Breaking News

Editorial

An illegal war that could become the new normal

The killing of Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, by a U.S.-Israeli strike is a targeted assassination of a head of state. It also marks a grave escalation in a region already burdened with smouldering wars and fragile states. The consequences of the deliberate strike will reverberate across a Middle East marked by the aftershocks of foreign intervention. Revulsion against the hard-line regime in Tehran, or the desire for a better future for the Iranian people, does not confer a legal justification. Force is lawful, under the UN charter, only in self-defense against an ...

Board of Peace serves private interests more than public good

In Gaza, aid still trickles in at levels relief agencies say are far below what is required. Temporary shelters are scarce. Reconstruction materials are restricted by Israel’s controls on goods entering the territory. Conditions, say the UN, remain “dire.” The violence has not stopped: Israeli strikes on Gaza have killed about 600 people since the ceasefire began. The announcement that the US would transfer $10 billion to President Donald Trump’s newly convened Board of Peace is hard to reconcile with the reality on the ground. Even worse is that Washington has paid only a ...

Boosting literacy the goal of March is Reading Month

Boosting literacy the goal of March is Reading Month EDITORIAL MAR 2, 2026 Michigan’s younger students appear to be struggling when it comes to reading. Statewide test results released in August showed 61.1% of third graders and 57.6% of fourth graders did not pass the annual state assessment, a decline from 2024. Take a moment to let that sink in: More than half of Michigan’s third and fourth grade students tested in 2025 cannot read at their age-appropriate level. The results of the 2025 Michigan Student Test of Educational Progress, known as M-STEP, showed only 38.9% of ...

It’s only a break in the weather

Take it to the bank, our area is in for more snow this winter, perhaps much more, given how things have transpired to date. How much and when, of course, who knows? But it’s at least likely that we will continue to have these occasional minor meltdowns during the balance of the season. According to American Family Insurance, it's not too early to start thinking about spring driving challenges. In no particular order, AFI offers these general suggestions: • Look for leftover sand and salt Many towns use sand and salt to combat icy roads — which is great in winter weather. But ...

Public health hanging in balance under RFK Jr.

Almost 250 years ago, George Washington created America’s first mass immunization mandate, relying on science to protect public health. Oh, how times have changed. Back then, smallpox had just helped end the Continental Army’s invasion of Canada. Despite making it all the way to Quebec, thousands of soldiers contracted the disease. Washington feared the same would happen to his own troops, fresh from their surprise victories at Trenton and Princeton. As Washington wrote at the time, “Necessity not only authorizes but seems to require the measure, for should the disorder infect ...

Virtual meeting today on recycling batteries

Whether it’s small single-use batteries, household rechargeable batteries or large batteries for electric vehicles, disposal can pose a significant safety risk to people and the planet. Conversely, batteries contain valuable materials that, when properly managed, can be returned to the supply chain to realize substantial environmental, economic and social benefits. The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy is launching a Battery Circularity Program to improve how batteries are collected, recycled and reprocessed across the state. By using recycled materials, ...