Skill games aiding restaurants, bars

March 13, 2023

Running any small business is difficult, but for restaurant and bar owners, the last few years have been especially cruel. First they clawed their way through COVID, trying to stay open while meeting ever changing health safety guidelines. Many, sadly, didn’t make it out the other side of the pandemic. Then came the worker shortage that is still pummeling businesses today. And now, the triple threat is inflation. Talk to any restaurant owner and they can tell you how much more expensive everything they need to run their business has become in 2023. And they keep their ...

Fetterman’s decision can inspire others

March 8, 2023

More than 8% of Americans suffer from a major depressive disorder. Celebrities that we admire have sought treatment for depression: Bruce Springsteen, Kristin Bell, Jim Carrey, and Michael Phelps, to name just a few. A number of politicians, including Rep. Seth Moulton, D-Mass., and Sen. Tina Smith, D-Minn., have spoken openly about their battles with depression. Some of our greatest historical leaders suffered from depression: Abraham Lincoln, Winston Churchill, Ulysses S. Grant, and Martin Luther King Jr., for example. Depression also impacted the lives of some of the most ...

‘Super’ time on someone else’s dime

February 23, 2023

Newly elected Gov. Josh Shapiro promised transparency when it came to Pennsylvania’s government. In a way we can agree. When Shapiro talks about running an open administration, people can see right through him. Since ascending to the governorship, Shapiro has kept secret the list of donors who paid for his lavish inaugural. He forced transition team members to sign nondisclosure agreements that carry hefty financial penalties if they tell anyone what was going on. Now, the new governor has dipped into the least edifying corner of Harrisburg culture by using Team Pennsylvania ...

PA’s growing crisis: Recruiting police

February 22, 2023

As Pennsylvania families gather around their dinner tables, I hope they’ll say a small prayer for the three Pennsylvania police officers we’ve already lost this year: Brackenridge Police Chief Justin McIntire, McKeesport Police Officer Sean Sluganski and Temple University Officer Christopher Fitzgerald. Chief McIntire and Officers Sluganski and Fitzgerald made the ultimate sacrifice. They are heroes. It’s in their memory that I hope state lawmakers can come together to help law enforcement do their jobs safely — and return home to their families. That means giving them ...

Higher ed’s role in tackling energy crisis

February 21, 2023

Many of us will remember 2022 as a year that brought the reality of climate change closer to home. The impacts were hard to ignore: catastrophic heat waves followed by flooding in Pakistan, drought and disappearing rivers across Europe and major flooding throughout the United States were just a few of the disasters that marked a year of extremes. Now that we moved into a new year, we’re struck yet again by the urgency of the situation and the critical role that institutions of higher education play in combatting climate change, while also addressing the need for energy transition. ...

How Grinch stole the power grid

February 14, 2023

As a holiday cold snap gripped Pennsylvania in December, energy officials warned of rolling blackouts and called on families to turn down their thermostats and turn off the decorations. Truly, this was a Christmas gift with batteries not included. How did the power grid become so feeble that your Christmas tree threatened to bring it down? Much of the blame rests on the movement to halt the use of carbon fuels altogether, replacing them with sources that can’t come close to meeting demand. During the height of the cold spell on Christmas Eve, our grid operator was urging ...