Author

Jon King
Jon King has been a journalist for more than 35 years. He is the Past President of the Michigan Associated Press Media Editors Association and has been recognized for excellence numerous times, most recently in 2021 with the Best Investigative Story by the Michigan Association of Broadcasters. He is also an adjunct faculty member at Cleary University. Jon and his family live in Howell, where he also serves on the Board of Directors for the Livingston Diversity Council.
‘Unacceptable and all too common’: Dems issue condemnation of antisemitism in Michigan
By: Jon King - March 7, 2023
Updated 8:34 a.m., 3/8/2023 Following federal authorities’ announcement last week that a Michigan man was charged with threatening to kill Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel and other Jewish elected officials across the state, the Michigan Democratic Party and the Michigan Democratic Jewish Caucus on Monday issued a formal condemnation amid what they called the growing […]
Muskegon nursing facility workers plan picket next week after contract negotiations break down
By: Jon King - March 7, 2023
Employees at a Muskegon skilled nursing facility plan to begin picketing next week following a breakdown in talks over a new contract. The nearly 60 members of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) work at McAuley Rehabilitation and Wellness, formerly known as Sanctuary at McAuley, and say there is a staffing crisis at the facility, […]
Legislation introduced to restore adult supervision requirement for minors handling BB guns
By: Jon King - March 6, 2023
A bill has been introduced to require that an adult be present when minors use pneumatic guns outside their own home or yard. Introduced Thursday by Rep. Julie M. Rogers (D-Kalamazoo), House Bill 4184 would cover BB, paintball and pellet guns. “Allowing kids to use BB guns unsupervised can have life-threatening consequences,” said Rogers. “All […]
Barrett enters race for Slotkin’s U.S. House seat, while multiple Democrats ponder a run
By: Jon King - February 28, 2023
With U.S. Rep. Elissa Slotkin (D-Lansing) announcing Monday that she is officially running for an open U.S. Senate seat next year, there’s no shortage of candidates who could seek her seat representing Michigan’s 7th District in mid-Michigan. First out of the gate is the man Slotkin defeated in November, former state Sen.Tom Barrett (R-Charlotte). Barrett’s […]
Michigan’s U.S. Senate race: Who’s in, who’s out and who’s weighing a run
By: Jon King - February 27, 2023
With Monday morning’s announcement that U.S. Elissa Slotkin (D-Lansing) was officially in the running for U.S. Senate, the race to replace retiring U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Lansing) in 2024 is starting to take shape. “We need a new generation of leaders that thinks differently, works harder, and never forgets that we are *public servants*,” tweeted […]
Whitmer, Nessel and Dem lawmakers lift up LGBTQ+ rights bill before likely Senate vote
By: Jon King - February 27, 2023
A roundtable discussion Friday in Ferndale featured Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, Attorney General Dana Nessel and members of the LGBTQ+ community discussing the proposed expansion of the Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act (ELCRA). Legislation introduced last month would add prohibitions against discrimination based on gender identity and sexual orientation to the state’s civil rights law. Whitmer […]
As utilities slowly restore power after ice storm, residents and lawmakers say more must be done
By: Jon King - February 27, 2023
With more winter weather on the way, nearly 93,000 people remained without power Monday morning, following last week’s winter ice storm that swept across southern Michigan. As of 6:35 a.m. Monday, DTE Energy reported 61,689 customers without power, while Consumers Energy said 31,342 of its customers were still awaiting power restoration. While those numbers are […]
‘Anti-Jewish hate is no longer operating on the fringes’
By: Jon King - February 25, 2023
More than four in ten American Jews feel less safe than they did a year ago, with nearly that same number altering their behavior out of fear of antisemitism. That’s according to the American Jewish Committee’s State of Antisemitism in America Report for 2022, which utilizes a set of surveys to assess and compare the […]
Michigan lawmakers attend White House meeting on ‘red flag’ gun reform laws
By: Jon King - February 23, 2023
Updated, 6:54 p.m. 2/23/23 A trio of Michigan lawmakers participated in a White House meeting Wednesday to discuss Extreme Risk Protection Order (ERPO) laws, more commonly referred to as “red flag” laws. ERPO laws allow family members, law enforcement, or other responsible individuals to request a court order that would temporarily prohibit people in crisis […]
Nessel joins coalition opposing transport of cryogenic ethane in rail tank cars
By: Jon King - February 23, 2023
In the wake of the derailment, and subsequent environmental disaster, in eastern Ohio earlier this month of a train carrying hazardous materials, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel joined a coalition of attorneys general last week in opposition to a request that would allow more potentially dangerous chemicals to be shipped across the United States, potentially […]
Sen. Anthony reintroduces legislation banning natural hair discrimination
By: Jon King - February 22, 2023
Legislation to protect Black Michiganders from hair-based discrimination has, once again, been introduced in Michigan, although this time the chances of success are much brighter. State Sen. Sarah Anthony (D-Lansing) held a press conference Tuesday in Lansing shortly after introducing Senate Bill 90, known as the CROWN (Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural […]
Karamo beats DePerno in Michigan GOP chair race, moving the party further right
By: Jon King - February 19, 2023
She lost her 2022 race for Michigan Secretary of State by double digits, falsely asserted that the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection was a false flag operation and has connected Satan to everything from yoga to Beyoncé to churches that hang rainbow flags. And now she’s the leader of the Michigan Republican Party. Delegates at the […]