Breaking News

Editorials

What to do if you encounter a bear

A wayward black bear has been spotted roaming around Canonsburg neighborhoods this week, prompting borough police to take to social media to urge people to use caution if they encounter the wild animal. As an addendum to that message, we urge those who feel compelled to take a selfie with the bear to consider their safety. The bear is not interested in mugging for a photo but rather locating its next meal and, if it’s a mama bear, keeping watch over her offspring. Far too many instances of people attempting to capture pictures with a wild animal have ended badly, some ...

Video a reminder of difficulties police face

Video released in late July by state Attorney General Letitia James of an officer-involved shooting in Mina earlier this year is graphic, disturbing and not for the faint of heart. It’s also an unfortunately real depiction of police work here in Chautauqua County, particularly when officers are responding to domestic incidents that are all too prevalent here. James released footage from two body-worn cameras that her office obtained as part of its ongoing investigation into the death of 66-year-old Mark Bemis, who died on June 18 following an encounter with members of the ...

Inaccurate depictions of past policy remain

When debating current issues, it’s helpful to avoid inaccurate depictions of past policy, especially on immigration, in which both opponents and advocates of President Donald Trump’s policies have views based on not altogether accurate renditions of the past. .Many opponents of Trump’s policies seem to believe the president wants to cut off legal immigration altogether, to shut America’s gates. But in recent times, around 800,000 individuals have taken the oath to become American citizens. In addition, about 1 million people have been granted green cards each year, making them ...

Stay safe on the zombie internet

Earlier this year, digital news organization The Wrap published a story reporting that cybersecurity firm CHEQ had declared up to 76 percent of Twitter’s traffic during the Super Bowl was bots. We won’t get into the details here — that’s by far the most important bit and you can find the rest easily enough — but it’s a critical detail that flew somewhat under the radar. In the last 30-odd years, the internet has cemented itself: in our workplace, in our culture and in our downtime. If you’re above a certain age, you likely remember the early internet as a wide-open ...

Would budget pass if leaders didn’t get paid?

When will Pennsylvanians get fed up? The Pennsylvania General Assembly is among the highest-paid legislatures in the country. The lowest is New Hampshire, where a lawmaker pulls in just $100. The highest paid? Neighboring New York at $142,000. But the Keystone State is close to the top, with a salary over $106,000. That’s more than double the average resident’s salary and 50% more than the median household income. Likewise, Pennsylvania’s governor takes home more than most other top state executives. Once again, New York is the highest at $250,000 a year. It’s the ...

Disparities in justice another reason to defend Second Amendment

With former President Joe Biden’s son Hunter Biden resurfacing in the news in recent weeks, it’s worth a few moments to consider a far less known name: Alexander Ledvina. Ledvina, as Reason magazine recently detailed, was convicted in 2023 of failing to disclose his past drug use when purchasing a firearm. For this, he was sentenced to four years and three months in federal prison. If the nature of his crime sounds familiar, it likely is because Hunter Biden violated the same law — but didn’t serve any sentence after his father granted him a presidential pardon. Our point ...