Breaking News

Opinion

A holiday tree with a sports twist

Local Columns

At my house in Belleville, the Christmas tree is themed from top to bottom. It should come as no surprise that the theme is sports. I came up with the idea in my 30s — a Christmas tree dedicated to my five favorite teams. My mother, who lived to be 100 and died in 2021, didn’t think it was a very good idea. “It’s not very Christmassy,” she told me. Over time, she came around. In fact, she bought me an ornament almost every year after that. My five favorite teams are the San Francisco Giants (baseball), San Francisco 49ers (football), Utah Jazz (basketball), UCLA ...

Christmastime is full of opportunity

Editorials

Pope Francis’ appeal for peace in the world last Christmas fell on deaf ears. The world is no closer to peace now — Christmas 2024 — than it was then, and perhaps even farther away, judging from the scope, deaths and destruction of the conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza and the long-running civil wars in Syria and Yemen. Whether there are any prospects for “constructing” a more peaceful world over the next 12 months is anyone’s guess. Perhaps the only one who knows is the Savior Jesus, whose birth on earth Christians around the world are celebrating today. For the Jewish ...

Remember veterans in December

Editorials

The holidays are a crowded time of year — with a lot of traditions, expectations and thoughts competing for our attention. We are truly grateful for the organizers of Wreaths Across America, whose wreath-placing events help make sure that the contributions of our veterans are not lost in the busy days of the season. As we often note, it is important to remember our veterans throughout the year. No matter how the stresses and strains of Christmas, Hanukkah and New Year’s Eve find us today, the strain on families who had a child, a sibling, a spouse or other loved one serving in ...

Oversight starts with receipts but doesn’t stop there

Editorials

When public money is spent, the people deserve to know the ins and outs. It’s encouraging to see Harrisburg lawmakers on this particular bandwagon. The state Senate Intergovernmental Operations Committee opted Tuesday to issue subpoenas to detail the full extent of taxpayer money used to cover certain work at Gov. Josh Shapiro’s Montgomery County home. It is not surprising this vote was along party lines because everything in Harrisburg breaks down to partisanship. The Senate having a Republican majority and the governor being a Democrat provided a built-in tendency for GOP ...

Government control in the digital age

Editorials

Politicians push government IDs. In a TSA announcement, Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem sternly warns, “You will need a REAL ID to travel by air or visit federal buildings.” European politicians go much further, reports Stossel TV producer Kristin Tokarev. They’re pushing government-mandated digital IDs that tie your identity to nearly everything you do. Spain’s prime minister promises “an end to anonymity” online! Britain’s prime minister warns, “You will not be able to work in the United Kingdom if you do not have digital ID.” Queen Maxima of ...

Here’s why Johnny can’t read

Editorials

Reading and math scores are abysmal across the country, as national testing results keep documenting. Illiteracy rates are rising: The number of 16- to 24-year-olds reading at the lowest literacy levels increased from 16% in 2017 to 25% in 2023, according to data from the National Center for Education Statistics. In some inner-city schools, less than half of kids are reading or doing math at grade-level proficiency. Many high school grads can’t read their diplomas. As an economist, I would submit that this is our greatest crisis. It puts the future of American prosperity in grave ...