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The trouble behind Ohio’s job numbers

Editorials

Ohio — particularly poorer, more rural regions — has begun to experience a trend with which neighboring West Virginia is all too familiar. While the country added 172,000 jobs in May, Ohio lost 2,400. Unemployment, on the other hand, fell; but not for the reason we would all hope. Unemployment data measures only those who are in the labor force. As researcher Molly Bryden, with Policy Matters Ohio, pointed out to the Ohio Capital Journal, that figure does not include those who were unable to work because of age or physical condition, or simply have left the state or stopped ...

Is this a republic or is it turning into an empire?

Editorials

The Declaration of Independence of July 4, 1776, embraces two value sets. The first is natural rights, and the second is limited government. After 250 years, neither value has survived, and the opposite of each currently prevails in America. Thomas Jefferson drafted the Declaration in three days while staying at a rooming house in Philadelphia. He had been greatly influenced by the British philosopher John Locke. Locke is the godfather of the theory of natural rights, which he extrapolated from the natural law teachings of Aristotle, Augustine and Aquinas. Aristotle (384-322 B.C.) ...

How Trump is handling 4 messes he created

Editorials

Referring to the Reflecting Pool on the National Mall, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz commented on X: “Found an imaginary problem, said only they could fix it, didn’t listen to experts, hired buddies who grifted millions, failed miserably, bragged how great it went. The entire Trump presidency in a nutshell.” (Walz could have added: “blamed others for his failure, conjured up a conspiracy, then prosecuted them.”) One remarkable aspect of Trump’s horrendous reign is how many crises and problems he’s brought on himself — created them out of thin air. Then he brags about how well ...

State board must deny parole for Valley cop killer

Editorials

If all goes the way of one Fred E. Joseph Jr., that violent, psychopathic, unrepentant and incorrigible killer of a respected Niles police officer could be free to menace Mahoning Valley streets again as early as Sept. 1. That frightening scenario must never be allowed to play out. That’s why the Ohio Adult Parole Authority must unanimously and unequivocally deny parole for Joseph at his upcoming July hearing. As many older Valley residents will readily recall, Joseph, then 17, and his accomplice Randy Fellows, 18, arranged an undercover meeting on local drug activity with Niles ...

Sound off!

Letters to the Editor

Instead of whining about Trump maybe you folks should focus on what the Dems stand for: Fraud, Drag Queen story hour for Children, Anti Police, Men in Women`s sports, Dudes in Dresses, not proud to be American, hate the American Flag, prefer Illegals over working class Americans, less Religious, and now they are voting for Nazis. — Canfield I’ve been reading some posts on Google about Vice President Vance having some mental health issues and therapy not helping. The Bible tells of suicide . And another VP being chosen and giving the State of the Union address in January. I don’t ...

We should vote on ideas, not physical likeness

Editorials

MS NOW commentator Ali Velshi was not alone in complaining that women are “underrepresented” in Congress. It is true that women account for 51% of the U.S. population but only 29% of the House members. To which I say, “So what.” Basing the notion of fair representation on racial, gender or ethnic identity needs to be put in a folder — a paper folder stored in a dusty steel file cabinet. Most of us have additional identities — as electricians, teachers, environmentalists, grandparents, bus drivers, stock investors, union members. Who would represent me under this broader ...