Opinion

The question of what role religion should play in American public life is difficult and controversial. It produces a lot of heated debate and no easy answers. My view is that religion has a role to play in our political life and that its impact on our democracy is largely positive. It’s true that religion can […]

Wholesale prices increased at their quickest pace on record in November in the latest sign that the inflation pressures bedeviling the economy are still present. The producer price index for final demand increased 9.6 percent over the previous 12 months after rising another 0.8 percent in November. Every single month that Joe Biden has been president has

I still remember a question I got years ago. It was at a public meeting in Southern Indiana, in one of those squat, featureless cinder-block buildings you find all across the country. This young woman stood up and commented that I had traveled throughout the U.S. and had met all kinds of people. So she wanted to

Medical facilities across New York are facing massive staffing shortages that have not only jeopardized the available bed space for patients in immediate need but are now also impacting the number of services offered in hospitals. It’s clear that the inability to provide patients with both essential and elective care has been seriously threatened by Gov. Hochul’s

The United States emerged in the 20th century as the world’s most powerful and competitive nation. Our economy, our technology, and our political system became the envy of all others. But in recent years, many observers have claimed that America is losing its edge. What do we need to do to strengthen our competitive position in

[I] recently participated in an Assembly Environmental Conservation Committee hearing discussing New York’s rapid transition to full electrification of the economy as a way to influence climate change.  As the ranking minority member of the committee and an avid outdoorsman, [I am] keenly aware of environmental concerns over the cost of carbon. New taxes on gasoline, diesel,

It would be fair to say that for a good bit of our history, Americans paid scant attention to redistricting. The redrawing of congressional and legislative lines every 10 years, sparked by population shifts captured by the Census, tended to pass unnoticed. Unless, of course, it involved some particularly outrageous instance of gerrymandering. For line-drawers, especially in

New York’s local businesses are the driving force behind the State’s fiscal well-being, and the goods and services they supply are irreplaceable in our daily lives. To maintain the health of local economies, we must continue to support the small businesses within our communities. One way we can accomplish that is by [shopping at small, local retailers

The rise of China is the most formidable challenge that American foreign policy faces. With its population of nearly 1.5 billion people and its rapid growth, China has transformed itself into an economic and political powerhouse. We face other challenges, of course. Among them, terrorism, a turbulent Middle East, a nuclear-armed and unpredictable North Korea, climate change,

The Nov. 8 announcement by the New York Department of Corrections that six correctional facilities will be closed is more evidence that Gov. Kathy Hochul is campaigning rather than governing. Closing prisons is an idea that might appeal to liberal voters in a primary, but it’s of no benefit to upstate communities and represents yet another step