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TikTok and the Freedom of Speech

“Congress shall make no law ... abridging the freedom of speech or of the press ...” – First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution During the oral argument before the Supreme Court in the famous Pentagon Papers case, a fascinating colloquy took place between Justice William O. Douglas and the lawyer for the government. The case was about whether the government could prevent the New York Times and Washington Post from publishing secret documents that demonstrated that American generals had been misleading President Lyndon Johnson and he had been lying to the American public during ...

Did taxpayers win their bet on gambling?

Last week, Live Casino Pittsburgh in Hempfield had some impressive payouts. It wasn’t because someone bet on black or stayed at the slot machine until a jackpot came up. The awards weren’t paid in poker chips. The prize was $19 million in casino-generated funds distributed to organizations with a public interest. The money comes from the Local Share Account via the Commonwealth Financing Authority. The Local Share Account was created by state law as part of the program to give back to the people from the money spent in gambling venues. The $19 million was just one county and ...

State should eye incentives for service roles

Powerful winds sometimes accompany storms passing through the Southern Alleghenies region comprising Blair, Bedford, Cambria, Somerset, Huntingdon and Fulton counties. However, this region is blessed in not having to endure windy onslaughts such as the hurricane-like Santa Ana winds that are responsible for the devastating, fast-spreading blazes that are wreaking havoc and causing mass destruction in California’s Los Angeles area. The recovery there, when all of the blazes finally are extinguished and a full assessment of the devastation is completed, is going to be long, costly, ...

Connection between cancer, alcohol deserves awareness

The word “transparency” is now big among Americans. Especially on the governmental front — local, state as well as national — anger pours forth when the public learns about secrecy having prevailed, especially regarding an important, controversial issue that impacts them directly, such as one that causes an increase in certain fees or their taxes. Sometimes the lowest levels of government end up sparking the biggest, noisiest outcries and furors, as a result of people not having been accorded an early heads-up regarding relevant goings-on about which they deserved expeditious ...

Fiscal responsibility could be cornerstone of economic policy

The arrival of a new presidential administration invokes new beginnings and a break from the past. Still, realities from previous administrations remain, such as a fiscal challenge that demands immediate attention. It may weigh on the newcomers even more than they realize today. We can only hope they take it more seriously than their predecessors have done. The longstanding notion that debt accumulation is benign, based largely on interest rates that for a time fell below growth rates, has proven dangerously misleading. This flawed thinking ignored both human nature and economic ...

In divisive times, subject of science brings us together

We’re living in divisive times. It’s something said so often that it’s become cliche. But collaboration across divides still happens, and the International Space Station is a great place to witness this in action. The ISS is entering its 25th year with crews on board modeling scientific collaboration on global research projects. Crew members also take time to share their enthusiasm for their work with kids across the globe using ham radio, also known as amateur radio. Will Merchant is a retired aerospace engineer who now volunteers with Amateur Radio on the International Space ...