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Trump, the pope and the gospel of 'Pulp Fiction'

It is hardly surprising that Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth's explicitly Christian monthly worship services monthly in the Pentagon have raised alarm in some quarters about the separation of church and state. But who expected to find him quoting lines of alleged scripture that were lifted ...

Volunteers saluted

To the Journal editor: April 19–25 is National Volunteer Appreciation Week, and at Michigan Veteran Homes D.J. Jacobetti, we proudly recognize and thank all of our volunteers, past and present. Their compassion, generosity, and dedication play a vital role in helping us provide an enhanced quality of life for the veteran members who call our Home their residence. MVHDJJ is incredibly fortunate to be part of such a caring and supportive community. Whenever we put out a call for help, our volunteers and community partners respond wholeheartedly. In 2026, we are grateful to have a ...

M-35 roundabout a good idea

Although we suspect this project may face some degree of opposition as the construction season opens, we like what the Michigan Department of Transportation is planning for more than three miles of M-35 in Marquette County between Marquette County Road 480 and US 41, including converting the M-35/County Road 492 intersection to a modern roundabout. Dan Weingarten, MDOT media representative for the agency’s Superior Region, summed things up nicely in a recent Mining Journal front page story on the matter, noting the current intersection of Marquette County Road 492 and M-35 is offset ...

What does it take?

Early in his political career, Mr. Trump remarked that he could “shoot” someone in the middle of Times Square and get away with it. It sounded ridiculously self-aggrandizing and absurd then. Today, I’m not sure! Since that crazy observation, Mr. Trump has had plenty of opportunity to test that calculation in so many ways that one must wonder if he wasn’t right! Mr. Trump, while not with gun in hand but with presidential fiat, has been responsible for many deaths, not the least egregious of which are extra-judicial killings on the high seas. He has presided over deadly violence ...

Court rules federal government can’t ban at-home distilleries

Judges occasionally declare federal laws unconstitutional. But usually when a law passed by Congress has been on the books for more than 150 years, it’s in the clear. Not so for the federal ban on homemade whiskey, vodka and gin. Last week, an appeals court invalidated a federal law dating to 1868 that criminalizes at-home distilleries. The spirited ruling is a boon to small-time liquor hobbyists and entrepreneurs — but also an important statement on the limits of the federal government’s taxing power. Congress imposed the ban as a companion to legislation taxing alcohol and ...

Trump vs. the Pope

As far as showdowns between popes and secular leaders go, President Trump versus Pope LEO hardly rates. LEO hasn't forced Trump to come see him and stand for three days in the snow, the way Pope Gregory VII did to Henry IV, the Holy Roman Emperor, in 1077. Nor has he issued an interdict, a ...