Opinion

Recognizing the role of local journalism in the community

I started my journalism career with a typewriter, a notebook and a pretty basic motivation: I wanted to know what was happening in my community and why. The typewriter is long gone, replaced by technologies I couldn’t have imagined back then. But across Michigan, the curiosity and commitment that brought many of us into journalism in the first place are still there. So is the unshakeable belief that local news matters. Thursday was the inaugural Local News Day, a nationwide observance of the role local journalism plays in communities big and small. It was a great opportunity to ...

Shaky ceasefire unlikely to stop new Iran-linked cyberattacks

WASHINGTON (AP) — Hackers backing Tehran say an uncertain ceasefire between Iran and the United States and Israel won't end their retaliatory cyberattacks, a warning that American cybersecurity experts say potential targets in the U.S. and Israel should take seriously. One leading hacking ...

AG warns tax filing time can spur identity theft

With the April 15 tax filing deadline less than a week away, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel is reissuing her consumer alert on tax-related identity theft and urging residents to protect themselves. Tax-related identity theft occurs when someone uses stolen personal information to file a phony tax return and claim the refund for themselves, Nessel advised in a news release. “Bad actors will stop at nothing to steal our personal information and hard-earned money,” Nessel said in the release. “... It’s imperative that everyone knows the signs of identity theft. The IRS will ...

Almanac for April 9, 2026

Today is Thursday, April 9, the 99th day of 2026. There are 266 days left in the year. Today in history: In 1865, Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee surrendered his Army of Northern Virginia to Union Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant at the village of Appomattox Court House in Virginia, effectively ending the American Civil War. (Remaining Confederate units elsewhere would formally surrender by early June of 1865, closing out the bloodiest conflict on American soil without further major combat.) Also on this date: In 1939, Marian Anderson performed at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, ...

Editorial cartoon for April 9, 2026

Yes, boldly go

So much for journalistic objectivity. The BBC science editor covering the launch of Artemis II couldn't contain her enthusiasm when the first plumes of smoke spread out from the launch pad. "Oh, my goodness! Oh, my goodness!" she exclaimed, clapping like a schoolgirl. As the rocket ...