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

by Joe Mooney The University of Michigan's Nichols Arboretum peony garden is about to undergo its annual transformation into a wave of white, pink and red as it bursts into nearly 10,000 blooms. Well-known on campus and to Ann…

by Starlee Coleman If Bernie Sanders and Ann Coulter being on the same side isn’t enough to signal the campus protests of conservative speakers have gone too far, perhaps the fact that lawmakers in California, Michigan, North Carolina,…

“The Legend of Georgia McBride” by Matthew Lopez Theatre NOVA, 410 W. Huron, Ann Arbor, MI 48103 Box office: 734-635-8450, www.theatreNOVA.org Tickets: $20 (Pay-what-you-can tickets available) Theatre NOVA presents “The Legend of…

by Kevin Shafer In most families, mothers and fathers both work hard. Pew Research recently reported that moms and dads in the U.S. work essentially equal hours when paid work hours are combined with household chores and child care…

By Elizabeth Cohen Call it Netflix’s spring binge. At the end of March, Netflix released the critically acclaimed “13 Reasons Why.” April features new shows “Girl Boss” and “Bill Nye Saves the World,” while May’s lineup includes the…

by Patricia Lesko At the May 15, 2017 Ann Arbor City Council meeting, Ward 2 Council member Jane Lumm (I) put forward five of the seven proposed amendments to Ann Arbor's over $350 million budget. Four of her amendments had co-sponsors,…

by Michael Rechtshaffen Rated PG, 91 minutes The ninth book in Jeff Kinney's graphic novel series becomes the fourth film in the successful big-screen franchise. After a five-year break, the Heffley family is back in action —…

by Dave Alexander In 2014, local voters approved a new five-year transit tax, pumping an additional $21 million into the Ann Arbor Area Transportation Authority’s budget through 2019. The promise to voters was more buses, more places,…

by Patricia Lesko The Project Team at consultant Hillard Heintze, a Chicago-based security consulting firm hired in Mar. 2017 by City Council, and who is being paid $200,000 to review the Ann Arbor Police Department, is seeking feedback …

By David Cooper and Teresa Kroeger For the past four decades, the majority of American workers have been shortchanged by economic policymaking that has suppressed the growth of hourly wages and prevented greater improvements in living…