OP-ED: The Time is Now to Reform Prisons, Save Taxpayers Money
by Phil Power
NOT LONG AGO, most Republican lawmakers wanted to lock convicted criminals in prison and throw away the key. But that’s not so much the case anymore, in part because of a rising conservative organization, “Right on Crime.”…
THE FOODIST: Who’s Funding Nutrition Research? It’s Not Who You Think
by Ari LeVaux
ACCORDING TO A new report, many scientific studies about nutrition, as well as the trusted experts who disseminate this information to the public, are being funded by the very entities that should be scrutinized. The…
Michigan’s Braille and Talking Book Library Named #1 in the Nation by Library of Congress; Wins Top Honor
by Jeannie Vogel
FOR THE MORE than 11,000 patrons who use the Braille and Talking Book Library (BTBL), it’s no surprise it took top honors by winning the 11th Annual Network Library of the Year Award from the National Library Service for…
Feds: WCC IGNITE Job Training Program Spent $788K and Issued No Certifications
by P.D. Lesko
In 2012, WCC was awarded a federal grant totalling $2.99 million to implement a program under the auspices of which the college would recruit and train students for IT careers. A Dept. of Labor review dated Feb. 2015 cited…
Supreme Court Upholds Affordable Care Act Subsidies—Including for 676,000 Michigan Residents
by P.D. Lesko
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled 6-3 in favor of the defendant in King vs. Burwell, Secretary of Health and Human Services, et. al.
The United State Supreme Court upheld the ability of millions of Americans who've used the…
Backyard Beekeeping in Ann Arbor—It’s the Bee’s Knees
by Christian Usera
“NO BEES, NO FOOD,” proclaimed the neon orange and white bumper sticker. (I knew then I was in the right place.) I tail the SUV to the parking lot, where an older gentleman with a beard hops out of his car. He walks…
EDITORIAL: Student Testing Opt-Outs
THERE IS WIDESPREAD dissatisfaction among students and parents nationwide concerning state-mandated student testing. Students and parents point to the fact that extensive testing causes stress and anxiety; school administrators drive home…
The AAPS M-STEP Student Testing Opt-Out Controversy
by Donna Iadipaolo
JEFF GAYNOR IS what you might call the epitome of a veteran teacher. Gaynor has worked for the Ann Arbor Public Schools for more than 30 years: 20 years as an elementary teacher and the last 17 years at Clague Middle…
Funding Still a Challenge for the Ann Arbor Summer Festival/Top of the Park
by Christian Usera
IT’S JUNE IN Ann Arbor which means the ubiquitous Ann Arbor Summer Festival (A2SF) is set to kick off on June 12 with over 140 events. The much anticipated 32-year-old festival has featured music legends such as Johnny…