Todd Heywood
Second parent adoption bill dead, supporters say
LANSING – Supporters of a bill to expand adoption rights to unmarried couples has died in the state House, reports Penny Gardner, director of the Coalition for Adoption Rights Equality, a group pushing for a new law. "It's too bad we are always [...]
Finding Commonality: Dr. Farha Abbasi
Dr. Farha Abbasi came to the U.S. in 2000 to escape the growing radicalism and political chaos in Pakistan. While she was a medical doctor in her homeland, the U.S. required her to re-certify under U.S. laws and in the process she discovered [...]
Kallman Callout: Media Scrutiny
David Kallman sought to intervene in the lawsuit brought by Jackson Together against the City of Jackson on April 7. The lawsuit outlined numerous violations of both the Jackson City Charter and state law related to a deficient referendum petition [...]
Lansing's Sanctuary City Fight
Facing a backlash from conservatives and a possible legal showdown with President Donald Trump's administration, the city of Lansing has rescinded a resolution declaring itself a sanctuary city. The reversal brings to an end weeks of contentious [...]
Dem Gubernatorial Candidates Call for Reform of State's HIV-Specific Law
Abdul El-Sayed Gretchen Whitmer LANSING – Calling Michigan's HIV-specific felony law "discriminatory" and "wrong to criminalize sickness," the two declared candidates for the governor's office say it's time to reform the law. "I'm a strong believer [...]
Jackson Pride Center Unveiled
Carl Struble (left) who is credited with being the driving force behind the idea of the Jackson Pride Center, uses a regular pair of scissors to cut a ribbon to open the center while Nikki Joly, director of the Jackson Pride Center, uses a [...]
Jackson Passes Non-discrimination Ordinance
Supporters and opponents filled the historic Michigan Theater Tuesday night to tell city councilmembers in Jackson their views on a non-discrimination law. BTL Photo Todd Heywood JACKSON – After nearly five hours of public testimony Tuesday night, [...]
Charges Filed in Murder of 69-year-old Holt Man
INGHAM COUNTY –Ingham County Sheriff Scott Wrigglesworth announced that charges have been filed against Thomas Wayne Densmore Jr. of Holt in the murder of David Fluke, 69. The 39-year-old suspect was arraigned on an open murder charge in 55th [...]
Women's March in Lansing Joins 600 Communities Worldwide Jan. 21
Photo from dome of state capitol building courtesy of House Democratic Leader Sam Singh (D-East Lansing) As a million women, men and children marched in the nation's capitol Jan. 21,, a crowd estimated at 12,000 was rallying in Lansing to challenge [...]
Protests Planned to Usher in Trump Era
As Donald Trump raises his right hand to swear the presidential oath of office on Friday, hundreds of thousands of protesters opposed to his policy positions will be traveling to D.C. for planned protests the following day. They want to put him and [...]
What Was Different About This Year's World AIDS Day?
US Government Changes HIV Website Name: AIDS.Gov is now HIV.Gov Officials with the CDC announced on Dec. 1 — World AIDS Day — that AIDS.Gov, the official portal for all things HIV related from the U.S. government, was changing its name to [...]
Trumping HIV
Despite extraordinary achievements in addressing the 35-year-old HIV crisis in the U.S., the future of billions of dollars in federal support funds for people living with and at risk for the virus could be in jeopardy when a Republican Congress and [...]