The Ann Arbor Independent Editorial Team 2257 posts 224 comments

by Susan J. Demas Ten years ago, I was having a beer with a Michigan GOP consultant who informed me that liberals should stop all the fear-mongering because Republicans would never be dumb enough to outlaw abortion. “If they did…

by Scott McClallen (The Center Square) – Gov. Gretchen Whitmer announced that 150 awards were given to 57 local school districts, 14 intermediate school districts, 40 nonpublic schools, and 39 public school academies for $10 million in…

by Scott McClallen (The Center Square) – The Michigan Unemployment Insurance Agency says it will waive about $431 million it overpaid to more than 55,000 Michiganders in federal pandemic unemployment benefits. About $11 million will…

by P.D. Lesko Library Trustee Dharma Akmon has raised $15,365 for her Ward 4 City Council race, according to public campaign finance records. On April 14, 2022 Akmon Tweeted out a thank you to "***194 individuals***" who have allegedly…

Wandering the Sonoran Desert in search of the chiltepin—the ancestor to domesticated chile peppers—with MacArthur genius Gary Paul Nabhan by Ari LeVaux Since he started hunting for chile peppers, more than 40 years ago, Gary Paul…

by P.D. Lesko In August 2021, former Ann Arbor City Administrator Tom Crawford resigned. Seven members of Ann Arbor City Council (Taylor, Disch, Song, Grand, Radina, Eyer and Briggs) had voted to terminate Crawford's employment based on…

I missed out on years of enhanced flavor because of foodie prejudice against the dehydrated ingredient. by Ari LeVaux Many foodies look down on garlic powder as a stale, cheap substitute for the real thing. It’s a shortcut for lazy…

by P.D. Lesko Since Linh Song (D-Ward 2) was elected to Ann Arbor City Council in 2020, the average median household income in the city has risen to $104,000. There are 5,500 people on Ann Arbor's public housing waitlist for 150…

In August 2021, a Washtenaw County deputy headed to trial in connection with an assault involving an inmate last summer. According to Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel, Cpl. Christopher Ellul was arraigned on an assault…

by Jennifer Shutt--Michigan Advance The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has authorized another round of COVID-19 booster shots for people 50 and older, as well as those who are immunocompromised. The decision to amend an earlier…