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During National Wellness Month, consider giving blood

During National Wellness Month, the American Red Cross encourages people to prioritize their personal health and well-being while helping to save lives with a blood or platelet donation. Donors of all blood types — especially those with type O-positive or B-negative blood — are asked to make an appointment now to prevent a further drop in donor turnout, the Red Cross states in a news release. In August, the Red Cross will provide free A1C screening — a test commonly used to screen for prediabetes and diabetes — for all donors who make a successful blood, platelet or plasma ...

Stymieing wind, solar hurts U.S. needs

The U.S. economy desperately needs more electricity. Demand is projected to outstrip supply in the coming years, largely due to data centers powering artificial intelligence. That leaves the government no choice: To avoid an energy crisis, it needs to supersize the nation’s electrical grid. The Trump administration, apparently, hasn’t gotten the memo. Instead, it’s allowing its opposition to clean energy sources, such as wind and solar, to stymie growth. Case in point: The Energy Department’s cancellation last week of a $4.9 billion loan guarantee for a major transmission ...

Deportations contribute to higher costs

“When Mexico sends its people, they’re not sending their best.… They’re bringing drugs, they’re bringing crime, they’re rapists.” So declared presidential candidate Donald Trump after descending the golden escalator at Trump Tower in New York and kicking off his first successful presidential campaign 10 years ago last month. Through his ensuing first term as president, then four years as a civilian and now six months into his second term, Trump has consistently centered his political movement on what was always a toxic lie: That America is being overrun by violent migrant ...

Moderation in alcohol urged, especially among older people

Keep tabs on your alcohol consumption, especially if you are getting older, have health issues or take medications, urges the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. Michiganders may react differently to alcohol as they get older than they did in their younger years as aging actually lowers the body’s tolerance for alcohol. Many medicines — prescription, over-the-counter or even herbal remedies — can be dangerous or even deadly when mixed with alcohol. Check with your health care provider about if you can safely consume alcohol if you are taking medications. Aging ...

USDA invites comments on reorganization plan

On July 24, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins announced a reorganization of the U.S. Department of Agriculture that will relocate thousands of federal employees and close a regional U.S. Forest Service office in Milwaukee. The changes are expected to reduce the USDA’s footprint in Washington, D.C., and realign its regional structure. The change involves a shift of personnel to five regional hubs across the country. USDA plans to relocate thousands of employees to these five hubs — Raleigh, North Carolina;, Kansas City, Missouri; Indianapolis; Fort Collins, Colorado; ...

Here’s a chance to mentor youth at the U.P. State Fair

If you’re interested in helping young people connect with Michigan’s rich natural resources and traditions, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources needs mentors to assist in staffing the DNR’s Pocket Park during the fair, which runs from Aug. 11-17. The Pocket Park is located within the Upper Peninsula State Fairgrounds in Escanaba. Last year, more than 10,000 visitors enjoyed the park during the fair, and volunteers this year will be able to assist again with activities like helping kids in catching and releasing bluegills in the U.P.-shaped pond, shooting pellet guns or ...