Breaking News

Local Commentaries

Senior care is state’s quiet crisis

Pennsylvania’s senior care system is in crisis and is losing nursing home capacity by the thousands; fewer communities, fewer beds, and most importantly, more older adults are being turned away from the high-quality care they need and deserve close to home. The term "silver tsunami" was initially meant to signal a future challenge: the rapidly growing aging population that will inevitably flood the healthcare ecosystem. Instead, the crisis has quietly become our present. Those of us involved in aging services have sounded the alarm for years, emphasizing the need for investment and ...

Targeting fraud can help rural hospitals

Vice President J.D. Vance recently traveled to Bangor, Maine, to spotlight the Trump administration’s crackdown on fraud in Medicaid and other critical federal health programs. Speaking to a capacity crowd, Vance laid bare the deep challenges of Medicaid in most states: “What you have in Maine is a festering problem where people have been taken advantage of and they’ve been stolen from and your government hasn’t done anything about it.” Vance highlighted the case of Rakiya Mohamed. Mohamed billed Medicaid for interpretation services but reportedly provided zero actual ...

Heatwaves driving up power bills, but state has options

A recent heatwave across the East Coast is pushing electricity demand to dangerous highs — driving up power prices and forcing grid operators to issue emergency alerts. On top of that, a spike in your electricity bill, driven by this series of winter storms earlier in the year, may already be hitting home — just as forecasted for 2026. That’s little comfort for those of us who will have to crank up the air conditioning to get through the summer. As bills around the Commonwealth go up, electric utilities will spend more than ever on energy and infrastructure. Utilities’ ...

More bad acting in Trump criticisms

Actor Harrison Ford names President Trump the “worst criminal in history” in articles found in a Google search. Ford condemns Trump's energy policies in particular and his character in general. Trump's energy policies rightfully increase our energy independence which must not be risked in these dangerous times. It's especially critical after the risky policies of Joe Biden and Barack Obama. As for the 'criminal' characterization, has Ford ever heard of Hitler? Mao Zedong? Osama Bin Laden? Ayatollah Khomeini? Hamas? Putin? Morally, Biden is responsible for crimes committed due ...

Why everyone can get behind ‘American Dream’ accounts

Earlier this month, Philadelphia voters passed a city-sponsored retirement plan for workers without a 401k or other employer-sponsored savings plan. Workers can opt out, but by default, every worker without an employer plan will begin saving into an IRA that they own. This policy, supported by a democratic mayor and democratic electorate, is similar to state-sponsored programs in 15 states. This problem is bigger than Philadelphia — it’s national. According to AARP, 57 million Americans do not have a retirement plan at work. Everyone agrees: Americans are not saving enough. And ...

UPMC is here for our communities

Dear Editor, The health needs of a community can change over time, especially in rural areas. What matters most is making sure people can get care close to home, when they need it. You may have seen that Bradford Regional Medical Center recently closed its inpatient and emergency department services. Changes like this can be difficult for patients, families and the community — and can raise questions about where to turn for care. At UPMC, our focus is to make sure care remains accessible, reliable, and easy to navigate. We are committed to supporting people where they ...