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Hollywood can still make great movies

"Project Hail Mary" is proof. Based upon the novel of the same name by author Andy Weir (who also wrote "The Martian"), the science fiction film released by Amazon MGM Studios has already grossed more than $600 million worldwide, on a $190 million budget. The film had the highest opening box office revenues so far this year, and the best opening for any Amazon film ever. In fact, "Project Hail Mary" has enjoyed so much success that its theatrical run has been extended before it goes to streaming. (When was the last time that happened?) This only goes to show that audiences will ...

If they prove effective then Zyn isn’t sin

Zyns are super popular. They are little pouches people tuck into their lip to get a hit of nicotine. Zyn has competitors, like Velo and On!, but Zyn has most of the market. Young people love the pouches. They are safer than cigarettes. Their nicotine is addictive, but nicotine isn't what makes tobacco deadly. "(The) mix of chemicals -- not nicotine -- cause the serious health effects ..." says the FDA. That's why the FDA supports nicotine pouches. Still, some anti-tobacco activists oppose all nicotine use. "It's a pouch packed with problems!" Sen. Chuck ...

A simple act with lasting impact

With Pennsylvania’s primary election fast approaching, voters in the Juniata River Valley are nearing an important deadline — one that often comes and goes with far less attention than it deserves. May 4 is the final day to register to vote in the upcoming primary. It is a date that represents more than paperwork or procedure. It is the gateway to participation in the democratic process. Registering to vote takes only a few minutes, yet it is the first and most essential step in making a voice heard. For those already registered, it is also a reminder to ensure information — such ...

Rigid public comment rules do more harm

Public comment periods are meant to let people talk to the government. Sometimes it’s about actions that are happening or decisions that are pending. Sometimes it’s about bringing problems to the government’s attention. A comment period is one mechanism municipalities, school boards and other agencies can use to make that process tick by with clockwork efficiency. It prescribes when a speaker can speak. It sets up the format. It establishes the time frame. It also moves the blame. It isn’t council’s fault you only get a few minutes to speak. It’s the policy. That can work ...

Fight against fentanyl ongoing

“It was probably the most shocking thing I discovered on the campaign trail.” U.S. Sen. Dave McCormick, R-Pittsburgh, said this to columnist Salena Zito in a column the Sun-Gazette published Monday (The Sentinel published Saturday, April 18) about the nation’s fentanyl crisis. “The scale, 4,000 Pennsylvanians, 100,000 Americans, and you look at those statistics and people’s eyes glaze over (at) the numbers, but again, that is someone’s family in those numbers. The reference point is how many people died in Vietnam. Remember, 52,000 people died in Vietnam. One hundred ...

Working Americans pay their share of taxes

A claim that working Pennsylvanians need to “pay their fair share” all too often bubbles to the surfaces of some of our society’s debates on tax policy. The rhetoric that surrounds perennial pushes to eliminate or significantly reduce property tax burdens in Pennsylvania is one place this claim sometimes surfaces, municipal officials’ pursuit of greater latitude for cities and boroughs to assess heavier taxes on payroll is another. The reality is that working Pennsylvanians — and working Americans, particularly the middle class — pay thousands of dollars a year in federal ...