Mitchell Ryan Distin | Author

To Flock or Not to Flock?

Aug. 8, 2026

You have likely driven past one without noticing. But they’ve noticed you.

Across northern Michigan, automated license plate readers (ALPRs) made by Flock Safety—a private corporation valued at $7.5 billion—are popping up at high-traffic intersections, highway entr… Read More >>

Bridging the Political Divide

March 21, 2026

In his 1796 Farewell Address, George Washington warned that party conflict could harden into vengeance, describing “the alternate domination of one faction over another, sharpened by the spirit of revenge…[as] itself a frightful despotism,” and cautioning that parties can… Read More >>

Data Centers 101

Feb. 21, 2026

A year or two ago, most of us weren’t familiar with data centers, the massive processing and storage plants for digital information. But now they're regularly popping up in the news...and in our backyards.

Here in the Mitten, Big Tech companies are working with our elected rep… Read More >>