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Rural PA vets risk losing health care

Pennsylvania’s rural communities are suffering from a healthcare provider shortage that has reached crisis proportions. As a new analysis by the Veterans Healthcare Policy Institute documents, over half of the Commonwealth’s 67 counties have partial or severe shortages of primary care providers. More than 30 of the state’s rural hospitals have shuttered or reduced services over the past two decades, leaving entire communities stranded. The challenges existed even before the so-called “One Big Beautiful Bill” became law in July. But the legislation’s spending cuts ...

Gerrymandering shows term limits needed

Americans are seeing a political spectacle playing out not in town halls or debates, but in backrooms and courtrooms: redistricting - gerrymandering. What should ensure fair representation has devolved into a cynical game where politicians carve up neighborhoods like pieces of pie to guarantee re-election. We are seeing it unfolding again in Texas, California, and across the nation. Whichever party is in power manipulates district lines to entrench incumbents, silence opposition, and render elections meaningless. It has become a bipartisan sport. But here’s the truth most ...

Pennsylvania transportation system crumbling

As someone who has worked in Pennsylvania’s highway construction industry my entire life, I’ve seen firsthand what strong infrastructure funding can accomplish. I’ve also seen what happens when that funding falls short, and we can’t meet basic needs. Pennsylvania has seen a 41% drop in asphalt tonnage placed on state roads. Let’s throw out the COVID years, and back up to years 2016-19, when PennDOT was placing 6.9 million tons of asphalt annually. Now, from 2022-25, that number has dropped to an annual average of 4.2 million asphalt tons placed. What this means is that ...

Beware what you share on social media

By Richie Servello As the new school year begins, excitement fills the air for parents and caregivers, while kids may feel a mix of emotions. The Center for Child Justice, Blair County’s Children’s Advocacy Center, wants to remind everyone to exercise caution when sharing details about children on social media, especially on the first day of school. While the first day of school is a milestone worth celebrating, it’s important to prioritize safety in your social media posts. Those adorable chalkboards featuring your child’s name, age, teacher, and favorite things can ...

State thrives on AICUP schools

Pennsylvania has a rich history in higher education, with world class universities in the public and private sectors — including some of the best independent nonprofit colleges in America. Our state is unique in the impact of its independent nonprofit higher education institutions on the state economy and workforce, and in the vitality of the 58 local PA communities in which they have been embedded for an average 140 years. An independent study confirms that these institutions are top of the class economic generators and community anchors. This just released report on the ...

Tariff consequences and solutions

At World War II’s end, the USA initiated policies to rehabilitate the devastated economies of Europe and Japan by reducing or eliminating tariffs on imports from those countries. Over the ensuing 80 years, the economies of those countries rehabilitated themselves. During that same period, those countries also instituted policies to discourage exports from the USA. Consequently today, the US faces trade barriers when we export, but allows almost unfettered access to the US consumer via imports. Taken together, these policies create an annual trade deficit in excess of $1.2 ...