Opinion

Almanac for May 6, 2026

Today is Wednesday, May 6, the 126th day of 2026. There are 239 days left in the year. Today in history: In 1937, the hydrogen-filled German airship Hindenburg caught fire and crashed while attempting to dock at Lakehurst, New Jersey; 35 of the 97 people on board and one crew member on the ground were killed. Also on this date: In 1882, President Chester Alan Arthur signed the Chinese Exclusion Act, which barred Chinese laborers from immigrating to the U.S. for 10 years. (The act would remain in effect until 1943.) In 1889, the Eiffel Tower opened to the public as part of the ...

Who is monitoring the debt?

People of a certain age will recall a lyric from the Tennessee Ernie Ford song “Sixteen Tons”: “Another day older and deeper in debt.” I thought of that song as Secretary of War Pete Hegseth asked Congress to approve a $1.5 trillion budget for fiscal year 2027 to put the military on ...

Editorial cartoon for May 6, 2026

Almanac for May 5, 2026

Today is Tuesday, May 5, the 125th day of 2026. There are 240 days left in the year. Today in history: In 1961, astronaut Alan B. Shepard Jr. became America's first space traveler as he made a 15-minute suborbital flight aboard Mercury capsule Freedom 7. Also on this date: In 1821, Napoleon Bonaparte, 51, died in exile on the South Atlantic island of St. Helena. In 1862, Mexican troops repelled French attacks on the city of Puebla de los Ángeles in the Battle of Puebla, also known as the Battle of Cinco de Mayo. In 1925, high school teacher John T. Scopes was charged in ...

With fewer US troops in Germany, Europe eyes bigger NATO role

YEREVAN, Armenia (AP) — European leaders Monday said President Donald Trump's surprise decision to pull thousands of U.S. troops out of Germany is just the latest signal that Europe must take more responsibility for its security. The Pentagon announced last week it would pull about 5,000 ...

Turning data into action: Efforts to track cancer risk

Firefighters respond to a myriad of emergencies that can vary significantly from one call to the next. In a typical shift, these personnel may spring into action for a motor vehicle accident along rural routes, then swiftly transition to a raging structural fire as well as a critical medical event at an industrial or residential site. Nevertheless, each situation may place them in environments where heat, smoke and combustion byproducts are often unavoidable. But though modern gear has indeed enhanced on-scene safety, it does not fully eliminate contact with hazardous substances ...