washington d.c.

Grand Rapids and DC musicians team up to release a new album

Stateside Staff — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 21:36:58 +0000

Midnight Faces is a music duo consisting of Phil Stancil - he's been playing around Grand Rapids since he was in grade school - and Matt Warn - a product of the Philadelphia music scene who now lives in Washington DC.

The pair has been able to work around that distance between Grand Rapids and D.C. to come up with their debut full-length album and gear up to play dates in the U.S. and possibly Japan.

Phil Stancil and Matt Warn joined us from Grand Rapids.

Their website is midnightfaces.com and their album "Fornication" will be released June 18th.

Listen to the full interview above.

Stateside: Second inaugural addresses throughout history

Michigan Radio Newsroom — Mon, 21 Jan 2013 21:34:54 +0000

The following is a summary of a previously recorded interview. To hear the complete segment, click the audio above.

Today, President Barack Obama delivered his second inaugural address.

According to Gleaves Whitney, many second addresses are somber and straightforward.

Whitney directs the Hauenstein Center for Presidential Studies at Grand Valley State University, and he spoke with Cyndy about the history of inaugural addresses.

“I think that Eisenhower was the first and only president to write his prayer into the inaugural address,” said Whitney.

George Washington’s second inaugural speech was the shortest in history, said Whitney.

“Second inaugural addresses usually occur after the president has been chastened by experience. The lofty optimism that often characterizes first inaugural addresses is missing," he continued.

For the entire interview, listen to the above audio.

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Congressmen from opposite sides of MI, political aisle, make friends

Lindsey Smith — Sat, 21 May 2011 19:02:43 +0000

A republican congressman from West Michigan and a democrat from Detroit held a joint town hall meeting today Saturday in Grand Rapids. The two freshmen lawmakers have bonded in the nation’s capitol and want to show people some politicians do get along.

http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/michigan/local-michigan-969930.mp3

Congressman Justin Amash is a tea party favorite from West Michigan. Congressman Hansen Clarke is a democrat from Detroit.

Pete Hoekstra joins law firm - lobbying group

Mark Brush — Tue, 01 Feb 2011 22:02:43 +0000

Update 5:02 p.m.:

A representative from Dickstein Shapiro LLP spoke with Michigan Radio's Lindsey Smith. The rep. told Smith that Hoekstra plans to continue living in Holland. Hoekstra will apparently split his time (50/50) between home and Washington D.C. for now.

No word yet on whether Hoekstra is looking for a couch to crash on in D.C.

3:39 p.m.:

Former West Michigan Congressman Pete Hoekstra has a new job.

He'll be working as a senior advisor to Dickstein Shapiro LLP, a law firm and lobbying group with offices in Washington D.C., California, Connecticut, and New York.

Going from a member on Capitol Hill to a member of a group that lobbies Capitol Hill is a common path for many former members of Congress.

Hoekstra will join former Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert and former Senator Tom Hutchinson at the firm.

In the firm's press release, Hoekstra said he looks forward to collaborating with Hutchinson and Hastert on a "daily basis," and using his expertise in "strategic and contingency planning":

"National security—from homegrown terrorism to cyberwarfare —continues, by necessity, to be a governmental imperative at all levels, and lawmakers in Washington make crucial decisions every day that impact corporations across America. As the Republican leadership in the U.S. House seeks to rein in federal spending, and as these important issues continue to loom large, there are few things more important than seasoned strategic counsel who understand the nuanced interworkings of government. Dickstein Shapiro has what it takes."

Before he left, Hoekstra was the ranking Republican and a former chairman of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence.

Snyder announces director of state's D.C. office

Zoe Clark — Thu, 02 Dec 2010 12:42:00 +0000

Governor-elect Rick Snyder has chosen Bill McBride to be director of the State of Michigan Washington, D.C. office. McBride was a deputy chief of staff for former-Governor of Michigan John Engler. McBride currently is chief of staff to Michigan Republican Congressman Vern Ehlers of Grand Rapids.

In a statement released yesterday, Snyder said:

Michigan’s Congressional delegation will have significant influence in the upcoming Congress since our U.S. Senators and Representatives will chair key committees. Bill McBride’s experience and impressive working relationships on both sides of the aisle make him an outstanding choice to head up our Washington D.C. office.

Snyder takes the oath of office on January 1st, 2011.