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Shop smart to avoid back-to-school scams

Editorial

Hard — and perhaps depressing — to believe the 2026-27 school year will begin in only a few weeks. The back-to-school season is a busy time of year for both students and guardians. Consumers of all ages will be searching for the best deals on the supplies and products they need -- and for scammers, this presents an opportunity, the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection warned in a news release. The DATCP offered these tips and resources to avoid pitfalls when getting ready for classes to start: Online shopping scams Online shoppers may be drawn to ...

New political landscape

Letters To The Editor

To the Journal editor: When my wife and I moved back to the UP a couple of years ago, we discovered a number of changes, positive and negative, in the state’s political landscape. When we left for jobs in Illinois in the 1990s, John Engler was still putting his distinctive right-wing stamp on government operations in Lansing. Here in the Upper Peninsula, Bart Stupak held the 1st District’s congressional seat. Bart was an interesting independent-thinking Democrat. He had opposed a number of gun control measures, but—much to the annoyance of the National Rifle Association —voted ...

Science advisor not a scientist

Letters To The Editor

To the Journal editor: Given President Trump’s record of incompetence and corruption, it should be no surprise that, for the first time in the history of the position, the president’s science advisor is not a scientist. Michael Kratsios, who is also the director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, has not earned a PhD or even an undergraduate degree in science or engineering. His only degree is a BA in politics from Princeton. Before being confirmed to this position by the U.S. Senate, Mr. Kratsios had worked at an investment fund run by Peter Thiel, a ...

DSA is a gift to MAGA

Columns

Should those of us who want to defeat the proto-fascists in charge of the Republican Party be worried about a few blue districts that have recently indulged their ids and voted for members of the Democratic Socialists of America? Yes. If their victories become a trend, it could sabotage the ...

World is America-avoidant

Editorial

Earlier this year, a spate of western TikTok and Instagram creators announced that they were at “a very Chinese time in my life” – drinking hot water and wearing slippers around their homes. The Chinamaxxing phenomenon primarily reflected the constant need of influencers for novel content. But social media trends also reflect a growing fascination with China, as the economic historian Adam Tooze has noted. While it broods over China’s economic, military and technical advance, the Trump administration is accelerating Beijing’s diplomatic progress, as striking new polling by the ...

Families should learn the signs of drowning

Editorial

For World Drowning Prevention Day on Saturday, a trauma expert in Wisconsin warned that drowning can be fast, silent and difficult to recognize when seconds count to react in time. World Drowning Prevention Day, observed annually on July 25, serves as a reminder that many drowning deaths are preventable. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, an estimated 4,000 fatal unintentional drownings occur in the United States each year, an average of 11 deaths per day. An additional 8,000 near-drownings are treated in emergency departments annually. "The biggest thing we ...