Jack Lessenberry

There are bitter disputes over many aspects of education these days, but there is widespread agreement that how well children are reading by the time they finish the third grade is the best way we have of predicting their future success. We also know this

You might think, some days, that Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump were actually running for president of Michigan. Trump has been to the state repeatedly, and will be in nearby Toledo for the second time in the last few weeks today. Chelsea Clinton, the

Years ago, I heard a young reporter ask an old editorial writer what the difference was between Republicans and Democrats. The old guy said, “Democrats love big government, preferably controlled by and run from Washington. Republicans are in favor of

If you’ve been living in Michigan for a while, chances are that you have noticed a drop in the quality of services you are getting from local government. I’m not just talking about distressed cities like Detroit or Pontiac, I’m talking about everywhere.

Today, Detroit still has a lot of problems. But the city is out of bankruptcy. It is no longer crippled by huge debts and unfunded pension and benefit mandates. The population loss has slowed to a trickle, the streetlights are on again, and Midtown is

When news came yesterday morning that State Representative Peter Pettalia had died in a motorcycle crash, the first question everybody I knew asked was: Was he wearing a helmet? Pettalia was a key player in the successful drive four years ago to repeal

There’s a fascinating intellectual property rights war going on that may have big implications for anyone who has a business and is thinking about using a symbol in the public domain. If you drive around much, you’ve likely seen bumper stickers and T

I was a little surprised when Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette appealed the decision striking down the ban on straight-ticket voting to the U.S. Supreme Court. I knew, of course, that the attorney general wanted straight-ticket voting outlawed. He

I am a little overweight. Not grossly fat, but I could certainly lose a few pounds. I could say this is because I was bullied as a child, because I heroically work too hard and don’t have time to eat properly, or because of my existential angst. Actually,

So is this now summer, or fall? I know that by the calendar, we officially have two more weeks of summer. But the kids are back in school, the days are starting to get noticeably shorter, and Labor Day marks the traditional dividing line between the