Eartha Jane Melzer
Medicinal pot advances and no one is afraid
Michigan’s proposed medical marijuana law, which would allow people with physician approval to possess 2.5 ounces of marijuana and to grow up to 12 plants at a time, has broad support.
As heating costs rise, social service agencies can’t meet need
35 percent jump in natural-gas price in Michigan worries Human Services, United Way
Farming holds its own
The overall Michigan economy may be sagging, but the $63 billion agricultural sector is “hitting on all cylinders,” according to an upbeat story by Traverse City Record Eagle business writer Bill O’Brien.
In wake of McCain visit, feds begin work toward new reactor at Fermi
During a high-profile visit to southeast Michigan’s Fermi 2 nuclear generating complex Aug. 5 by nuclear power advocate and presidential candidate John McCain, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission
announced the first public meeting on plans for the construction of a new reactor at Fermi.
If you can’t make it to the La-Z-Boy Center at Monroe County Community College in [...]
Concern mounts over lame duck effort to gut Endangered Species Act
Editorial boards across the country are criticizing a proposed Bush administration rule change that they say will gut the Endangered Species Act by allowing agencies to avoid independent scientific review of projects.
Wayne County has most new voters
Wayne County is leading the state in registering new voters, adding 38,548 in the first seven months of this year, an increase of 3 percent, according to records released by the Secretary of State’s office.
As water compact awaits action in Congress, Stupak’s concerns get some play
The Great Lakes Compact, a bill intended to maintain regional control over Great Lakes water, passed the Senate unanimously on Aug. 1, and Congress is expected to take the matter up when it reconvenes after the summer break.
So far, Democratic Congressman Bart Stupak from Menominee is the only representative who has expressed concern that the [...]
DTE Energy CEO presided over nuclear boondoggle in New York
Looking over photos of John McCain’s recent visit to DTE’s Fermi II nuke plant, journalist Greg Palast noticed an interesting bit of context and a familiar face.
Do Michigan inmates give birth in chains?
Curt Guyette at the Detroit Metro Times points out a disturbing item he gleaned from a current Mother Jones story on the American prison system, which now holds one in four of the world’s prisoners, and an increasing proportion of them are women.
Rogers’ hometown paper questions him on use of Arab stereotype
Last week I reported that the Arab-American Anti-Discrimination Committee was upset with an anti-Arab cartoon that Republican congressman Mike Rogers of Brighton posted on his Web site as part of an “energy independence plan.”
A spokesman for that group said Roger’s image of a man dressed in Gulf attire and saying, “We need more money for [...]