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Real life is out there waiting for all of us

While President Donald Trump initiated war against Iran last weekend, my family was out volunteering at our local community garden. Another war weighs heavy on me, but I know I do not control military orders. I cannot make Trump adhere to the Constitution and get a proper declaration of war from Congress. Nor can I control how Congress responds, or in this case, chooses not to respond. But I can pick up a rake and help my community prepare a garden for spring and feed our neighbors. Trump, with the help of a GOP-dominated Congress, has stripped billions of dollars from health ...

What history demands we remember

These are no longer theoretical debates confined to policy forums. The conflict is widening. American servicemen have now been lost. Regional nations are absorbing casualties. Retaliation cycles are accelerating. Here is the reality: Iran has long advanced its nuclear program, and the international community has repeatedly warned that enrichment capability could move beyond peaceful energy into weapons. International inspectors have acknowledged they cannot fully verify all aspects of Iran’s activities. Uranium enriched to levels closer to weapons grade has existed in stockpiles, ...

Trump must get ready for blowback

It is a special kind of folly to make long-term predictions amid the fog of war. Nobody knows how Operation Epic Fury will end. But there are already a few things we can celebrate and condemn. On the celebration side: The professionalism and courage of the American military stand out. So does the just demise of Ayatollah Khamenei, amid scores of his murderous henchmen. Other things worth celebrating are merely possibilities at this point. If the nearly half-century of Iranian repression at home and terrorism abroad is poised to end, along with Iran’s nuclear ambitions, that would be ...

Support for HELPER Act urged

Every day in Blair County and across Pennsylvania, our first responders and educators show up for their communities. Police officers, firefighters, EMTs, paramedics, and teachers serve on the front lines — often quietly, always faithfully. They respond to emergencies, protect our neighborhoods, and shape the next generation. Yet too many of these dedicated public servants cannot afford to live in the very communities they serve. That is why I strongly support the bipartisan HELPER Act (H.R. 2094 / S. 978) — the Homes for Every Local Protector, Educator, and Responder Act. This ...

Let’s finish the job on term limits

On Feb. 27, National Term Limits Day, Americans commemorated the 75th anniversary of the 22nd Amendment — the constitutional provision that limits U.S. Presidents to two terms in office. This landmark reform, born out of broad public demand for rotation in office and accountability in our highest office, was a critical step toward restraining the accumulation of power in Washington. And Pennsylvania played a meaningful role in that history. In the aftermath of Franklin D. Roosevelt’s unprecedented third and fourth presidential terms, momentum built across the country for clear ...

Officials need to think like electrons

Electrons are the lifeblood of modern society — and right now, America is bleeding them. From data centers and electric vehicles to industrial production, our demand for electricity is an ever expanding pie. Yet partisan disagreement and regulatory gearlock have left us short on generation just when we need it most. Have you been shocked by the increase of your electric bill? In Pennsylvania and across the PJM grid, wholesale capacity prices have surged since 2024. It’s not some abstract market shift — this means higher utility bills, jobs at risk and communities struggling to ...