
Tony Norman: Memo to Starbucks — how to keep black people in your future
“If a customer has one of those African-inspired names that only they can spell, don’t attempt to spell it phonetically on the cup...”

Brian O'Neill: Taller trains, higher bridges, testy neighbors
The North Side battle over trains is getting hot. And if there’s anything more American than moving tons of consumer goods, it’s litigation.

Reg Henry: Fifty years after ‘2001,’ the future seems like old hat
Predicting space travel and various amazing scientific advances was the easy part. The hard part was getting details of our lives right.

Dan Simpson: If only my taxes were spent wisely
I wish more of my money went to education and bridges and less to debt and war.

Tony Norman: A bitter brew at a Philly Starbucks for two black men
There’s no point in trying to imagine a manager calling cops on white people chatting at Starbucks without having purchased something.

Walkabout: After growth spurt, Tree Pittsburgh finally has roots
New solar-powered education center, expanded nursery and staff workshop will strengthen the organizations ties to the region.

Brian O'Neill: Two visions for trains collide in a North Side park
“They want the inconvenience to be on the city,” a North Sider said of decision-makers, “not on them.” They say: high bridges are only way.

Ron Cook: It could have been worse ... much worse
All things considered, this very unlucky Friday the 13th could have been so much worse for the Penguins.

Brian O'Neill: GOP sluggers Mango and Wagner take the low road, with high entertainment value
Nobody’s backing down in this intraparty battle for governor. This race has not just gotten down in the gutter, it’s been to the bathroom.

David M. Shribman: The Paul Ryan story — a tragedy in multiple dimensions
Many conservatives believed Mr. Ryan would be a counterpoint to the president, or at least a checkpoint. Neither happened.

Dan Simpson: National security team No. 3 takes the field
It looks like a long season stretches before us; let’s hope it doesn’t see a war
Ruth Ann Dailey: America’s small towns are finding their niches
Far from the big cities, we’ve been seeing a lot of places where signs of life are growing stronger.

Brian O'Neill : That other Carnegie theft mystery, still unsolved
When Kurt Fischer read about the theft of millions of dollars of rare books from the Carnegie, his first thought was, “Oh no, not again.”

Keith C. Burris: Can Rosanne restore our sense of proportion?
Some Trump-haters are growing anti-democratic; please, let’s all settle down.
Walkabout: Communities must bring an end to violence against women, girls
Girls and women have the strength, numbers and responsibility to lead our country away from violence, but they need the community’s help.

David M. Shribman: Midterm massacre? Or Trumpian exceptionalism?
Presidents usually see their party badly beaten in midterm elections, but Trump is not a usual president.

Tony Norman: Sign o' the times for future black people
Alisha Wormsley is an acclaimed artist who deserves a public explanation for why her art was removed from a space designated for art.

Brian O'Neill: In a rare-book repository, a void that chills
Even those who make their living selling books were unaware of all the Carnegie had. Using the past tense only makes jaws drop farther.

Brian O'Neill: They survived old-school ‘free-range’ parenting. How?
A theory: We were raised by people who’d survived the Depression and WWII. They turned kids loose confident that the worst was behind them.
Dan Simpson: Get on with the nation’s work
At this point, we should just ignore the president’s antics and focus on what we can control.

Tony Norman: Upon MLK's death, the instant onset of moral amnesia
People forget, but by the time he was murdered in Memphis, MLK was one of the most unpopular people in the country.
Ruth Ann Dailey: Martin Luther King Jr.'s powerful belief and hope
To believe there is something greater than ourselves is to be inspired and humbled.

Walkabout: Pittsburgh parks are rolling in green, but some need maintenance
City parks: When we repair and restore them, they return the favor
David M. Shribman: Stirrings in the heartland
Census figures show most population growth in Trump country.

Brian O'Neill: The theory and practice of 'free-range' kids these days
Today’s parents need legislation to allow standards common back when I was a boy -— when “Go out and play” was the parents’ motto.

Tony Norman: Americans without guns — a thought experiment
Even as crime drops precipitously, the gun lobby continues a drumbeat of fear and loathing that finds fertile ground in a divided country.

Brian O'Neill: ‘Getchyer cheap Pirates tix here ... anybody?’
My group has season tickets, as usual. But look at the low, low prices for tickets on the secondary market already. Fan fever has cooled.

Reg Henry: She was paid to say nothing about what didn’t happen
Maybe Trump said to his lawyer — give that fine young lass Stormy $130,000 out of your own money as a contribution to the arts.

Dan Simpson: Amid the chaos, hope
It’s hard to escape the circus in Washington, but perhaps our young people can change things.

Tony Norman: Santorum sneers, and #NeverAgain activists rock
The still-ridiculous former senator thinks that students should learn CPR to solve gun violence. These folks are way beyond his nonsense.

Ruth Ann Dailey: From Tutu to Graham, the struggle with truth and exclusivism
Sometimes, with only a few syllables, people inadvertently, or purposefully, reveal what they really think, where they really stand.

Walkabout: 'Ode to March’s End'
Late March is a test of our character, but at least it’s consistent.

Brian O'Neill: Such a deal — Pa. milk for Cuban rum. A boy can dream ...
Pennsylvania has the cows and Cuba has the rum, so let’s make a deal. (OK, so there are some complications.)
David M. Shribman: Ball of confusion — conventional politics is giving way to contention and contradiction
One lesson of U.S. history: the past is always changing, the settled is always being revised, the reviled are sometimes being rehabilitated.

Ron Cook: Devils continue to haunt Penguins as season rolls to a close
The Penguins probably won’t have to play the Devils in the playoffs. That’s a good thing because the Devils just might sweep ‘em.

Tony Norman: He's a terrorist by any other name
Before blowing himself up, Mark Anthony Conditt recorded a 25-minute video on how he built the shrapnel and nail bombs.

Brian O'Neill: Hey infrastructure geeks, let’s talk 'bout Amazon HQ2
If only I could get a talk radio show with a micro-audience ... the first-time caller would be this guy with great insight into Amazon.
