Opinion

MDARD opens enrollment for forest program tax exemption

The Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development reminds private landowners that applications to enroll in the Qualified Forest Program are due Sept. 1 to receive the associated tax exemption for the 2027 tax year. “MDARD supports sustainable forest management as a means of preserving our environment, sustaining our $26 billion forest products economy and improving quality of life throughout Michigan,” MDARD Director Tim Boring said in a news release. “The QFP incentivizes sustainable forestry by offering tax exemptions to private landowners who commit to responsibly ...

Almanac for May 29, 2026

Today is Friday, May 29, the 149th day of 2026. There are 216 days left in the year. Today in history: In 1953, Edmund Hillary of New Zealand and Tenzing Norgay of Nepal became the first climbers to reach the summit of Mount Everest. Also on this date: In 1790, Rhode Island became the 13th and final original colony to ratify the United States Constitution. In 1914, the Canadian ocean liner RMS Empress of Ireland sank in the St. Lawrence River in eastern Quebec after colliding with the Norwegian cargo ship SS Storstad; of the 1,477 people on board the Empress of Ireland, 1,012 ...

Editorial cartoon for May 29, 2026

Almanac for May 28, 2026

Today is Thursday, May 28, the 148th day of 2026. There are 217 days left in the year. Today in history: In 1830, President Andrew Jackson signed the Indian Removal Act, which forced nearly 50,000 Native Americans, primarily in the Southeastern U.S., to move to designated territories west of the Mississippi River. Also on this date: In 1863, the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry Regiment, made up of free Black men, left Boston to fight for the Union in the Civil War. In 1892, the Sierra Club was founded in San Francisco by naturalist John Muir. In 1918, American troops fought ...

Alabama asks Supreme Court to allow GOP-favoring map

WASHINGTON (AP) — Alabama on Wednesday asked the Supreme Court to allow it to use a congressional map favoring Republicans in this year's elections, despite a lower court's ruling that the redistricting plan intentionally discriminates against Black people. The state's Republican leadership ...

Trump has lost the plot on governance

Republicans don’t want to say this publicly, but privately they do: President Trump’s personal political obsessions are hurting his presidency, harming the chances for further policy gains the rest of this year, and putting control of the House and Senate in jeopardy. That’s the backdrop to the GOP revolt last week in Congress on war powers and funding for the Department of Homeland Security. Mr. Trump’s unrelated priorities are handing Democrats gift after gift and forcing Republicans to take difficult votes that could cost them in November. His desire for political revenge is ...