There are four good reasons to stand up for democracy by voting “no” on Proposal 1. First, democracy is worth having on the local level because local people know what’s best for their communities. Proposal 1 stops local people from participating in their government. Every decision from policing to parking is in the hands of one person — a state bureaucrat. ...

Hopefully by now you have heard a thing or two about efforts on the part of the Republicans to suppress the votes of minorities, youth, the elderly, union members and many veterans. The plot is fairly simple: Make it especially difficult to vote by setting up all sorts of systems of identification in the name of avoiding alleged voter fraud. The fact that voter fraud has not been a major issue in the United ...

State. Rep. John Olumba is spearheading a campaign to recall Mayor Dave Bing and investigate the Bing administration. It’s about time. A recall could begin next week if language is approved by Wayne County Clerk Cathy Garrett and election commissioners on Oct. 23. Volunteers could begin gathering signatures as early as next week to have Mayor Bing removed. ...

In 2008, 96 percent of Blacks and 67 percent of Latinos voted for Obama. He’s going to need that support again on Nov. 6 to beat back the challenge of Mitt Romney in a race that’s too close to call. ...

Manufacturing organizations are partnering after receiving a $2.19 million federal grant through the Advanced Manufacturing Jobs and Innovation Accelerator Challenge. ...

Five current and former residents filed a federal lawsuit Oct. 15 that alleges Morgan Stanley financed predatory home loans that targeted Black communities and borrowers in Detroit. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) filed the lawsuit on behalf of the residents in U.S. District Court in New York. The suit claims the financial institution violated state and federal laws as a "principal financier" of n ...

A strike carried out by 43,000 truckers ended in South Africa on Oct. 11. An agreement between the South African Transport and Allied Workers’ Union (SATAWU), an affiliate of the Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU), resulted in pay increases of 27 percent over a three-year period. ...

Academy Award-winner Denzel Washington stars in "Flight," in theaters Nov. 2. Washington plays Captain William "Whip" Whitaker, an airline pilot who saves a flight from crashing, but the investigation into the malfuncitons reveals something troubling. The film, which also stars Don Cheadle and John Goodman, is written and co-produced by Robert Zemeckis. ...

Dedicated to building a just and sustainable food system, the Fair Food Network has launched two new programs in Detroit. The Detroit Grocery Incubator program could increase grocery stores in Detroit and the Double Up Food Bucks program will allow Michigan Bridge card users to match their dollars with the purchase of Michigan-grown fresh foods and vegetables. ...

With one supporter of affirmative action retired and another declining to participate because of a conflict of interest, the concept of affirmative action is barely hanging by a thread as the United States Supreme Court justices prepare to rule in a case that involved a white woman suing the University of Texas because race was a minor factor in the admissions process. ...