Dolly Parton Was Never Truly Apolitical. Her Legacy Proves It.

Dolly Parton Was Never Truly Apolitical. Her Legacy Proves It.

(Photo:  Irving Penn / © Condé Nast) NASHVILLE, Tennessee — September 1, 2026 — Dolly Parton spent decades cultivating an image that could appeal to almost anyone. With her rhinestone outfits, self-deprecating humor, unmistakable voice and carefully measured public...
Olivia Rodrigo and Melinda French Gates Turn a Music Festival Into $20 Million for Women and Girls

Olivia Rodrigo and Melinda French Gates Turn a Music Festival Into $20 Million for Women and Girls

(Photo: Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Daisy Chain Fields) IRVINE, CALIFORNIA — August 31, 2026 — Olivia Rodrigo’s inaugural Daisy Chain Fields music festival has raised $20 million for organizations supporting women and girls, turning a sold-out concert featuring...
Canadian Wildfire Smoke Blankets Great Lakes Region as Air Quality Turns Hazardous

Canadian Wildfire Smoke Blankets Great Lakes Region as Air Quality Turns Hazardous

(Photo: Retuers) DETROIT, Michigan — July 16, 2026 — Smoke from massive wildfires burning across Canada and northern Minnesota blanketed communities throughout the Great Lakes region Thursday, turning skies hazy and orange while sending air-quality levels into...
Michigan Moves Toward Statewide Septic Code: What SB 771 Could Mean for Homeowners and Great Lakes Water Quality

Michigan Moves Toward Statewide Septic Code: What SB 771 Could Mean for Homeowners and Great Lakes Water Quality

(Photo: Michigan: Senate Bill 771 – First Statewide Septic Code) LANSING, Michigan — July 13, 2026 — Michigan is moving closer to establishing its first statewide septic code, a proposed change that could affect more than 1.3 million septic systems and reshape...
Opinion: License Plate Readers Like Flock Are Expanding Faster Than the Rules Designed to Control Them

Opinion: License Plate Readers Like Flock Are Expanding Faster Than the Rules Designed to Control Them

(Photo: AZPM News) United States — May 29, 2026 Automated license plate readers (ALPRs) — widely deployed by law enforcement agencies through vendors like Flock Safety — are rapidly becoming one of the most extensive surveillance tools in the United States. What began...
Jacob Schlichter and The Smoking Tree Vindicated After Appellate Court Ruling Against City of Albert Lea

Jacob Schlichter and The Smoking Tree Vindicated After Appellate Court Ruling Against City of Albert Lea

(Photo: Albert Lea City Council) Albert Lea, MN — May 23, 2026 Court of Appeals reverses Albert Lea cannabis denial, finds city acted “contrary to law” and “arbitrary”   The Minnesota Court of Appeals has reversed the City of Albert Lea’s denial of a cannabis...