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Letters to the editor

What Americans are losing

Martha Young State College It’s tempting to tune out the shock and awe strategy of Trump’s second administration, but to do so is foolhardy. The American way of life is disappearing. Thanks to federal cuts to universities and other research agencies, much of the nation’s cutting-edge medical research is screeching to a halt. The impact on patient care will be devastating—and long-term (consider that 1/3rd of all cancer medicines currently in use were discovered by academics). To make matters worse, this administration is also actively pushing medical misinformation. Safe ...

Folder backbone

Sam Stea Cogan Station For heaven’s sake, Mr. President, don’t bluff then fold at first go around. You did that with Vladamir Putin on Ukraine, then you turned around and did it with President Xi of China about this tariff business. Live up to that backbone you’re so proud of, otherwise we are all headed for hell in handbasket. If you’re going to bluff, don’t come out pounding your chest, because that’s a sheer giveaway that you’re dealing from a far weaker position than your opponent. But...why don’t you already know that? Given that your book “The Art of the ...

We need to protect Pennsylvania’s natural gas industry

Mary Haupt Bellefonte As someone who lives and works in Pennsylvania, I believe in preserving what makes our state great—our natural resources and our communities. Our natural gas industry isn’t just about energy; it’s about jobs, supporting local projects and ensuring affordable energy for families like mine. Recently, there have been discussions about changing how things operate, and I’m concerned about the potential impact on our state’s prosperity. The Impact Fee, which is a unique tax imposed on natural gas wells drilled here, has been crucial since its inception ...

Trump’s real agenda

Margie Swoboda Julian Donald Trump promised Americans a booming economy: “…the best jobs, the biggest paychecks, the brightest economic future the world has ever seen.” As egg prices reach a new high (just in time for Easter), he’s now bracing Americans for economic turmoil. His chaotic and destabilizing trade war will dramatically increase costs on a broad swath of products, including toys, clothes and electronics. Trump’s overhaul of the federal workforce has targeted scientific research and international aid. Cuts also hit central Pennsylvanians — farmers who supply ...

Lest we forget

Joseph R. Fischer Northumberland Death found four Third Infantry Division soldiers in a nighttime training accident in Lithuania on March 25 when their M88A2 Hercules armored recovery vehicle sank into 15 feet of bog mud. It was a lethal non-combat accident, the kind that makes military life many times more dangerous than most civilian careers. For the record, their names were: Staff Sgt. Troy S. Knutson-Collins, Sgt. Edvin F. Franco, Sgt. Jose Duenez, Jr. and Pfc. Dante D. Taitano. May the diversity of their surnames be noted and may we remember them among our fallen. Hundreds of ...

Chaos, not efficiency

Patty Satalia State College Who doesn’t support increasing government efficiency? Efficiency makes sense, but wholesale dismantling of government won’t make it more efficient, and it certainly won’t make it more effective. When it comes to managing our home budget, we don’t haphazardly slash expenses (we can’t eliminate rent or mortgage, or stiff the babysitter), we collect what’s owed us and don’t spend frivolously. Trump’s war on government is anything but efficient. The chainsaw approach to cutting the federal workforce is already impacting the economy with ...