Politics + Gov
Exclusive: Whitmer’s childcare expansion plan boasts business support
Brian Calley isn’t just a former lieutenant governor and president of the Lansing-based Small Business Association (SBAM). He’s also a busy dad of three kids, ranging in age from 9 to 15. So when he hears from business executives that affordable childcare for their employees is a “major concern,” he notes that he understands the […]
Trump signs bipartisan USMCA trade deal, only invites GOP
President Donald Trump signed the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) Wednesday afternoon. Although the new trade deal had plenty of input from Democratic members of Congress, only Republican lawmakers were invited to the signing ceremony in the White House. The deal cleared the U.S. House of Representatives by a vote of 384-41 in December, and the […]
MSU Republicans host RNC chair for ‘Make Campus Great Again’ rally
Republican National Committee Chair Ronna McDaniel will be at Michigan State University Wednesday night for a “Make Campus Great Again” rally, a takeoff on President Trump’s “Make America Great Again” slogan. The event, hosted by the Republican National Committee and the MSU College Republicans, will take place at the same time as Democratic Gov. Gretchen […]
Incoming MSU student from Iran deported at Detroit airport
Alireza Yazdani Esfidajani, an Iranian Ph.D. student at Michigan State University, was deported Monday after being detained by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents at Detroit Metro Airport. Ghazal Nicole Mehrani, Esfidajani’s attorney, told Michigan Radio he has a valid visa and permission from MSU to study at the university. Mehrani says CBP agents […]
Survey: Whitmer should continue fighting for ‘quality of life’ issues
As Gov. Gretchen Whitmer prepares to offer her second State of the State message Wednesday night, Michigan residents have told a progressive nonprofit in recent months that clean water, education, infrastructure and health care are their top concerns. “In 2019, we saw the governor take action on these issues,” said For Our Future (FOF) spokesperson […]
New: Whitmer to discuss workplace harassment in SOS Wednesday
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer will use her State of the State speech Wednesday night to call out the problems of workplace and online harassment. The governor this month at an event in Saginaw praised Michigan Advance reporter Allison Donahue’s first-person story on Jan. 15 about sexist comments state Sen. Peter Lucido (R-Shelby Twp.) made to her […]
Exclusive: 44% of Michigan maternal deaths are preventable. Whitmer has a plan for that.
Michigan ranks 38th in the nation for infant mortality and 30th for maternal mortality. Detroit’s maternal death rate is three times the national average and pregnant Black women are 4.5 times more likely to die than non-Hispanic white women. And 44% of pregnancy-related deaths were preventable, according to a recent analysis by the Michigan Maternal […]
‘We have an emergency’: U.S. House panel examines Black mothers, babies dying in Michigan
WASHINGTON — Black mothers and babies are dying at staggering rates in Michigan and throughout the United States. The national statistics are alarming: Black women are three to four times more likely to die from pregnancy-related issues than white women, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). American Indian women are also […]
Sen. Santana wants to end ‘prison gerrymandering’
Sen. Sylvia Santana (D-Detroit) has introduced legislation that would require the Michigan Department of Corrections (DOC) to report the pre-incarceration addresses of prisoners when providing 2020 census information for district populations counts. Senate Bill 759 aims to end this practice and prevent another decade of “prison gerrymandering” from occurring that she said unjustly awards extra […]
Osborn on Lucido’s alleged harassment: ‘It just makes you feel powerless’
On Monday, Melissa Osborn described her experience of having inappropriate and unwanted attention from state Sen. Peter Lucido (R-Shelby Twp.) in an interview on WDET’s “Detroit Today” radio show. Osborn, a regulatory and legislative affairs specialist for the Michigan Credit Union League and affiliates, is the second woman to allege Lucido sexually harassed her since […]
Senate passes bill for Michigan toll roads study
A series of roads and transportation bills passed the Michigan Senate today, including legislation to allow a study that would look at the possibility of tolling high-traffic roads across the state as one way to boost infrastructure spending. Senate Bill 517, sponsored by state Sen. John Bizon (R-Battle Creek), would require the Michigan Department of […]
2 join Civil Rights Commission, timeline set to replace Arbulu
The Michigan Civil Rights Commission on Monday approved new leadership and swore in two new commissioners. The panel also approved a timeline and process for selecting a permanent director for the Michigan Department of Civil Rights (MDCR). The commission fired Director Agustin Arbulu in August amid sexual harassment allegations. In November, Mary Engelman, acting Michigan […]