Stephen Tuttle | Author

Fire and Rain

Jan. 21, 2023

It’s time for one of our irregular updates on that pesky climate change business.

There was plenty of bad news in 2022 but with a glimmer of hope we’ll get to later. One horrific year, or even a couple years, of awful weather and its consequences can’t be fully att… Read More >>

If you enjoy slow-motion train wrecks, you had to enjoy the Republicans in Congress trying to elect a Speaker of the House. After 15 ballots, they finally chose Kevin McCarthy, who sold most of his power, his soul, and what was left of his integrity to secure the job.

This is the sa… Read More >>

2023...Will It Be Any Different?

Jan. 7, 2023

Will 2023 be any different than 2022? It seems unlikely.

War will continue to rage in Ukraine as Vladimir Putin refuses to abandon his delusions of reestablishing the long-dead Russian Empire. Unfortunately, the fighting in Ukraine is only one of a dozen or so ongoing armed conflict… Read More >>

If Only We Would

Dec. 17, 2022

Individual gifts are nice this time of year, assuming you’re on Santa’s nice list. But the world as a whole could use some gifts, too.

For example, ending slavery would be an excellent gift. Perhaps you thought slavery was a barbaric relic of the past. Unfortunately, tha… Read More >>

The World Cup

Dec. 10, 2022

The largest athletic contest in the world, by any metric—most athletes participating, most people watching in person, most people watching on electronic media, most countries involved—is currently underway in Qatar. It’s the World Cup of football, or what North Americans c… Read More >>

Bare Cupboards

Dec. 3, 2022

“Hundreds of millions will starve over the course of the next decade.”

Stanford professor Paul R. Ehrlich said that when discussing the world's growing population in his book, The Population Bomb. That was in 1968, and the world population was just a bit more th… Read More >>

Nodding Heads

Nov. 26, 2022

Have we seen this before?

When Donald Trump ran for president in 2016, there were any number of incidents the experts were quite certain would eliminate him or at least damage him so badly he couldn’t possibly be nominated.

It started with previous and truly creepy com… Read More >>

Thanks...for the End of the Midterms and More

Nov. 19, 2022

As always, there are reasons to be thankful, not the least of which is that the midterm elections are finally almost over. As this is being written, there are still a few House seats and one Senate race not decided.

We should thank everyone who had the courage to put their name on a… Read More >>

Debunking, Not Defunding

Nov. 5, 2022

If you watch a certain news channel, or listen to some Republican candidates, you would be inclined to believe crime is out of control. It’s those darn Democrats who have “defunded” the police and judges who let vicious criminals lose without bail. Why, it’s a miracl… Read More >>

Bad Choice and Late Results

Oct. 29, 2022

The attorney general (AG) is Michigan’s top law enforcement officer. Most voters would prefer somebody running for that office to have impeccable credentials either as a lawyer—preferably as a prosecutor—or as a law enforcement professional or both.

(As an aside, t… Read More >>

No-So Free Speech

Oct. 22, 2022

People saying outrageous things and then being called to account for those statements are once again trying to rely on “freedom of speech” for their defense. It is testament to their ignorance of the limits of their freedom, especially as defined in the First Amendment.

Michigan’s Midterm Updates

Oct. 15, 2022

We’re now less than a month away from the 2022 midterm elections, so it’s time we checked in on some key races. Many of you have likely already voted, so perhaps you can read along just for the fun of it.

Nationally, there are trends that bode ill for our entire election… Read More >>

Easy Targets

Oct. 8, 2022

Hurricane Ian slammed into Florida as a category 4 storm with 150 mph winds, up to 17 inches of rain, and storm surges ranging from 9 to 12 feet. As this is being written, The Associated Press is now reporting more than 100 deaths in Florida directly related to Ian. The property da… Read More >>

Experiments in the City

Oct. 1, 2022

Lawsuits involving Traverse City’s experimental fish pass project and restrictions on building heights have made their way to the state appeals court. Both involve appeals to decisions made by 13th Circuit Court judge Thomas Power. Power ruled the fish pass amounted to giving away cit… Read More >>

A Tradition of Ignorance and Intolerance

Sept. 24, 2022

In 1637, Thomas Morton wrote a book called New English Canaan, a satirical put-down of Puritans and their customs. Among other things, Morton compared them to crustaceans, and the Puritans, a cranky lot to begin with, promptly banned the book.

They followed that by banning John Elio… Read More >>

Midterm Surprises

Sept. 17, 2022

Midterm elections are always a little sketchy; without a presidential race, turnout is reduced and surprises often abound. Statistically, that first midterm for a new president’s party has not been good at all.

Going all the way back to Harry Truman’s presidency, the par… Read More >>

He Is Us

Sept. 10, 2022

So, you woke up this morning in your cozy house, condo, or apartment courtesy of some utility company probably burning fossil fuels to generate power. Trees were cut down, transported, and milled to create the lumber that likely framed your residence. The copper for the wiring was mined, tr… Read More >>

Classrooms and Buses

Sept. 3, 2022

According to a recent article in The Washington Post, we are facing a “catastrophic” teacher shortage. They report that some schools in Texas are going to a four-day school week, some in Florida are hiring veterans with no teaching training or experience, and some in Ar… Read More >>

More of the Same

Aug. 27, 2022

A Republican candidate for Congress in western New York says Attorney General Merrick Garland should be executed. (He subsequently claimed he was just being facetious.) A Republican candidate for the Florida House says he will introduce legislation making it legal to shoot federal agents fr… Read More >>

Closer to Home

Aug. 20, 2022

For this week: a local grab bag of news, projects, and plans.

Undeterred by a pair of convincing thumpings at the polls, Traverse City’s tall building advocates are at it again.

First they circulated petitions in an effort to repeal the charter requirements brought abo… Read More >>