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Reflections on an end to summer

As I write this, it rains outside. I have to lower the windows so the rain won’t wet my floor. It’s a short and heavy downpour. I love it. Sadly, it ends as fast as it begins. A few minutes later the sun returns, and not much later the streets and roofs are dry again. As if the rain had never stopped by. It’s funny. Even though I don’t like getting wet, I absolutely love rain. There’s nothing more tranquil than walking in the woods while gentle rain falls on my umbrella. Everything seems so peaceful. There’s no sound but the raindrops on the umbrella and my steps on the ...

When the people of our republic stop talking

America lost a faith-filled husband, father, and patriot. For many, there will be a permanent hole in their hearts and a void in their lives that will never be filled. To say this was a senseless tragedy is an understatement and brushes aside the true nature of what really happened: Charlie Kirk was murdered for loving God, his family, and America by those who don’t. Our political climate has reached a fever-pitch, and our beloved America, our grand experiment, our fragile republic, is broken. Many today are wondering if it is broken beyond repair. The timing of Charlie’s ...

The meaning of ‘we’

In Hebrew, the word is anu, a derivative of the word “we.” Rarely does one shed a tear going to a museum. The last time this happened to me is when I went to the Holocaust Museum in Washington, D.C. It was nearly another tearful moment while visiting Anu, the Museum of the Jewish People in North Tel Aviv, Israel. The three-floor museum is a study in modern museum presentation and management. Visitors start on the third floor and work their way down. The top level is described as a mosaic of modern Jewish identity and culture. Included on this floor are issues of ...

A critical need for volunteer first responders

In communities across Pennsylvania and the entire nation, volunteer firefighters and emergency medical technicians (EMTs) serve as the backbone of local emergency response. In Sullivan County, PA. this vital service is no different. Our volunteer fire departments and EMS teams are essential in providing quick, life-saving assistance during fires, accidents, medical emergencies, and natural disasters. However, like many rural areas, Sullivan County faces a pressing challenge: a significant shortage of volunteer first responders. Nationally, the average percentage of people willing to ...

Lawmakers deserve credit for success against Green New Deal

Lawmakers took a significant step toward ending the Green New Deal. In the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), they started to dismantle the radical “green” subsidies embedded in the partisan 2022 Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), a law that didn’t get a single Republican vote in the House or Senate. For Americans who care about affordable, reliable electricity, this is a big win. Lawmakers who made this happen, all of whom were Republicans, should be commended. The OBBBA eliminated many of the IRA’s energy and environmental subsidies that had been projected to cost over $1 ...

What really threatens Fed’s independence

Concerns about the Federal Reserve’s independence have grown following repeated attacks by President Donald Trump, including this week’s decision to fire Fed Gov. Lisa Cook based on questionable allegations. But this debate is too narrowly focused on the president’s political pressure, ignoring a growing danger in our system. It is true that since the Treasury-Federal Reserve Accord of 1951, the Fed has had operational independence -- the ability to set interest rates day-to-day -- without any obligation to make government borrowing cheap. But it never had true economic ...