COVID-19 recession could trigger a surprise tax cut in Michigan
By Jonathan Oosting (Bridge) LANSING — Michiganders could be in line for a surprise tax cut because of the coronavirus pandemic and recession – if state officials don’t stop it first. A little-known provision in a 2015 road funding law signed by then-Gov. Rick Snyder requires Michigan to automatically lower its income tax rate if revenue flowing […]
Feds demand answers from Whitmer on Michigan nursing home deaths
By Jonathan Oosting (Bridge) LANSING – The U.S. Department of Justice announced Wednesday it is seeking data from Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and three other Democratic governors who “issued orders which may have resulted in the deaths of thousands of elderly nursing home residents.” Much of the data is already publicly available, but the department […]
Most Michigan students have option: Return to class or learn at home
By Ron French (Bridge) Most Michigan school districts will give students at least the option of returning to classrooms, according to a study released Friday. The study, by the Education Policy Innovation Collaborative at Michigan State University, which examined the school reopening plans of more than 800 school districts and charter schools, found that 86 […]
Central Michigan started class Monday. By Friday: 38 coronavirus cases
by Ron French, Robin Erb (Bridge) By Friday, the end of the first week of classes at Central Michigan University, there were 38 confirmed cases of coronavirus connected to students, and the college was warning that the campus could switch to remote learning if “selfish” students keep throwing parties. The number of coronavirus cases connected […]
Despite FDA delay, Michigan to keep using convalescent plasma for COVID-19
by Kate Wells, Michigan Radio (Bridge) Michigan hospitals will keep using convalescent plasma to treat certain COVID-19 patients — they’ll just have to keep jumping through certain hoops to do it. That’s after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration reportedly delayed authorizing the experimental treatment for “emergency use.” That authorization — if it is eventually […]
Relief, optimism, and mistrust greet $600M Flint water lawsuit settlement
by Jonathan Oosting, Riley Beggin (Bridge) LANSING — Half a decade after LeAnne Walters helped expose the Flint water crisis, the mother of four says she and her children still suffer from rashes because of the stew of toxins they ingested through their tap. Her twin boys Gavin and Garrett, now 9 years old, […]
Feds OK extra $300 a week for Michigan jobless – but it may not last long
by Jonathan Oosting (Bridge) LANSING — Nearly a million Michiganders who have lost jobs during the coronavirus pandemic will eventually qualify for $300 per week in extra unemployment benefits, but the payments could take weeks to arrive and may not last long. The Federal Emergency Management Agency on Friday approved Michigan’s application for the temporary […]
Whitmer wins another round over executive powers. On to the Supreme Court
by Riley Beggin (Bridge) Gov. Gretchen Whitmer does indeed have the legal right to continue extending a state of emergency during the coronavirus pandemic without approval from the Legislature, the Michigan Court of Appeals ruled Friday morning. The 2-1 decision upholds a lower court ruling siding with Whitmer and affirming the constitutionality of the Emergency […]
Michigan to identify schools with COVID outbreaks. In a couple of weeks.
by Robin Erb, Ron French (Bridge) Michigan’s top health official said Friday the state will release the names of more than a dozen K-12 schools and colleges where there have been confirmed COVID-19 outbreaks. But she said her office can’t do so for an undetermined number of weeks. The state first has to cobble together […]
Michigan businesses want cut of millions from uncollected pop returnables
by Kelly House (Bridge) As Michiganders continue to liquidate stockpiles of returnable bottles and cans amassed during the coronavirus shutdown, beverage industry officials are pushing for a cut of the deposits. At a press event Wednesday, they advocated for legislation that would give beverage distributors a portion of the multimillion-dollar pool of uncollected returns that now goes […]
