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Almanac for May 4, 2026

Today is Monday, May 4, the 124th day of 2026. There are 241 days left in the year. Today in history: In 1970, Ohio National Guardsmen opened fire on student demonstrators during an anti-war protest at Kent State University, killing four students and wounding nine others. Also on this date: In 1886, at Haymarket Square in Chicago, a labor demonstration for an 8-hour workday turned into a deadly riot when a bomb exploded, killing seven police officers and at least four civilians. In 1904, the United States took over construction of the Panama Canal from France. In 1942, the ...

The ballroom amounts to taxpayer abuse

Some years ago, I was president of an organization called the Association of Opinion Journalists. Every year we would run a convention in a different city and end it with a celebration in the hotel's ballroom space. Our speaker on that closing night was usually some well-known political ...

US military reaches AI deals with seven tech companies

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Pentagon said Friday that it has reached deals with seven tech companies to use their artificial intelligence in its classified computer networks, allowing the military to tap into AI-powered capabilities to help it fight wars. Google, Microsoft, Amazon Web Services, ...

Perna hits it out of the park

ESCANABA -- It is always inspiring to me when I see groups of individuals that share a vision and successfully plan to make something special happen for our community. Mark Perna is a renowned speaker, delivering over 80 keynotes across North America on an annual basis. He is also a ...

Almanac for May 2, 2026

Today is Saturday, May 2, the 122nd day of 2026. There are 243 days left in the year. Today in history: In 1994, Nelson Mandela claimed victory for the African National Congress after South Africa's first democratic elections. Also on this date: In 1863, during the Civil War, Confederate Gen. Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson was accidentally wounded by his own men at Chancellorsville, Virginia; he died eight days later. In 1927, the U.S. Supreme Court, in Buck v. Bell, upheld 8-1 a Virginia law allowing the forced sterilization of people in order to promote the "health of the patient and ...

Zyn isn’t a sin

Zyns are super popular. They are little pouches people tuck into their lip to get a hit of nicotine. Zyn has competitors, like Velo and On!, but Zyn has most of the market. Young people love the pouches. They are safer than cigarettes. Their nicotine is addictive, but nicotine isn't what ...