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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, ...

No justice in pardon of jailed judge

Michael Conahan should be familiar with what goes into difficult decisions about crime and punishment and their effect on a person’s life. Conahan was a Temple-trained lawyer, who spent 13 years as a Luzerne County Court of Common Pleas judge. For four years, he was the county’s president judge — a position like the chief justice of a supreme court that adds administrative responsibility to the judicial load. He was called upon to weigh what was done, why, remorse and regret then deliver appropriate consequences. In 2009, he pleaded guilty to a scheme in which he and another ...

Trump’s fear factor a definite throwback

If they have any instinct for self-preservation, Iran and Hamas should be monitoring President-Elect Donald Trump’s communications closely these days. A couple of weeks ago, there was the Truth Social post promising “ALL HELL TO PAY” if Hamas didn’t release its hostages by Trump’s inauguration on Jan. 20. “Those responsible,” Trump noted, “will be hit harder than anybody has been hit in the long and storied History of the United States of America.” He followed up during a press conference Monday. When asked what he meant by his prior threat, Trump left it ...

Build memories during Christmas break

As school buses complete their final rounds before Christmas break, the Juniata Valley prepares for an annual shift. Starting today, our streets and neighborhoods will buzz with children trading classrooms for play and homework for hot chocolate. This temporary transformation offers our community an opportunity. While parents juggle work schedules and holiday preparations, hundreds of young people will explore our town during daylight hours. Drivers, take note - slow down as kids are out and about. The following two weeks mark more than a pause from education. They create space for ...