Editorial: GQ’s “Woman” of the Year cover insensitive
By The Pitt News Editorial Board
November 16, 2018
Filed under Editorials, Opinions
The GQ magazine's "Woman" of the Year cover featuring Serena Williams has drawn the ire of fans on social media since its release. The stylistic choices completely ignore the important context of Williams’ history in the public eye.
Editorial: Proposed YAF lawsuit against Pitt unnecessary, harmful
By The Pitt News Editorial Board
November 15, 2018
Filed under Editorials, Opinions
Pitt levied a $5,546 security fee against YAF for hosting Ben Shapiro — and YAF swiftly threatened to sue the university in response. But the lawsuit would be a completely unnecessary publicity stunt.
Editorial: Peduto to release Amazon bid: too little, too late
By The Pitt News Editorial Board
November 14, 2018
Filed under Editorials, Opinions
Peduto will release Pittsburgh’s Amazon headquarters bid on Thursday, but he should have done that a lot earlier. Pittsburgers deserve to know about major, local economic developments.
Editorial: Heed Macron’s warning about nationalism
By The Pitt News Editorial Board
November 13, 2018
Filed under Editorials, Opinions
The centennial demonstrated that a century hasn’t made foreign relations any simpler — in fact, we may be sliding back into old habits. And French President Emmanuel Macron made a serious case for the collective good at a time when the forces of nationalism are dividing the world in the same way they did leading up to WWI.
Editorial: Remember mental health of shooting victims
By The Pitt News Editorial
November 11, 2018
Filed under Editorials, Opinions
Pittsburgh is still feeling the damage a mass shooting can have on a community. We’re tired of reading about it. We’re tired of writing about it. And we’re acutely aware, after having lived through it and after one person was a part of two of these events in the span of a year, that mass shootings have become a cultural problem that must be fixed.
Editorial: Attack on Acosta is an attack on all media
By The Pitt News Editorial Board
November 9, 2018
Filed under Editorials, Opinions
President Donald Trump’s administration has a history of attacking the press, but its most recent attack is alarmingly reminiscent of ways authoritarian countries like China treat the press.
Editorial: Sessions’ resignation could curb Russia investigation
By The Pitt News Editorial Board
November 8, 2018
Filed under Editorials, Opinions
Wednesday's events showed a president who feels trapped by an FBI investigation that is slowly drawing to a close and a Democratic majority in the House of Representatives.
Editorial: Young people turn out: Pa. blue wave becomes tsunami
By The Pitt News Editorial Board
November 7, 2018
Filed under Editorials, Opinions
Midterm elections are traditionally Republican dominated — but young people came out in full force this year, giving Democrats a badly needed win.
Editorial: Why TPN didn’t endorse candidates for midterm elections
By The Pitt News Editorial Board
November 6, 2018
Filed under Editorials, Opinions
Here at The Pitt News, we don’t believe in endorsing electoral candidates — it’s wholly unnecessary and it tarnishes our image as an honest, objective newspaper.
Editorial: Bolsonaro threatens democracy
By The Pitt News Editorial Board
November 5, 2018
Filed under Editorials, Opinions
Leaders and parties that exercise dictator-like control over the governments to which they were elected pose an intense, immediate threat to democracy worldwide. Civil liberties, freedom of the press and global security are at stake.
Editorial: Executive order on birthright citizenship unconstitutional
By The Pitt News Editorial Board
November 1, 2018
Filed under Editorials, Opinions
The president fueled his election campaign with fear and hatred toward immigrants, but his most recent attack on them could affect the way we interpret the Constitution itself — an overreach of executive power that would hurt the lives of hundreds of thousands of children born to noncitizen parents.
Editorial: Top 5 reasons to keep Halloween on Oct. 31
By The Pitt News Editorial Board
October 31, 2018
Filed under Editorials, Opinions
Would Halloween be more fun if it were always on a Saturday? A recent petition which has now received more than 50,000 signatures think so. But the Pitt News Editorial Board disagrees.
Editorial: Trump’s divisiveness, insensitivity provokes protests in Pittsburgh
By The Pitt News Editorial Board
October 31, 2018
Filed under Editorials, Opinions
Trump’s arrived in Pittsburgh on Tuesday to console victims’ families in the Tree of Life shooting — but according to the Jewish community and many other people in Pittsburgh, he wasn’t welcome.
Editorial: Pittsburgh doesn’t welcome Trump
By The Pitt News Editorial Board
October 29, 2018
Filed under Editorials, Opinions
If the president had any respect for the victims and their families, he would stay away and allow them time to mourn without his heavily politicizing presence.
Editorial: Pittsburgh will heal
By The Pitt News Editorial Board
October 28, 2018
Filed under Editorials, Opinions
We didn’t expect to be thrust into the national spotlight in this way. We didn’t expect we’d become another member of a long, growing list of cities that have been the victims of mass shootings. Squirrel Hill is a peaceful, historically Jewish neighborhood about a mile away from Pitt’s campus — too close to home for it to happen to us.
Editorial: Megyn Kelly reveals racist attitudes
By The Pitt News Editorial Board
October 26, 2018
Filed under Editorials, Opinions
Megyn Kelly received mountains of criticism for suggesting during her show Tuesday that there was nothing wrong with a white person doing blackface, so long as it’s for a Halloween costume.
North Carolina voting laws suppress minorities
By The Pitt News Editorial Board
October 24, 2018
Filed under Editorials, Opinions
North Carolina claims its new voting policies make it more convenient for voters to get to the polls — but really it’s an orchestrated attempt to prevent minorities from voting.
Editorial: HHS proposal threatens transgender rights
By The Pitt News Editorial Board
October 23, 2018
Filed under Editorials, Opinions
A new policy from the Department of Health and Human Services would eliminate federal recognition of more than a million Americans who choose to identify with a gender they weren’t born into, an alarming leap backward in the fight for transgender rights.
Editorial: Leaving nuclear treaty is a mistake
By The Pitt News Editorial Board
October 21, 2018
Filed under Editorials, Opinions
The president’s decision to pull out of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty not only further confirms the United States’ international reputation as a poor partner, but it also presents a real threat to nuclear disarmament and world security.
Editorial: Pa. response to church abuse insufficient
By The Pitt News Editorial Board
October 19, 2018
Filed under Editorials, Opinions
The Pennsylvania Senate had a chance to show its support for victims in the form of a bill that would allow victims of church abuse to seek justice, but in an underwhelming display of concern it declined to vote on the bill on the last voting day in legislative season.
Editorial: Riding high: United States should follow Canada’s pot legalization
By The Pitt News Editorial Board
October 17, 2018
Filed under Editorials, Opinions
Canada became the second country in the world to legalize cannabis on Wednesday. The United States should follow suit — and weed out oppressive drug policies.
Editorial: Elizabeth Warren DNA test in poor taste
By The Pitt News Editorial Board
October 16, 2018
Filed under Editorials, Opinions
Warren’s trace amounts of Native American DNA are laughable. Native Americans still face rampant discrimination in this country, and Warren likening her life experiences to theirs is insensitive.
Editorial: North Dakota law disenfranchises voters
By The Pitt News Editorial Board
October 15, 2018
Filed under Editorials, Opinions
The Supreme Court decided last week to allow a voter ID law in North Dakota that could prohibit a sizable number of Native Americans from registering to vote — a breach in democracy that should not be allowed.
Editorial: Immediate action necessary to limit affects of climate change
By The Pitt News Editorial Board
October 11, 2018
Filed under Editorials, Opinions
The fate of our planet rests in the hands of about 100 corporations, which are moving further away from the economic revolution necessary to affect climate change in large part thanks to the rollback of important EPA measures. They should be moving in the opposite direction.
Editorial: Victory for Democrats: Racist committee member resigns
By The Pitt News Editorial Board
October 11, 2018
Filed under Editorials, Opinions
Mark Salvas has made racist posts on Facebook for years. The senior members of the committee rightly encouraged him to resign — but they should screen their new hires more carefully in the future.
Editorial: Taylor Swift: voting champion, politically ignorant
By The Pitt News Editorial Board
October 10, 2018
Filed under Editorials, Opinions
Taylor Swift took to Instagram Sunday to denounce Republican candidates and champion liberal causes. Encouraging voting is a good thing, but she’s hardly the progressive queen she paints herself as.
Editorial: Trump’s tax fraud should concern Americans
By The Pitt News Editorial Board
October 9, 2018
Filed under Editorials, Opinions
The New York Times' groundbreaking report deserves far more attention than it’s received, and it exposes the president for the hypocrite he is.
Editorial: Kavanaugh hearings betrayed America’s trust
By The Pitt News Editorial Board
October 8, 2018
Filed under Editorials, Opinions
The Kavanaugh nomination hearings were the most partisan of any to date. This poses dire consequences for the future legitimacy of the Supreme Court.
Editorial: Stop treating politics like a game show
By The Pitt News Editorial Board
October 4, 2018
Filed under Editorials, Opinions
For a man who asks questions for a living, Trebek should know how to phrase one without dwelling on information that has no bearing on how the people of Pennsylvania will vote this November.
Editorial: Amazon sets great example, raises minimum wage
By The Pitt News Editorial Board
October 3, 2018
Filed under Editorials, Opinions
Amazon is known for treating its employees poorly — so raising its minimum wage is a welcome decision. It’ll help nearly a quarter million people financially.
Editorial: Campus Master Plan requires strong community involvement
By The Pitt News Editorial Board
October 1, 2018
Filed under Editorials, Opinions
The Campus Master Plan, which is projected to take 30 years to complete, is a massive undertaking that requires a continued dialogue between the University and both students and the Oakland community.
Editorial: Kavanaugh disqualifies himself
By The Pitt News Editorial Board
September 30, 2018
Filed under Editorials, Opinions
Kavanaugh’s combative, evasive behavior during Thursday’s testimony didn’t just bring his innocence into question, it suggests he’s not temperamentally fit to be a Supreme Court Justice.
Rowling’s retconning is unnecessary
By The Pitt News Editorial Board
September 27, 2018
Filed under Editorials, Opinions
In changing her own canon to presumably incorporate more diversity into her writing, she’s not adding meaningful content, nor is she being respectful in how she's introducing this supposed representation.
Editorial: Mattress Factory mishandles sexual assault allegations
By The Pitt News Editorial Board
September 27, 2018
Filed under Editorials, Opinions
The Mattress Factory’s been attracting attention for a recent sexual assault scandal — but the company has not handled it well. It’s just behaving like many other companies who don’t support women.
Editorial: Cosby conviction empowers sexual assault victims
By The Pitt News Editorial Board
September 25, 2018
Filed under Editorials, Opinions
Cosby’s conviction is huge for sexual assault victims — he’s the first public figure since the #MeToo movement began to be convicted — proving that victims’ accusations are valid in court.
Editorial: Texas schools to erase important historical figures
By The Pitt News Editorial Board
September 24, 2018
Filed under Editorials, Opinions
The Texas Board of Education is denying students the opportunity to learn about individuals and events that have directly influenced their lives. This ignorance makes them less informed and less able to participate in current politics.
Editorial: New immigration proposal is unnecessarily strict
By The Pitt News Editorial Board
September 23, 2018
Filed under Editorials, Opinions
The new proposal is an unfair and inhumane way to weed out immigrants whom the Trump administration deems unsuitable candidates for American citizenship.
Editorial: ‘Sesame Street’ misses educational opportunity
By The Pitt News Editorial Board
September 20, 2018
Filed under Editorials, Opinions
Bert and Ernie — the beloved roommates of “Sesame Street” — aren't gay. For a show that has made concerted efforts to portray the kind of diversity that children experience in real life, this is a disappointing revelation.
Editorial: Kavanaugh sexual assault investigation necessary
By The Pitt News Editorial Board
September 20, 2018
Filed under Editorials, Opinions
Although Ford’s sexual assault allegations against Kavanaugh appear credible, Republicans have decided to forego an investigation — but they shouldn't be so dismissive of alleged victims.
Emmys emulate Hollywood’s shortcomings
By The Pitt News Editorial Board
September 19, 2018
Filed under Editorials, Opinions
Emmys ratings dropped dramatically this year — proving that Hollywood has lost touch with everyday Americans on all sides of the political spectrum. This becomes more clear with every passing awards season.
Editorial: Boundaries necessary when billionaires buy newspapers
By The Pitt News Editorial Board
September 17, 2018
Filed under Editorials, Opinions
The trend of billionaires buying newspapers raises the ethical questions of how to prevent them from influencing the content published by their papers, and what kind of relationship the editorial section and the new owner should set up to ensure there is no such influence.
Editorial: Trump plays victim as Hurricane Florence hits Carolinas
By The Pitt News Editorial Board
September 16, 2018
Filed under Editorials, Opinions
To argue over a death toll as a political tool is disrespectful and useless, but to do so in the midst of another deadly hurricane shows that Trump's priorities lie in defending himself and not the American people.
NRA goes off the rails on Thomas the Tank Engine
By The Pitt News Editorial Board
September 14, 2018
Filed under Editorials, Opinions
Comparing “Thomas & Friends” characters to the KKK, as the NRA did, is neither a proper assessment of the TV show nor child-appropriate.
Editorial: Trump disappoints as consoler-in-chief
By The Pitt News Editorial Board
September 11, 2018
Filed under Editorials, Opinions
The 17th anniversary of 9/11 required a certain decorum and level of sobriety that were conspicuously absent in President Trump’s behavior outside of a prepared speech.
Editorial: Obama’s speech exposes divisive politics
By The Pitt News Editorial Board
September 11, 2018
Filed under Editorials, Opinions
Obama’s assessment of today’s polarized political climate in his speech is largely correct. Trump’s election reflects a recent exacerbation of the already vast political divides in our country.
Serena Williams controversy mars U.S. Open
By The Pitt News Editorial Board
September 10, 2018
Filed under Editorials, Opinions
Serena Williams was mistreated by the umpire during the U.S. Open final — but it’s not surprising. These calls are a blatant attempt to stifle Williams’ success in a sport dominated by white men.
Editorial: Op-ed reveals fractured democracy
By The Pitt News Editorial Board
September 6, 2018
Filed under Editorials, Opinions
The New York Times' anonymous op-ed reveals a rupture in our democracy by painting those surrounding the president as heroes for running the nation behind the president’s back, rather than taking the responsible measure of removing him from office.
Editorial: Kaepernick campaign: great for Nike, a touchdown for equality
By The Pitt News Editorial Board
September 5, 2018
Filed under Editorials, Opinions
Nike's 30th anniversary campaign ad featuring Colin Kaepernick has sparked outrage all over social media — but free publicity is great for the sports giant. And sponsoring Kaepernick's cause ensures social justice will get more attention.
Editorial: Pitt’s new surveillance cameras: well-intentioned, but not useful
By The Pitt News Editorial Board
September 4, 2018
Filed under Editorials, Opinions
Increased surveillance may seem like a step in the right direction — it could bolster security in Oakland where thousands of Pitt students reside and attend class. But Oakland isn’t in dire need of more security — and installing cameras will hardly combat domestic violence, which is one of the primary reasons they were implemented in the first place.
Editorial: Remember ongoing efforts of PA labor unions
By The Pitt News Editorial Board
September 3, 2018
Filed under Editorials, Opinions, Uncategorized
The first Monday in September serves to remind us of the challenges and setbacks labor unions in continue to face today as they work to improve the lives of their members.
Editorial: RMU’s new scholarship: great first step, but not enough
By The Pitt News Editorial Board
August 29, 2018
Filed under Editorials, Opinions
Since many students eventually settle in the same area where they went to college, keeping talented students in Pennsylvania is important to ensure a flourishing job market. Exorbitant college tuition rates only push students out of the state.
Editorial: Eliminating superdelegates is the best policy for democrats
By The Pitt News Editorial Board
August 29, 2018
Filed under Editorials, Opinions
But since superdelegates have never voted against the decisions of primary voters, granting special voting rights to party officials — including elected Democrats — never had any real influence on the election. And if Washington elites did have the audacity to vote against their base, they could throw the Democratic party into a hugely divisive state.
Editorial: Boundaries necessary when employing school resource officers
By The Pitt News Editorial Board
August 27, 2018
Filed under Editorials, Opinions
To create a safe environment free of brutality, there needs to be an enforced divide between students and school resource officers. Rather than consider them responsible for discipline, it would be better to call them security officers and set their main function as external security.
Editorial: McCain deserves respect for continued integrity
By The Pitt News Editorial Board
August 26, 2018
Filed under Editorials, Opinions
McCain’s devotion to what he thought was right in spite of party lines show his undeniable commitment to the United States, willingness to work with all sides and a strong belief in fighting for one’s country.
Editorial: US caused undue stress over WHO breastfeeding resolution
By The Pitt News Editorial Board
July 11, 2018
Filed under Editorials, Opinions
When Ecuadorian delegates introduced a resolution at the World Health Assembly in May imploring governments worldwide to encourage breastfeeding and discourage inappropriate promotion of baby formula as a better choice, it was seen by most other countries as uncontroversial and expected to pass quickly. B...
Editorial: Patience required in Antwon Rose case
By The Pitt News Editorial Board
June 26, 2018
Filed under Editorials, Opinions
Antwon Rose, a 17-year-old black Woodland Hills student, was shot by a white East Pittsburgh police officer, Michael Rosfeld, on the evening of June 26. Since then, coverage of ensuing protests has been extensive — as has speculation surrounding the two parties involved. What is known to be true is...
Editorial: Separating families is unethical no matter how it’s handled
By The Pitt News Editorial Board
June 20, 2018
Filed under Editorials, Opinions
Reporters were recently permitted to visit to a shelter in Texas housing 1,500 migrant boys who crossed the southern U.S. border illegally. The children staying in the shelter have been deemed “unaccompanied minors.” Not all of them arrived that way. Nearly 2,500 children have been separated from ...
Editorial: North Korea-United States summit wasn’t worth it
By The Pitt News Editorial Board
June 12, 2018
Filed under Editorials, Opinions
President of the United States Donald Trump and Supreme Leader of North Korea Kim Jong Un met in the first summit meeting between the two countries on Tuesday. It was a historic meeting for that reason — and not much else. The summit was held with the intention of striking a deal for peace and co...
Editorial: ABC prioritized views over values with ‘Roseanne’ revival
By The Pitt News Editorial Staff
May 30, 2018
Filed under Editorials, Opinions
The revival of working-class sitcom “Roseanne” was cut short Tuesday after two months on ABC — and unlike “Brooklyn Nine-Nine,” it probably won’t be picked up by another network after the creator and star of the sitcom, Roseanne Barr, compared black former White House aide Valerie Jarret...
Editorial: A royal wedding does not solve racism
By The Pitt News Editorial Board
May 23, 2018
Filed under Editorials, Opinions
American actress Meghan Markle’s marriage to the British Prince Harry featured celebrity guests, beautiful decor and a well-dressed, smitten couple — staples of any royal wedding. But when Markle walked herself down the aisle May 19, viewers around the world knew something was different this time. Pe...
Editorial: US made mistake in moving embassy in Israel to Jerusalem
By The Pitt News Editorial Board
May 16, 2018
Filed under Editorials, Opinions
For the past seven weeks, protesters in and around Palestine have taken to the streets to demand their right to return to areas they were forcibly expelled from when the state of Israel was created. And on Monday, at least 60 protesters were killed by Israeli forces — the same day the United States ...
Friday Fight: After April tears, May’s in the clear
By The Pitt News Editorial Board
April 19, 2018
Filed under Editorials, Opinions
It’s April ― flowers around campus are starting to bloom, the weather is finally warming up and the end of the semester is upon us. Pitt lets out for the summer earlier than most other schools, and while we can’t wait for classes to be over, the early ending can have its downsides. Here’s ...
Editorial: Keep the final exams in finals week
By The Pitt News Editorial Board
April 18, 2018
Filed under Editorials, Opinions
As the end of classes rapidly approaches and the promise of summer begins to peek its head over the horizon, Pitt students have one final demon to deal with before they can breathe a collective sigh of relief — finals week. Stretching in the formless expanse of time between the last sessions of the semes...
Editorial: Hip-hop’s presence in Pulitzer Prize long overdue
By The Pitt News Editorial Board
April 18, 2018
Filed under Editorials, Opinions
When perusing a list of past Pulitzer Prize for Music award winners and their compositions, it’s not hard to spot Kendrick Lamar’s presence. His 2017 album, “DAMN.,” dropped onto the list with a thud, breaking up the delicate musical embroidery and lace of symphonies, concertos and operas. For the first time since the aw...
Editorial: Comey’s media blitz detracts from Trump probe
By The Pitt News Editorial Board
April 16, 2018
Filed under Editorials, Opinions
If James Comey’s recent return to the public eye looks to you like a publicity campaign, you probably aren’t wrong — the former FBI chief’s book comes out today. Comey’s foray into nonfiction writing has all the signs of a dramatic release. Even the book’s title, “A Higher Loyalty,” makes a ...
Editorial: Address landslides in local infrastructure plans
By The Pitt News Editorial Board
April 15, 2018
Filed under Editorials, Opinions
More than 70 landslides have hit Pittsburgh this year — but the one on Route 30 last week was possibly the worst. The collapsed roadway severely damaged four residences and raised the City’s landslide cost to an estimated $12 million in 2018 so far. But funding for repair efforts remains slim...
Editorial: Zuckerberg testimony tells us nothing new about privacy
By The Pitt News Editorial Board
April 11, 2018
Filed under Editorials, Opinions
Nearly two-thirds of adults in America use social media today — and for good reason. It provides us with news and information, connects us to our friends and gives us a platform to share tidbits of our lives — but access to such open sites puts our privacy at risk. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg ...
Editorial: Pa. abortion law will fail to catch fallout
By The Pitt News Editorial Board
April 10, 2018
Filed under Editorials, Opinions
Even though the Supreme Court declared abortion a constitutional right 45 years ago with Roe v. Wade, Pennsylvania House of Representatives Speaker Mike Turzai seemingly pushed against that decision Monday. The Republican lawmaker unveiled a controversial bill in front of the Health Committee that wo...
Editorial: Erie diocese’s list of abusers demonstrates openness to change
By The Pitt News Editorial Board
April 9, 2018
Filed under Editorials, Opinions
April is Child Abuse Prevention Month, and the Roman Catholic Diocese of Erie has started the month off by releasing a list of 34 priests and 17 laypeople who it believes have been credibly accused of sexual misconduct over the past several decades. The majority of the accused were never criminally ch...
Editorial: PA GOP has no room to talk on negative ads
By The Pitt News Editorial Board
April 8, 2018
Filed under Editorials, Opinions
If feel-good positivity is your thing, you probably already know not to go looking for it in Pennsylvania state politics. But if you needed a reminder, Republican gubernatorial candidate Paul Mango was ready to help this weekend. Mango, who’s hoping to win the GOP primary May 15 and go on to challenge in...
Editorial: Justin Baldoni’s feminism is too male-focused
By The Pitt News Editorial Board
April 3, 2018
Filed under Editorials, Opinions
Students passing through the William Pitt Union last week may have noticed a sign announcing a University-sponsored talk with television actor and speaker Justin Baldoni. But unless they looked any closer, it’s unlikely anyone realized what he was invited for — Women’s Empowerment Week. Baldoni, w...
Editorial: Not enforcing State pension forfeiture laws wastes tax dollars
By The Pitt News Editorial Board
April 2, 2018
Filed under Editorials, Opinions
It’s no secret that Pennsylvania public schools have a deficit that seems to get larger and larger as the gap in federal funding widens between poor and affluent districts. Many lay off or threaten to lay off teachers and cut funding for music and theater arts programs. In an environment like this...
Editorial: Don’t let Remington fool you
By The Pitt News Editorial Board
April 2, 2018
Filed under Editorials, Opinions
Forcing a gun manufacturer into declaring bankruptcy might sound like an undeniable victory for gun control activists — particularly when that manufacturer is Remington, America’s oldest gun manufacturer, and when that announcement came just one day after the March for Our Lives March 24. But...
Editorial: Citizenship question on 2020 census could cut PA funding
By The Pitt News Editorial Board
March 28, 2018
Filed under Editorials, Opinions
It’s no secret that for undocumented immigrants and other noncitizens, life can be rough under President Donald Trump’s administration. As of Monday, it just got significantly tougher. The U.S. Department of Commerce announced a new component of the 2020 census Monday night, requiring that Americ...
Editorial: Biden Twitter bout promises more brash leadership
By The Pitt News Editorial Board
March 27, 2018
Filed under Editorials, Opinions
For those who fear a woman would be too emotional to be president, last Thursday’s Twitter scrap between two men — one currently in that position, one potentially the next in line — might change their minds. Behaving characteristically like an upset toddler, President Donald Trump called out f...
Editorial: Santorum surrenders to chaos on gun control
By The Pitt News Editorial Board
March 26, 2018
Filed under Editorials, Opinions
For most of the participants at anti-gun violence marches in cities across the country Saturday, there was a broad agreement: Gun laws are currently too lax, and we need to tighten them up to avoid future carnage. Some people, however, were busy proposing bizarre alternatives to gun control. ...
Editorial: PA GOP’s impeachment efforts threaten democracy
By The Pitt News Editorial Board
March 22, 2018
Filed under Editorials, Opinions
Ever since they redistricted in 2013 after winning the state legislature, Pennsylvania Republicans have played ball by their own set of rules — and now that those rules are being threatened, they’re going after the refs. The Commonwealth’s GOP suffered a serious blow to its continued hold on ...
Editorial: Union’s attack on Sonja Finn unnecessary, harms restaurant
By The Pitt News Editorial Board
March 20, 2018
Filed under Editorials, Opinions
When Sonja Finn makes her daily trip to open the doors of Dinette — the restaurant she opened in 2008 — she won’t be thinking about the special election race she lost to Erika Strassburger on March 6. She’s more concerned with the union that endorsed Strassburger’s campaign, which may be si...
Editorial: “No Irish” pub misses the point on St. Patrick’s Day
By The Pitt News Editorial Board
March 19, 2018
Filed under Editorials, Opinions
Pretending to be Irish on St. Patrick’s Day is a time-honored American tradition. But at one pub this year, the luck of the Irish wasn’t on the side of drinkers who wanted in because of their Celtic heritage. To honor the holiday, Detroit resident Dan Margulis rented out a space over the weeken...
Editorial: Pitt’s union lawsuit wastes time, tuition
By The Pitt News Editorial Board
March 18, 2018
Filed under Editorials, Opinions, Top Stories
If insanity is doing the same thing twice and expecting a different result, then administrators at Pitt must not agree with that definition. Pitt graduate students engaged in unionization efforts said last week that the school’s administration will challenge a petition to hold an election to decide whether or not to unionize. According to a Facebook post from the group, th...
Editorial: Casual Friday — the Shamrock Shake debate
By The Pitt News Editorial Board
March 15, 2018
Filed under Editorials, Opinions
So, Shamrock Shakes — let’s get one thing straight. The Shamrock Shake is not a middle-of-the-road food group. One cannot simply “take it or leave it.” Whether you think the shake is a collision of toothpaste and green highlighter fluid with a milkshake base or a blended miracle sent from...
Editorial: Third parties show need for all candidates to step it up
By The Pitt News Editorial Board
March 14, 2018
Filed under Editorials, Opinions
If any aspect of the massively hyped special election in Pennsylvania’s 18th Congressional District went unnoticed, it was Libertarian Party candidate Drew Miller. After a preliminary count of the ballots cast Tuesday, Miller emerged with a paltry 1,379 votes — slightly more than half a percent of all votes cast in the election, which would usually relegate a ca...
Editorial: DeVos’ poor school choices affect PA public school success
By The Pitt News Editorial Board
March 13, 2018
Filed under Editorials, Opinions
Betsy DeVos said it herself — “We should be funding and investing in students.” A student focus is certainly necessary, and the statement would have been fine on its own had she not followed it up with the ear-twinging modifier, “not in schools, school buildings, not in institutions, not in syste...
Editorial: Keep a local focus on special election
By The Pitt News Staff
March 12, 2018
Filed under Editorials, Opinions
When President Donald Trump appeared at a Pittsburgh airplane hangar Saturday night, his role, ostensibly, was to pump up the assembled crowds to vote for Rick Saccone, the Republican running in today’s special election to fill the vacant seat in Pennsylvania’s 18th Congressional District. Bu...
Editorial: Unplugging from media ignores civic responsibilities
By The Pitt News Editorial Board
March 11, 2018
Filed under Editorials, Opinions, Uncategorized
Whether it’s reports of an adult film performer’s lawsuit against the president or the all-too-consistent drumbeat of mass shootings in the country, following the news is becoming more and more an exercise in mental strength. In an environment like this, it doesn’t seem far-fetched to react in mu...
Editorial: Conservatives show hypocrisy on Delta tax
By The Pitt News Editorial Board
February 28, 2018
Filed under Editorials, Opinions
The aftermath of the Parkland, Florida, high school massacre the past two weeks has been fraught with departures from long-standing political norms. Republican President Donald Trump called for comprehensive gun control measures at a televised White House meeting yesterday, suggesting the governmen...
Editorial: 60 Minutes’ sexist interview with New Zealand PM
By The Pitt News Editorial Board
February 28, 2018
Filed under Editorials, Opinions
President Donald Trump is known for his off-the-cuff remarks in speeches and interviews, but it’s highly unlikely we’ll ever see the day when laundry or his baby’s birth is the topic up for discussion. When you sit down to watch an interview with a world leader, you expect to hear question...
Editorial: CNN can step up its coverage
By The Pitt News Editorial Board
February 26, 2018
Filed under Editorials, Opinions
Whether it’s TMZ, Buzzfeed or the National Inquirer, we Americans love celebrity gossip. And in the age of President Donald Trump’s tabloid presidency, it seems only natural that more mainstream news outlets — like CNN — would want in on the game. That’s why it came as little surprise yest...
Editorial: Trudeau demonstrates skin-deep commitment to diversity
By The Pitt News Editorial Board
February 26, 2018
Filed under Editorials, Opinions
Travelers in a foreign country have two options — they can learn the culture and blend in, or they can fake it until they make it. And while it’s impossible to know which strategy Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau took on his official visit to India, it’s clear he didn’t make it. Trudeau...
Editorial: After shooting, student walkouts lead the way
By The Pitt News Editorial Board
February 21, 2018
Filed under Editorials, Opinions
Florida’s state legislature disappointed gun control advocates Monday when it declined to consider a ban on the assault weapon used in last week’s high school massacre in Parkland, Florida. But for students, both in the state and around the country, that wasn’t the end of the story. From Minnes...
Editorial: Despite new district map, parties still responsible for success
By The Pitt News Editorial Board
February 21, 2018
Filed under Editorials, Opinions
The Supreme Court released a new Pennsylvania Congressional District map Monday, redrawn to correct the state’s 2011 Republican-drawn version of the map, which the Supreme Court ruled as being an “unconstitutional partisan gerrymander.” Democrats feel encouraged by the new map, while Republicans are understandably concerned this new congressional map...
Editorial: “Black Panther” sets standard for Hollywood inclusion
By The Pitt News Editorial Board
February 20, 2018
Filed under Editorials, Opinions
If pop culture in the 2010s is remembered for anything, it’ll have to be superhero movies. Marvel, DC and smaller franchises have populated the silver screen with countless heroes over the past several years, almost all of them white — until last weekend, that is. “Black Panther,” a Marvel Studios produc...
Editorial: The Pitt News endorses Maggie Kennedy for Student Government Board President
By The Pitt News Editorial Board
February 19, 2018
Filed under Editorials, Opinions, Top Stories
Candidates for the position of Student Government Board president run campaigns every year, requiring them to sit down with any number of student organizations, clubs and social groups and explain their case. With election day right around the corner, this year’s two candidates met with one more gr...
Editorial: Presidential portrait captures Obama’s presidency
By The Pitt News Editorial Board
February 14, 2018
Filed under Editorials, Opinions
Among a sea of white faces belonging to former commanders in chief, Barack Obama marked a decisive change in what an American president looked like 10 years ago when he won his first term. And with the unveiling of his official presidential portrait Monday, the nation’s first black president is continuing to affect the visual pr...
Editorial: Don’t take hugging controversies lightly
By The Pitt News Editorial Board
February 13, 2018
Filed under Editorials, Opinions
With Valentine’s Day being tomorrow, romantic gestures are rapidly proliferating across the country. One particular gesture, however, has been receiving unexpected new scrutiny: the hug. In a piece for The Washington Post this Sunday, reporter Lavanya Ramanathan asked whether some kinds of hugging — an ancient human behavior that’s seen an uptick over the past several decades — should be included in the growing conversation surrounding sexual abuse. Citing...
Editorial: Credit Pence for stand on North Korea
By The Pitt News Editorial Board
February 11, 2018
Filed under Editorials, Opinions
The last time Mike Pence made a political statement at a sporting event, he criticized pro football players for kneeling through the national anthem — but the vice president was the one sitting on his hands this weekend in Korea. Pence was in Pyeongchang, South Korea, at the end of last week, accompanying...
Editorial: Military parade an exercise in wastefuleness
By The Pitt News Editorial Board
February 8, 2018
Filed under Editorials, Opinions
Though he was democratically elected, President Donald Trump seems to relish every opportunity to look like an autocrat. His first year in office has seen everything from attacks on the free press to a resilient personality cult — soon, he’ll even get a military parade. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis confirmed at a pre...
Editorial: Wolf’s budget is progressive, but needs Democratic legislature to pass
By The Pitt News Editorial Board
February 6, 2018
Filed under Editorials, Opinions
Gov. Tom Wolf unveiled the fourth yearly budget of his term Tuesday — and unlike his previous three, we might actually see it fully passed before the end of the year thanks to the 2018 midterm elections. The 2018-19 budget is notably progressive — Wolf is calling to raise both funding for publi...
Editorial: Cynical Super Bowl ad shows superficial concern for civil rights
By The Pitt News Editorial Board
February 6, 2018
Filed under Editorials, Opinions
When he first delivered his “Drum Major Instinct” sermon Feb. 4, 1968, at the Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, Martin Luther King Jr. had little way of knowing how his speech would come across in the moment — let alone 50 years in the future. The civil rights icon likely never foresaw a sound bite of the s...
Editorial: Peduto’s Amazon optimism dangerous for City
By The Pitt News Editorial Board
February 5, 2018
Filed under Editorials, Opinions
Mayor Bill Peduto is gazing into Pittsburgh’s future as a possible home for Amazon’s HQ2 wearing what appears to be a pair of rose-colored glasses. The proposition of a $5 billion economic bolster sits untouched in the distance, a prize Pittsburgh and 19 other cities are ruthlessly racing toward ...