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The future depends on a thriving free press

The press is the only profession specifically named and protected in the United States Constitution. And that’s because our founders knew it was inextricably linked to the success of our states, our country, and our young republic. Yet, most people’s experience with the news lately has been terrible. Extreme financial pressure has led to fewer trusted local reporters and diminished local reporting, while national media — especially cable news — has gotten louder and more divisive. Many people are tuning out, turning away, or worse, vilifying journalism as the enemy. Yet ...

Biden the invisible president lies without consequence

Joe Biden might still hold the office of President of the United States, but the media are treating him like he’s anything but a newsmaker. For much of Biden’s presidency, reporters were much more energized to cover the apparent menace of Donald Trump than agitate the officials that were always hiding Biden. Now he seems invisible. On Dec. 15, the president spoke to a Democratic National Committee holiday party. Any reporter would expect a pep talk, with all the echoes of “we’ll get them next time.” Biden simply lied about the state of the country. In discussing ...

Dream Center offers local sober celebration

As the calendar turns toward 2025, many Juniata Valley residents will raise champagne glasses, watch fireworks, and welcome another year. But for some in our community, New Year’s Eve represents a minefield of temptation and risk - one where the pressure to drink can derail recovery efforts or endanger lives. The Mifflin County Dream Center introduces its first-ever Sober New Year’s celebration. The alcohol-free event will feature music, food, games, and a midnight countdown - proving celebrations need not center around substances. Sober New Year’s Eve is for recovering ...

Syria free from Assad’s cruelty

Bashar al-Assad’s downfall came not with a bang but a whimper. The Syrian dictator reportedly fled his home in the wake of a blitzkrieg advance by a coalition of anti-government rebels. By Sunday morning he was gone – leaving armed groups as the country’s dominant political players. A spirit of anti-Assad sentiment surged across Syria, manifesting itself through displays of both celebration and defiance. The question now is whether this unleashed energy – brutally suppressed by fear and authoritarian control – will become a unifying force in building a new nation or, ...

Boosting health care in rural US

About two weeks ago U.S. Sen. Tina Smith, D-Minn., released a press release on her partnership with U.S. Se.n Susan Collins, R-ME, on introducing legislation to improve access to health care and address the physician shortage in rural areas. The Rural Residency Planning and Development Act of 2024 would authorize the Rural Residency Planning and Development Program to continue providing start-up funding to rural hospitals, medical schools, and other organizations to establish new rural residency programs. Among current medical residency programs, the release said only 2 percent of ...

In the wake of tragedy, lean on our faith

As the Madison, Wisconsin, community reels from the deadly shooting at Abundant Life Christian School, pictures of grief and mourning despondently tell the story of this tragedy’s aftermath. I viewed the recent online collage of photos on CNN’s website that showed students and parents holding candles at an evening vigil, a distraught police officer, and a student in a wheelchair penning a heartfelt message on a white cross erected in memory of one of the victims. A second grader in an interview concisely summed up the terrifying moments she witnessed, stating, “I was really scared, ...