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Ted Roelofs of Kentwood, has been a general assignment reporter at Bridge since 2012 and has written extensively on health care in that time as well as prison and juvenile justice reform. Roelofs spent nearly three decades at the Grand Rapids Press where he covered politics, wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, rural poverty and mental illness among the homeless. He is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin. Reach Ted at ted.roelofs@gmail.com
Build a Better Michigan had faced accusations it was a vehicle for “dark-money” contributions to the Democratic hopeful. Monday’s release showed more traditional union and progressive support.
The Michigan Democratic candidate for governor has been a strong voice for a well-funded public education system in Michigan. We check her voting record.
The Democratic candidate for governor has long criticized using state school aid funds for anything other than K-12 schools. Truth Squad explores the fine print.
Studies show prison education more than pays for itself by making ex-cons less likely to reoffend. But funding for prison classes may well run dry by next summer. Should Lansing fill in the gap?
A college prison collaboration between Calvin College and Calvin Theological Seminary offers hope, leadership – and a degree - for lifers at an Ionia prison.
Expensive systems in Grand Rapids and Detroit are performing below par. Another was axed in Lansing. What went wrong?
Ann Arbor asked voters to pay for upgrades in bus service. They said yes – and ridership is up.
The Democratic candidate for governor echoes claims by the state’s largest teachers’ union that there are Michigan teachers on food stamps to argue for raising pay.
A DACA recipient volunteered briefly last year in House Speaker Tom Leonard’s office. Does that turn the deeply conservative Leonard into a liberal ally of former President Obama?
A Republican group is using the progressive’s fiery, anti-Trump rhetoric against her in online ads. Is Nessel too extreme to win a general election? Or has she seized on a winning formula in a polarized era?
News reports that beagles and monkeys were left behind at a New Jersey testing lab that went bankrupt have put Democratic candidate for Michigan governor Shri Thanedar on the defensive. He blames a creditor for any problems.
A street version of fentanyl is now responsible for more overdose deaths in Michigan than prescription medications. And white, working-class communities surrounding Detroit have been hit hardest of all.
A clinic in Ann Arbor tackles opioid addiction with the help of the Internet
Southeast of Grand Rapids, Hastings is battling opioid addiction and other challenges as it maintains its easy-going character. Bridge pays a visit during its 2018 Truth Tour.
A pre-K program supported by the Kellogg Foundation is getting 3- and 4-year-olds ready to start kindergarten. Expansion across Michigan would have a steep price tag, but high returns.
The state is a pioneer in state-funded early education for 4-year-olds. It’s now reaping the benefits.
PAC for Lt. Gov. Brian Calley lambastes GOP governor frontrunner Bill Schuette in cartoonish ad that stretches truth.
Michigan lieutenant governor points to tax cuts that he says grew the economy, but his latest ad omits large swaths of his legislative history on taxes.
Attorney General Bill Schuette releases ad blasting Lt. Gov. Brian Calley for his votes as the Republican race for governor heats up.
Upbeat TV ad urges Republicans to vote for lieutenant governor to “continue the comeback” in Michigan.
