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AI a challenge for neighboring state’s wiretap law

Maryland state legislators are grappling with a difficult issue, trying to figure out how to update the state’s wiretap law to accommodate all of the changes created by widespread adoption of new technologies. That’s complicated enough, but at the same time, another issue is lurking behind the wiretap law. It is a dark, frightening presence with new, even more difficult challenges. Its initials are A.I. The Maryland House of Delegates Judiciary Committee recently had a briefing on the wiretapping law, as lawmakers consider amending it when the 2026 session convenes next ...

It’s time for cameras in Pa. courts

Those who follow news reports of criminal cases have likely seen photographs and/or video captured during out-of-state court proceedings and wondered why they don’t see similar scenes from inside Pennsylvania’s courtrooms. The short answer is: Pennsylvania Rules of Criminal Procedure Rule 112 prohibits cameras in courtrooms. The longer answer begins: Pennsylvania is only one of five states in the nation with very rigid restrictions that need to be updated for the sake of transparency and accountability. During the recent preliminary hearing held in Manhattan for Luigi Mangione, ...

Christmastime is full of opportunity

Pope Francis’ appeal for peace in the world last Christmas fell on deaf ears. The world is no closer to peace now — Christmas 2024 — than it was then, and perhaps even farther away, judging from the scope, deaths and destruction of the conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza and the long-running civil wars in Syria and Yemen. Whether there are any prospects for “constructing” a more peaceful world over the next 12 months is anyone’s guess. Perhaps the only one who knows is the Savior Jesus, whose birth on earth Christians around the world are celebrating today. For the Jewish ...

Remember veterans in December

The holidays are a crowded time of year — with a lot of traditions, expectations and thoughts competing for our attention. We are truly grateful for the organizers of Wreaths Across America, whose wreath-placing events help make sure that the contributions of our veterans are not lost in the busy days of the season. As we often note, it is important to remember our veterans throughout the year. No matter how the stresses and strains of Christmas, Hanukkah and New Year’s Eve find us today, the strain on families who had a child, a sibling, a spouse or other loved one serving in ...

Oversight starts with receipts but doesn’t stop there

When public money is spent, the people deserve to know the ins and outs. It’s encouraging to see Harrisburg lawmakers on this particular bandwagon. The state Senate Intergovernmental Operations Committee opted Tuesday to issue subpoenas to detail the full extent of taxpayer money used to cover certain work at Gov. Josh Shapiro’s Montgomery County home. It is not surprising this vote was along party lines because everything in Harrisburg breaks down to partisanship. The Senate having a Republican majority and the governor being a Democrat provided a built-in tendency for GOP ...

Here’s why Johnny can’t read

Reading and math scores are abysmal across the country, as national testing results keep documenting. Illiteracy rates are rising: The number of 16- to 24-year-olds reading at the lowest literacy levels increased from 16% in 2017 to 25% in 2023, according to data from the National Center for Education Statistics. In some inner-city schools, less than half of kids are reading or doing math at grade-level proficiency. Many high school grads can’t read their diplomas. As an economist, I would submit that this is our greatest crisis. It puts the future of American prosperity in grave ...