obama

Biden rallies labor workers in Detroit

Kate Wells — Mon, 03 Sep 2012 20:16:41 +0000

Vice President Joe Biden took the spotlight at Detroit’s Labor Day parade. It's one more sign that the auto bailout is shaping up as a central theme of the Obama-Biden campaign.

Last week Republican nominee Mitt Romney asked Americans if they were better off today than four years ago. Now comes part of the Democrats’ response: you sure are if you’re an auto worker.

Commentary: The Health Care Decision

Jack Lessenberry — Thu, 28 Jun 2012 16:45:04 +0000

Last night I was thinking of a moment in American history not that long ago, when a newly elected conservative Republican President had to choose a new Chief Justice of the Supreme Court.

The president was neither a scholar, a lawyer, nor an intellectual, and his choice filled the legal community with dismay. He picked a former governor and failed vice presidential candidate who had never served a day as a judge.

Michigan State University physics project gets a boost

The Associated Press — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 22:34:00 +0000

EAST LANSING, Mich. (AP) - U.S. Sens. Carl Levin and Debbie Stabenow say a Senate subcommittee has significantly increased the recommended annual funding for a planned $600 million physics research facility at Michigan State University.

The Michigan Democrats said Tuesday that the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Energy and Water has budgeted $30 million in the 2013 fiscal year for the Facility for Rare Isotope Beams.

That's up from $22 million that President Barack Obama recommended Feb. 13 in his budget proposal. About $55 million in funding was stipulated by the original agreement.

Michigan State won a national competition to land the project in December 2008, and design work is under way.

Levin and Stabenow say construction of the facility will create about 5,000 construction jobs, with 400 permanent jobs after completion.

President Obama will make a statement on the downgrading of US credit

Michigan Radio Newsroom — Mon, 08 Aug 2011 17:38:45 +0000

The White House has announced President Obama will make a statement shortly. We expect the president to address the downgrading of US credit. Click the "listen live" button above, to stream special coverage from NPR.

Pres. Obama marks the end of government ownership of Chrysler

Steve Carmody — Fri, 03 Jun 2011 18:17:15 +0000

President Obama congratulated a crowd of Chrysler auto workers today in Toledo for their hard work as he stood surrounded by an assembly line of Jeeps. He stressed the importance of the 2008 bailout of Chrysler and G-M to the rest of the auto industry, including Ford:

Michigan Senator Carl Levin defends president's handling of Libya

Steve Carmody — Wed, 23 Mar 2011 19:26:31 +0000

Michigan U.S. Senator Carl Levin is defending President Obama’s decision to get involved in the war in Libya. Critics have complained the president waited too long to act or should have kept the U.S out of the conflict. Levin says the president has chosen the right course.

“He has proceeded in a way which is cautious and thoughtful.”

Levin says the president has worked well with European and Arab allies to put pressure on Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi.

“The long term goal is to keep the pressure on to have him be removed."

Levin expects the Congress will ask the president to comply with the War Powers Act next week. The president will then have three months to respond to Congress’ request for information about the decision to bomb Libya.

Levin is the chairman of the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee.

Pres. Obama picking against Michigan teams in NCAA tournament

Steve Carmody — Wed, 16 Mar 2011 19:17:47 +0000

The NCAA Men’s basketball tournament begins in earnest tomorrow. But one very well-known basketball fan expects no team with ties to Michigan will reach the Sweet 16.

The White House released President Obama’s brackets today.

In this morning's news...

Mark Brush — Tue, 15 Feb 2011 14:03:54 +0000

The end of Borders

Borders Book Group Inc. can't pay its bills.

Several reports say the company is expected to file for bankruptcy sometime this week. From Reuters:

Bookseller Borders Group Inc is reviewing bids from liquidators to close hundreds of stores as it works out the final details of its impending bankruptcy filing, according to people close to the talks. The review is part of its plan to close about 200 of its 650 stores, which are a mix of Borders superstores and smaller Waldenbooks shops, these people said. The store closings will remove weak stores that have bled the retail chain's cash in recent years and provide immediate funds from the sale of inventory.

A Border's spokesman is quoted in the report saying, "Borders will not comment or speculate upon Borders' future course. If and when the company has something to disclose, it will do so."

President's Obama's Budget proposal and Michigan

President Obama released his budget proposal to Congress yesterday saying "Even as we cut out things that we can afford to do without, we have a responsibility to invest in those areas that will have the biggest impact in our future."

The Detroit Free Press says the President's budget is a "mixed bag" for Michigan. On the up side, the budget continues to invest in advanced vehicle technology research, it asks that a $7,500 rebate be put in place to encourage electric vehicle purchases (instead of a tax credit), and it would help the state avoid a big payment it owes the federal government for borrowing money to cover unemployment benefits.

And the down side? From the Freep:

...it cuts in half a program to help poor people pay energy bills, cuts community block grants and Great Lakes restoration funding and ends plans to build an amphibious Marine Corps vehicle that could have created hundreds of Michigan jobs.

A big day for Flint

The city of Flint will likely find out today whether it can go to the bond market to cover it's $17 million budget deficit.

The State Administrative Board is meeting today at 11 a.m. to decide the city's fate.

If the plan is not approved, the State of Michigan may eventually have to take over the city's finances.

City Administrator Greg Eason told WJRT:

"This stabilization bond is critical to the survival of the city over the next three to five years."

Changes to Pell Grant program may leave Michigan college students felling shortchanged

Steve Carmody — Mon, 14 Feb 2011 22:11:19 +0000

Michigan college students might have a more difficult time affording summer school classes. There’s a debate in Congress that might put restrictions on one certain type of federal tuition assistance.

Pell Grants help many financially needy students afford college classes. For example, 15 hundred Wayne State University students used their Pell grants to pay for classes last summer.

But

Mark Brush — Thu, 10 Feb 2011 19:15:01 +0000

Here's a copy of the President's "Win the Future" speech at Northern Michigan University today:

Hello, Marquette! It is good to be in the U.P. It is good to be at Northern Michigan University!

So, I have to say, I think some folks on my staff have it out for me. Not because it’s 10 degrees here – I can handle that. It’s because for the second time in two weeks, not long after my Bears went down, they’ve sent me to a town with a bunch of Green Bay Packer fans, even if we are in Michigan. But I congratulate all the fans here, and we’ll see the Packers at the White House.

Of course, I haven’t come to Marquette to talk about winning the Super Bowl. I’ve come here because it’s towns like this where the jobs and businesses of tomorrow will take root. It’s towns like this where our economic future will be won.

Live Stream of President Obama in Marquette

Mark Brush — Thu, 10 Feb 2011 18:00:00 +0000

JOIN THE LIVE CHAT

VISIT WHITEHOUSE.GOV

Michigan Attorney General praises 'unconstitutional' ruling of nation's health care reform law

Steve Carmody — Mon, 31 Jan 2011 22:43:00 +0000

Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette is praising Monday’s ruling by a federal judge calling the health care reform law unconstitutional.

Michigan is among 26 states which sued to stop the law from taking effect.

Schuette says the law’s mandate that all Americans buy health insurance is an overreach by the federal government.

"This is a big decision to protect the Constitution and to defend the rights of Michigan taxpayers."

Schuette expects the U.S. Supreme Court will eventually have to step in to decide whether the federal Health Care Reform law is constitutional.

Federal judge issues ruling in health care reform law challenge

Steve Carmody — Mon, 31 Jan 2011 20:21:52 +0000

A federal judge in Florida has ruled sections of the health care reform law are unconstitutional.

The judge specifically cited the 'Commerce Clause' in the U.S.

Congressman Hoekstra condemns Wikileaks

Zoe Clark — Mon, 29 Nov 2010 17:19:39 +0000

Michigan Congressman Pete Hoekstra is condemning the latest Wikileaks disclosure of thousands of classified documents.

Republican Hoekstra, who represents Michigan’s 2^nd District, says the leaks undermine U.S. credibility in the world.

The Associated Press reported:

Hoekstra said the disclosure of previously secret diplomatic cables, documents and e-mails secrets puts America's diplomats in "a very awkward position." He said some of the material in the roughly 250,000 released documents is "gossip," but added that there's also material on supersensitive negotiations between the United States and Pakistan on a deal aimed at controlling nuclear proliferation.

Hoekstra, who appeared this morning on CBS's "The Early Show" and ABC's "Good Morning America," is urging the Obama administration to classify Wikileaks as a terrorist organization.

GM IPO largest on record, taxpayers recover billions

Mark Brush — Thu, 18 Nov 2010 22:10:04 +0000

Update: 5:10pm

The New York Stock Exchanged closed. AFP News reports "GM stocks closed at 34.19 dollars, up 3.6 percent from GM's initial sale price announced on Wednesday, but below session highs of 35.60 dollars a share."

Update: 3:00pm

The Detroit News reports the GM executives who attended the opening day for GM stock on the New York Stock Exchange bought hundreds of shares in the company themselves.

GM North American chief Mark Reuss called it an emotional day, saying he was proud to work for GM and thanking taxpayers for giving GM "a second chance."

The News reports the GM execs will head back to Detroit "after today's events in order to attend a private employee celebration at the company's Renaissance Center headquarters."

Update: 11:04pm

GM executives rang the bell and played a recording of a Chevy Camaro revving its engine to open trading at the New York Stock Exchange this morning. As of this writing, the stock, bought during the IPO at $33 per share, has jumped to $35 per share in trading. Here's how it's tracking next to Ford's stock (F):