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Is this what peace looks like?

Recently in our small synagogue in Be’er Yaakov, Shabbat, the place was packed. This is a small building, maybe 60 feet by 40 feet, looks like a pillbox. It is masonry with four windows, steel bars across each. It is modest, but very well attended. Everyone was in a good mood. The press is saying that the innocent hostages taken by murderous terrorists may be released and a ceasefire with Hamas may be at hand. During the holiest part of the dovening, called the kiddusha, sirens sounded loud and clear. The Rabbi hesitated but kept up running the service. Virtually everyone stayed. ...

Renewing tax cuts crucial

The Trump tax cuts are set to expire later this year, and that poses a real challenge for policymakers, businesses and taxpayers alike. Americans face a $4 trillion tax hike as key provisions of the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act sunset. The stakes are too high to ignore, and it has to be done right. Failure to make most of the cuts permanent would be detrimental to economic growth, something we can ill afford. And while Republicans control the White House, House and Senate, the path is fraught with political and fiscal obstacles. For budgetary reasons, the tax reductions were made ...

Nomination to lead Department of Labor raises many questions

Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer (R-OR) faces an uphill battle — and deservedly so. As President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee for labor secretary, Chavez-DeRemer has both sides of the aisle scratching heads. To call her reviews mixed would be an understatement: Her fellow Republicans aren’t keen on her pro-union voting record, and progressives don’t think she is pro-union enough. To clarify this ambiguity, U.S. Senators must ask the first-term lawmaker, who just lost reelection to her Oregon seat, some direct questions. Most importantly, senators should force Chavez-DeRemer to address ...

The nature of unexpected miracles

Oma doesn’t seem to recognize me anymore. Sometimes, when I write down my name, she’ll repeat it. I’m not sure though she understands who “Dani” is. She’s told me she doesn’t know me. She actually doesn’t speak much. Only very rarely, just a word here and there. She sits in a wheel-chair and needs help with pretty much everything - except for eating and reading. Yes, she can still eat alone. And boy, does she eat! Every time I visit her, she spoons away. Amazingly, she still doesn’t need reading glasses either. When I write, her blue eyes will read along as the words ...

Farm leaders applaud state’s aggressive action against avian flu

HARRISBURG -- Gov. Josh Shapiro (D-Pa.) took the threat of avian flu head-on at a town hall at the 109th annual Pennsylvania Farm Show, saying that as highly pathogenic avian influenza spreads to dairy in other states, his administration would remain proactive and aggressive in establishing a nation-leading surveillance-testing system for milk at the processor level. “Because of our aggressive approach to testing and quarantine plans, we successfully reduced the threat of avian flu and haven’t had a positive test after taking over 10,000 milk samples,” he said. Dan Hougentogler, ...

New year, new taxes in Pennsylvania

The new year is always a great opportunity to shed vices like smoking and binge eating. For state and local lawmakers, their guilty pleasure tends to involve overspending and sticking taxpayers with the bill. If Pennsylvania lawmakers thought to quit this dirty habit in 2025, they are off to a bad start. Four of Pennsylvania’s five most populous counties can expect increased property taxes. From Cumberland County’s modest 4% hike to Lackawanna’s whopping 33% tax increase, more than 5 million Pennsylvanians will pay higher county taxes in 2025. Allegheny County will see the ...