Here are a few examples of headlines over recent weeks. “Republicans exploit coronavirus to restrict abortions.” — Los Angeles Times “The Coronavirus Becomes an Excuse to Restrict Abortions,” — The New York Times “Texas women forced to travel 20 times farther for abortion ...

An article was published on Yahoo! Finance on March 3, 2020 and on MSN.com around the same time. It was written by Alexandria Bova and presented by Gobankingrates.com. The article was about the amount of money it takes to be happy in each state. Gobankingrates.com had analyzed the results of a ...

The coronavirus pandemic of 2020 will go down in world history as one of the most important events of the 21st century. Our children’s children will learn about it in history class. College students will write essays on it. And one of the first place future historians will look to ...

There are many facets to the quality of a school. The Mackinac Center’s Context and Performance Report Card sheds light on an overlooked facet that can help many people who need access to an effective education. Following the pattern of previous editions, the new report card grants an A ...

If the past month has taught us anything, it’s that unexpected things happen, and all of the best-laid plans can be scrapped in the blink of an eye. So it’s understandable that business requiring action by the Alpena County Board of Commissioners could arise unexpectedly, requiring ...

It might be hard to imagine, coronavirus dominating news coverage as it is, but COVID-19, the disease caused by the virus, is not the only medical emergency our hospitals are dealing with right now. And some of those emergencies require blood. The virus is not known to spread through ...

In the musical “Little Shop of Horrors,” Audrey II, the man-eating plant, sings, “You can do it! Feed me, Seymour, feed me all night long, ha ha ha ha ha! ‘Cause if you feed me, Seymour, I can grow up big and strong.” Seymour obeys, and sure enough, the plant grows so big and strong ...

Northeast Michigan residents need to be informed like never before — that is why I am so proud of The Alpena News staffers who make up our editorial department. Whether working remotely from home these days or in the office six feet apart from each other, the crew has been working ...

I’ve been thinking a lot these past few weeks about a poster one of my teachers had on the classroom wall when I was a boy. It listed how much money Michael Jordan’s basketball and sponsorship contracts made him while he did everyday things: $52,000 while he sleeps, $618 while boiling an ...

Earlier this week, an editorial addressed “distant socializing.” And as we said in that editorial, staying connected with people is very important for all of us right now. With that in mind, today, we are advocating taking that concept one step further and becoming proactive. We urge ...

I sense the beat is changing, the melody transforming, a measure being added to our song. Even though confined to quarters, still I hear the music. Could it be a new song is being composed? Maybe so. I’m optimistic when it comes to new musical compositions, and here’s why: Despite ...

That chorus of frogs you hear erupting from the woods on spring evenings is coming from a special but fleeting place. One of those songs belongs to the wood frog, just a couple inches long but with a voice that fills the air with a warm reminder winter is over. Those frogs hang out among ...

The coronavirus is taking its toll, for sure. The human tragedy is just that, a tragedy. Congress finally moved on a $2 trillion aid package, yet the virus continues to wreak havoc across the nation. But this will end, and then what? Will we come out of this a stronger, more unified ...

We keep hearing that the social distancing mandates meant to prevent the spread of the coronavirus changes our everyday lives. And more and more things keep coming up to prove the point. To wit: Last week, reporter Steve Schulwitz detailed the ways virus prevention has affected the Huron ...

Most of us weren’t designed to stand six feet apart from each other. We were designed to hug and shake hands and pat each other on the back and offer a comforting hand on the shoulder. That’s what makes the “social distancing” mandates designed to slow the spread of the coronavirus ...

People are stepping up to help their communities in many ways through the COVID-19 crisis. From mutual aid groups to practicing responsible social distancing, Michiganders are doing their part to get through this together. If you haven’t done so already, taking the census is a small act ...

While there have been no reports of it Northeast Michigan, we’ve been extremely discouraged by the photos, videos, and stories popping up in the media of grocery store fights over toilet paper and other such nonsense. By all accounts, the supply chain for our grocers remains strong, and, ...

Last December, in the warmth and comfort of the executive residence and with no hint that an insidious virus would engulf her second year in office, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer had time to reflect on her approach to commenting on the performance of President Donald Trump. As you listen to her ...

We are glad Gov. Gretchen Whitmer saw the wisdom in declaring the news media an “essential service” as she ordered other businesses closed in an effort to slow the spread of the coronavirus. Journalists the world over, including right here in Northeast Michigan, are working hard to ...

When people think the sky is falling, there’s an obvious risk in saying, “Yes, it is … but it’s also not.” I’m going to take that risk. Yes, the coronavirus is awful. It’s killed roughly 12,000 worldwide as of this writing. But it could have killed more. Believe it or not, the ...