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

In a purely political environment, there’s no way the Republican-led Senate would have allowed the governor’s appointment of a new head of the Department of Health and Human Services to stand. more

Lansing is bracing for another mayoral election this year. And with an incumbent accused of racism and a challenger accused of sexual harassment, some residents are beginning to doubt whether the government structure of the Capital City is best run by a so-called “strong mayor.” more

Last summer, nearly 1,000 Okemos High School students and alumni signed a petition calling for the school to finish what it started. In addition to demanding a new mascot, the petition also called for a third-party evaluation of the Okemos Public Schools’ 2016-2019 equity plan. more

In last week’s City Pulse article about Lansing’s rising homicide rate, Lansing Mayor Andy Schor was quoted as saying, “I think we’re doing all that we can.” If that’s the case, it’s time to try something different. As the mayor prepares his next fiscal budget, I urge him to include funding for Advance Peace.  more

Former Lansing Mayor Virg Bernero maintains that he has fundamentally changed since he decided to leave office at the end of his third term in 2017. He’s running for mayor this year not as a perfect man, but as a “better man” — now with grandchildren and a much cooler temper. more

I wasn’t the only one to audibly sigh at Virg’s letter warning us that he was seriously interested in running for mayor again, right? more

Gabriel Gurule is a junior in the Michigan State University Honors College studying history. He is a member of the State Central Committee of the Michigan Democratic Party. He also serves on the MDP … more