Vote makes Congressional records less open

January 29, 2017

It was a tweet by then-President-elect Donald Trump that led House Republicans to retreat on a plan they had early this month to gut an independent Congressional ethics board. However, the subsequent passage of updated rules under which the 115th Congress will operate still includes language that allows them to keep their records hidden from those who investigate wrongdoing, making it easier for members of Congress to slip out of sticky situations. Language quietly slipped into House Resolution 5 spelling out Congress’ standing rules makes records held by specific members of ...

Guarding against spread of fake news

January 22, 2017

“Fake news” has become such a buzz word lately that Americans have begun throwing around the term anytime they see a news story with which they disagree or that they don’t believe. Don’t misunderstand me. I’m not saying “fake news” doesn’t exist. Certainly it does. I come across it often on the Internet or social media. My Facebook friends often post links to stories they find of interest. I open them only long enough to shake my head, knowing without a doubt, there is absolutely no truth to it or it’s purely someone’s opinion. Now, you may think I have ...

Sides to collide at Trump inauguration

January 15, 2017

Friday, Inauguration Day, finally will end this very long era of contentious competition over control of the White House. Or maybe not. Around the same time that Donald Trump is solemnly swearing to faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, tens of thousands of protesters, still fraught with emotion about the goings on since Nov. 8, will be flooding into the National Mall, colliding with tens of thousands of die-hard supporters of our new president. That clash likely will continue all around the nation’s capitol throughout the day, weekend and, by the looks ...

Opioid epidemic showing no signs of stopping

January 7, 2017

Last week, a young Warren mother was sentenced to serve 30 months in prison after her two toddlers ate heroin last February and had to be revived with an opiate antidote. The drugs apparently had been on the kitchen table in her Randolph Street home when the unsupervised kids, ages 9 months and 21 months at the time, found and ingested them. A jury convicted Carlisa Davis, the 19-year-old mother, on two counts of child endangering. Trumbull County Assistant Prosecutor Diane Barber had pushed for a far tougher sentence — the maximum of six years — because it is her job to stand up ...

Get ready for unpredictable 2017

January 1, 2017

By most measures, the 2016 news year has been extraordinary. Now I can say that as I look back at the big local stories that we’ve been revisiting for the last nine days — not to mention coverage of thousands of other stories we’ve shared over the last 365 days. We’ve taken the time in the last week and a half to begin counting down what we, at the Tribune Chronicle, deem to be the biggest news stories of 2016, updating them with new developments. We wrap up today with what we believe is the biggest local news event of the year. Also in today’s newspaper, you’ll find what ...

Foreign media took interest in Trumbull voters

December 25, 2016

American families gathering in celebration of the Christmas holiday today probably will face more uncomfortable debate about the presidential election that has been in the history books for more than six weeks. At my house, the topic has been ordered as strictly off limits in an attempt to ensure that we promote not only peace on Earth but peace at the dinner table. The sting felt by liberal supporters of Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton is probably most harsh in places like Trumbull County, where blue-collar Rust Belt voters turned their backs on the Democratic ...