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Canadian vote shows breaking up is hard to do

Separation anxiety was mightily apparent during a vote in Canada last month. Oil-laden Alberta, which appears more conservative in its values than the rest of the country that proudly waves the maple leaf flag, will not be on its own anytime soon. A referendum that would have created a path ...

Republicans need to ‘get off the mat’

Republicans need to ‘get off the mat’ Whatever the reasons that elections turn out as they do, they have consequences. If statism of whatever variety is your thing, you’ll be enthralled with what comes from Capitol Hill and the establishment press in 2027 and 2028, all leading up to the 2028 presidential election. Americans are in store for the most full-throated, gloves-off advocacy of statism in American history, with the usual goal of accruing more power to government. Among possible events: ● First up may well be yet another impeachment, yet no conviction, of a ...

The OBSERVER’s View: Hochul needs to quit delaying on Kyra’s Law

We've reached the time of year when Gov. Kathy Hochul begins signing legislation passed by the state Legislature before the end of its session in June. It's ludicrous to us that this process takes half a year in some cases, particularly when it comes to legislation that was approved with overwhelming legislative support like Kyra's Law (A.6194-C/S.5998). Kyra’s Law is named in memory of 2-year-old Kyra Franchettie, who was shot and killed by her father during a court-ordered unsupervised visit in 2016, and was passed with bipartisan support in the state Legislature this year. It ...

Everyday communications are maddening

For me, communications in 2026 boil down to telephone, texting, or email. I don’t do smoke signals anymore. Alas, my arthritic hands have consigned hand-written notes to the back burner. When I hand write, maybe the first line or two have some resemblance to my once clear penmanship. Then ...

Senator’s remarks send scary message

In the incredible amount of midterm elections news, there were totalitarian sounding words of Ellissa Slotkin, Democratic senator from Michigan. Her comments were a clear threat to make the lives of young people who aspired to and took jobs in the President Donald Trump administration ...

The OBSERVER’s View: Balancing act with winter heating

There is good and bad news when it comes to potential costs for heating during the coming winter months. In October, National Fuel Gas Distribution Corp. said it expects the typical residential customer to spend approximately $742 to heat their home this winter, nearly 5% less than last winter’s average cost of $780. The projected decrease reflects lower natural gas supply costs, the impact of strong storage inventories, and National Fuel’s long-term gas purchasing strategy, which helps reduce exposure to market volatility and seasonal price spikes. The lower supply costs are ...