Finally: An Inner-City Reading Program That Works
      DETROIT – It’s no secret that most Detroit children live in poverty, and very few are able to read as well as they need to. Experts say that if children aren’t...
What’s it Like to Be a Democrat in Charlevoix?
CHARLEVOIX, MI –This little resort town on Lake Michigan, almost at the top of the lower peninsula, is not very much like most of the state -- but this year, it is...
Will Lansing Really Enact Transparency and Ethics Reforms?
LANSING, MI – For many years, it has seemed like the motto of the Michigan legislature could have been (with apologies to Humphrey Bogart in the Treasure of the Sierra Madre)...
The Man Who Defined American Citizenship
DETROIT – For the past few years, a debate has been raging over whether someone born in the United States is automatically a citizen, even if their parents are not.
There’s Never Been a President Born In Michigan. Could that Change?
DETROIT – Once again, the two great brawling states of the industrial Midwest haven’t come close to being represented in the presidential sweepstakes. Barring an act of God, as the insurance...
The Primary Is Decided. So … How Will Michigan Vote?
EAST LANSING, MI -- Ever since this presidential campaign started, most voters have consistently told pollsters they didn’t want another rematch between Joe Biden and Donald Trump.
But...
What Detroit’s REAL Problem Is – and How to Fix It
DETROIT – Two weeks ago, I said in this column that while Detroit is in far better shape than it was a decade ago, and is a rewarding place to visit,...
But What If He Dies Before the Election?
Political Questions You Were Afraid to Ask
      DETROIT – Sometimes presidential campaigns are exciting from the start. Remember the epic battle for the Democratic nomination between Hillary Clinton...
Detroit’s Comeback: How Much is it Real?
DETROIT – Thirty years ago, those who lived in Detroit’s suburbs often boasted that they hadn’t been in the city for years.  Ten years ago, the leader of the region’s most affluent county,...
How Do You Know What’s True? It’s Up to You
DETROIT – The Citizens’ Research Council of Michigan is, in my judgment, the state’s best and most respected public policy outfit. They have provided useful and totally non-partisan information on everything...
Will Michigan Finally Legalize Assisted Suicide?
ROYAL OAK, MI – Thirty years ago, Jack Kevorkian, a retired pathologist, was waging a crusade for physician-assisted suicide for the suffering which made him internationally famous.
At...
Michigan’s Redistricting Mess!
DETROIT – A little more than two years ago, the new Michigan Independent Redistricting Commission finished its work and presented the state with new congressional and legislative maps.
...