Michigan moms and babies relying on a steady supply of baby formula are joining families nationwide stymied by supply chain issues, product recalls, and record 40-year high inflation that’s left many baby formula shelves bare.
Lynn Sutfin, Michigan Department of Health and Human Services spokeswoman, said the problem affected about 85% of the more than 200,000 people in the Women, Infant, and Children (WIC) program that gives recipients about $30 to $112 or more per month.
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U.S. drug overdoses increased 15% between December 2020 and December 2021, according to data released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center for Health Statistics.
The two-year jump established new records for overdose deaths over previous years.
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It started with the University of Michigan firing former president Mark Schlissel for a years-long relationship with a subordinate coworker deemed inappropriate. It ended with Schlissel receiving about $1 million in payouts.
UM granted Schlissel one year of leave starting May 1, 2022, with a salary of $463,000.
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Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, Michigan’s Long-Term-Care Ombudsman Program failed to visit most facilities in person, an auditor general report found.
MLTCOP, housed within the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, advocates for more than 100,000 long-term care residents statewide, investigates complaints and supports improved policies.
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When Gov. Gretchen Whitmer shut down most of Michigan’s economy in 2020, she promised to return 10% of her $159,300 annual salary to the state in solidarity with more than 1 million Michiganders either out of work or who were soon to be.
“I’m going to lead by example,” Whitmer said on April 20, 2020. “I know that times are tough and that we as a state are going to be confronting a tough budget as a result of the economic shutdown.”
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The Michigan Legislature voted to place on the Nov. 8 ballot a question asking Michiganders if they want a constitutional amendment altering term limits and requiring financial disclosures.
On a 76-28 vote, the House approved House Joint Resolution R, followed by the Senate’s vote of 26-6 – each received the required two-thirds majority in support to reach the ballot.
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About 53,406 kids attending Detroit Public Schools Community District still must wear a mask through the end of the regular school year because of an agreement with a teacher’s union.
The last day of the regular school year is June 27. The union agreement ends June 30.
DPSCD Superintendent Dr. Nikolai Vitti said the Detroit Federation of Teachers still wants a mask mandate. In February, the state and counties dropped the requirement but left local decisions to each school.
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Michigan State Police seized a voting machine as part of an investigation into possible unauthorized access to election equipment.
Law enforcement and officials at Democratic Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel’s office had a warrant and took a voting machine from Irving Township into custody, officials told CNN and The Epoch Times.
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A new House bill introduced by a Republican legislator aims to amend Michigan’s Revised School Code to grant school boards the authority to share critical incident mapping data to local law enforcement agencies for school safety purposes.
Government Operations Committee Chairman Rep. Mike Mueller, R-Linden, discussed House Bill 6042 before the House GOC on Thursday. Mueller stated his desire to use the state budget process to fund CMI. School safety spending budgeted by the House earlier this week includes $200 million for school safety grants, in addition to $50 million for school resource officers and $8.4 million for each intermediate school district to hire a mental health coordinator and an emergency and safety manager.
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About 115,000 Michiganders should receive payments totaling more than $3.5 million from Intuit, the owner of TurboTax, for deceiving consumers into paying for tax services that should have been free.
As part of a multi-state agreement, Attorney General Dana Nessel said Intuit will pay $141 million in restitution nationally to millions of consumers it unfairly charged for a free service.
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In the wake of a leaked draft opinion from a Supreme Court case that could overturn Roe v. Wade, a Catholic church and school in Michigan has been vandalized with vulgar graffiti.
Activist Dave Reilly shared photos of the destruction of Saint Joseph’s Church and Academy in Armada on his Twitter account Friday.
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The GOP-dominated Michigan Senate approved 14 budget bills that aim to provide $2 billion in tax relief in the fiscal 2023 budget amid 40-year high record inflation.
Senate Bills 827-843 were welcomed by Senate Appropriations Chair Jim Stamas, R-Midland.
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Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has a history of vetoing Republican-led legislation which strives to strengthen the security of the state’s elections. Her most recent veto concerns information being added to voter ballots, which she claims to be restrictive.
Gina Swoboda, executive director of the Voter Reference Foundation, criticized the veto.
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Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said she’ll “fight like hell” to protect abortion access in Michigan.
She responded Monday night to a leaked U.S. Supreme Court draft majority opinion from Politico claiming that the nation’s top court would overturn Roe v. Wade, which established abortion as a constitutional right.
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The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s two covert plans to convict Michigan militia accused of plotting to overthrow the government have failed so far but share striking similarities.
In 2010, officers arrested nine Hutaree militia members for allegedly planning to kill a police officer and then bomb the funeral. But just two men pleaded guilty to weapons charges, and a judge acquitted the remaining seven defendants in 2012.
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Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed an executive directive on Sunday ordering state agencies to spread information about how to register to vote.
On Friday, Whitmer vetoed a bill that aimed to notify potential voters on on an absentee ballot application that it is a felony to vote more than once in the same election.
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The Michigan Democratic Party and another group are challenging the petition signatures of three Michigan GOP gubernatorial challengers.
Lawyers filed challenges against former Detroit police Chief James Craig, conservative commentator Tudor Dixon, and businessman Perry Johnson.
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Six private companies will share $577,400 of Michigan funding to expand electric vehicle infrastructure, promote EV adoption, and enhance electric bicycle sharing and charging.
Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist II announced Thursday a round of funding that will launch additional EV charging stations, increase access to EVs and expand adoption of EVs with Michigan drivers. More than $577,400 will be appropriated to six mobility projects from the Michigan Mobility Funding Platform, which was created through a partnership between the Michigan Economic Development Corporation, the Michigan Department of Transportation, and the Office of Future Mobility and Electrification.
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The Mackinac Center for Public Policy (MCPP) is suing the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC), saying it won’t explain how it calculates the return on investment for its Pure Michigan tourism program.
MCPP requested the documents via the the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA).
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Gov. Gretchen Whitmer awarded $1 million to two Children’s Savings Account (CSA) pilot programs, which will provide education money for 1,960 Michigan kids.
Battle Creek Community Foundation and Wayne Metro Community Action Agency will receive a $500K grant to create CSA programs.
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A new report from the nonprofit Mighty Michigan, which self-describes as a “taxpayer advocacy group,” says that Pres. Joe Biden’s Build Back Better Act would reduce Michigan economic activity if it became law.
April 2022 research by the American Culture Foundation (ACF) estimates that the BBB would drop Michigan’s real economic output by $588 million and slash income by about $2,100 for the median Michigan family over 10 years.
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Gov. Gretchen Whitmer wants to spend $60 million on electric vehicles (EV), including electrifying the state’s fleet. However, the production of EVs is beset by a supply chain riddled with shortages in addition to environmental concerns.
Whitmer’s proposed 2023 budget aims to spend $50 million to subsidize new EV sales or a $500 rebate for at-home charging equipment for new or used EVs. Another $10 million would start converting Michigan’s roughly 13,637-vehicle fleet to EV.
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Gov. Gretchen Whitmer wants to spend $60 million on electric vehicles (EV), including electrifying the state’s fleet. However, the production of EVs is beset by a supply chain riddled with shortages in addition to environmental concerns.
Whitmer’s proposed 2023 budget aims to spend $50 million to subsidize new EV sales or a $500 rebate for at-home charging equipment for new or used EVs. Another $10 million would start converting Michigan’s roughly 13,637-vehicle fleet to EV.
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Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has withdrawn $5 million from the state’s new Energy Efficiency Revolving Fund to pay for three energy-efficiency projects.
The EERF was included in the governor’s fiscal year 2022 budget recommendation and passed by the state Legislature.
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A month and a few days after Sunshine Week, which celebrates government transparency, Michigan’s three highest-ranking public officials won’t answer questions about a possible $1.4 million security protection bid from DK Security.
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Three video clips from drop box locations in Detroit released this week reveal multiple issues that occurred with absentee ballots during the November 2020 election.
The absentee ballot drop box video evidence was shared Thursday in a series of three tweets by 45th President Donald Trump’s spokeswoman, Liz Harrington.
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Attorney General Dana Nessel entered a proposed settlement with Consumers Energy Company to end its use of coal by 2025 — 15 years earlier than originally planned.
The proposed settlement with Consumers Energy is in its integrated resource planning case, (Case No. U-21090), which is subject to final approval from the Michigan Public Service Commission (MPSC).
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Michigan public school enrollment increased by about 5,844 students this school year, slightly recovering after more than 50,000 kids left public schools during the COVID-19 pandemic in the 2019-2020 school year.
About 1,443,456 public school students are registered for the 2021-2022 school year, rising from the 2020-2021 school year enrollment of 1,437,612.
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Spiking fertilizer prices spiking over the last two years is contributing to current rising food inflation, says Theresa Sisung, an industry relations specialist for the Michigan Farm Bureau.
Record 40-year-high inflation is biting into Michiganders’ budgets from more expensive cars, higher energy costs, and higher prices at the grocery store, and it’s no different for farmers who tend roughly 47,600 farms in the Wolverine state that house nearly 10 million acres of farmland.
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Eight men face state charges for an alleged plot to kidnap Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. If convicted, the men could serve up to life in prison.
On April 8, a federal jury acquitted two other men on similar charges related to the alleged kidnapping plot. The jury also deadlocked on two accused ringleaders of the plot. The Federal Bureau of Investigation paid informants more than $80,000 of taxpayer money for confidential information.
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After the trial of four men accused of hatching a plot to kidnap Gov. Gretchen Whitmer secured no federal convictions, eight more men face state charges that could lead to life in prison.
On April 8, a federal jury acquitted two men and deadlocked on two other alleged ringleaders, striking a blow to the government that spent more than $80,000 of taxpayer money to pay confidential informants. The two defendants who deadlocked the jury will face a new trial.
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A Michigan gubernatorial candidate is demanding to know what Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) played in her alleged kidnapping plot that he says was conceived by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
“Michiganders deserve an answer,” candidate Garrett Soldano said in a press release. “As we all saw last week, the FBI conceived a plot to kidnap Gretchen Whitmer and preyed on Michiganders to push it along. These events had a direct impact on the 2020 election results in Michigan, one of the most important swing states in the country. Did Gretchen Whitmer play a role in these targeted efforts to influence the 2020 election? Was Gretchen Whitmer working with the FBI to fake her own kidnapping?”
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Despite continued supply chain struggles, Michigan food, agriculture, and forest exports grew 19% year-over-year in 2021 to eclipse $2.5 billion, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
“Michigan’s food and agriculture industry is thriving with 19% annual growth and $2.5 billion in exports. It continues to uplift Michigan’s economy and make a local, national and global impact,” Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said in a statement.
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General Motors (GM) and Honda plan to produce millions of “affordable” electric vehicles (EV) with prices of some popular models starting at around $30,000.
GM Director of Finance and Sales Communications David Caldwell told The Center Square that the collaboration will result in “a series of compact crossover EVs – the most popular vehicle segment globally.”
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Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed a bill appropriating nearly $140 million to revamp Michigan’s embattled Unemployment Insurance Agency (UIA.)
“This fiscally-responsible, bipartisan bill will lower costs for small businesses and fight waste, fraud, and abuse in our unemployment system,” Whitmer said in a statement. “This is the latest step we are taking to fight fraud, hold people accountable, and strengthen the Unemployment Insurance Agency after decades of disinvestment. By making a deposit into the Unemployment Compensation Fund, we can help small businesses balance their books by lowering the costs of unemployment.”
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Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed six bills into law ranging from boosting insurance transparency to letting shoe repair stores donate shoes left unclaimed for six months or more.
“Today, I will be signing six bipartisan bills, adding on to the over 800 bipartisan bills I have signed since taking office,” Whitmer said in a statement. “Today’s bills will make insurance benefit preauthorization more accessible, support winter recreation and shoe repair businesses, and amend the state bar admittance process. I am proud to sign these bills and will continue to work with anyone to get things done. Together, we can continue delivering on the kitchen-table issues that matter most to Michiganders, growing our economy, and creating good-paying jobs.”
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Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel joined a coalition of 23 attorneys general in an amicus brief seeking to restore federal funding for family planning services.
Led by New York and California, the lawyers filed an amicus brief in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, supporting the efforts of President Joe Biden’s administration to restore Title X funding to providers that left the program under restrictions enacted in 2019.
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Gov. Gretchen Whitmer filed a lawsuit asking the Michigan Supreme Court to recognize a right to abortion under the Due Process Clause of the Michigan Constitution.
The request follows a U.S. Supreme Court May decision to hear Mississippi’s appeal of a 2019 decision, Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization. In that decision, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit upheld a previous decision by the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi, overturning a state law prohibiting abortions after the 15th week of pregnancy.
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President Joe Biden may be preparing to make a big ask of the United States’ neighbor to the north, and if he does it will run contrary to the agenda of Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and her administration.
According to Tuesday’s Wall Street Journal, the first-term Democratic president is considering asking Canada to boost its oil exports to the United States. However, the president halted construction of the Keystone XL Pipeline on his first day of office. XL would’ve have transported 830,000 barrels of Canadian crude from Alberta to Nebraska each day.
In the meantime, the Michigan governor and Attorney General Dana Nessel – both Democrats like Biden – have been working in the courts to permanently shut down a five-mile portion of the Enbridge Line 5 pipeline which ships 540,000 barrels of Canadian hydrocarbons daily across a five-mile section of the Straits of Mackinac lakebed.
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Congressman Fred Upton (R-MI-06) announced his retirement at the end of his current term on the House floor in a speech to his colleagues.
The Michigan lawmaker has served in the House of Representatives since 1987.
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The School Loan Revolving Fund (SLRF) interest rate dropped to 1.19% last week, saving some local school districts about $8 million in interest.
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed into law Senate Bill 618 that adjusted the SLRF interest rate.
“Every student, in every district, has a birthright to a phenomenal public education so they can pursue their potential,” Whitmer said in a statement. “With these cost savings, we will have even more resources to invest where they matter most – in our students, teachers, and classrooms. I am proud of the work the Michigan Legislature and I have done to close the funding gap between districts and increase per-pupil funding to its highest amount ever.”
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Gov. Gretchen Whitmer vetoed two bills that aimed to keep voter roll lists updated – a security risk flagged by the state auditor in 2019.
House Bill 4127 and House Bill 4128 aimed to require the Secretary of State to send notices to registered electors with an unknown date of birth in the Qualified Voter File and to those who haven’t voted since the 2000 general election, within 90 days of the bill’s effective date.
That registered elector would have to sign the notice, add a date of birth, and mail back a copy of an original birth certificate, current driver’s license, or state personal ID card.
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Michigan consumers considering the purchase of a new or used car or truck may be wise to put off replacing their current vehicle, according to University of Michigan-Flint Economics Professor Christopher Douglas.
An iSeeCars analysis of 1.8 million car sales in February 2022 concluded prices for used cars are up 35% nationally. In Detroit, used car prices were up 31%, or $7,442.77 over last year.
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In Michigan, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is the number one fundraiser in state politics in the 2022 election cycle so far. According to the most recent campaign finance reports made to the Michigan Secretary of State, the governor received $14,281,061 in total contributions and spent $8,625,120 between Jan. 1, 2021 and Dec. 31, 2021. Whitmer is running for re-election in 2022.
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At a rally in Washington Township, Michigan, Saturday night, former President Donald Trump condemned the Biden administration’s release of documents that encourage children with gender dysphoria to have access to puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, and body-mutilating transgender surgeries.
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Asserting “student aid should take precedence over school aid,” a new study seeks to address among other topics the funding disparities between traditional public schools and charter school academies.
Released earlier this week, “From School Aid to Student Aid” was written by Ben DeGrow, Education Policy director at the Mackinac Center for Public Policy.
DeGrow notes the COVID-19 pandemic played a significant role in parents selecting alternatives to publicly funded schools for their children. He also says schools are recognizing the effects of declining birth rates.
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Jurors in the case against four Michigan men accused of plotting to kidnap Democrat Gov. Gretchen Whitmer are hearing closing arguments Friday, starting with a prosecutor urging them to convict and arguing the defendants were “filled with rage.”
The closing arguments are being delivered by Assistant U.S. Attorney Nils Kessler in federal court in Grand Rapids, according to the Associated Press.
Defendants Adam Fox, Barry Croft Jr., Daniel Harris and Brandon Caserta are charged with conspiracy.
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Former President Donald Trump endorsed two-time Senate candidate and Army Veteran John James on Thursday for Michigan’s 10th Congressional District.
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About $4 million will subsidize the education of some young Michiganders.
The subsidy is part of Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s plan to ensure 60% of Michiganders receive a skill certificate or college degree by 2030.
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A bill Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said she will sign into law aims to spend $140 million to improve the embattled Unemployment Insurance Agency (UIA).
When Michigan’s unemployment rate spiked to 22.7% in April 2020 after COVID-19 and an economic shutdown, the UIA often failed to provide timely benefits to eligible Michiganders.
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