Opinion

Almanac for July 22, 2026

Today is Wednesday, July 22, the 203rd day of 2026. There are 162 days left in the year. Today in History: In 1933, aviator Wiley Post landed at Floyd Bennett Field in New York City, completing the first solo flight around the world in 7 days, 18 hours and 49 minutes. Also on this date: In 1862, President Abraham Lincoln presented to his Cabinet a preliminary draft of the Emancipation Proclamation. In 1934, bank robber John Dillinger was shot to death by federal agents outside Chicago’s Biograph Theater, where he had just seen the Clark Gable movie “Manhattan Melodrama.” In ...

Rep. Jack Bergman wrong about Canadian wildfires

U.S. Rep. Jack Bergman is completely wrong about Canadian wildfires and needlessly picks a fight with our closest ally. Many methods used in the United States don’t work in their forests. We live in an area of mixed forest types and agricultural land with lots of roads. Even our western forests are not as remote as those in Canada. Years ago, we had a forest fire threaten our home in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. A network of nearby state, federal and local fire organizations arrived quickly and contained the fire before it reached us! Canada’s boreal forest covers 1.3 billion ...

Editorial cartoon for July 22, 2026

Who are our domestic enemies?

The oath is a familiar one. The president and vice president take it, as do members of Congress and many other high government officials. It requires the oath taker to defend the Constitution “against all enemies, foreign and domestic.” We can identify many of America’s foreign enemies, ...

MSP reminds public it’s OK2SAY for safer schools

The state’s OK2SAY program — a means for reporting potential harm or criminal activities directed at students, school employees or schools — had a busy year in 2025, officials said. OK2SAY recorded 10,777 tips, its second-highest use volume since its 2014 start, Michigan State Police stated in a news release marking the release Tuesday of the 2025 OK2SAY Annual Report. The number highlights the vital role OK2SAY “plays in safeguarding Michigan’s youth and fostering safer school environments,” according to MSP. The goal of OK2SAY is to stop harmful behavior before it ...

Motorists reminded to ‘move over’ for emergency vehicles

See a vehicle with flashing lights just off the road ahead? The right reaction is to step on the brake and see if there’s a way to give those emergency vehicles plenty of space so responders can work in safety. That’s not just a suggestion. Michigan’s “Move Over” law mandates that when a driver sees an emergency vehicle on the side of the road with its lights on, they must move over a lane and slow down at least 10 miles per hour below the posted speed limit. If moving over is not possible, the driver must slow down to at least 10 miles per hour below the posted speed limit ...