Lansing residents could soon have the option to fundamentally shift how they elect their mayors, clerks and members of the City Council through a method that would consider second-choice preferences, eliminate primary elections and shift a wider candidate pool to the general election. more

Democrats don’t like to talk about it, but it’s become obvious that more and more union members aren’t voting the way of organized labor these days.  more

What’s your favorite body of water in Michigan? For me, it’s Lake Michigan.  more

The precarious state of Michigan’s river dams blasted its way into the public consciousness last May when the catastrophic failure of two dams near Midland sent torrents of water surging into nearby communities, causing millions of dollars in damage to public infrastructure and private property. Could the same thing happen in Lansing? Today’s City Pulse story on dam safety in Michigan suggests the answer, under the right circumstances, could be yes (see page 16). more

Dear Jeff Bezos: You saved The Washington Post. So, why are you allowing one of your companies to undermine local journalism? more

The U.S. Census Bureau confirmed Monday what we long expected: Michigan will lose a congressional seat in 2022, officially starting an uncomfortable round of musical chairs as Michigan’s 14-member delegation shrivels to 13. more

Because George Floyd condemns the American image, white Americans — and indeed the whole world — are paying attention and wanting to learn about the lives Black Americans live. America is in a teachable moment. more

Our society is in the thick of a long overdue reckoning with a troubling legacy of sexual harassment and abuse that has put countless people in harm’s way, most of whom are women. more

It’s not quite like Scrooge McDuck diving into a mountain of gold coins, but Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, House Speaker Jason Wentworth and Senate Majority Leader Mike Shirkey have a bunch of new money to play with. more

The theme for Earth Day 2021, “Restore our Earth,” presents us with our deepest responsibility at this time of ecological peril.  If humanity as a collective focused minds, hands and hearts upon regrowing biodiverse plant life and protecting our waters, we could absolutely heal this ailing planet. The choice to do so is always right before us. The Climate Crisis forecast is dire, and scientific projections warn us of the terrible dangers and loss if we continue on this scorched and burnt and poisoned path.  Yet, the baseline fact is that every breath we take proves that the Earth is still able to support our human masses. Despite our emissions and chemical runoffs and deadlands of asphalt and concrete, this amazing planet still manages to perpetually recreate the forces of life. Our species, utterly dependent upon Earth’s abundance for so long, has now come to a place where she needs our help. more

Lansing doesn’t have Virg Bernero to kick around anymore. His sudden exit from the 2021 mayor’s race this past weekend was somewhat surprising, given that his campaign was charging full steam ahead with fundraising, mailings and Facebook advertisements that highlighted his 12-year tenure as mayor. He seemed willing to take whatever public punishment was coming his way for an apparently lengthy history of sexual harassment, but it wasn’t meant to be. more

(City Pulse invited Ingham County Prosecutor Carol Siemon to respond to the letter on this page criticizing her views on life sentences without parole. In response, Siemon submitted an edited version … more

“The dead cannot cry out for justice, it’s up to the living to do so for them.” — Lois McMaster Bujold  more

Eighty-five years after the premiere of “Reefer Madness,” the 1936 anti-drug propaganda film that demonized marijuana, and three decades after the 1980s Reagan-era War on Drugs labeled it a gateway drug that would lead to a life of crime and addiction, cannabis has finally entered the mainstream, taking its rightful place alongside alcohol as an acceptable way for adults to relax after a hard day’s work. In the time between President Bill Clinton’s creative contention that he never inhaled, to President Barack Obama’s candid admission that he smoked plenty of pot in college, the cannabis landscape has changed in ways we never could have imagined just a few short years ago. more

Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist told the Gethsemane Missionary Baptist Church a couple weeks ago that “Republicans are scared of you voting. Period. Republicans are scared of people who look like us voting.” more

Over the past week, Michigan earned the dubious distinction of having seven of the Top Ten worst metro areas in America for new COVID cases. Lansing was No. 4. The seven-day average positivity rate for coronavirus tests, a key indicator of community spread, has surged above 15% statewide — double that number in some counties — a clear indication that the coronavirus is once again spinning out of control. Even though the pace of vaccinations is quickening, it’s not enough to stem a resurgent viral tide that is now spreading faster than Spring blossoms on an apple tree. more

Michigan Republican Party Chair Ron Weiser doesn’t typically peak at public events for a reason. To be generous, his reputation isn’t one of firing up a crowd. more

In her victory speech, Vice President Kamala Harris confidently stated: “I may be the first woman to hold this office, but I will not be the last.” more

An annual educational activity everyone hates — but is necessary particularly in the wake of the pandemic — will roll out at the end of this school year. It is assessment. That is the measurement of learning. The COVID-19 pandemic wrecked the school year 2020-’21. more

I’m not going to explain how there’s no room for sexual harassment and abusive behavior in today’s society — much less in a so-called professional workplace. That’s obvious. The trauma that TJ Bucholz inflicted on so many women at Vanguard Public Affairs is nauseating. It’s also appalling that this scandal was able to be kept quiet for so long while impacting so many people. more