Civil Rights
GOP bill establishing a federal parental bill of rights passed in U.S. House
WASHINGTON — U.S. House Republicans on Friday passed a bill designed to empower parents to inspect books and other teaching materials in local public schools, but Democrats sharply criticized the measure, saying it would censor teachers and ban books. The legislation, called the Parents Bill of Rights, passed on a 213-208 vote. It would codify federal education law to […]
Bipartisan former members of Congress call for boost in funding to secure elections
WASHINGTON — A bipartisan group of former U.S. lawmakers on the National Council on Election Integrity called on Congress on Friday to spend $400 million on election integrity to insulate the system from foreign interference. “The Department of Homeland Security designated our election system as critical infrastructure in 2017,” the four wrote in a letter. “However, […]
Rick Haglund: Whitmer says ‘bigotry is bad for business.’ Is it true?
It was a clever phrase designed to grab headlines, and it did. “Bigotry is bad for business,” Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said in her January State of the State speech, imploring lawmakers to add anti-discrimination protections based on gender identity and sexual orientation to the state’s civil rights law. They ultimately obliged and Whitmer signed the […]
Michigan GOP’s Holocaust post shows growing far-right extremism in the party, experts say
There is a phrase that political experts, Jewish leaders and elected officials repeatedly used when responding to Michigan GOP Chair Kristina Karamo’s vehement defense of the party’s social media posts linking the Holocaust to gun reform bills introduced in the wake of the Michigan State University mass shooting: “I am not surprised.” Disgusted, yes. Outraged, […]
‘Their influence on me is immeasurable’
Betty DeRamus and Susan Watson were “two of the most gifted women in the history of Detroit journalism.” That’s according to Judy Diebolt, a retired Detroit Free Press and Detroit News journalist who added that it was her “privilege to get to work with both of them.” DeRamus and Watson, both African American, started reporting […]
Native American agricultural leaders detail farm bill priorities at U.S. Senate hearing
WASHINGTON — A roundtable of Native American agricultural leaders at a recent U.S. Senate hearing lobbied for increased sovereignty and social justice in the coming farm bill by expanding tribes’ jurisdiction over U.S. Department of Agriculture programs. It’s called “638” authority and refers to Public Law 93-638, which gives tribes the power to manage certain federal […]
Column: Expanding affordable housing access will improve health and education outcomes for kids
Our state has long failed children, particularly those from families with low incomes, when it comes to education. According to the Annie E. Casey Foundation’s Kids Count project, for the last two decades, Michigan has ranked near the bottom of the states in education, with the rate of fourth-graders not proficient in reading and eighth-graders […]
Lapeer District Library latest target for campaign against LGBTQ+ book
The book, “Gender Queer: A Memoir,” is described by author Maia Kobabe as an “intensely cathartic autobiography” that charts a “journey of self-identity.” But to Republican Lapeer County Prosecutor John Miller, the book borders on child pornography. Caught in the middle is Lapeer District Library Director Amy Churchill, who Miller had reportedly threatened to charge […]
House passes safe storage bills as gun reform package makes way through Legislature
The Democratic-led Michigan House on Wednesday passed legislation requiring the safe storage of firearms. The legislative package, which consisted of four Senate bills and four House bills, passed with varying support from Republicans. The House and Senate have passed other gun reform bills in recent weeks in the wake of the Feb. 13 mass shooting […]
What plaintiffs targeting abortion pill want might not even be possible
At the center of the federal anti-abortion lawsuit against the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is the abortion drug mifepristone and the regimen that reportedly accounts for the majority of abortions in post-Roe America. That’s why the whole country is bracing itself for a ruling from a notoriously anti-abortion judge in Amarillo, Texas. The attention […]
Michigan GOP Chair Karamo repeatedly defends linking Holocaust to gun reform bills
The Michigan Republican Party garnered widespread condemnation and pushback Wednesday after a social media post explicitly linked the Holocaust to gun reform legislation introduced by legislative Democrats in the wake of the Feb. 13 mass shooting at Michigan State University. The House bills received the backing from a wide variety of individuals and groups, including […]
On this day in 1980: Recording artist, activist Prince performs in Detroit for the first time
On March 23, 1980, the late recording artist Prince performed for the first time in Detroit. The concert stop was during Rick James’ “Fire It Up” tour at Cobo Arena. Janis Hazel, then a Detroit Cass Tech High School student, begged her parents to attend and they reluctantly approved. Prince, to some music critics, was […]