Michigan Radio

State Senate passes more overnight legislation during marathon lame-duck session

Members of the Michigan Senate were busy Thursday passing more bills during the legislature's lame-duck session. Here’s what you need to know.

Leonard Slatkin (left) is Music Director of the Detroit Symphony, and conductor Chelsea Gallo (right) is pursuing a Doctorate of Musical Arts at the University of Michigan. — Sarah Leeson

Passing the baton: A maestro and young conductor riff on changing classical music industry

Larry Nassar at Eaton County sentencing — Emma Winowiecki / Michigan Radio

The new 233-page Nassar report is worse than you think

Fewer Michiganders are signing up for 'Obamacare' coverage as enrollment deadline looms

By Steve Carmody • 4 hours ago

Time is running out for Michiganders to sign up for health care coverage through the Affordable Care Act.
Midnight Saturday is the deadline to qualify for next year’s health plans.

The bowl system continues to disappoint everyone (who doesn't profit, at least)

By John U. Bacon • 4 hours ago

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John U. Bacon for Friday, December 14, 2018

The people who run all 39 college football bowl games recently picked the 78 teams they want to showcase this holiday season – even though there are only 130 teams to choose from. In other words, they have to dip into the bottom half of teams to fill the bowls.

Auchter's Art: When has Snyder ever given us a reason not to trust him?

By John Auchter • 4 hours ago

On Wednesday this week, Governor Snyder signed a bill into law that will allow a tunnel for a new section of pipeline under the Straits of Mackinac to move forward. The intention is to resolve the status of the Enbridge Line 5 oil pipeline, which currently is laid across the bottom of the Straits and poses a potential for catastrophic disaster.

Livingston County Judge Theresa Brennan charged with three felony counts

By Tracy Samilton • 13 hours ago

The Michigan attorney general's office has issued three felony counts against Livingston County district court Judge Theresa Brennan.

The charges stem from Brennan's 2016 divorce case.

At the 53rd District Court, Judge Theresa Brennan was assigned all divorce cases that didn't involve children. So, in 2016 she was assigned her own divorce case.

Investigators say that rather than immediately recusing herself, she waited, and found out there was a court order for her to preserve evidence on her iPhone. She deleted the evidence, then recused herself, and later lied under oath about what she'd done.

“This is colonialism”: Detroit schools chief blasts lame-duck A-F school grading plan

By Stateside Staff & Virginia Gordan • 19 hours ago

Nikolai Vitti, superintendent of Detroit Public Schools Community District, is strongly opposed to an education bill making its way through the state's lame-duck legislature. SB 5526 narrowly passed with some amendments in the state House around 3 a.m. Thursday morning. The bill goes next to the state Senate.

Public comment on Line 5 tunnel plan open until December 18

By Cheyna Roth • 20 hours ago

Mackinac Bridge — Mark Brush / Michigan Radio

People have until December 18th to weigh in on a plan to build a new section of pipeline under the Straits of Mackinac. The pipeline would be put in a tunnel under the bedrock of the Straits and carry crude oil and natural gas liquids.

Stateside: DPSCD chief blasts state A-F plan; conservatism’s founding father; foster care to college

By Stateside Staff • 20 hours ago

Russell Kirk — Wikimedia Commons / http://j.mp/1SPGCl0

Today, Detroit Public Schools Community District Superintendent Nikolai Vitti joined Stateside to react to a lame-duck bill that would create a statewide A-F grading system for Michigan schools. Plus, what would Michigan native Russell Kirk, a founder of American conservatism, think of the ideology today?

“This is colonialism”: Detroit schools chief blasts lame-duck A-F grading plan

State struggles to connect kids aging out of foster care with educational, vocational opportunities

By Stateside Staff • 20 hours ago

graduation ceremony — Flickr/ ISZL Alumni Relations

A recent national report from the Annie E. Casey Foundation found that Michigan is behind the rest of the country in helping young people move out of the foster care system and onto a successful adult life. In West Virginia, 70 percent of youth transitioning out of foster care got education financial assistance. The national average was 23 percent. Here in Michigan? It was just one percent.

Multiple bomb threats in Michigan Thursday

By Tracy Samilton • 20 hours ago

The Michigan State Police says organizations nationwide have reported receiving emailed and phoned-in bomb threats, including in Michigan.

The law enforcement agency says there been no reports of actual bombs being set off, and that it "does not advise persons to pay the Bitcoin ransom" being demanded in the emails.

Second case of acute flaccid myelitis found in Michigan

By Catherine Shaffer • 20 hours ago

Yue Liu and Michael G. Rossmann, Purdue University / https://www.cdc.gov/

A child from Oakland County has been confirmed as the second case of acute flaccid myelitis in Michigan in 2018. The first case, confirmed earlier this month, was a child from Wayne County.