Opinion

Weathering the price of gasoline

As motorists in Upper Peninsula and just about everywhere know, the price of gasoline has gone through the roof in recent days and weeks. In some areas of the state, the cost for a gallon of regular no lead has jumped the better part of a buck, to $4.85 or more. It isn’t quite that bad in this area but what we’re paying is close. And no one knows when costs might decrease. Everyone is asking why? Like most things federal government, big business and even bigger money, the answer is complicated and fraught with politics. Start with the war with Iran. It isn’t helping anything. ...

Tennessee enacts US House map dividing majority-Black district

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Amid raucous protests Thursday, Republicans in Tennessee enacted a new U.S. House map that carves up a majority-Black district in Memphis, reshaping it to the GOP's advantage as part of President Donald Trump's strategy to hold on to a slim majority in the November ...

Editorial cartoon for May 8, 2026

Data center freak-out

Data centers are big buildings full of machines that process what we do on our phones and computers. AI requires even more computing power, so companies are eager to build more data centers. The usual suspects are freaking out. "We must stop it!" says Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. "Slow ...

Almanac for May 8, 2026

Today is Friday, May 8, the 128th day of 2026. There are 237 days left in the year. Today in history: In 1945, President Harry S. Truman announced in a radio address that Nazi Germany's forces had surrendered, stating that "the flags of freedom fly all over Europe" on V-E (Victory in Europe) Day. Also on this date: In 1541, Spanish explorer Hernando de Soto reached the Mississippi River, the first recorded European to do so. In 1846, U.S. forces led by Gen. Zachary Taylor defeated Mexican forces near modern-day Brownsville, Texas, in the first major battle of the ...

Editorial cartoon for May 7, 2026