Soldiers so often suffer far after their deployments end. Congress and the president are in rare agreement that more money is needed for veterans' mental health services.
Brandon Hubbard
Brandon Hubbard is a freelance reporter and former staff writer for the Petoskey News-Review. He served in the U.S. Army in Iraq from 2007-08, and will eat anything for brunch, as long as you are cooking. The views and assertions of guest columnists do not necessarily reflect those of Bridge or The Center for Michigan.
Posted inBrunch with Bridge
When the call comes, these Michigan volunteers will be ready
What can draw 100 people into the frozen northern Michigan woods for three days of classroom and outdoor survival training? Nothing but the warmth in their own hearts.
Posted inBrunch with Bridge
A simple fix could enlarge GOP tent; will they make it?
In Michigan, it’s still perfectly legal to discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation. (Photo by Flickr user ep_jhu; used under Creative Commons license) A hot air balloon is aloft over Lansing. Various GOP corners have rebuked Republican National Committeeman Dave Agema for two weeks about inflammatory remarks he posted online. The latest comments to […]
Posted inBrunch with Bridge
In Indian gaming case, little hope of a jackpot
A STACKED DECK? When Indian tribes take their business to the U.S. Supreme Court, they rarely like the outcome. (Photo by Flickr user Rishad Daroowala; used under Creative Commons license) Maybe the best way to understand how a tiny tribal slot casino came to hold the fate of the nation’s tribal gaming under its little […]
Posted inBrunch with Bridge
No-fault reform would leave crash victims vulnerable
IT COULD HAPPEN TO YOU: How you feel about no-fault auto insurance reform might depend on whether you’ve ever been involved in a serious accident. (Photo by Flickr user Lance McCord; used under Creative Commons license) A few years ago I found myself sitting in the back seat of a burning Jeep, stunned and not […]
Posted inBrunch with Bridge
Suit up under the dome for Lansing's fantasy legislature
AN EMPTY PLAYING FIELD: As long as we’re playing fantasy football and baseball, why not a fantasy Michigan legislature? Points would be scored on the basis of whose team gets the most legislation passed. (Bridge photo by Nancy Derringer) If there was a Michigan Fantasy Legislature, who would be the top draft pick? OK, hear […]
Posted inBrunch with Bridge
For military spouses, a needed break; for Legislature, a call to act
WHEN DADDY (AND MOMMY) COME MARCHING HOME: Military service is hard on soldiers’ families, too. So why are bills to give soldiers’ spouses leave time from work languishing in the Michigan legislature? (Photo by the National Guard; used under Creative Commons license) I really wanted to tell a story this time, a sad one. The […]
Posted inBrunch with Bridge
Down-and-dirty Tough Mudder lures athletes with warrior mystique
ARE YOU TOUGH ENOUGH? The grueling obstacle course known as Tough Mudder draws participants eager to test themselves against it, most of them in teams. (courtesy photo/Tough Mudder) At this war, everyone is wearing running shoes. We’ve just climbed an eight-foot wall to get onto the battlefield. “Come in, come in here, bring it in,” […]
Posted inBrunch with Bridge
Primary-less politics leaves out public’s interests to service financial necessity
OR JUST DON’T BOTHER. As election cycles de-emphasize primaries, voters have less of a chance to hear ideas and policy proposals from individual candidates, writes Brandon Hubbard. Voter apathy frequently follows. (Courtesy photo/used under a Creative Commons license) Cover politics like a tennis match. That depressing advice came from a former political reporter I met […]
Posted inBrunch with Bridge
Don’t dredge away nature fund’s value
When I moved from Northern Virginia after a stint in the Army about three years ago, I wanted to live back home in rural Michigan. Commuting bumper-to-bumper into Washington, D.C., was not how I envisioned my adult years. SETTING UP: Astronomy fans prepare to view the transit of Venus during an event at Emmet County’s […]
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