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Opinion

The energy policy we could have had

Other Commentaries

Oil, oil, oil. The war with Iran has oil prices soaring. And no thanks, President Trump, for your other war, the one against green energy. As Americans freak over gas prices, they are taking another look at electric vehicles. But guess what? Most domestic automakers dropped ambitious investments toward that end, leaving car lots bereft of these gasoline-replacing vehicles, at least American-made ones. It didn’t have to be that way. Barack Obama and Joe Biden launched serious programs to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels. Trump trashed those ambitious plans to bring Americans ...

Ehrlich was wrong about everything

Other Commentaries

Biologist and author Paul Ehrlich, the most influential Chicken Little of the last century, died at the age of 93 last week. His 1968 book, “The Population Bomb,” launched decades of institutional panic in government, entertainment and journalism. Ehrlich’s core neo-Malthusian argument was that overpopulation would exhaust the supply of food and natural resources, leading to a cascade of catastrophes around the world. “The Population Bomb” opens with a bold prediction, “The battle to feed all of humanity is over. In the 1970s and 1980s hundreds of millions of people will ...

Voters must pay attention to all issues

Editorials

It is the opinion of some people that this year’s midterm elections could be the most consequential of this nation’s history. That viewpoint might be accurate over the long run; there’s no way now of knowing. However, there is an important message contained within that opinion that’s not premature to acknowledge even so far out from the Nov. 3 general election. That is that voters already need to kick into proverbial high gear close attention regarding specific issues in play in 2026 America — not only within the state and, otherwise, within the nation’s borders, but also ...

Green gardening leads to healthy space

Letters to the Editor

As many of us start working in our gardens and yards, shaking off the winter, why not think about how that activity could benefit the plants and animals around us? Here are three things to try. 1.) Wait to rake. Almost all beneficial bugs like lady bugs, mantises, bees, and ground beetles rely on leaves and other detritus to survive cold temperatures and build strength for the spring. Wait to clean up until the temperature is consistently above 50. These bugs will thank you by controlling damaging insects later on. Birds and other critters also rely on insects for food and the ...

Secrecy is too often the norm in Pa.

Opinion

Spotlight PA is an independent, nonpartisan, and nonprofit newsroom producing investigative and public-service journalism that holds power to account and drives positive change in Pennsylvania. We pay for our government, and it should answer to us. But too often, that’s not how it works. Records get buried. Agencies stonewall. Officials wait out the news cycle or criticize reporters rather than answer hard questions. And the more those in power know news organizations are struggling under cutbacks, layoffs and closures, the more they default to secrecy. According to a recent ...

Only voters can save America’s democracy

Letters to the Editor

Americans are understandably proud of our nation as a free society and successful experiment in democracy. We have stumbled before, yet endured — guided by constitutional guardrails and leaders who respected them. In the eyes of the world, we were Ronald Reagan’s “shining city on a hill.” Until now. Donald Trump has reminded us just how fragile our democracy is. Preserving our freedoms requires integrity in government. Trump rudely woke us to the reality that freedom can never be taken for granted. By neutering Congress and staffing his administration with underqualified ...