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An illegal war that could become the new normal

The killing of Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, by a U.S.-Israeli strike is a targeted assassination of a head of state. It also marks a grave escalation in a region already burdened with smouldering wars and fragile states. The consequences of the deliberate strike will reverberate across a Middle East marked by the aftershocks of foreign intervention. Revulsion against the hardline regime in Tehran, or the desire for a better future for the Iranian people, does not confer a legal justification. Force is lawful, under the UN charter, only in self-defence against an ...

It’s only a break in the weather

Take it to the bank, our area is in for more snow this winter, perhaps much more, given how things have transpired to date. How much and when, of course, who knows? But it’s at least likely that we will continue to have these occasional minor meltdowns during the balance of the season. According to American Family Insurance, it’s not too early to start thinking about spring driving challenges. In no particular order, AFI offers these general suggestions — — Look for leftover sand and salt: Many towns use sand and salt to combat icy roads — which is great in winter weather. ...

Boosting literacy the goal of March is Reading Month

Michigan’s younger students appear to be struggling when it comes to reading. Statewide test results released in August showed 61.1% of third graders and 57.6% of fourth graders did not pass the annual state assessment, a decline from 2024. Take a moment to let that sink in: More than half of Michigan’s third and fourth grade students tested in 2025 cannot read at their age-appropriate level. The results of the 2025 Michigan Student Test of Educational Progress, known as M-STEP, showed only 38.9% of third grade students and 42.4% of fourth grade students statewide scored ...