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Bipartisan legislation should become law

Editorials

While the acronym might have been a bit of a stretch, the Non-Opioids Prevent Addiction in the Nation (NOPAIN) for Veterans Act is still a long-overdue piece of legislation, introduced last week by U.S. Sens. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., and Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H. Given all this country — and particularly our region — has been through because of the substance abuse epidemic, it is a bit of a surprise no one has worked toward such a measure for those who have served. This one would expand veteran access to non-opioid alternatives by creating pathways for Food and Drug ...

Drilling in Alaska right step for affordable energy

Editorials

We are reassured by the White House’s decision to finalize plans to permit more oil and gas exploration in Alaska’s North Slope. Our editorial board has frequently warned the public that the hostility to conventional sources of energy would leave our region and our nation without the affordable energy necessary for our workplaces and families. We can see evidence of that at this time in the likelihood of higher utility bills. The proposal would allow lease sales on a 1.5 million-acre tract — for context, Alaska comprises 365 million acres. “It is encouraging to see ...

Readers' opinions

Letters to the Editor

Equal opportunity must be ensured in sports To the Editor: We are writing to express our deep disappointment that the Burnham Bulldogs special needs football team was denied the opportunity to play their Super Bowl game at the same time as the Central Keystone League teams. It was a wonderful celebration of youth football at the beautiful new Chapman Field at Mifflin County High School on Nov. 8 and 9. Unfortunately, the special needs players, who have participated in the event for years, didn’t get to enjoy their time in the sun. This decision sends an unfortunate message to ...

Saving black-footed Ferret takes a village, and a Prairie Dog town

Editorials

The black-footed ferret exhibit at American Prairie’s National Discovery Center in Lewistown, Mont., just opened to the public on Nov. 14. When I went to Montana in September to visit American Prairie, their newest ambassador had just arrived from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s National Black-Footed Ferret Conservation Center in Colorado, and I got to see it. Black-footed ferrets are one of North America’s most endangered mammals, so they are bred and prepared for reintroduction through a National Black-Footed Ferret Recovery Program. In addition to the Colorado Center, ...

Affordability? Move to a ‘Red State.’

Editorials

The buzzword of the month is “affordability,” and based on the election results from New York, New Jersey and Virginia, voters think that’s declining. Democrats think they’ve found a winning issue here to win back the hearts and minds of voters after the Trump sweep last year. It’s true that people are angry about prices. Steaks and hamburgers are more expensive than ever. So are coffee and rents and medical care. Many Americans are about to see a 10%-20% increase in their health care premiums starting in January. But who’s to blame? President Donald Trump said he would ...

Trump, Gaza and the U.N. Security Council

Editorials

Maybe the United Nations isn’t as useless as it so often shows. Last week, the Security Council endorsed President Trump’s 20-point peace plan for Gaza, ratifying for the first time the requirements that Hamas disarm and Gaza be demilitarized. The resolution passed 13–0, with Russia and China abstaining. It’s a setback for the terrorists. Many had worried that the U.S. jaunt to the Security Council would come at the price of bending the peace plan’s terms for Hamas or adding anti-Israel terms. Would France’s Emmanuel Macron elbow his way into the deal’s ...