I have always had special disdain for former Michigan governor John Engler. He was the grandfather of the corporatist right’s attacks on organized labor while he was in office and his repugnant legacy is something that we still deal with today. So I was shocked, dismayed, and outraged that the Michigan State University Board of Trustees chose Engler to be […]

Back in January, LOLGOP and I had Rachael Denhollander on our podcast to talk about her experience as the woman who opened the floodgates that led to notorious serial rapist Larry Nassar being put behind bars for the rest of his life. Without her bravery and willingness to come forward when literally hundreds of his victims had been afraid or […]

Michigan State University is the faculty, staff, and students, not “Communications and Brand Strategy,” teams of overpaid lawyers, and “University Advancement,” whatever that is. The purpose of these groups is to support the work of the faculty and students, not to make decisions that direct the mission of the institution. A university is an academic institution, not a corporation. The […]

It doesn’t take much digging to understand why top officials at Michigan State University seem to be so willfully ignorant of the sexual violence being perpetrated against its students. All you have to do is look at the rhetoric coming from its Board of Trustees and a major donor. Joel Ferguson, the Vice Chair of the Board of Trustees made […]

Over the past week, 159 women gave victim impact statements during the sentencing hearing of the notorious serial rapist, Larry Nassar. The 159 women represent just those who volunteered to come forward. Given this, it’s not hard to fathom that Nassar sexually assaulted over 200 women over the past twenty years. He did this when most of them were young […]

A few words from the legendary Democratic strategist on the fate of healthcare reform in this election. When you’re offered a few minutes to speak with someone like Jim Messina, you take it. As campaign manager for Obama 2012, Messina is considered the mastermind behind President Obama’s 2012 re-election. He also served as Deputy Chief of Staff for President Obama […]

If you’ve ever spent time at Michigan State University, it’s hard to miss the twin smokestacks of the T.B. Simon Power Plant on the south side of campus. And it’s also hard to miss the gigantic piles of coal next to the plant or the hundreds of coal-carrying train cars that feed the maw of the behemoth. Starting in 2016, […]

It never ends… Republicans on the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Higher Education included language in an appropriations bill they voted out of committee last week which will strip Michigan State University of a half million dollars in annual funding if they continue to offer a training program for members of a variety of building trades unions. The legislation strips the […]

The University of Michigan set a new record this week. And it’s not one I think is particularly pride-worthy, quite frankly. Michigan football coach Brady Hoke finalized his salary with the university earlier this week when he signed a six-year contract with an average annual compensation of $3.25 million. Seriously? $3.25 MILLION a freaking YEAR??? All these cries about how […]