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Audit of unemployment agency found fraud during pandemic, UIA says report is missing context
The Michigan Unemployment Insurance Agency (UIA) said Friday that the Office of Auditor General (OAG) missed some important context after finding fraud, technology issues, financial waivers and other issues by the UIA during the pandemic. UIA Director Julia Dale said in a Friday statement that the OAG’s audit is “rehashing” old findings and “is not […]
Ottawa Co. Board offers top health job to anti-masker — but state must approve
The far-right Republicans who have taken their place on the Ottawa County Board of Commissioners and made sweeping changes to departments this week want Nathaniel Kelly, who has railed against masking to stop the spread of COVID-19, to lead the county health department. However, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) said county […]
Whitmer celebrates FDA’s decision to expand access to medication abortion
After making multiple requests to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA), Gov. Gretchen Whitmer celebrated Wednesday the federal government’s decision to make medication abortion available at pharmacies with a prescription. “Last year, I called on the FDA multiple times to remove burdensome restrictions on mifepristone, abortion medication that is safer than Tylenol, Viagra, and […]
Whitmer appoints Sandy Pierce to fill seat on troubled MSU Board of Trustees
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer appointed Sandy Pierce to the Michigan State University Board of Trustees last month after a tumultuous few years of controversies among the university’s board and top leaders. Whitmer said she chose Pierce to succeed Republican Pat O’Keefe, who resigned in November, because Pierce “leads with her values and has decades of experience […]
Whitmer vetoes cannabis, retirement bills she says were ‘rushed through lame duck’
Before closing out the end of the year, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer last month vetoed 11 marijuana, retirement and tax-related bills and signed into law another six bills passed by the GOP-majority Legislature. This year, Democrats are in charge of both the House and the Senate. Whitmer said in her veto letter to the Legislature on […]
Will Michigan’s crisis pregnancy centers be more regulated in 2023?
Abortion advocates say that so-called “crisis pregnancy centers” are spreading misinformation and they hope Michigan lawmakers can step in to end the deception. House Bill 6530, introduced by state Rep. Jeff Pepper (D-Dearborn) last month, precludes unlicensed pregnancy information centers from providing false information to people who seek their services. Crisis pregnancy centers (CPCs) are […]
Inflation hits Michigan food banks hard as statewide need increases during the holidays
Some food banks in Michigan are spending significantly more than what they normally would to stock shelves this holiday season as inflation strains the food supply chain in the state. Phil Knight, the executive director of the Food Bank Council of Michigan, said food distribution was at its peak last year during the pandemic when […]
Here are the top reproductive rights stories from the year and the voices who helped tell them
Abortion was one of the biggest issues of the year in Michigan after federal protections of reproductive rights fell in June. A flurry of legal action kept abortion care legal in the state while advocates worked to pass Proposal 3 and enshrine abortion rights in the Michigan Constitution. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled on June […]
Jan. 6 committee releases testimony of Ryan Kelley, two fake Michigan electors
The U.S. House committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol released 34 transcripts this week that they compiled throughout their investigation, including interviews with three Michigan Republican leaders tied to former President Donald Trump’s attempt to overturn the 2020 election. The committee released transcripts of testimony from Ryan Kelley, former GOP […]
Study: COVID vaccines saved 3M lives and millions from the hospital, but people aren’t getting the booster
A new study found that more than 3 million lives in the U.S. were likely saved and 18.5 million people were kept out of the hospital thanks to COVID-19 vaccines. Researchers from the Commonwealth Fund and Yale School of Public Health tracked age-stratified demographics, risk factors and the dynamics of infection and vaccination to understand […]
Educators, experts say retention, exemptions in 3rd grade reading law are ‘inequitable’
Dan Applegate, superintendent of Niles Community Schools in Berrien County, said his district had 10 third-grade students out of nearly 300 who tested below the state’s cutoff point for reading proficiency last school year. Under Michigan’s Read by Grade 3 law, the 10 students were eligible to be held back for another school year. But […]
After Proposal 3’s passage, Whitmer requires state depts. to better protect reproductive rights
Following the passage of Proposal 3 in November, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed an executive directive Wednesday instructing state departments and agencies to review aspects of reproductive rights that fall within their jurisdiction and identify ways they can protect and increase protections for abortion care. Proposal 3, which codifies the right to abortion and other reproductive […]