Opinion
Most Boastful, Least Accomplished
Spectator
By Stephen Tuttle | Aug. 29, 2026
We accept, perhaps to our own detriment, that politicians have a fairly distant relationship with the truth. Especially during campaign season, we know candidates are going to exaggerate any successes and minimize or completely ignore their weaknesses and failures. There has always been a bipartisan tradition of truth avoidance. There is, however, one politician who has made this into a near art form. In his book, The Art of the Deal, Donald … Read More >>
The End, and the Beginning
Guest Opinion
By Greg Holmes | Aug. 29, 2026
Friends, the end is near! By the time you read this column, the summer season will be coming to a close, on its way to making its glorious transition into fall. If you are attached to summer and the opportunities it affords, now is the time to enjoy the last bits of it before the autumnal equinox issues the official end of summer on Sept. 22. Many people in northern Michigan love … Read More >>
A New Plan for Money Out of Politics in Michigan
Guest Opinion
By Justin Mendoza | Aug. 22, 2026
Regardless of how you define yourself politically, almost everyone has a visceral negative reaction when they hear the c-word: corruption. However, it’s important to figure out exactly what we mean by “corruption.” Many of us define it as using public office for personal—often financial—gain. But there are also other types of corruption that are abundant in Michigan. One of the most insidious types of corruption is the way that corporations and their … Read More >>
Don’t Create the Source of Disaster
Spectator
By Stephen Tuttle | Aug. 22, 2026
Enbridge’s Line 5 was first built in 1953, running across the Upper Peninsula, under the Straits of Mackinac, and down the spine of the Lower Peninsula until it ends in Sarnia, Ontario. Most of us paid little attention to it—shame on us—until there was an anchor strike on that underwater pipeline that made us realize there was the possibility of something very, very bad happening. So, Enbridge, way back in 2018, proposed … Read More >>
Just Another Deflection
Spectator
By Stephen Tuttle | Aug. 15, 2026
We have now decided who or what was to blame for the COVID-19 pandemic. No, it wasn’t the wet market in Wuhan, China, where it was transferred from an animal to humans. It wasn’t the Chinese lab in Wuhan that accidentally or intentionally released the virus on an unprepared public. It wasn’t some weaponized version of the virus the Chinese military concocted. No, it was none of that. The cause, you might … Read More >>
Enemies Within
Guest Opinion
By Walt Wood | Aug. 15, 2026
Since our nation’s birth, Americans have cast one another as worthy winners and hapless losers. Embracing these roles leaves millions pursuing an American Dream they will never realize. Countless automatons worship a false prophet who preaches money lust above all. How else can losers become winners in the American econosphere? Attaining financial independence is the ultimate goal, after all—any true American’s highest calling. It started at our founding with slaves, the original … Read More >>
When Safety Isn’t Safe
Guest Opinion
By Cathye Williams | Aug. 8, 2026
For several years, I’ve had the gift of this space to write about environmental issues. I’ve tried to use it to inform, and sometimes persuade, on topics that I care about. In all this time, however, I’ve never tackled the subject of Line 5. Not that I don’t care—I do, deeply—but any account I could make about the tumultuous, years-long fight to shut down an aging oil pipeline would surely fall short. … Read More >>
Often Messy
Spectator
By Stephen Tuttle | Aug. 8, 2026
The old bromide is that all politics are local. We should add that they are also often messy. Over in Leelanau County, another county administrator, their fifth since 2020, bites the dust. Jim Dyer agreed to part ways after being placed on administrative leave. The controversy involves county finances and receipts and credit cards and, honestly, it is not easy to determine the actual issues or who’s wearing the white hats and … Read More >>
Tired of Breathing?
Spectator
By Stephen Tuttle | Aug. 1, 2026
Four local politicians, who shall remain nameless because they do not deserve the attention, recently sent a letter to Ontario’s leaders demanding something be done about their wildfire smoke. The letter even suggested if they don’t, the U.S. will do it ourselves. Sigh. During the worst of our smoky days, there were a stunning 800 plus wildfires burning in Canada, including many far away from any way to access them for mitigation … Read More >>
Musical Notes
Guest Opinion
By Karen Mulvahill | Aug. 1, 2026
The first musical instrument was the human voice, and prehistoric people imitated the sounds of nature. About 35,000 years ago, the Neanderthals created a flute out of bone. Confucius thought musical knowledge was critically important, saying, “only the superior man who can understand music is equipped to govern.” Britannica says the music is “art concerned with combining vocal or instrumental sounds for beauty of form or emotional expression.” That’s the what. The … Read More >>
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