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Orchids & onions

Editorials

ORCHID: To owners of Penguin City Brewing in downtown Youngstown for their ongoing renovations to its taproom and ballroom that will add restrooms, improve handicapped accessibility and update event spaces. In recent years, the massive 37,000-square foot event space has become a highly popular destination for entertainment and socialization for customers from the Valley and beyond. We’re confident the latest improvements, scheduled for completion next spring, will draw in more events and more excitement to the hot downtown night spot. ORCHID: To Ohio Attorney General Andy Wilson for ...

A new generation, an old dream and the power of the ballot

Editorials

The historic 2026 midterm elections have led many to reflect on the state of our nation and how we can move forward under this new leadership of the "blue wave," the popular catchphrase used to describe Democrats regaining control of the Senate and House of Representatives. A record 17 female governors were elected by voters, and I thought about how far female politicians have come since 1992, which was declared the "Year of the Woman" because so many female candidates ran for office. Carol Moseley Braun etched her name in black history as the first African American woman elected to ...

If at first a business fails, try, try again without the ‘help’ of socialism

Editorials

Some businesses fail, and people lose jobs. So politicians say, "We must protect workers!" Some states expanded the WARN Act, making it harder to lay off workers. But there's a downside to protection, says economist Allison Schrager. "There is no prosperity, no growth ... no 'upside' without risking loss." Schrager's new book "Worth the Risk" argues that government protection now makes us less safe and less prosperous because the rules deter the risk-takers who create better things. Tightrope walker Nik Wallenda won fame walking high wires over cities, the Grand Canyon and ...

Are Democrats really serious about affordability?

Editorials

AS OTHERS SEE IT THE WASHINGTON POST Emboldened by the scale of Democratic victories in the midterms, a small group of liberals is trying to blow up a carefully negotiated bipartisan agreement that would make it easier to build in America. Failure to pass this compromise during the lame-duck session would send a loud message that the incoming Democratic majorities aren’t as serious about affordability as candidates said they were on the stump. And a deal this good for the economy is unlikely to materialize in the next Congress, which is why unions for the building trades and ...

Mahoning, Trumbull deliver for Democrats

David Skolnick

The importance of Mahoning and Trumbull counties in helping Democrats win statewide cannot be overstated. Right before the election, I wrote that the two counties were pivotal to the outcome. If Democrats won the counties, they would win the state and the same for Republicans. All statewide candidates who won the Nov. 3 election received a majority of the vote in Mahoning County. It was the same in Trumbull with one exception – Democrat John Kulewicz. Kulewicz lost Trumbull by 1.1% to Republican Keith Faber. Statewide, Kulewicz won by 0.68%. The two counties were Democratic ...

Ask, anyway

Guest columnists

When people hear that I write handwritten letters to leaders and embassies around the world, they usually come up to me with the same question: “Do they really write back?” Here's the answer: sometimes they do, sometimes they don't. A few have mailed signed books. Others have sent ...