Click here for an interview with Christine Constable on Behind the Headlines 100 years since the 1918 Armistice  –  what lessons has Europe learned in keeping the peace in Europe? The First World war caused around 40 million casualties and between 15-19 million deaths and ranks as one of the most deadly human conflicts recorded […]

That phrase pretty much sums up the recent legislative history of a proposed constitutional amendment to reduce the size of the General Assembly, the second largest among states, as the critics constantly remind us.  For decades, proposals to cut the number of state legislators have been introduced with fanfare.  Then they fizzle.  Things changed during […]

Commentators have no trouble spotting and no hesitation denouncing the various afflictions wracking the body politic in our state and nation.  Devising effective remedies that people are willing to enact and follow has a much higher degree of difficulty to it. The recent Pennsylvania primary election featured conditions that were presumed to be catnip to […]

For those who share a deep appreciation for history, the combination of pivotal events and powerful intellects and captivating personalities who shaped our nation and way of life, this cannot be said to be the best of times. Many of us are numbed by the succession of surveys showing how little familiarity young people have […]

Ken Mash, President of the state university faculty union (APSCUF), discusses these issues on Behind the Headlines Recent news stories make crystal clear that the fourteen universities constituting the State System of Higher Education are confronting a thicket of tough problems, brought to the fore by a disturbing drop in enrollment at most campuses. Two […]

As teachers, parents, and schoolkids know, spring is prime season for fieldtrips.  Recently, three decidedly older kids picked an April Saturday for a foray to Philadelphia to take in the Museum of the American Revolution.  The history-loving trio included Charlie Greenawalt, Senior Fellow at the Susquehanna Valley Center, Ed Arnold, Chairman of the Board, and […]

The volunteer fire company is a long and cherished tradition in our commonwealth, dating back to 1736 when Ben Franklin founded the nation’s first all-volunteer force to fight blazes in Philadelphia. For nearly three centuries, communities have relied on volunteer fire companies to protect property and save lives. Today, this volunteer model is in jeopardy.   […]

As much as present day politics seem in nasty turbulence, there have been more tumultuous times in our national experience.  The recently marked 50th anniversary of the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was a grim reminder.  His passion and moral clarity for civil rights and equal justice have taken on even greater meaning […]

             That the reconstituted Democrat-controlled state Supreme Court would invalidate the Republican-crafted congressional district lines approved in 2011 was not a complete shock to political observers.  Nor was it altogether surprising that the justices would then dictate parameters of their preferred remedy.  But arrogating responsibility for imposing a new map, in conflict with language in […]

Unfortunately, the growing divide between the military and society was apparent in February when a teacher’s inaccurate and misinformed statements about the quality of America’s armed forces made national headlines. As a U.S. Army officer for more than 30 years, I can tell you our nation’s military services are among the most respected organizations in […]