I’ve been covering politics for 16 years and obsessively tracking current events since my high school goth phase. And I’ve never seen anything like I did last night when the U.S. Senate’s version of Trumpcare spectacularly went down. You couldn’t script a more dramatic scenario, with U.S. Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), who survived five years in the Hanoi Hilton only […]

Voting is a sacred act and for many people, it remains a private one. That will change under President Trump’s Election Integrity Commission. The commission chaired by Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach and Vice President Mike Pence is charged with investigating voter fraud. The problem is that this is not a widespread problem, no matter what Trump tweets. The Washington Post […]

If you haven’t heard Jordan Acker’s story, it won’t take long. In just 16 tweets last weekend, the Huntington Woods dad and attorney revealed how a bad drug reaction shut down his liver. Thankfully, he recovered, but it left him a pre-existing condition. And under Trumpcare, he and millions of others with pre-existing conditions will be paying more for health […]

In the midst of the bombardment of news about the U.S. Senate’s secret health care bill, the Michigan Legislature whacking teachers (again) and President Trump lashing out about the FBI’s Russia investigation, it’s easy to overlook some revelations about Russia’s attempt to hack our electoral systems last year. First, there was the Intercept’s blockbuster story about a top-secret NSA report […]

“The president’s new at this. He’s new to government, and so he probably wasn’t steeped in the long-running protocols that establish the relationships between DOJ, FBI and White Houses. He’s just new to this.” — U.S. House Speaker Paul Ryan (D-Wisc.), at a Thursday press conference held during former FBI Director James Comey’s Capitol Hill testimony For years, we’ve been […]

The Democratic Party is a big-tent party, which I think is one of its strengths. And I’m not a big fan of one-size-fits-all litmus tests. But Bernie Sanders’ decision to endorse and champion Omaha mayoral candidate Heath Mello, who opposes abortion rights, and question the progressive cred of Jon Ossoff, the rising (pro-choice) star running for Congress in Georgia, has […]

There’s been some finger-wagging that liberals shouldn’t be cheering the Republicans’ huge defeat on Trumpcare. As everyone knows, House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) didn’t actually put the bill up to a vote because it was doomed by defections from moderate Republicans and Freedom Caucus members alike. And President Trump didn’t know the bill well enough to whip votes, Politico Magazine […]

The U.S. House Republicans’ super-secret Obamacare replacement is out and it’s all about freedom. Yes, if you’re one of the 20 million Americans who gained health insurance through the Affordable Care Act, you may soon enjoy the freedom of no longer being covered. We don’t know how many people will be covered, but even Republicans acknowledge that it will be […]

We all know President-Elect Donald Trump is not a big fan of the First Amendment. During the campaign, the Republican complained it has “too much protection” for free speech. He’s routinely targeted journalists at rallies and on Twitter as an intimidation tactic. After winning the election, Trump’s first tweet took aim at people protesting against him, which he whined was “unfair.” A […]

Let’s just dispense with the euphemisms. Republicans are poised to ram through bills that will make it harder to vote in Michigan. Here’s where we are. Michigan already had a voter ID law, but this new legislation toughens up the process. Currently, if you don’t have your ID when you vote, you sign an affidavit and cast a provisional ballot. […]

A few weeks ago, I wrote a column entreating Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder to stand up to Donald Trump, given his status as a businessman-turned-Rust Belt governor who preaches the virtues of civility. While Democrats and liberal activists can be expected to do the heavy lifting when it comes to opposing the authoritarian elements of Trump’s presidency, it’s vital to […]