The Hidden Cost of a Criminal Record
by Sydney Bleh
For millions of Americans, having a criminal record can feel like a life sentence. In Michigan, there are 32,411 people in prison as of December 2025. That is enough to fill about one third of the Big House in Ann Arbor.…
Ann Arbor For Public Power vs. Ann Arbor Responsible Energy Coalition: A Misinformation War on Both Sides
Updated May 1, 2026 with a comment from Tegwyn John of A2P2.
by P.D. Lesko
Ann Arbor for Public Power (A2P2) is a local group circulating petitions to gather 6,500 signatures to put the question to local voters of establishing a…
Washtenaw County State Reps and A Tale of Pork Spending: New Firetrucks and $988K for Barton Hills
by P.D. Lesko
In March 2025, State Reps. Jason Morgan, Jimmie Wilson and Carrie Rheingans submitted requests for pork spending to benefit Ann Arbor, Superior and Scio Twps. The Reps., along with local elected officials, want Michigan…
Victory Without Evidence: How Political Necessity Is Sustaining a Failing War
by Van Abbott
The war is not won. It is not even close.
President Trump says otherwise. That claim is not a mistake. It is a necessity. Acknowledging failure would expose the truth this administration cannot afford to…
Questions Surround MEDC Grants to Ann Arbor Non-Profits
by P.D. Lesko
A FOIA request by Michigan Capitol Confidential revealed that the Michigan Economic Development Corporation, whose mission is to foster economic development in the state which creates jobs, doled out $248 million in grants…
A Board Like No Other: Donald Trump Has Turned the Presidency Into a Vanity Project
by Mel Gurtov
Donald Trump has turned the presidency into a vanity project, putting his name and image all over Washington (most recently, a banner of him atop the department of justice), campaigning for the Nobel Peace Prize, pimping…
Washtenaw County Conservation District announces its 2026 Spring Plant Sales
by Doug Reith
Spring is coming--time to plan conservation improvements to your property. Whether you are looking to reforest an area, naturalize landscaping, create a wind barrier, protect the soil, reduce runoff, establish wildlife…
The Foodist: Tofu Transcendence
by Ari Levaux
When I first made the acquaintance of tofu, it did not go smoothly. A first grader with a soft spot for animals, I had only recently learned where meat comes from. After internalizing this barbaric truth, I announced to my…
State Policy Director Announces Run for Ann Arbor City Council Ward 3
Ryan Bartholomew, policy director for State Representative Carrie Rheingans (D-Ann Arbor), has announced his candidacy for Ann Arbor City Council in Ward 3. On Feb. 18, 2025 Ashley Hall, the Washtenaw County Board of Commissioners’…
Lawmakers unveil bipartisan plan to lower the cost of housing that could upend Ann Arbor’s proposed comprehensive land use plan (CLUP)
by Rep. Joe Aragona
A standard rule of thumb for personal budgeting used to be spend about a quarter of your income on housing. ("A week for a month.") Then that slowly inched up until the guideline became spend 30 percent of gross…