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Think about animals as fireworks season begins

Editorial

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 ...

We all stand to lose in Hegseth’s war on diversity

Columns

Is Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth resegregating the military? I hear that question a lot since the news broke that our nation’s current secretary of defense has actively blocked or delayed the promotions of dozens of senior military officers — with women and people of color ...

A temporary immigration program passes 35 years

Columns

The last two decades have been a continuous adventure in redefining the phrase “white supremacy” to include less and less pertinent things. The latest is that the Supreme Court has allegedly joined forces with Trump to “advance an authoritarian, white-supremacist agenda” — in the ...

World Cup tourists see what too many Americans forgot

Columns

Americans are routinely told that our nation is hopelessly divided, irredeemably flawed and perhaps even in terminal decline. Public polling reflects this pervasive frustration, pessimism and anomie. If someone halfway around the world only followed the polls, he might be forgiven for ...

Pride not about labels, but making sure kids feel loved

Columns

Just over a week ago, our family participated in the local pride parade with a group from my husband’s work. Before the parade, our son wanted to get a pride flag to wave. He has always loved flags and can identify the flags for most countries of the world. Flags are powerful symbols of ...

Hegseth’s vaccine policy puts military trainees in firing line

Editorial

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 ...