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How to keep loving America — even when it hurts

The approach of July 4 is making my heart hurt. Love of this country is deep-dyed in my soul, but pondering how or even whether to celebrate the semiquincentennial provokes a riot of mixed feelings. The right — and not just the MAGA right — responds to any queasiness about this particular ...

Almanac for June 23, 2026

Today is Tuesday, June 23, the 174th day of 2026. There are 191 days left in the year. Today in history: In 1972, President Richard Nixon signed into law the Education Amendments of 1972, including Title IX, which barred discrimination on the basis of sex for “any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance.” Also on this date: In 1888, abolitionist Frederick Douglass received one vote from the Kentucky delegation at the Republican convention in Chicago, making him the first Black candidate to have his name placed in nomination for U.S. president. In ...

Judge blocks use of federal database to check citizenship

WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal judge Monday ruled that a recently revamped version of a federal tool central to the Trump administration’s election integrity strategy is unlawful and can no longer be used. U.S. District Court Judge Sparkle L. Sooknanan sided with advocacy groups that argued ...

A week to celebrate our native pollinators

The Upper Peninsula and northern Wisconsin play host each year to a wide variety of native pollinators — but not as many as there once was, experts say. Which is why the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources encourages Wisconsinites to help these important species during Pollinator Week, which started Monday and extends through Sunday, and year-round as well with a few simple lawn care habits, volunteering and supporting endangered resources funding. Most of Wisconsin’s pollinators are bees — the state has more than 400 native species, including 21 bumble bee species — ...

Almanac for June 22, 2026

Today is Monday, June 22, the 173rd day of 2026. There are 192 days left in the year. Today in history: In 1938, in a rematch that bore the weight of both geopolitical symbolism and African American representation, American Joe Louis knocked out German Max Schmeling in just two minutes and four seconds to retain his heavyweight boxing title in front of 70,000 spectators at New York’s Yankee Stadium. Also on this date: In 1815, Napoleon Bonaparte abdicated for a second time as Emperor of the French. In 1941, Nazi Germany launched Operation Barbarossa, a massive and ultimately ...