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Korean War heroes too often overlooked

Editor’s note: The author is commandant of the Standing Stone Detachment, Marine Corps League, Huntingdon. He is also a Vietnam veteran. Several members of the detachment, who are now deceased, were Korean War Veterans, and it is with sincere appreciation that we honor their service and indeed the service and sacrifice of all Korean War veterans. National Korean War Veterans Armistice Day — July 27, 2023 — is so important because it marks the 70th anniversary of the Korean War Armistice. The Korean War, to some, is the “forgotten war,” and to many, hopefully, is the ...

Prevent summer learning drought

Summer is upon us, and kids are excited about getting outside, family vacations, camp, and just about anything other than homework. Despite our best intentions, with all the free time summer brings, it is also inevitable our kids will spend more time in front of screens — gaming, bingeing shows, texting and on social media. Why not help them balance some of that screen time and curb summer learning loss? Studies show the average student loses 17-34% of their school-year knowledge during the summer months. In addition to the quality time you spend together as a family, you can ...

Prioritize preventing lead poisoning

The Pennsylvania Legislature is on the verge of taking two important steps to help reduce childhood lead poisoning by advancing a childhood lead testing bill in the Senate and including funding in the House-passed budget bill to help get the lead out of homes. Lead poisoning, regrettably, is still a critical public health crisis in Pennsylvania. Nearly 8,000 children are poisoned every year, but the actual number is likely much higher since less than one-third of children under age six have their blood lead level tested. Lead paint used in housing built before 1978, when the use ...

Property taxes funding cyber excess

More than $3.4 million spent on advertising over a three-month period. Over $75,000 spent on tickets, parking, and concessions for Major League baseball games–including $50 per person for rooftop catering. Tens of thousands of dollars spent sponsoring minor league baseball and hockey teams. Over $100,000 spent on branded clothing and other swag. These aren’t the expenses of a large private corporation. Instead, these are a few examples from nearly 3,000 pages of invoices Education Voters of PA received from Right to Know requests for cyber charter school advertising in the ...

To combat cancer rates, amend IRA

The rate of colorectal cancer in Americans under 55 has nearly doubled since the 1990s, and scientists don’t really know why. By 2030, colorectal cancer is predicted to become the leading cause of cancer deaths for people under 50, and is already the second leading cause of all cancer deaths, behind only lung cancer. We need more and better treatments, and we need them now. Unfortunately, the new drug-pricing rules enacted in last year’s Inflation Reduction Act will stymie efforts to develop new cancer treatments. Under the IRA, Medicare will be able to negotiate with drug ...

War on poverty failing miserably

“The War on Poverty is not a struggle simply to support people, to make them dependent on the generosity of others. It is a struggle to give people a chance. It is an effort to allow them to develop and use their capabilities as we have all been allowed to develop and use ours, so that they can share, as others share, in the promise of this nation.” — President Lyndon Johnson in his 1964 address to Congress Since its initiation, almost 60 years and three generations have passed. How have we fared in this “war?” Using the Census Bureau’s unadjusted statistics, it has ...