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Changing my mind about the filibuster

It’s not often you hear someone in D.C. admit they were wrong, let alone horribly wrong — and the entire Democratic Party was, including me. When Democrats had the presidency and a majority in both chambers, they were frustrated with the 60-vote threshold needed to advance legislation. Senate Democrats attempted to end the filibuster to push through President Joe Biden’s agenda — an effort I fully supported during my 2022 campaign. Halfway through my first term, I now recognize how important the filibuster is and the state our country would be in without it. I thought ...

How Pittsburgh became the early alarm bell for the DSA’s rise

PITTSBURGH -- The rise of the Democratic left in Pittsburgh did not happen overnight. It was built over years through patient organizing, disciplined recruiting and a clear-eyed focus on the races that mattered most: low-turnout primaries where entrenched power was vulnerable. Mik Pappas’ 2017 race for Pennsylvania’s 31st Magisterial District judge offered an early hint that the local Democratic establishment was losing its grip on some of the contests it had once taken for granted. He was underfunded, openly aligned with the Democratic Socialists of America and not expected to ...

Why we can’t have nice things

No matter the subject, Donald Trump contends that he knows more about it than anyone ever. He refuses to listen to those with degrees in the subject or who have worked in that field for years. He has said that when making a judgment, he listens to himself. Whether it’s the reflecting pool or the Iran war, he knows best. The downside to that is when something goes wrong, there’s no one else to blame, which actually hasn’t stopped him from scapegoating others. The Trump effect is best described as the “un-Midas touch”. The White House rose garden is now a cement patio. The East ...

What you need to know about the budget deal

Pennsylvania’s 2026–27 state budget deal is an improvement over Gov. Josh Shapiro’s reckless proposal, but it still spends too much and leaves taxpayers facing an even larger long-term structural deficit. The general fund budget spends nearly $52.2 billion—counting $1.3 billion in Medicaid costs shifted to next year. That would be more than $1 billion less than Shapiro’s original $53.3 billion proposal, but still far above a fiscally responsible spending path. Shapiro’s proposal would have increased spending by billions, raised taxes, relied on $4.6 billion from the Rainy ...

Homebuilding keeps weakening in latest data

Inflation fell more than expected in June. That gave consumers some breathing room, and they kept spending – even if they became more selective about where their money went. Homebuilders were less optimistic. Beneath a volatile monthly increase in total housing starts, single-family construction continued to decline. Multifamily construction may be approaching a bottom, but overall homebuilding has fallen back toward its pre-pandemic pace – not nearly enough for a country with a 4.7 million-home housing deficit. Sadly, the relief may also be temporary. Asking-rent growth has ...

Error rate is high — but new numbers provide hope

Pennsylvania is wasting millions of dollars on overpayments from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), also known as food stamps. If nothing changes, the state faces hefty penalties next year. But Pennsylvania can do more to stop the waste without harming those who depend on SNAP. For more than a year, Pennsylvania has not only overpaid SNAP recipients but also refused efforts to shed light on these overpayments. For more than a year, the commonwealth has stonewalled all federal requests for data, even though the federal government shoulders most of SNAP’s cost. Now, ...