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What a year this month has been

What do you mean it's still January? From Minneapolis to Venezuela to Greenland, a year's worth of current events have unfolded in a matter of weeks. Here are a few things that feel as long as the first few weeks of January have felt: The first workout after vacation at the all-inclusive where you consumed nothing but strawberry daiquiris, pool beer, chunks of fried chicken in sauce, melted cheese on top of melted cheese and copious cans of Celsius in lieu of any discernible water. Every episode of "Stranger Things" in Season 4 and Season 5. "In Search of Lost Time" by Marcel ...

The value of a college degree

The debate regarding the value of a college degree has resurfaced in the news recently. With tuition continuing to increase at universities and colleges across the country, many people have, as NBC News political reporter Ben Kamisar described, "grown sour on one of the longtime key ingredients of the American dream." Kamisar cited an NBC News poll of 1,000 registered voters in which 33% said they believe college is "worth the cost" because a degree provides more opportunities for better-paying jobs. Sixty-three percent stated that they felt a college degree "was not worth the cost" due ...

Don’t abuse the word ‘protest’

Alex Pretti wasn't killed while "protesting." This is a common description of what he was doing on a Minneapolis street the fateful morning when a confrontation with federal immigration agents ended in his tragic shooting. But if Pretti had been a mere protester, he'd very likely be alive ...

Why College Degrees Still Matter — Especially for Northeast Michigan

Every few years, the question comes up again: do college degrees still matter? With rising tuition costs, changing workforce needs, and headlines claiming you can “skip college and still succeed,” it’s a fair question. But for Northeast Michigan — and for the long-term health of our ...

Big Surprises in the 2030 Census Estimates

About a month late, presumably due to last fall's government shutdown, the Census Bureau has released its estimates of the populations of the 50 states and the District of Columbia for July 1, 2025. It provides an interesting picture of what the country is, and is becoming, halfway ...

Exactly What Business Are We in With Measles?

Measles is a "cost of doing business," says a highly placed official at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. I'd like to know what business that is. To be fair, let me finish the CDC principal deputy director's quote. Ralph Abraham said that measles is a cost of doing business ...