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Number of public-school employees reaches 18-year high

Michigan K-12 public schools have more employees now than at any point in the last 18 years, according to the state’s Center for Educational Performance and Information. The number of students decreased by more than 180,000 over that period. The spike in headcount was largely a byproduct of a hiring spree during Gov. Whitmer’s COVID-era lockdowns.

Public schools employed 381,571 people in the 2024-25 school year, according to MI School Data, operated by the state of Michigan. By comparison, Michigan public schools had 338,216 employees in the 2007-08 year, the earliest year for which online records are available. The extra 33,355 employees represents an increase of nearly 10%.

Public schools shed more than 180,000 students during that same time, but taxpayers got no relief from the reduced workload as the state hired up during its reaction to COVID-19. Click here to read more.

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The Scapegoat: How One Man’s Career Was Ended by MeToo

Life on Jan. 9, 2020, was interesting for Joshua Helmer. At 31, he was midway through his second year as CEO of the Erie Art Museum in Pennsylvania. He had recently secured the loan of a Chuck Close painting from the Philadelphia Museum of Art, and an upcoming sale, including a painting by another famous artist, David Hockney, would help Erie generate funds to buy new works.

And then it was Jan. 10.

“I knew I’d never work again,” Helmer said, recalling his reading of a New York Times article that ran that day.

“He Left a Museum After Women Complained; His Next Job Was Bigger,” was co-bylined by veteran Times reporter Robin Pogrebin and Zachary Small, then a freelancer. The article listed allegations from women against Helmer from his time as assistant director for interpretation at the Philadelphia Museum of Art (PMA), a position he said he resigned from a year-and-a-half earlier. Click here to read more.

 

City’s Demand to Remove Iryna Zarutska Mural Speaks Volumes About the Left’s ‘Values

“We can agree, this mural behind us does not reflect Providence’s values.”

Can you guess what kind of mural doesn’t reflect the so-called values of Providence, Rhode Island, according to a local Democrat politician?

The half-finished mural—reportedly backed by Elon Musk—now set to be removed is a depiction of Iryna Zarutska, a Ukrainian refugee who was murdered by a deranged criminal with 14 prior arrests on a North Carolina train in August.

How could this possibly be controversial?

This viral story is instructive beyond the fate of the mural. It clarifies the Left’s understanding of justice, which in blue cities has an enormous impact not just on public art but public policy and the law.

Here’s the news clip of Rhode Island state Rep. David Morales. Click here to read more.

 

Jocelyn Benson vows to defy Donald Trump’s EO on citizenship verification for elections

Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson has no plans to comply with an executive order from President Donald Trump Tuesday aimed at enforcing federal election laws.

“This executive order is illegal on its face. States run elections, not the president,” Benson wrote in a statement Tuesday. “This order will only make it harder for eligible Michigan citizens to vote and will create chaos at every step of the election process,” she said.

“The truth is that our elections are already secure,” Benson alleged. “By ordering the DOJ to target state and local election officials, this administration is coming after hardworking local public servants for doing their jobs safeguarding democracy. It is meant to sow fear, confusion, and doubt among voters.”

Benson, who is overseeing her own election for governor, vowed to “take swift action to fight this illegal order in court.” Click here to learn more.

 

More than 15,000 people move into one Alabama County in 5 years.

SHELBY COUNTY, Ala. - New census numbers show Shelby County’s population is up 7%.

More than 15,000 people have moved to Shelby County since 2020, with the city of Pelham experiencing significant growth and the impacts that come with it.

Pelham City Manager Gretchen DiFante said the city offers several attractions for new neighbors.

“We offer that kind of small town feel and can be a small community, but be able to offer so many different amenities for the size of our community is really unheard of,” DiFante said. Click here to read more.