Breaking News

Editorials

Independence in news reporting matters

The Sun-Gazette has existed, in one form or another, for nearly 225 years. It should be no surprise that journalism and the public’s expectations for newspapers and other media have changed in those years. At one time, 200 to 150 years ago, newspapers generally were aligned with political machines. Some newspapers promoted the interests of a politician and the bureaucracies and factions they built, some promoted the interests of parties. You can still see remnants of this in the names of some newspapers — the Republican-Herald in Pottsville and the Tribune-Democrat in Johnstown, ...

Two new year’s resolutions for state government

The year 2026 is upon us, and our state lawmakers and state officials should offer Pennsylvanians two resolutions — to reform our state’s government in ways that encourage rather than punish development and job creation, and to reduce state spending. Our region’s own lawmakers have ...

What other newspapers are saying: Free-market values integral to conservatism

When American conservatives abandon free-market principles, there’s no telling what follows. The Heritage Foundation has been illustrating this the past few months. One of the largest conservative think tanks in D.C. has been bleeding talent. Three members of its board of trustees resigned. Longtime conservative movement leaders such as Chris DeMuth and Stephen Moore cut ties. Then, on Monday, three of Heritage’s research divisions moved almost as entire units to Advancing American Freedom (AAF), the conservative group founded by former vice president Mike Pence. The heads of the ...

New law in Tennessee worth watching

We believe our Pennsylvania legislators should pay close attention in 2026 to the state of Tennessee. On Jan. 1, a new law will be implemented in the Volunteer State — one we believe could serve as a model for Pennsylvania — and, really, every state. “The newly enacted law will go on ...

What other newspapers are saying: State stresses ‘critical role’ of children’s vaccines

Michigan’s Chief Medical Executive, Dr. Natasha Bagdasarian, has issued a Standing Recommendation regarding children’s vaccines, advising health care providers and families to follow the child and adolescent immunization schedule produced by the American Academy of Pediatrics or the American Academy of Family Physicians. “Public health experts across the country, including myself, are not in agreement with recent federal vaccine recommendations,” Bagdasarian said in a news release. “For decades, vaccines have played a critical role in the prevention and control of infectious ...

Cameras belong in courtrooms

Those who follow news reports of criminal cases have likely seen photographs and/or video captured during out-of-state court proceedings and wondered why they don’t see similar scenes from inside Pennsylvania’s courtrooms. The short answer is: Pennsylvania Rules of Criminal Procedure Rule ...