faces. To learn more, visit usdemocracyday.org Pennsylvania’s closed primaries keep most voters out of a key part of the decision-making process, namely which candidates […]
Opinion: Four ways to make Pennsylvania’s elections better right now
By Jeff Greenburg We are heading into a second presidential election cycle since the enactment of Act 77, the no-excuse mail voting law, and very basic election issues remain unaddressed by the General Assembly. That is unconscionable. Four relatively easy fixes would benefit all county election officials and thousands of voters in our Commonwealth. Forcing […]
Opinion: The value of life-saving emergency services is worth the price tag
By Lisa Schaefer We live in a world of monthly subscriptions. Whether it’s your two or three favorite movie streaming services, an online TV package or a gaming product, it’s likely that you receive a number of autopay notifications between $6 to $15 every month. And it’s no secret; those rates are climbing at a […]
Suicide prevention is a priority for me now
If you or someone you know is in a crisis, call, text or chat the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988. In Colorado, you can contact Colorado Crisis Services at 1-844-493-TALK (8255) or text TALK to 38255. If you need help with grief and loss, the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention offers advice and resources. […]
Opinion: The public deserves to speak at Basic Education Funding Commission hearings
By Brenda Morales and Sylvia Witherspoon Just beneath the hustle and bustle of the start of another school year – fundraising campaigns for school supplies, family debates about new backpacks, and wringing every least deal from chain stores – lies a persistent truth: Pennsylvania’s school districts are chronically underfunded, leaving children, families, and their teachers […]
On this Labor Day, unions are stronger than ever | Daniel P. Bauder
Most of us have a morning routine. Wake up, take a shower, make sure the kids are up and getting ready for school. Soon enough, everyone is fed and dressed and ready to head out the door to start the day. In a city like Philadelphia, most of us choose public transit to get to […]
Workers in Pennsylvania continue to have, and use, real leverage over employers
Wages have kept up with inflation, and a tight labor market continues to give workers more leverage than they’ve had in decades. But divided legislative branches at the state and federal level mean progress toward other improvements for workers’ conditions often stalls, and is why there’s “zero chance of enacting a major pro-worker labor law […]
Pennsylvania’s participation in RGGI matters more than other states’. Here’s why.
When it comes to climate change, talk tends to focus on our shared responsibility to future generations. Everyone is encouraged to come together and do their part to reduce our collective impact on the planet. There’s no doubt climate change affects all of us, and we all have a role to play. But the reality […]
Panic buttons can’t be our only response to shootings
We are literally days into a new school year and already there has been a shooting on a U.S. college campus. This time at the University of North Carolina. Frightened students, scared for their lives could be seen jumping out of windows to safety. This scene is eerily reminiscent of the Columbine shooting that took […]