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Opinion

Committing crime out of ‘pain’ is still a crime

Letters to the Editor

Some years ago, I stood in my office facing a terrifying moment: a pain patient had brought a gun to his appointment. I know firsthand the horror of being targeted by people navigating the exhausting burden of chronic suffering. This reality was hammered into the national spotlight, involving our Altoona community with the tragic case of Luigi Mangione. Mangione was young, intelligent, but woefully inexperienced in life, dealing with severe intractable pain following an unsuccessful spinal surgery. His despair transformed into a violent, symbolic attack on the healthcare system. Yet, ...

Healthcare cuts hurt Americans

Editorials

One of the federal government’s great achievements this century was making health insurance affordable to millions more Americans. In 2010, nearly 18% of people under 65 lacked insurance. By 2024, the rate had fallen below 10%, thanks to the Affordable Care Act and later legislation that built on it. President Trump and congressional Republicans are working to dismantle that achievement. They have effectively cut subsidies for the Affordable Care Act’s marketplaces, making it harder for people who do not receive insurance through work to afford a plan. This year, the subsidy cuts ...

Lawmakers must prioritize skill game regs

Editorials

Stack up a controversial, somewhat complicated issue against a General Assembly whose claim to fame is neither courage nor expeditious decision-making and you have the recipe for who-knows-what. That’s the situation currently in place in Pennsylvania regarding the issue of skill games. For years, the usually cash-strapped state General Assembly has failed to take action regarding the gambling devices — devices that could bolster the commonwealth’s coffers by many millions of dollars, or much more, annually. And even though the state Supreme Court has ruled the skill games to ...

Sup? and contributions to literature

Opinion

During my 25 years as a professor at Saint Francis, I read countless student essays and research papers — some good, some bad, and some surprisingly funny. And though I’ve forgotten many of those papers (and sadly some of the students), one student’s “contribution to the literature,” as professors say, sticks with me 15 years after I retired. The paper began with one word: “Sup?” Having no idea what this word meant, I asked a young secretary — not much older than the students and accustomed to questions from clueless professors. “It means ‘What’s up?’” ...

Blood crisis: Donors needed now

Letters to the Editor

The American Red Cross has declared only the second national blood crisis in its history — and patients may already be feeling the impact. Blood donations have fallen to a four-year summer low, worsening this summer’s emergency shortage. Donors are asked to act immediately to help save lives. All blood types are needed, but the situation is especially dire for type O blood as the Red Cross is now limiting distribution of these blood products to hospitals. The supply of type O positive blood has now fallen below a one-day supply. There’s also an emergency platelet shortage. ...

Digging for change in parking

Editorials

In Hollidaysburg, the days of “digging” for change to insert into a parking meter are winding down. However, the new electronic meter system that is expected to be fully operational at the beginning of 2027 might not be welcomed by all motorists — at least not initially. Unhappiness won’t be surprising, if it evolves. Implementation of something new seldom receives unanimous approval. In terms of the electronic parking meters on the way in Blair County’s county seat municipality, the reason for less-than-unanimous approval is obvious; older people not yet “tuned in” ...