Opinion

Almanac for Oct. 15, 2026

Today is Thursday, Oct. 15, the 288th day of 2026. There are 77 days left in the year. Today in history: On Oct. 15, 2017, actor and activist Alyssa Milano tweeted that women who had been sexually harassed or assaulted should write "Me too" as a status. Within hours, tens of thousands had taken up the #MeToo hashtag (using a phrase that had been introduced a decade earlier by social activist Tarana Burke). Also on this date: In 1815, Napoleon Bonaparte, the deposed French emperor, arrived on the British-ruled South Atlantic island of St. Helena, where he spent the last 5 1/2 ...

AI companies must be held liable

When companies create products that hurt people, the victims can sue. The legal system allows those who are harmed to seek compensation from those who are responsible. These liability laws are one of the oldest forms of corporate regulation, and an effective one. Liability is a powerful incentive to behave responsibly. It speaks to corporations in a language they understand: Money. Artificial intelligence is an industry in need of incentives to behave responsibly, to judge by the litany of transgressions to which leading A.I. companies have confessed in recent months. Their programs ...

Almanac for Oct. 14, 2026

Today is Wednesday, Oct. 14, the 287th day of 2026. There are 78 days left in the year. Today in history: On Oct. 14, 1947, U.S. Air Force Capt. Chuck Yeager flew a Bell X-1 rocket engine-powered aircraft over a California desert, becoming the first person to break the sound barrier. In 2012, Yeager marked the 65th anniversary of that flight by breaking the sound barrier anew at age 89, this time in the backseat of an F-15. Also on this date: In 1066, Normans under William the Conqueror defeated the English at the Battle of Hastings. In 1586, Mary, Queen of Scots, went on trial ...

Editorial cartoon for Oct. 14, 20206

The Greece speech

Back in my college days (American University, Washington, D.C.), required reading included the works of Greek playwrights Aeschylus, Sophocles and Euripides. Long after graduation they remained on my bookshelf. It was believed for generations that these men, along with philosophers Plato, ...

Tips to avoid scams during Medicare Open Enrollment

Older adults should be on the lookout this time of year for scams and high-pressure sales tactics during the annual Medicare Open Enrollment period, which starts Thursday and extends through Dec. 7, the Michigan Department of Insurance and Financial Services and the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services advised. "The Medicare Open Enrollment period is an important time for Michigan older adults to review their health insurance and prescription drug coverage options," DIFS Director Anita Fox said in a news release. "Unfortunately, it also opens the door for bad actors who may ...