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Thinking about the consequences

It’s not over yet. We still have a long way to go before Donald Trump is replaced but I’ve been thinking about the consequences of his presidency. Of course the worst case scenario is that he will blow up the world. Second, I fear the movie “Terminator” was a forewarning. Barring these two outcomes, I think the next worst thing will be that no other country will trust us again, perhaps ever. A survey in nine European countries shows rising distrust toward the United States under President Trump. Nearly 48% of Europeans see Trump as their enemy. These findings come as Europe ...

What is the Holocaust about?

What should Holocaust education be about? This has become a matter of some debate in the United States and worldwide. Recently, the issue reared its complex head in connection with an organization on whose Board I serve. The current Mission Statement of the organization which sponsors a writing competition on the Holocaust for middle and high schoolers reads as follows: “It is our mission to sponsor essay writing competitions focused on fostering a perpetual remembrance of The Holocaust. Our audience is middle school and high school students.” My proposal was to amend that ...

Make life a little more affordable

“Everything just costs too much right now.” That is what we hear every day from the people we represent. Families feel it at the grocery store. They feel it at the gas pump. They feel it when the electric bill comes in or when they pay for their cell phone service. These are not optional expenses. These are the basics of modern life. When everyday essentials keep getting more expensive, the government should not make it worse. It should look for ways to provide relief. That is why we are working on legislation to establish targeted tax holidays on essential goods and ...

An energy giant that keeps tripping over its own red tape

Pennsylvania has an energy problem — and it has nothing to do with what’s in the ground. The commonwealth is an energy powerhouse by almost any measure. Pennsylvania exports 89 million megawatt-hours of electricity per year, making it the nation’s leading electricity exporter. The Keystone State also ranks among the nation’s top producers of natural gas, nuclear power, and coal, powering and heating American homes and businesses nationwide. Yet Pennsylvanians pay more for electricity. A new report from the Joint Economic Committee finds that the average Pennsylvanian paid ...

Retail sales, housing suggest consumers resilient

This week, the focus shifts to the consumer, with March retail sales and the National Association of Realtors’ pending home sales report. Both reports are likely to point to a modest pickup from February. For retail sales, part of the gain may reflect firmer prices and support from tax refunds. But the bigger question is whether real, inflation-adjusted spending is holding up. The consumer still looks resilient, though more selective and cautious than a year ago. On housing, there is less need to wait for the NAR report because Zillow already provides a timelier read on contract ...

FBI director, senator team up to fight fentanyl in Pennsylvania

FBI Director Kash Patel joined a roundtable hosted by Sen. David McCormick (R-Pa.) earlier this month to discuss the work the Trump administration, Congress, local law enforcement and area prosecutors have done to curb the fentanyl trade in Pennsylvania over the past 13 months. McCormick led the packed event at the Edward N. Chan Federal Building and said that while the state’s death rate due to fentanyl overdoses has significantly decreased over the past year and a half, there was still work to be done. The senator said that fentanyl killed 4,000 Pennsylvanians per year between 2020 ...