Opinion

Red Cross needs blood donations after storms

The winter storms that came through in the past few days had one other, less visible but significant effect: A drop in donated blood and platelets in the region. The American Red Cross of Wisconsin urges people to act now to rebuild the blood supply after to donation appointments were disrupted across the state due to the storms. Donors of all blood types are encouraged to schedule a blood or platelet donation as soon as it’s safe to travel, the Red Cross said in a news release. Over the past few days, more than 30 blood drives have been canceled across the Wisconsin region, ...

Almanac for March 19, 2026

Today is Thursday, March 19, the 78th day of 2026. There are 287 days left in the year. Today in history: In 2003, President George W. Bush announced in a televised address that coalition forces had begun an invasion of Iraq. (Bush would declare victory just over five weeks later in his "Mission Accomplished" speech, though the main U.S. troop withdrawal would not be completed until 2011.) Also on this date: In 1931, Nevada Gov. Fred B. Balzar signed a measure that made the state the first to legalize gambling. In 1945, during World War II, more than 800 service members were ...

Iran challenging a bedrock of American geopolitical power

The reason why we have the Fifth Fleet, one of the most awesome naval forces ever assembled in the history of mankind, is to protect the sea lanes in the Middle East. That the Strait of Hormuz is now effectively closed is not just a blow to the global economy and a key point of leverage for ...

Editorial cartoon for March 19, 2026

Should America have a red line?

President Donald Trump has acted as no other president has by unleashing a war on Iran whose objective is not only preventing the ayatollahs from ever building a nuclear weapon but ideally (though unmentioned) replacing the fanatics with leaders more friendly to Israel and the West and ...

What to know about economic and political turmoil in Cuba

Cuba's widening economic turmoil along with its growing political tensions with U.S. President Donald Trump have paralyzed much of the island and raised uncertainty about what's next. The country was plunged into darkness this week by a blackout — the third big failure of its power grid ...