PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE Editorial: … The 14 campuses in the State System of Higher Education are largely autonomous institutions, and their own leadership is in the best position to evaluate their staffing needs. Sadly, cuts in the number of faculty members are necessary on some campuses because of the triple whammy of a decline in the […]
Month: September 2013
Pussy Riot member’s letter from prison stirs Russian public
“Pussy Riot” rock band member Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, protesting the conditions of life in Russian prison, started a hunger strike and wrote a letter that was reposted by many Russian Internet Sites. Unexpectedly this publication became the main event of the week in Russia.
THE SUNDAY NEWS
Front page story: “Ernie Schreiber retiring as LNP editor – for second time” It continues “Or rather, he’s retiring again.”
Why ending the war on drugs will cut crime
As a police officer for nearly 34 years, I have witnessed the worsening problems of drug addiction – whether it’s to controlled substances or legal drugs, such as alcohol. The Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 has prevailed throughout my time of service, but it would appear not to have had the impact that optimistic legislators planned.
Senate Hearing Takes on Mandatory Minimums
By Phil Smith DRUG WAR CHRONICLE: The Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing on mandatory minimum sentencing last Wednesday as Chairman Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT) and fellow committee member Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) sought to create momentum for a reform bill they filed together this spring, the Justice Safety Valve Act (Senate Bill 619). The […]
Social Experiment Reveals The World’s Most Honest Cities
HUFFINGTON POST:Looking for the world’s most honest city? You may need to go outside the U.S. Reader’s Digest recently conducted a “Lost Wallet” Test to find which cities around the world had the highest return rates. Reporters dropped 12 wallets in 16 different cities, each containing a card with a name and phone number, a […]
EDITORIAL: At times we get very discouraged, but then….
The disposition of Lancaster’s two most important issues, (1) the moving ahead with the Convention Center Project initially without a feasibility study and later despite one, and 2) the recent county commissioner’s approval and praise of the acquisition of the Harrisburg Incinerator, again without a feasibility study, makes us consider throwing in the towel.
Corbett budget document paints devastating picture of state finances for coming election season
A budget document circulated by Gov. Tom Corbett’s Office of Budget to state government departments on August 30 paints a dismal portrait of the commonwealth’s finances going into next year’s election cycle, and casts doubt on the state’s long-term ability to bail out Harrisburg.
U.S. and Iran Agree to Speed Talks to Defuse Nuclear Issue
NEW YORK TIMES: …In a hurriedly arranged telephone call, Mr. Obama reached Mr. Rouhani as the Iranian leader was headed to the airport to leave New York after a whirlwind news media and diplomatic blitz. The two agreed to accelerate talks aimed at defusing the dispute over Iran’s nuclear program and afterward expressed optimism at […]
Colorado: Microcosm of confusion on health law
USA TODAY: … In Colorado and across the country, the insurance marketplaces known as exchanges are scheduled to open Tuesday, and the success or failure of Obama’s signature legislative achievement is at stake. Passing the health care overhaul defined much of his first term in the White House, and defending it from Republican assault has […]
British diplomat: Deal on Syria chemical weapons resolution
USA TODAY: After weeks of wrangling, the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council reached an agreement that could open up Syria to military attack if it fails to dismantle its chemical weapons stockpiles, U.N. diplomats said Thursday… The resolution will include a provision that allows for a nation to return to the […]
Mars probe finds water in planet’s soil
A paper published today in the journal Science confirms earlier studies finding that ice is present under the Martian surface — and the new report goes further, concluding that water can be extracted from soil samples.
Nuclear talks date set after Kerry meets Iranian counterpart
FINANCIAL TIMES: Detailed negotiations over Iran’s nuclear programme will start in Geneva next month, it was announced on Thursday, following a meeting in New York that included one of the few encounters between senior US and Iranian officials since the 1979 Islamic revolution. US secretary of state John Kerry sat next to his new Iranian […]
Miller files objection to Harrisburg debt plan
HARRISBURG PATRIOT-NEWS: [Dan] Miller, who is the outgoing City Controller and running for mayor, filed the 14-page document in Commonwealth Court after he wasn’t permitted to speak during the plan’s two-hour confirmation hearing last week before Judge Bonnie Leadbetter. Court personnel informed Miller’s attorney that he couldn’t testify because he hadn’t filed anything in writing […]