“You want class war? We’ll give you what you ask for!” was just one of the many chants that were thunderously echoed through the streets of Pittsburgh this past Saturday, October 15. Occupy Pittsburgh, an offshoot of the ever-growing Occupy Wall Street protests that have been occurring since September 17, began its march for change, [...]

On April 11, France became the first country in Europe to ban the hijab, the veil that some Muslim women wear to cover their faces according to religious custom.  The law, passed last fall by the French Senate by a near-unanimous vote of 246 to one, prohibits any clothing that covers the face to be [...]

As President Obama and the Republicans in Congress prepare to butt heads over the 2011 federal budget, there are three words on everyone’s lips: cuts, cuts, cuts. It’s no wonder that cutting spending is on everyone’s mind, considering that the federal deficit is projected to surpass $15 trillion this year, according to Obama’s own projections. [...]

It’s almost Halloween time, so I figure now is as appropriate a time as any to discuss a cultural phenomenon that is near and dear to me. This phenomenon is slowly finding itself in almost every nook and cranny of our culture. This phenomenon refuses to slow or die, surviving the years, and now has [...]

Drugs are everywhere, it would seem. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t generally frequent the kind of social circles that binge on crack and crystal meth or drink years-old cough syrup to trip out on, but I can’t help but most often hear the ripples in daily life. Someone hears murmuring about a weekend party, [...]

Viewpoint It’s pretty clear that the paparazzi are a nuisance.  Sure there are those fame-hungry reality stars that eat up the paparazzi and love the attention, but 98 percent of celebrities are visibly annoyed having their every move caught on camera. The word “paparazzi” comes from a character in the 1960 film “La Dolce Vita” [...]

Viewpoint On Tuesday, the Senate Finance Committee approved its version of the health care reform bill by a vote of 14-9, becoming the last in a long line of Congressional committees to do so. After months of heated deliberation and back-room negotiations, health care reform is nearly ready for a floor vote, but it still [...]