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Economic booms don’t die of old age

A partial government shutdown has paused many federal data releases, but two key reports on housing and inflation are still on deck. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) will publish September’s Consumer Price Index on Friday, October 24, a one-off release made possible by recalling staff so Social Security can calculate cost-of-living adjustments. Most other BLS updates remain on hold until funding resumes. Inflation: Near 3%, services cooling (a bit) The August CPI report (the latest available) showed headline inflation up 2.9% year-over-year and core inflation (excluding food and ...

Days of joy a demonstration of Israel’s leadership, courage

Simchat Torah is the most celebratory time of the Jewish New Year. On October 7, 2023, it was a day of utter and complete horror. Israel was invaded by Hamas forces which poured into the nation from Hamas ruled Gaza. By October 8, 2023, many in the world not only celebrated rape, murder, torture, and beheading carried out by Hamas, but encouraged that it continue. Hezbollah in Lebanon and Iran joined the blood fest, threatening the existence of Israel. I will never forget the message that my daughter living in Israel left for me as the Iranian ballistic missile attack began, “Dad, ...

Governor falling short on reform

On Aug. 12, 2024, Gov. Josh Shapiro introduced the Streamlining Permits for Economic Expansion and Development (SPEED) program, which was supposed to expedite the permitting process for businesses. “Pennsylvanians deserve a state government that moves at the speed of business and processes their permits quickly to ensure Pennsylvanians receive a timely response,” Shapiro said. Yet, SPEED was not as nimble as its acronym suggested. Pennsylvania’s Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), the agency responsible for SPEED, did not start accepting applications until almost one ...

COVID-19 vaccines — what you should know

There’s good news about COVID-19. It is no longer among the top 10 causes of death in the United States. But it’s still in the top 15. COVID was the primary cause of 31,000 American deaths in 2024 and contributed to about 14,000 more. Positive COVID test rates and hospitalizations were very low earlier this year but increased, as expected, with the late-summer surge, when U.S. deaths rose above 300 per week in late August and early September. Severe disease and deaths were lower than in previous surges thanks to immunity from vaccinations and previous infections, but wastewater ...

Term limits limit representation

In a recent move, City Council has decided to unanimously consider approving term limits on local elected positions. While there is a certain amount of prestige in the Mayor’s Office and Council, one could argue that the minor positions of Controller and Treasurer do not have the same public attention nor do they come with the same power. Their duties consisting of day-to-day tasks required to keep taxpayer funds safe and collect taxes equally necessitate that there is a strong moral compass and a drive to operate efficiently. Where these positions sit in terms of their compensation, ...

Who, and under what circumstances, should someone have a choice?

We all have experienced moments in our lives we’ll remember forever. For me one such moment occurred when my aunt was in the hospital, saying she couldn’t bear it anymore and if she had the physical strength, she’d jump out of the window. I so much wanted to help her jump. She died of cancer, and when she was dead, I felt deep sadness. But I also felt something else: happiness and relief - because she finally didn’t have to suffer anymore. Less than two years later her mother - my grandmother - died of cancer too. My grandmother never suffered loudly, never complained about ...