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Almanac for Oct. 24, 2026

Today is Saturday, Oct. 24, the 297th day of 2026. There are 68 days left in the year. Today in history: On Oct. 24, 1945, the United Nations formally came into existence as the Charter of the United Nations, ratified by 51 nations, took effect. The date is now observed as United Nations Day. Also on this date: In 1537, Jane Seymour, the third wife of England's King Henry VIII, died 12 days after giving birth to Prince Edward, later King Edward VI. In 1861, the first transcontinental telegraph message was sent by Chief Justice Stephen J. Field of California from San Francisco ...

Protect yourself, family: Get a flu vaccine today

As flu season returns to Michigan, residents are being urged to get their annual flu vaccinations to protect themselves, their families and their communities. Declining vaccination rates across the state have become a growing public health concern, leaving more people vulnerable to serious illness, hospitalization and even death. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, approximately 42% of Michigan residents ages 6 months and older received a flu vaccine during the 2024-25 flu season. This means that fewer than half of eligible residents were vaccinated, increasing ...

Guilty of wasting our time

I shouldn't get so angry. It isn't healthy. Last week, New York state summoned me to jury duty. I went, of course. It's the law, and my duty. A jury may protect the innocent from government abuse. Ordinary citizens, not officials, decide if you are guilty. But doing our patriotic duty ...

Almanac for Oct. 23, 2026

Today is Friday, Oct. 23, the 296th day of 2026. There are 69 days left in the year. Today in history: On Oct. 23, 1983, 241 U.S. service members, most of them Marines, were killed in a suicide truck-bombing at the U.S. Marine Corps barracks at Beirut International Airport in Lebanon, while a near-simultaneous attack on French barracks in Beirut killed 58 paratroopers. Also on this date: In 1864, Northern forces won the three-day Battle of Westport on the border between Missouri and Kansas, the largest Civil War engagement fought west of the Mississippi River, smashing ...