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Editorials and columns

The collapse of late night — and the opportunity ahead for Byron Allen

The reported end of "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert" marks more than the cancellation of a television franchise. It represents the collapse of an era in American media where political outrage replaced entertainment, ideology replaced humor, and audiences were expected to applaud lectures ...

Setting the record straight

As an Alpena County Commissioner, today I participated in a regularly scheduled bi-monthly board meeting to conduct county business. On every meeting’s agenda are the public comment periods. I am not sure how many Alpena County citizens are aware, but there is a very controversial issue ...

250 years

This summer, the United States celebrates its 250th birthday. In 1776, few people believed this new version of self-government would last. After the Constitutional Convention, Benjamin Franklin was asked what kind of government the Founding Fathers had created. "A republic," he replied, ...

Trump and Thune: Just you wait

Here in Washington, D.C., we endure slights of the president's barking, his constant use of capital letters and his ever-present red ties. These are forms of shouting, weapons of psychological warfare that he wields as the master of repetition. Then there's the 250-foot Arch he plans to build, ...

Hey, America: Stop complaining

Whatever the outcome of the "deal, or no deal" scenario with Iran, the public attitude toward the war has been disturbing. Despite President Trump's constant admonition that Iran must never have a nuclear weapon, a majority of those polled oppose the intervention. A side effect of the war has ...

Thief-in-Chief, in brief: Trump keeps his cash register ringing

Established shortly after the Civil War, Memorial Day is a solemn day of remembrance for Americans to honor those who have sacrificed their lives defending American democracy. So it was exquisitely on-brand for a president who defrauded the U.S. military by fabricating "bone spurs" to evade ...