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Susan J. Demas

Susan J. Demas is a 23-year journalism veteran and one of the state’s foremost experts on Michigan politics, appearing on C-SPAN, MSNBC, CNN, NPR and WKAR-TV’s “Off the Record.” In addition to serving as Editor-in-Chief, she is the Advance’s chief columnist, writing on women, LGBTQ people, the state budget, the economy and more. For almost five years, Susan was the Editor and Publisher of Inside Michigan Politics, the most-cited political newsletter in the state. Susan’s award-winning political analysis has run in more than 100 national, international and regional media outlets, including the Guardian U.K., NBC News, the New York Times, the Detroit News and MLive.

Biden will show his ‘vocal support’ for autoworkers Tuesday on a Michigan UAW picket line

By: - September 26, 2023

As President Joe Biden is scheduled to arrive in Michigan Tuesday, the White House says the Democrat will demonstrate his “vocal support” for autoworkers by joining UAW members on the picket line in Wayne County. “Over the past decade, auto companies have seen record profits, including over the last few years because of the extraordinary […]

Biden will travel to Michigan on Tuesday to support striking UAW workers

By: - September 22, 2023

Updated, 6:38 p.m. 9/22/23 President Joe Biden will travel to Michigan next week in a historic show of support for striking Ford, GM and Stellantis UAW workers. “Tuesday, I’ll go to Michigan to join the picket line and stand in solidarity with the men and women of UAW as they fight for a fair share […]

COMMENTARY

Susan J. Demas: Why pundits still can’t admit they were wrong about abortion

By: - August 16, 2023

For as long as I’ve been paying attention to politics — I’ll date myself and admit that began in the ‘80s — the conventional wisdom was that Roe v. Wade wasn’t going anywhere, so reproductive rights didn’t rate as a top-tier election issue. America was hopelessly divided 50-50 on the issue, we were told ad […]

COMMENTARY

Susan J. Demas: For the mothers the pandemic has left behind

By: - July 30, 2023

Moms are tired. Bone-tired. That’s the word that comes up again and again whenever I talk to other mothers these days. No matter how strong you think you are, the last few years have taken a crushing toll. Everyone bears the scars of the pandemic in different ways. But there have been so many other […]

Billboard outside Florida airport warns travelers of DeSantis’ anti-abortion policy, urges them to go to Michigan

By: and - May 30, 2023

Following travel advisories warning visitors that Florida might not be a welcoming place for Black, Hispanic, and LGBTQ+ people, now comes a warning that anyone capable of getting pregnant might also be better off in another state. Michigan, to be precise, according to a billboard just erected outside Orlando International Airport. It features Dr. Tim Johnson, an OB-GYN […]

COMMENTARY

Susan J. Demas: The persistence of tragedy, the preservation of memory

By: - May 14, 2023

For many years, the only piece of artwork I could afford to frame was a dorm-room-quality print of Dali’s “Persistence of Memory.” I’ve been thinking about that painting a lot lately. Sometimes the melting clocks seem jolting and sinister; sometimes there’s an odd comfort in the infiniteness of time. There have been so many things […]

COMMENTARY

Susan J. Demas: As other states attack LGBTQ+ kids, Michigan emerges as a safe haven

By: - March 22, 2023

After decades of fighting for basic rights and dignity, LGBTQ+ people last week finally became full and equal citizens in Michigan. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer on Thursday signed a landmark bill expanding the state’s Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act (ELCRA) that bars discrimination based on gender identity and sexual orientation. The Lansing ceremony was marked by hugs […]

Michigan Advance wins 2022 Public Service Award, 22 total Michigan Press Association honors

By: - March 17, 2023

The Michigan Advance has won 22 Michigan Press Association (MPA) awards in its 2022 “News Media Publication of the Year” contest, including placing first in the Public Service Award for “Loss, strain and hope mark the next phase of the COVID pandemic.” Anna Gustafson, Susan J. Demas, Allison R. Donahue, Ken Coleman and Laina G. […]

VP Harris highlights reproductive rights progress in Michigan amid state, federal attacks

By: - March 16, 2023

Before a federal judge on Wednesday heard four hours of oral arguments on a case challenging the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s approval and regulation of mifepristone, the first drug used in a medication abortion, Vice President Kamala Harris praised Gov. Gretchen Whitmer for helping lead the way on preserving reproductive rights at the state […]

EPA proposes new rule to crack down on PFAS, forever chemicals in our water

By: and - March 14, 2023

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on Tuesday announced its proposed maximum contaminant levels — MCLs– for six types of toxic PFAS in drinking water and acknowledged that no amount of these compounds is safe. “EPA anticipates if fully implemented the rule will prevent tens of thousands of serious PFAS-attributable illnesses or deaths,” the agency wrote […]

COMMENTARY

Susan J. Demas: What we owe our children after the horror at MSU

By: - February 18, 2023

Michigan State’s sprawling campus has been home to thousands, like my daughter, during some of the most exciting and demanding years of their lives. It can feel like just about everyone in the state has a connection to the school in one way or another.  And so, there are countless personal stories about the Michigan […]

‘It is OK not to be OK right now’

By: - February 16, 2023

Updated, 2:56 p.m., 2/16/23 Two nights after Michigan State University’s campus was shattered by a mass shooting that killed three students and wounded five more, thousands of people gathered near The Rock to mourn and remember them. Alexandria Verner, 20, of Clawson; Brian Fraser, 20, of Grosse Pointe; and Arielle Anderson, 19, of Harper Woods; […]