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To drink or not is wrong question

Opinion

For anyone aiming to cut back drinking, January’s arrival times perfectly. Some may have simply overdone it through the long holiday stretch, when alcohol seemed piped into any vaguely celebratory event. Some may worry that they’re beginning to forget the last drink they accepted. Recovering alcoholics or others who don’t drink at all have it easier, in one small way. Their intimates get to know that they do not imbibe — not beer, not wine, not liquor — and so don’t push alcohol in their direction. Those who want a drink now and then — in some cases, every night — ...

Together we can do better

Opinion

Let’s be honest: 2025 sucked. Of course, there were some highlights, including “KPop Demon Hunters,” Taylor Swift announcing her engagement to Travis Kelce (which will hopefully mean the national annoyance that is the Kelce brand will finally go away) and — of course — President Donald Trump bombing the Iranian nuclear program into oblivion. But, all in all, 2025 was a terrible year. Not because of the usual fraud, corruption and run-of-the-mill stories, such as Somali scams, political scandals or even street crime. No, it was a terrible year not just because of what ...

Pennsylvania will again be in spotlight

Editorials

There is something clarifying about opening a fresh calendar. The pages are clean, the boxes empty, the year ahead undefined. It invites planning even as experience reminds us that no year ever unfolds exactly as written. This will be another year when Pennsylvania finds itself under a political spotlight. Presidential elections do that when perennial swing-state status can tip the balance in the Electoral College. Two years later, that focus rarely fades — it simply shifts to the midterms. In the midterms, voters will decide control of Congress, Harrisburg and the governor’s ...

Climate change remains a concern

Letters to the Editor

In his op-ed of Dec. 8, Josh Hammer seeks to dismiss legitimate concern over climate change. He tells us the tide is changing because recent polling shows “only” 60% (what I call a solid majority) of Americans believe climate change is mostly human-caused. Hammer cites Bill Gates’ Oct. 28 blog post as evidence of a fading consensus. But Gates has not, in fact, changed his mind about climate change being a very serious ongoing issue. Instead, he believes that actions already taken, along with new technologies on the horizon, will limit the damage to an acceptable level. Gates ...

America challenged to be better in 2026

Editorials

Every time the calendar changes from one year to the next, a new agenda of hope emerges — hope built upon the desire to fix things that are wrong, make improvements where adjustments will be beneficial, pursue general betterment of one’s own community, including on behalf of the other people living there, at all times trying to exercise exemplary judgment and superior intentions on whatever the roads toward successful endeavors and outcomes. A baby symbolizes the arrival of a new year and hope, but a better example of that arrival might be success achieved during the often ...

Affordability is not a hoax

Letters to the Editor

Trump constantly repeats blatantly obvious lies knowing that some people will believe anything that’s said often enough; even when it’s not true. This time is different. Everyone knows that affordability is not a “scam” or a “hoax.” Americans get reminded of rising inflation every time they pay their bills or shop for groceries. In addition to not bringing consumer prices down “on day one,” Trump’s economic policies have failed to fulfill his other fake promises. Despite reducing trade with the U.S., China continues to have a record trade surplus with the rest ...