Opinion

Donald Trump's “assault on the rule of law” is intensifying

On Oct. 9, Donald Trump drove home his belief that might is right and the rule of law is an obstacle rather than an essential foundation stone of international order. First came the escalated assault on the international criminal court (ICC), sanctioning the body itself. Then he announced a deal with Russia to buy diesel. The US has long chafed at the notion of being bound by the rule of law that it espoused publicly. That hypocrisy now appears as a lesser vice. The president has declared that “my own morality” is all that constrains him. His brazen flouting of the law, embrace of ...

Editorial cartoon for Oct. 19, 2026

Almanac for Oct. 17, 2026

Today is Saturday, Oct. 17, the 290th day of 2026. There are 75 days left in the year. Today in history: On Oct. 17, 1989, a magnitude 6.9 earthquake struck northern California, killing 63 people and causing up to $10 billion worth of damage. Also on this date: In 1777, British forces under Gen. John Burgoyne surrendered to American troops in Saratoga, New York, in a turning point of the Revolutionary War. In 1931, mobster Al Capone was convicted in Chicago of income tax evasion; he would be sentenced to 11 years in prison, fined $50,000 and ordered to pay back taxes. Capone ...

Editorial cartoon for Oct. 17, 2026

Guilfoyle never mastered the art of the shakedown

About three weeks before Republicans expect an electoral beating, Donald Trump had to get rid of Kimberly Guilfoyle, his ambassador to Greece. He simply had to. Trump's money-grabbing corruption was wearing thin even on devoted fans, but the president knew how to wrap his mob-like patter in ...

Doctor: Breast cancer rates rising among younger women

During Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Aspirus Health Care experts are warning that more women in their 20s, 30s and 40s are being diagnosed with breast cancer, reflecting a national trend that researchers are working to better understand. While breast cancer remains most common among older women, studies show rates are increasing among younger women, particularly those younger than 50. Researchers believe the trend is likely linked to several factors rather than a single cause, according to an Aspirus news release. Dr. Andrew Huang, radiation oncologist for Aspirus Cancer Care and ...