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Can Donald Trump put a stop to domestic spying?

During the course of an FBI written response to a Freedom of Information Act request asking about the trade names and suppliers of surveillance software the FBI had purchased, the government has yet again quietly acknowledged its antipathy to constitutional provisions that all of its employees have sworn to uphold. Since we are dealing with software used to spy on Americans in the U.S. and abroad, the constitutional right being transgressed is the right to privacy. This is the ancient natural right to be left alone, which the Supreme Court took 175 years to recognize as being ...

Don’t write off DOGE just yet

Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy want to cut $2 trillion and make the government more efficient. It’s a high priority since the United States is barreling toward a fiscal crisis. Yet despite the mounting evidence of unsustainable spending and deficits, lots of people seem to believe that the goals of the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, are dead on arrival. Why? Because these doubters believe that Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid are completely off-limits for cuts. This is nonsense. Spending on these three programs represents roughly half of 2025’s $7 trillion ...

The combined contracts of a few sports stars rival some state budgets

The top story of the past week had nothing to do with politics, the federal government, or wars abroad. For me, it was “the contract.” As an avid life-long New York Yankees fan, at first, I was crushed by the Yankees failure to land and keep the young phenom baseball superstar Juan Soto. He accepted a whopping $765 million contract that with bonuses could eclipse $800 million offered by the Yankees’ crosstown rivals, the New York Mets. The Mets won the baseball sweepstakes. Or did they? Only time will tell. This all sounds like sour grapes on my part. Yes, guilty as ...

Celebrate local achievements, push forward

As winter settles across the Juniata Valley, Lewistown residents rise to meet community needs through grassroots initiatives and established traditions of service. These efforts illuminate both our streets and spirits. The newly formed Deck the Downtown group mobilized dozens of volunteers to wrap trees and storefronts in twinkling lights along Market Street in Lewistown. What started as a small idea sparked by local business owners grew into a movement, with residents climbing ladders and untangling strands of lights on crisp weekend mornings. The result transforms our historic ...

Fate of monarch butterflies depends on us

A story that ran in yesterday’s Express provided an update on the plight of the monarch butterfly — a particularly beloved and notable species for many, many people. Two key takeaways from that story: eastern monarchs face a 57 to 74 percent chance of extinction by 2080, and eastern monarchs have seen a 59 percent decrease in their occupied overwintering space from the previous year, which is now down to just 2.2 acres. Some readers have houses that sit on more acreage than that. Imagine the entire overwintering population of eastern monarchs fitting in your ...

Hunting an important economic engine

Deer season is underway in Pennsylvania — and we hope all hunters find success in our forests and fields. The economic impact of hunting for our state cannot be overstated. According to WJAC-TV in Johnstown, economic reports show deer hunters spend about $980 million in our state each year. That money helps businesses both large and small — sporting goods stores, gun shops, restaurants and motels and other lodging — continue to create jobs. In a typical year, the state’s revenues from hunting licenses exceeds $150 million according to the state Game Commission’s website, ...