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Road work headaches affect us all

Difficulty navigating streets and roads due to major infrastructure replacement projects is not a situation unique to what Altoona currently is experiencing. That is true even though the Mountain City is more compact than some other cities of comparable size in Pennsylvania and beyond the Keystone State’s borders — some of those cities engaged in their own efforts at ridding themselves of deteriorated remnants of the past. Like what is happening here, it is not uncommon to hear stories about motorists and non-motorists elsewhere who are frustrated and angry about what is going ...

What other papers are saying: FAA must start to address worries

Until the midair collision that claimed 67 lives on Jan. 29 near the Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, followed soon thereafter by a number of other incidents involving planes, some of those incidents also resulting in fatalities, members of the flying public generally had exuded great confidence regarding their safety while using that mode of travel. Now, however, many of those same travelers do not feel quite as secure, due to what has been happening during recent weeks on the air travel front. It is clear that the level of confidence that had existed in the past will not ...

Musk’s worthy DOGE spotlight and potential fiscal path forward

Last Wednesday night, the world’s wealthiest man announced that his sojourn in the nation’s capital is almost over. “As my scheduled time as a special government employee comes to an end, I would like to thank President (Donald Trump) for the opportunity to reduce wasteful spending,” Elon Musk posted to X, the social media platform he owns. While Musk was quick to add that “the (Department of Government Efficiency) mission will only strengthen over time as it becomes a way of life throughout the government,” Musk’s departure will represent the effective end of DOGE as we ...

Honor veterans every day

It happens twice a year with predictable precision. In May, flags appear along streets and in cemeteries, fluttering in the late spring breeze. In November, parades form, speeches echo, and “Thank you for your service” returns to the national script. Memorial Day and Veterans Day give us a ritual—a way to say thank you, to remember. But for millions of veterans, service did not follow a holiday schedule. Their sacrifice did not pause between commemorations. The question is simple: should our gratitude be limited to two dates on a calendar? Memorial Day and Veterans Day have ...

Trump, Senate should work on big tax bill

In the past week, as never before, President Donald Trump showed mastery of the legislative process. On Tuesday, when his gargantuan tax bill was stalled, he went to Capitol Hill to deliver a double-barreled message. To the fiscal hawks, he said not to “f---around with Medicaid.” To blue-state Republicans, he warned against holding out for further increases in caps on state and local tax (SALT) deductions. Again and again, to advance his One Big Beautiful Bill, Trump capitalized on his acolytes’ love and fear. Opposing the bill would be “ the ultimate betrayal,” the White ...

Finding your path

As high schools across the area prepare for commencement, graduates are realizing a new chapter of their lives is about to begin. They will not be alone. As seniors walk across the stage, they’ll be cheered on by loved ones in the audience who have been supporting them along the way. They, too, will be navigating a new stage of their lives. For the graduates entering a new era of independence and the parents who got them there, we offer some words of advice. To our high school graduates: Congratulations! High school is done. You’ve made it. Now comes the looming question: ...