Opinion

Almanac for Aug. 11, 2026

Today is Tuesday, Aug. 11, the 223rd day of 2026. There are 142 days left in the year. Today in history: In 1934, the first federal prisoners arrived at Alcatraz Island, a former military prison, in San Francisco Bay; the island would be home to more than 1,500 prisoners over the next three decades, including gangsters Al Capone and James “Whitey” Bulger, before closing in 1963. Also on this date: In 1919, Germany’s Weimar Constitution was signed by President Friedrich Ebert. In 1929, Babe Ruth became the first baseball player to reach 500 career home runs with a homer at ...

InvestUP, region’s planning groups launch rent study

A survey is being done this month to look at the rental housing situation in the Upper Peninsula, a persistent area of concern in the region. The lack of affordable housing has been exacerbated this decade by a combination of rising rent prices and the growth of short-term rentals that are typically booked for 30 days or less via platforms such as Airbnb or Vrbo. The University of Michigan’s Michigan Public Policy Survey of local governments across the state in 2023 found officials at cities, villages and townships in the Upper Peninsula were the most likely to express concern about ...

Editorial cartoon for Aug. 11, 2026

Dems investigate efforts to deport military members, their families

Congressional Democrats said they are investigating the Trump administration’s efforts to deport military service members and their families after The Associated Press found more than 50 active-duty troops’ spouses and parents have been detained by immigration authorities. In a letter ...

The long rise of the new Democratic Party

Can I claim to have predicted, way back in 1988, the result of Michigan's fiercely contested Democratic primary for U.S. senator this week? The developments that have made Abdul El-Sayed — who lost the 2018 gubernatorial primary to Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, D-Mich., by 20 percentage points — ...

Editorial cartoon for Aug. 10, 2026