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

by Michael J. Brennan MICHIGANDERS ARE feeling the sting of a slow economic recovery — especially throughout Greater Detroit — and the lingering effects of the Great Recession are hitting families each night around the dinner table. As…

A FEW YEARS ago, I met with my former high school social studies teacher to catch up over drinks. “Miss F” was one of my favorite teachers and we hadn’t seen each other in about 12 years. As we reminisced about our field trips, my other…

THE NUMBER OF forcible rapes committed on the University of Michigan’s campus and/or reported to the University’s police dropped from a high of 75 in 2005 to a low of 8 in 2010. Between 2011 and 2012, however, the number of forcible…

ON NOVEMBER 8th, Huff Post Politics writer Ashley Woods posted a piece titled, “Michigan Governor Poll Shows Close Race Between Rick Snyder, Mark Schauer.” In her piece Woods writes, “The contest for Michigan’s governor’s race may be closer…

JUST 22 PERCENT of candidates passed a beefed-up version of Michigan’s basic-skills tests, up from more than 80 percent under the previous iteration. The plummeting passing rates are due to the state’s overhaul of all of its…

by Ari LaVaux CELIAC disease is widely known to cause digestive problems. That’s just the tip of the iceberg, according to the book Grain Brain: The Surprising Truth about Wheat, Carbs, and Sugar--Your Brain’s Silent Killers, by David…

THE NUMBERS, ABOVE, represent the number of children enrolled in the Ann Arbor Public Schools who qualify for free or reduced price breakfasts and lunches. One in four children enrolled in the Ann Arbor Public Schools qualifies. This number…

THE ENVIRONMENTAL Working Group (EWG) has just published its guide to the most and least pesticide-laden fruits and vegetables. The #1 “dirtiest”?  Apples.  The remedy?  Buy from the EWG “clean 15” list or buy organic. The “dirty…

by Robert Jensen AFTER YEARS OF being constantly annoyed and often angry about the historical denial built into Thanksgiving Day, I published an essay in November 2005 suggesting we replace the feasting with fasting and create a National…

AT THE NOVEMBER 18th City Council meeting, five Council members and Mayor John Hieftje voted to elect Ward 4 Council member Margie Teall Mayor Pro Tempore. Teall, who has served on City Council since 2002, has the worst meeting attendance…