People

41892421 - corridor in hospital

When Hospitals Tell Lies

The tone, tenor, and truthfulness of a company’s news releases reflect the integrity and values of the CEO. A news release jointly issued this week by Spectrum Health in Grand Rapids and Beaumont Health in suburban Detroit suggests that Spectrum CEO Tina Freese Decker isn’t quite the Kumbaya choir leader she makes herself out to be.

Read More
Skyscrapers at Detroit United state of America.

My Decades Old Debts to Detroit

On Tuesday, the Detroit chapter of the Society for Professional Journalists awarded my Deadline Detroit coverage of the imploding Beaumont hospital system first prize in health reporting among its 2021 Excellence in Journalism awards. The award was a validation I’ve long sought to prove to a former Detroit News editor, the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service, and others they made a good bet on my journalism talents and abilities more than 30 years ago.

Read More
41360713 - superhero in rain: superhero watching over the city.

Powell Miller’s $15,000 Heroic Dog Rescue

If you love dogs and appreciate the bonds they form with those who care for them, you’ll be touched by the heroism of Detroit-area hotshot attorney E. Powell Miller. Yet another example of Pure Michigan Niceness.

Read More

Stankey’s Stinky AT&T Media Divestiture

Count me among the losers who naively bought AT&T stock believing management and legions of experts who said the company’s frothy dividend was secure. AT&T’s divestiture of its media assets is yet another reminder as to why individual investors should only own diversified, low-cost ETFs.

Read More
KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA - MAY 04, 2020: Coca Cola product in bottles and cans on the shelves in a grocery store supermarket. Coke is a carbonated soft drink produced by The Coca-Cola Company.

The Wokeness of Coca-Cola

BLM activists and their corporate media supporters should be demanding that Coke CEO James Quincey explain the unexpected resignation of global corporate counsel Bradley Gayton after only eight months on the job. Quincey should also disclose whether Coke will continue to adhere to the ambitious diversity quotas Gayton mandated for the law firms the soft drinks company retains.

Read More
3D illustration, neck painful - cervical spine skeleton x-ray, medical concept.

John Sarno’s Back Surgery Warnings

I’m not a doctor, and I don’t play one on TV. But I know a lot about excruciating back pain, and I’m alarmed by a report saying that spinal surgery is one of the fastest growing medical procedures. If you’re suffering from chronic back pain, there’s a book that can possibly provide you more relief than any orthopod or drug.

Read More
Detroit skyline in Michigan, USA at sunset shot from Windsor, Ontario Canada

Motown Mike Duggan’s Champagne Tastes

Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan revealed last week that he is a politician with champagne tastes and standards. Here’s some other initiatives Duggan’s planning as part of his planned “Detroit – Nothing But The Best” image rebranding campaign.

Read More
Starry sky space background of perfect dark night and twinkling stars. Vector real stars and planets shine in perfect black galaxy

The Cancelling of NYTimes Reporter Donald McNeil

The New York Times is Ground Zero of America’s cancel culture, and the mean spiritedness responsible for the forced resignation of veteran science reporter Donald McNeil has contaminated journalism and popular culture. The success of the Times and other once elite publications is dependent on continuously fueling negativity and anger.

Read More
Los Angeles, California in the monring from Mulholland Drive.

Welcoming Matt and Kelly Stafford to L.A.

I’m delighted that Detroit Lions quarterback Matt Stafford and his wife Kelly are decamping for L.A. to join the Rams football family. Life in La La Land is going to take some cultural and culinary adjustments, and as a former Detroiter myself I’ve graciously prepared a primer to ease their transition.

Read More