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Postal Service has outlived its usefulness

Those of us of a certain age — born before about 1970 — have fond memories of the mailman (yes, that’s what we called him, not “postal carrier”) dropping off a pile of letters and cards into the mailbox down the driveway six days a week. But those days are long past. Now if we have ...

It’s a good time to recognize the essential services EMS provides

Anyone who has had to dial 911 is well aware that along with law enforcement or firefighters often comes an emergency medical services crew, known as EMS. It’s a reassuring sight when they roll up, ready to provide skilled treatment on site and during transport if needed. To honor these essential practitioners who deliver lifesaving care to residents across the state every day, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has proclaimed May 17-23 as EMS Recognition Week in Michigan. “EMS professionals are there for Michiganders during some of the most difficult and critical moments in their lives,” ...

Could Trump be a worse president or person?

WASHINGTON — Camelot, it’s not. King Arthur, not even close. Donald Trump is a pretender president who doesn’t even pretend to do right by the people. In all candor, this city, graced by garden squares, memorials and museums, feels like a crime scene, with his fingerprints everywhere on ...

Our screen culture increasingly can't read

We’ve been having a debate about “book bans” in recent years, but given the steep decline in student literacy, the deeper question is how anyone would notice whether a book is available in a school library or not. The New York Times published an eye-opening report on a study by the Educational Opportunity Project at Stanford documenting steep declines in student test scores, especially in reading. Over the past 10 years, reading scores have declined in 83% of school districts. What looked like a COVID-driven catastrophe is, instead, part of a long-running trend. Reading ...

Professional Trades Month highlights career options

As high school graduations begin in the region, it’s worth noting that May is Professional Trades Month, highlighting the career opportunities available in these much-needed positions. In 2024, 393,000 Michiganders were employed in professional trades occupations, a 14.4% increase from 2020, according to a news release from Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity, or LEO. Many of these high-demand, high-wage careers do not require a four-year degree and have pathways that focus on credentials, certificates, on-the-job training and ...

China is our enemy, not our rival

China is not merely America’s geopolitical opponent. It is America's geopolitical enemy — and has been since the establishment of the Chinese communist regime in 1949. For decades, American leaders and elites indulged the fantasy that this reality could be softened or reversed. Richard ...