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How US has endured for 250 years

This summer, the United States celebrates its 250th birthday. In 1776, few people believed this new version of self-government would last. After the Constitutional Convention, Benjamin Franklin was asked what kind of government the Founding Fathers had created. "A republic," he replied, "if ...

MDARD opens enrollment for forest program tax exemption

The Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development reminds private landowners that applications to enroll in the Qualified Forest Program are due Sept. 1 to receive the associated tax exemption for the 2027 tax year. “MDARD supports sustainable forest management as a means of preserving our environment, sustaining our $26 billion forest products economy and improving quality of life throughout Michigan,” MDARD Director Tim Boring said in a news release. “The QFP incentivizes sustainable forestry by offering tax exemptions to private landowners who commit to responsibly ...

Almanac for May 28, 2026

Today is Thursday, May 28, the 148th day of 2026. There are 217 days left in the year. Today in history: In 1830, President Andrew Jackson signed the Indian Removal Act, which forced nearly 50,000 Native Americans, primarily in the Southeastern U.S., to move to designated territories west of the Mississippi River. Also on this date: In 1863, the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry Regiment, made up of free Black men, left Boston to fight for the Union in the Civil War. In 1892, the Sierra Club was founded in San Francisco by naturalist John Muir. In 1918, American troops ...

Trump has lost the plot on governance

Republicans don’t want to say this publicly, but privately they do: President Trump’s personal political obsessions are hurting his presidency, harming the chances for further policy gains the rest of this year, and putting control of the House and Senate in jeopardy. That’s the backdrop to the GOP revolt last week in Congress on war powers and funding for the Department of Homeland Security. Mr. Trump’s unrelated priorities are handing Democrats gift after gift and forcing Republicans to take difficult votes that could cost them in November. His desire for political revenge is ...

An autopsy as malpractice

The Democrats couldn't complete their term paper but handed it in anyway because too many people were wondering what had become of it. Under pressure, the DNC finally released its autopsy of the 2024 election, after rampant speculation about what it contained and why it hadn't yet been made ...