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Federal waste of office space stifles economies at many levels

The federal government is the largest owner of U.S. real estate, including more than half a billion square feet of office space. That is far more than it needs, and the cost of maintaining it has ballooned to unsustainable levels. The Public Buildings Reform Board recently identified 26 buildings across 15 states — totaling more than 7.3 million square feet — as potential candidates for the government to dispose of due to poor usage and high maintenance costs. It’s the third set of disposal recommendations since Congress created the board in 2016. That’s a great start, but ...

Think about animals as fireworks season begins

As the country approaches the celebration of its 250th Independence Day, the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development is reminding Michiganders to take precautions to keep pets and animals safe. “Fireworks and Fourth of July festivities with new people, new sounds and lots of activities can be particularly stressful and frightening for animals,” State Veterinarian Dr. Nora Wineland said in a news release. “By planning ahead, we can be sure they have a safe, secure place to be and minimize opportunities for them to escape or run away.” Taking a few simple steps ...

Hegseth’s vaccine policy puts military trainees in firing line

An influenza outbreak at Lackland Air Force Base in Texas sickened almost 160 people in the past few weeks and might have even killed one person going through basic training. If it wasn’t already clear why Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s decision to eliminate the military’s universal flu vaccine mandate was an exceptionally bad idea, it should be now. Hegseth announced the policy change in April, and since then, fewer than half of Air Force trainees have opted to get the shot. The vaccine does not provide perfect protection, but it reduces infections, lessens the severity for ...

State wants public’s help on aquatic invasive species

Be it Eurasian watermilfoil, Asian apple snails, European frog-bit, rusty crayfish or zebra and quagga mussels, a host of invasive species have made their way into Michigan’s lakes, rivers, wetlands and streams. To help track the spread of these and other nonnative plants and animals, the Michigan Clean Water Corps has set its second annual Aquatic Invasive Species Detection Blitz starting Monday and running through July 12. This is a statewide community science effort, with volunteers of all experience levels using the iNaturalist online app to document aquatic invasive species ...

US health care system needs a real public option

Long ago, when most Americans left the house for mass entertainment, they flocked to carnivals that crisscrossed the country to delight small towns and big cities. Shows typically included a barker whose steady stream of superfluous oratory enticed folks to spend their hard-earned cash on sometimes dubious performances. Too often today, our nation’s capital resembles that midway where a slick barker spouts enticements to assure people who want to believe what they want to believe that he will always give them what they want. That may be fine when the tickets sold are for harmless ...

NY mayor Mamdani’s victory strut is quite premature

Yes, Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s socialist picks just knocked off some Democratic incumbents in New York City. They included surprising defeats, especially that of Rep. Adriano Espaillat, chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus. Espaillat lost to Darializa Avila Chevalier, whose social media ...