Opinion

Stay alert on the road as deer crashes spike

Those who live in the northwoods know deer on the roads can be a hazard when driving, no matter the time of year. But spring brings some special circumstances that increase the risk of vehicles and deer having a nasty encounter, according to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. Deer activity goes up in May and June, as does look for places to give birth and last year’s fawns separate from their mothers. In turn, this means more deer crossing the roads and a greater chance for crashes, the Wisconsin DNR warns in a news release. “Drivers should have their full attention ...

Almanac for May 9, 2026

Today is Saturday, May 9, the 129th day of 2026. There are 236 days left in the year. Today in history: In 1960, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration conditionally approved Enovid for use as the first oral contraceptive pill. Also on this date: In 1754, the famous political cartoon "Join or Die" was first published by Benjamin Franklin in the Pennsylvania Gazette newspaper. In 1914, President Woodrow Wilson, acting on a joint congressional resolution, signed a proclamation designating the second Sunday in May as Mother's Day. In 1951, the U.S. conducted its first thermonuclear ...

FDA has spoken on the abortion pill. Case closed.

The Supreme Court has just restored a woman's ability to obtain the abortion pill by mail without first seeing a medical provider, at least for now. A lower court had tried to tighten that easy access by requiring patients to consult with a licensed clinician in person before acquiring the ...

Weathering the price of gasoline

As motorists in Upper Peninsula and just about everywhere know, the price of gasoline has gone through the roof in recent days and weeks. In some areas of the state, the cost for a gallon of regular no lead has jumped the better part of a buck, to $4.85 or more. It isn’t quite that bad in this area but what we’re paying is close. And no one knows when costs might decrease. Everyone is asking why? Like most things federal government, big business and even bigger money, the answer is complicated and fraught with politics. Start with the war with Iran. It isn’t helping anything. ...

Tennessee enacts US House map dividing majority-Black district

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Amid raucous protests Thursday, Republicans in Tennessee enacted a new U.S. House map that carves up a majority-Black district in Memphis, reshaping it to the GOP's advantage as part of President Donald Trump's strategy to hold on to a slim majority in the November ...

Editorial cartoon for May 8, 2026