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Editorials

What does our flag mean?

We appreciate the efforts of the volunteers who brought the Anthony DiSalvo Flags Across America program back for yet another year. The importance of our flag and the principles it symbolizes could perhaps be seen on our front page Monday — not only in our coverage of Flags Across America, but in our coverage of other events, both nationally and locally. In Washington, D.C., Americans celebrated the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Army with a parade. Our editorials frequently observe our gratitude for the role the Army and all branches of the United States military play in ...

Senate bill undermines accountability

We are concerned legislation sponsored by state Sen. Doug Mastriano, R-Fayetteville, erodes our state’s commitment to transparency and accountability. “Resurrected from stalled legislative efforts in previous sessions, the bill would allow public notices to go on municipal, school ...

What other newspapers are saying: Ohio a leader on election integrity

Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose has been working steadily to provide guidance meant to increase security for our elections. He has so far provided six security directives to county boards of elections. Most recently was a set of requirements to configure networks, firewalls, vulnerability assessment tools and equipment with the most recent approved security updates; complete monthly cybersecurity checklists to ensure protection from malicious threats; a county-specific security audit led by his office’s chief information security officer and cybersecurity team; and compliance ...

Minimum wage bill misses big picture

We have reservations about the state House passing a bill to incrementally increase Pennsylvania’s minimum wage. As this issue has routinely resurfaced every few years for decades, we’ve noted that the economies of Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, their suburbs and our more rural region are all ...

What other newspapers are saying: Is immigration crackdown shrinking workforce?

The White House hailed Friday’s jobs report for May, and it did beat market expectations with a net gain of 139,000 in payrolls. But there are signs of weakness under the labor-market hood that bear watching. The unemployment rate stayed low at 4.2% for the third straight month. Employers are holding onto their workers despite the uncertainty over tariffs. Wage gains were also healthy, rising 3.9% over the last 12 months. The weaker news is that the jobless rate stayed the same because some 625,000 people left the job market. As a result, the labor participation rate fell 0.2% in ...

Timeline for tougher cellphone ban not tough enough

The expression “time flies” is familiar to most people. However, time cannot “fly” fast enough regarding Pennsylvania’s new handheld-cellphone ban for individuals operating motor vehicles on commonwealth roadways. Until the full teeth of the law replaces the wishy-washy provisions currently in place, innocent drivers or vehicle passengers could die or be maimed — just because only a warning will be issued now, rather than a monetary penalty from violators’ wallets or pocketbooks. The possibility of a fine, rather than a warning, could deter some drivers from risking ...