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Line 5 still halted as judge deliberates
By: Laina G. Stebbins - June 30, 2020
All 645 miles of Enbridge’s Line 5 oil pipeline remain shut down Tuesday evening, after four and a half hours of oral arguments in Attorney General Dana Nessel’s lawsuit against the Canadian oil company did not end in a determination from Ingham County Circuit Court Judge James Jamo. Tuesday’s hearing hinged specifically on Nessel’s request […]
Dem bill bans tear gas, GOP bills establish crimes of ‘anarchy’
By: Laina G. Stebbins - June 30, 2020
As protests against racism and police brutality persist in Michigan and beyond, two pieces of legislation introduced in the state House last week illustrate just how differently Democrat and Republican lawmakers are approaching the issue. House Bill 5925, introduced by state Rep. Kara Hope (D-Holt), would create the “tear gas prohibition act.” The legislation would […]
1st BLM-organized rally brings thousands to Lansing in peaceful celebration of Black lives
By: Laina G. Stebbins - June 30, 2020
At the largest rally yet in defense of Black lives in Lansing, thousands of attendees gathered on a hot Monday afternoon for four and a half hours of live music, talks about racial injustice and calls to action on the Capitol lawn. More than 2,000 people showed up for the event, the first of its […]
Enbridge: Boat anchor, wire cable may have caused Line 5 damage
By: Laina G. Stebbins - June 29, 2020
Embattled Canadian oil company Enbridge has still not been able to determine how an anchor support holding up the east segment of the Line 5 pipeline was damaged, according to court documents submitted to the Ingham County Circuit Court Monday. Enbridge does, however, raise the possibility that a boat anchor caused the damage to the […]
Nessel got Line 5 shut down, for now. Enviros say Whitmer can shut it down for good.
By: Laina G. Stebbins - June 27, 2020
At long last, environmentally minded Michiganders got their wish this week as Canadian oil company Enbridge was forced to halt operations on its controversial oil pipeline, Line 5. Attorney General Dana Nessel had called for, and was subsequently granted, the court-ordered shutdown on Thursday. That action, however, is only temporary. Long-term solutions rely on Gov. […]
Michigan COVID-19 cases rising again with 389 new cases Friday
By: Laina G. Stebbins - June 26, 2020
The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) reported Friday that 62,695 Michiganders have tested positive for COVID-19 and 5,888 have died from the virus — an additional 389 cases and two deaths since Thursday. At least 63 cases are from individuals who visited Harper’s Restaurant and Brew Pub in East Lansing between June […]
Moss on LGBTQ Pride Month: ‘I’m begging for respect in the chamber’
By: Laina G. Stebbins - June 25, 2020
For the sixth time as a state lawmaker, state Sen. Jeremy Moss (D-Southfield) on Wednesday urged his colleagues in the Senate to pass a resolution recognizing June as LGBTQ Pride Month. And for the sixth time, both chambers of the GOP-controlled Legislature opted out of voting on such measures. “I’m begging for respect in the […]
Breaking: Judge grants AG’s request for temporary Line 5 shutdown
By: Laina G. Stebbins - June 25, 2020
Updated, 1:40 p.m. and 5:39 p.m. with comments from Nessel, Whitmer and Enbridge A circuit court judge on Thursday granted Attorney General Dana Nessel’s request for a temporary restraining order on Canadian oil company Enbridge’s operation of the Line 5 pipeline, effectively forcing the company to shut down both legs of the dual pipeline within […]
State to clear unemployment backlog by July 4
By: Laina G. Stebbins - June 24, 2020
By the Fourth of July, Michiganders who have not yet heard back about their unemployment benefits should receive a determination either way. Michigan’s Unemployment Insurance Agency (UIA) announced Tuesday that it aims to resolve the 11,824 still-pending claims made prior to May 1 by July 4, clearing about .5% of all claims made since Michigan’s […]
Whitmer: State not yet ready for phase 5 of reopening plan
By: Laina G. Stebbins - June 23, 2020
The rest of Michigan will not be moving into phase five of its COVID-19 reopening plan this week as planned, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer told WWJ News Radio on Tuesday. “My hope was to do it this week — we’re not gonna do it this week. … We’re not in a position to do that yet. […]
Slotkin challenger: ‘All lives matter,’ ‘race nonsense’ is fake
By: Laina G. Stebbins - June 23, 2020
Updated with comment from Slotkin, 2:41 p.m., 6/23/20 One of the GOP challengers to U.S. Rep. Elissa Slotkin (D-Holly), Howell Republican Mike Detmer, said at a recent rally that “this whole race nonsense” is “fake.” Detmer is on video speaking to the crowd gathered for an “American Patriot Rally” in front of the state Capitol […]
Hemond: A lot is negotiable, but not your ‘basic rights as a human being’
By: Laina G. Stebbins - June 23, 2020
Adrian Hemond doesn’t want you to look away from this moment. And even as the CEO of a bipartisan political consulting firm, he’s not afraid to tell you so. Hemond, an African American Democrat who heads the Lansing-based Grassroots Midwest, has never been one to pull punches. A scroll through his Twitter feed is a […]