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What other newspapers are saying: Fewer births are startling trend

Seventy-five years ago, New York held nearly 50 seats in the House of Representatives — 45 to be exact. It has 26 today. It’s not news that rural New York has been losing population, with its rural communities being hit particularly hard. That’s a story throughout the Rust Belt. The real issue is that what has been a regional problem is soon going to be a national problem. According to a report released this week by the Congressional Budget Office, deaths will outstrip births across the country by 2033, seven years earlier than previous projections. The country’s population ...

Judicial ‘Resistance’ setting itself up for epic smackdown

Unfortunately, America has long been suffering from a crisis of civics. Put simply, many Americans are woefully ignorant about the structure and features of their government. But every so often, an opportunity emerges to reteach some basics. The media’s predictable shrieks and howls of “constitutional crisis” notwithstanding, we are in the throes of a grand separation-of-powers standoff that will both serve as one such edifying civics lesson. First: Enter the energetic executive. In his frenetic opening weeks, President Donald Trump has channeled the spirit of The Federalist ...

Presler keeps foot on pedal in Pa.

Some people are different in person than they are online. Not Scott Presler. He is as kind, soft-spoken and charismatic in person as he is when he posts about his mission to register voters as Republicans in Pennsylvania. This is true whether he is here at the Farm Show Complex or any of the scores of events I have run into him attending in the past several years. Presler talked to the hunting community at the National Rifle Association’s annual Great American Outdoor Show, the largest outdoor show in the country. The event attracted thousands of people from across the country to ...

Musicians, singers hit right notes to make districts and beyond

For high school students throughout the Juniata Valley, music is more than a song played on the radio or sung in the shower. It’s something that pour their hearts and souls into for years, practically dutifully for hours just like an athlete playing basketball or football. They hone their craft as youngsters and, for those who stick with it, are put to the test when they reach high school band and chorus by competing at the district, regional and state levels. This year’s series of festivals are underway as many district concerts were held over the past few weeks. The lucky few ...

Lawmakers should address energy policy — not judges

A court in New Jersey has — correctly, in our view — dismissed a lawsuit state officials were attempting to bring against a number of the country’s larger oil companies. As the New Jersey Business and Industry Association notes, the ruling notes both state and federal precedent that the courts are an inappropriate venue for furthering wide-ranging climate change policy. The ability or risk that judges in one state could hinder the ability of private companies to develop and produce a critically valuable resource in all 50 states has thankfully been averted. Critics of “fossil ...

Make this Valentine’s Day count

Valentine’s Day. A day awash in red roses, heart-shaped boxes, and whispered sweet nothings. A day designated for love. But what is love, really? And why do we need a commercially-driven holiday to remind us of its importance? Love, in its purest form, is not a fleeting emotion. It’s not a commodity to be bought and sold. It’s a choice. A commitment. A quiet understanding that transcends the everyday. It’s the hand squeeze across the dinner table, the shared laughter over a silly joke, the silent support during a difficult time. It’s in the mundane, the routine, the ...