The Ann Arbor Independent Editorial Team 2237 posts 224 comments

Approximately eight percent of Washtenaw County residents receive SNAP benefits, some 26,000 individuals. In 2023, in Ann Arbor, approximately 19.7 percent of residents (25,610) lived below the poverty line. In Ypsilanti, 25.6 percent of…

by P.D. Lesko Laura Beny, a single mom and a tenured University of Michigan Law School professor, has asked the Supreme Court to hear her case against the University of Michigan in which she alleges racial and gender discrimination. In…

by Hayley Harding, Votebeat The plan from Senate Democrats keeps three elections on the calendar each year. That’s the way school districts want it, but not clerks. A new proposal from Michigan’s Senate Democrats could shake up the…

by Lee Enochs The FBI’s recent arrests of more than 30 people—including Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier and Portland Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups—have rocked the sports world. The federal probe, announced October 23, uncovered two…

by P.D. Lesko Sheriff Alyshia Dyer's frequent travel has been criticized by present, as well as former employees who worked under former Sheriff Jerry Clayton. The County Administrator, County Prosecutor, County Treasurer and County…

by P.D. Lesko In this digital age in which bills are received and payments are made electronically, a school district should be able to tell taxpayers in real time from where the money is coming and where it's going. The Washtenaw…

Note: Judge Owdziej presided over a FOIA lawsuit filed against Washtenaw County in 2024, and issued a final ruling in favor of the A2Indy in Jan. 2025. by P.D. Lesko A $500 million lawsuit alleging invasion of privacy, and emotional…

by Kary Love Well, I preferred it when I could pretend I was not hiring the hit men to kill outside the law. Yeah, those idyllic MAGA days, when the U.S. denied it was killing illegally, criminally, and claimed with some degree of…

It's a deliberate throwback, with some conventional neo-'80s cheese but also a casual homicidal edge that keeps you watching. by Owen Gleiberman There are few genres I like less than the snarky violent action comedy. I didn’t care…

Note: 10/22/25 This article was updated with comments from CART organizer Kathy Griswold and WISD spokesperson Ashley Kryscynski. Citizens Against Regressive Taxes (CART) is a grassroots coalition of Washtenaw County residents dedicated…