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Closing Pennsylvania’s talent gap starts with affordable higher education

Pennsylvania has 61,000 jobs that require education beyond high school and not enough qualified workers to fill them. By 2032, the gap will grow to 218,000 jobs that lack workers with postsecondary-level credentials, according to a Pennsylvania Department of Education study. The gap has real-world consequences for our economy and communities. As the chancellor of Pennsylvania’s system of 10 state universities, I frequently hear from employers who struggle to find workers with the education they need. Hospitals need nurses, businesses need accountants and data analysts, school ...

In a world of war and wonder, attention is your greatest power

Watching the Artemis II space flight has filled my days with awe and wonder. From pilot Victor Glover’s poignant Easter message and mission specialist Christina Koch’s “space plumber” story to the crew naming a moon crater for commander Reid Wiseman’s late wife. Artemis II really shows us what humanity is capable of. All of this took place with the backdrop of war in Iran and horrid threats spewed from President Donald Trump on Truth Social. It all serves as a great reminder that on any given day, we simultaneously exist in a world of tragedy and wonder. The good news is ...

Dear Annie: When a wedding invite asks too much

Dear Annie: My husband and I are invited to my co-worker’s daughter’s midweek black-tie wedding at 3 p.m. My husband and I would need to leave work early to attend, and I feel it’s a burden to both take time off work and purchase or rent black-tie attire for a warm weather event in the summer. Is it acceptable to decline the invite and just send a nice gift? The couple getting married have been living together for a year, although I congratulate them for making vows to each other. I wish the couple was more understanding of the possible financial burden to their guests. Your ...

Tiffany isn’t the only major antique lamp company

In the world of antiques, “Handel” is synonymous with lamps. The company, which began as the decorating firm Eydam and Handel in Meriden, Connecticut, in 1885 and changed its name to Handel & Company in 1898, started making leaded glass lamps in 1904 as a less expensive alternative to ...

It’s time to take unserious presidential budgets seriously

The president’s fiscal 2027 budget is out, and I have two reactions. The first will sound familiar: Like so many budgets before it, this is not a serious effort to put America’s government on a sustainable path. The second is more important: It would be a mistake to dismiss it as just another unserious document. That is exactly how we got here. Start with what the new budget does and does not do. It’s not a comprehensive fiscal plan. It covers only about one-third of federal spending, focusing heavily on discretionary choices and largely ignoring the autopilot spending that ...

America’s bright and dark side, all in a day

The seventh of April: Put it down as the most schizophrenic day in United States history. While the nation waited with bated breath to see if Donald Trump would keep his threat to destroy the ancient Iranian “civilization” by 8 p.m. ET, we also glimpsed the dark side of the moon for the first time in human history. Let’s start with the good news. The voyage to the moon came thanks to Yankee ingenuity, teamwork and inventiveness in building a rocket for four astronauts to take the trip of 250,000 miles. Thank you, Houston, no problem. You showed what America can do, and it sure ...