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Opinion

Endangered species must be protected

Letters to the Editor

As a conservationist, outdoor writer and Pennsylvanian who spends hours in the field, I am alarmed by the current administration’s attempt to weaken the Endangered Species Act. This landmark law has prevented the extinction of 99% of the species placed under its protection. In November, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Marine Fisheries Service proposed four rules that would reinstate weakened 2019-20 regulations. The proposals would: — Remove the “blanket rule” that automatically safeguards threatened species, instead requiring protections to be added ...

Community should stand up for hospital

Letters to the Editor

I recently retired from UPMC Altoona as a facility maintenance manager. We recently installed “state of the art” surveillance systems at the Station Medical Facility and, outside of the fact that I believe there needs to be an “armed police presence” during normal working hours, it is an excellence system providing a proactive approach to patient and staff safety. I’ve witnessed our administrators at UPMC Altoona trying to do everything within their authority to provide world class care and safety for patients and staff. It’s my opinion that they are operating with two ...

The danger of Fuentes’ ideology

Opinion

Nick Fuentes is often described as dangerous not because he is merely provocative but because his rhetoric and worldview actively undermine the moral foundations of a pluralistic democracy and the credibility of any political movement that tolerates him. His record of racist, antisemitic and misogynistic statements — particularly when aimed at the families or identities of public figures — reveals a pattern that goes beyond shock value into ideological extremism. When Fuentes says that he does not want to live around Black people because “it would be irresponsible if (he) had ...

Deregulating broadband will save billions

Editorials

Did economists underestimate the damage of the Biden regulatory barrage? One reason the U.S. economy is outperforming expectations may be that the Trump Administration’s deregulation is offsetting tariff harm. Consider how it has uncorked broadband investment and saved taxpayers billions by slashing the Biden team’s red tape. Congress appropriated $42 billion in the 2021 infrastructure bill for states to expand broadband to “unserved” and rural communities. The spending was unnecessary since satellite services like SpaceX’s Starlink and 5G fixed wireless services were rapidly ...

Lessons from Minnesota fraud case

Opinion

I recall a saying from my youth that went, “Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.” This comes to mind reading reports of the mind-boggling welfare fraud megascandal that has been exposed in Minnesota. For perspective on the scope of the scandal, Assistant U.S. Attorney Joe Thompson estimates fraud losses in Minnesota since 2018 could top $9 billion. We’re talking about fraud in Medicaid, nutrition programs, government-funded housing programs, government programs to assist autistic children, etc. Beyond tracking down and indicting criminals, there are ...

Old vaccines may provide hope for future

Editorials

Americans have the right to make their own health care choices, including making their own decisions regarding vaccines and whatever purported disease or illness-prevention measures they wish to pursue or support. The coronavirus pandemic and the aftermath of the health crisis have provided ample evidence of that. Likewise, no one is issuing must-follow directives about vitamins and supplements, although there is plenty of advertising attempting to lure Americans with health problems or unwanted medical-related issues or physical conditions to try certain products that purportedly ...