Opinion

Almanac for Sept. 21, 2026

Today is Monday, Sept. 21, the 264th day of 2026. There are 101 days left in the year. On Sept. 21, 2013, an attack by armed militants in the Westgate shopping mall in Nairobi, Kenya, left 67 people dead and hundreds injured. Also on this date: In 1792, the National Convention of France issued a proclamation announcing the abolition of the French monarchy. In 1898, in response to a letter from 8-year-old Virginia O'Hanlon, the New York Sun newspaper wrote an editorial containing the famous line "Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus." In 1915, Cecil Chubb purchased Stonehenge ...

More Threats to the Freedom of Speech

The freedom of speech and of the press is not a gift bestowed by a president, Congress or a federal agency. It is a natural right of all persons. The First Amendment does not create that right; it prohibits the government from infringing upon it. The ability to think, speak, write, criticize, ...

Almanac for Sept. 19, 2026

Today is Saturday, Sept. 19, the 262nd day of 2026. There are 103 days left in the year. On Sept. 19, 2022, Great Britain and the world said a final goodbye to Queen Elizabeth II at a state funeral that drew presidents and kings, princes and prime ministers — and crowds who thronged the streets of London. Also on this date: In 1796, President George Washington's farewell address was published. In it, America's first chief executive advised, "Observe good faith and justice toward all nations. Cultivate peace and harmony with all." In 1881, the 20th president of the United States, ...

Editorial cartoon for Sept. 19, 2026

If the Kennedy Center Stays Closed for Now, So Be It

Go ahead, President Donald Trump, keep the Kennedy Center closed. Don't give it money for necessary repairs. This is low-hanging fruit for Americans done with your extortion schemes. They don't have to submit to small-bore intimidation like this. They can just shrug at the demand that your ...

Bike lane additions to Ludington

With the addition of bike lanes on Ludington Street, please remember that the new bike lane is that. A bike lane. Not a pedestrian gathering place to chat. Not a "swerve allowance" for motor vehicles. If you are parking, please, please, please check your driver's side mirror well before swinging open your door into the path of an oncoming cyclist legally in the path. And when pulling back into the traffic again, check, check, check your mirrors. Swivel your head and look back before you cross the bikeway into the path of a cyclist legally using their lane. Having been a year-round ...