The Ann Arbor Independent Editorial Team 2249 posts 224 comments

by P.D. Lesko If you never read the Michigan Messenger, you missed some of the best investigative reporting around. Eartha Jane Melzer on the Benton Harbor and environmental beats outreported virtually every other news outlet in the state.…

by Nelle Engoron Now that the final film (Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2) has unspooled in Muggle theaters, there are no real surprises for the fans, who know full well how the saga ends from having read the books (to…

by P.D. Lesko The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, one of the nation’s premier policy organizations working at the federal and state levels on fiscal policy and public programs that affect low- and moderate-income families and…

By Chris Savage On November 2, 2011, the Michigan Senate passed Senate Bill 137, a bill they called "Matt's Safe Schools Law." The bill, sponsored by Republican Rick Jones of Grand Ledge, passed on a 100 percent party line vote with no…

by Erika McNamara Being homeless, once again, is the evil that lurks in every shadow ready to destroy all that is good and right. This is obviously true after homeless individuals were blamed, in a recent piece posted to AnnArbor.com, for…

by P.D. Lesko U.S. Representative John Dingell and his wife Debbie couldn't save Second Ward Council member Stephen Rapundalo's political hide. Dingell endorsed Rapundalo and donated $250 to his campaign. While challenger Jane Lumm spoke…

Zagat's has come out with its list of top spots where diners are sure to enjoy a great meal in Detroit. The list, however, includes only one restaurant that is actually in Detroit, and the top honors went to The Lark, a restaurant that…

by P.D. Lesko The headline at Salon.com says it all: "America's Corporate Tax Obscenity: A new report about companies' finances won't just enrage you it'll make you run to the nearest protest." Salon writer Andrew Leonard writes:…

By Chris Savage It's hard to view any sort of media at all these days without finding reference to the Occupy Wall Street movement. With its made-for-viral-media meme "We are the 99%", this movement is one that's beginning to resonate…

by William Belle This is a great film and I'm no sports nut. In fact, you don't really have to know much about baseball to get into the story as this is more of your classic underdog trying to win by beating the system by going against the…