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The new normal: Abnormal

There's poison in the air outside my house, a bitter smoke of ashes and hot freeway, and it is keeping us all inside. Yesterday morning, the kids' summer camp announced that the planned trip to the pool had been cancelled. They would do activities indoors all day. "How high can it get?" ...

Road construction season is here - drive accordingly

It seemed like Upper Peninsula residents waited a little bit longer than usual for the lingering winter of 2025-26 to dissipate and consistent summer-like weather to arrive. And along with summer comes all the things we expect, including picnics, camping, swimming and a great many road construction projects. Yes, mixed in with all the things we look forward to during nice weather are those road projects that can seem a little annoying, especially if they delay a trip. However, these projects will be making improvements to the routes we travel by motor vehicle and when finished will be ...

Writer shakes head

To the Journal editor: All I could do is shake my head after reading that U.S. Rep. Jack Bergman, R-Watersmeet, and three other Michigan legislators, John James, Lisa McClain and John Moolenaar, took it upon themselves to write a letter to the Canadian prime minister. The letter basically asserted that it was Canada’s fault that the Upper Peninsula was being smoked by forest fires in Canada. Couple of things that stood out to me were, how in the world can Canada be accused of controlling the weather patterns? The smoke is not only from forest fires in Canada, but in Minnesota and ...

Pointed questions posed

To the Journal editor: The following was sent to U.S. Rep. Jack Bergman, R-Watersmeet, just before 9 a.m. through his congressional portal. Congressman Bergman Congress has generously supplied the federal government with money to protect borders and defend the United States. However, President Trump has used that money to: Start a war of choice with Iran, raising the cost of living in the Upper Peninsula. Continue killing unarmed crews in boats while drug traffic continues unabated. Open and close ICE detention facilities without planning. Deport and kill innocent people in ICE ...

World loses when the U.S., Iran overplay hands

The cycle’s familiarity should not obscure the gravity of the consequences as the US and Iran return to threats, strikes and a futile search for an exit from war via escalation. On Sunday, Tehran said that it had closed the strait of Hormuz again. The World Food Programme is already feeding 1.5 million fewer people this year owing to the illegal war launched by the US and Israel. Vulnerable countries are suffering most as existing crises are compounded: an extra 2.5 million people in Somalia and 2.3 million in Afghanistan are struggling to meet basic food needs. Even de-escalation ...

In defense of data centers

New York just became the first state in the country to sign a moratorium on data centers. There are two paths forward on this issue. One path builds the infrastructure that runs the next 50 years of the American economy. The other bans the future, then acts surprised when the jobs show up ...