The Ann Arbor Independent - A locally owned newspaper in Ann Arbor

by Jill Richardson MICROBES ARE IN the news these days. Specifically, the microbes that live in and on the human body, making up our “microbiome.” Michael Pollan made a splash with a column titled “Some of My Best Friends are Germs”…

Please note: Editorial Board member Katherine Griswold did not participate in shaping this editorial. STAFF AT AAATA first agreed to a meeting with The Ann Arbor Independent’s Editorial Board concerning the proposed millage. Then, after…

by J.H. Mae EVERYTHING IN MY mother’s house matches. The curtains match the furniture, the furniture matches the carpet, the pictures on the wall were carefully chosen, and even the TV stand is elegant. She is now on the market for…

by Steve Rosenfeld U.S. SUPREME COURT Justice Sonia Sotomayor did not sit idly by as a majority of the men on the court turned yet another blind eye to the ugly realities of how race distorts the lives of Americans as they upheld a…

by Jason Best A review of calorie-counting apps by Kit Eaton over at The New York Times caught my eye. Not because I’m really looking to start counting calories anytime soon, but I’m always open to new ways to use my iPhone and thus…

by Steve Holt Should the Hippocratic maxim “Let food be thy medicine” apply to mental health care? Absolutely, says Dr. Bonnie Kaplan, a professor at the University of Calgary and a pioneer in a resurgent field of research on the role…

THE UNIVERSITY is under a microscope thanks to the recent U.S. Supreme Court decision Schuette vs. Bamn. Justice Sonia Sotomayor wrote a 58-page dissenting opinion in which she argues that “race matters.” She called the six justices who…

by Lou Glorie IN 1973 WHEN Ann Arbor voters first approved a millage dedicated to public transportation, the United States was learning a tough lesson due the Oil Embargo. Cars were lined up around gas stations for their rationed  gas. …

by Elizabeth Weitzman Comedy—The Other Woman (April 25) A revenge comedy with the pacing of a rom-com, the latest from Nick Cassavetes (“The Notebook”) stars Cameron Diaz as a devoted girlfriend who finds out her perfect beau (Nikolaj…

By Jeffrey Hayner I’m an Ann Arbor resident and  I want to speak about the upcoming May 6th special election that’s been called to request a 34 percent increase in our transit millage.  I’ve paid 2 mills for transit since I’ve lived in…