Rina Miller

If the constant stream of what seems like contradictory economic news leaves you feeling confused, join the club.

Headline No. 1: “Midwest economy slows.”

No. 2: “Michigan surpasses 48 states in growth.”

And No. 3: “Michigan has fourth-highest number of layoffs.”

These are all true stories about the third quarter.

Bob Tomarelli is an analyst with IHS. He says the stories just reflect different aspects of the economy.

“It is doing better," Tomarelli says. "It is recovering at a decent pace, a very quick pace. But things are still not great because it was hit so very hard.”

Tomarelli says most of the 100,000 jobs added in the third quarter were in professional business services and manufacturing. But he says that boost is probably temporary.

So while they are getting a nice short-term burst that’s adding to payrolls and creating some jobs, or at least bringing some jobs back, it is not expected to keep up at that pace, and in the long run is actually expected to decline.”

Most of Michigan’s 29,000 layoffs were in government and financial sectors.

A West Michigan dairy farm that sold cows for slaughter  with illegal levels of antibiotics will be in court Monday.

Scenic View Dairy has about 10,000 cows at its five farms. The dairy has been repeatedly warned about selling cows with excessive levels of antibiotics, but it says public health was never at risk.

Now Scenic View is fighting an order requiring veterinarians to diagnose all sick cattle at its farms.

Professor Dan Grooms is with Michigan State University's College of Veterinary Medicine. He said state inspectors used to do that work, but because of budget cuts, farm employees or members of milk co-ops do it now.

“They train them how to -- if it’s something that looks unusual -- that’s when you need to be calling me as a veterinarian," Grooms said. "So they train them to recognize common diseases, and then the appropriate intervention strategy for that disease."

Drug residues in food can lead to long-term resistance of bacteria to antibiotics.

A disease that can quickly kill dogs has resurfaced in metro Detroit after almost 40 years.

It’s called leptospirosis.

The bacterial disease is spread by rats, and from dog to dog. It can also infect humans.

Dr. Carole Bolin is a professor at Michigan State University College of Veterinary Medicine.

She said the onset of symptoms in dogs can be very sudden.

“The inside of their mouth may be yellow-tinged, and they may be severely vomiting, and obviously very, very ill," Bolin said. "And those animals, when taken to the veterinarian, have very severe abnormalities which are consistent with liver and kidney failure.”

Bolin said more than 20 cases of leptospirosis have been reported in Detroit-area dogs in the past three weeks. Most were pets and most had to be euthanized.

A vaccine is available to prevent the disease.

Troubles are mounting for Wayne County Executive Robert Ficano. A federal investigation and a recall effort are now under way.

An outcry over a 200-thousand-dollar payout given to Wayne County’s former development director is being investigated by the FBI, which served subpoenas this week asking for information about Turkia Mullin’s severance pay.

On Thursday, Ficano ended severance payments for all political appointees.

But Wayne County Commissioner Bernard Parker said there are still unanswered questions about the commission’s responsibilities:

"Do we have anything to do with the contracts for personnel? The administration says no," Parker said. "We think we should. Should all contracts come to us to be approved?  Again, there’s a difference on that.”

Former federal prosecutor Richard Convertino is leading the effort to recall Ficano.

Convertino, an attorney from Plymouth, represents a man who filed a whistleblower suit against Wayne County.

Snyder in no hurry to spend projected surplus

Governor Rick Snyder says he would prefer to wait and see what direction the economy takes before making decisions on how to use a projected budget surplus. Snyder says he is no rush to restore funding to schools or other programs. Budget watchdogs predict the state is in line for a windfall of around $430 million once the books are closed on the fiscal year that ended last month.

FBI gets involved in Wayne County severance probe

Tough times are likely to continue for most of the state’s local governments.

The Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy at the University of Michigan asked about the financial condition of the state’s cities, townships,  villages and counties.

“For most jurisdictions in the state of Michigan, things are bad and continuing to get worse," says Tom Ivacko, a Ford School spokesman.

Ivacko says some places are doing better because of a slowdown in property tax declines. He says that could be attributed to fewer foreclosures in the wake of widespread processing fraud.

He says communities are still struggling with state-aid cuts and increasing infrastructure needs.

The Michigan Public Policy Survey also finds local governments are trying to cope with the loss of revenue by collaborating with other governments.

Some tap into their general fund and "rainy-day" balances to offset the drop in revenue.

The survey found many employees are paying more for their health care coverage, that local governments are decreasing staffing, and in some cases the number of services they provide.

Some local governments are charging more for fees, licenses and permits.

Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney is outpacing all other candidates in fund-raising  Michigan – including President Obama.

Mitt Romney’s roots go deep in Michigan. He was born and raised here. His father was governor from 1963 to 1969.

Inside Michigan Politics editor Bill Ballenger says Romney’s got a widespread net of supporters.

"Mitt Romney is so far ahead, it’s not even a contest," Ballenger says. "And no other presidential candidate even has a presence in Michigan.”

Bridge vote could come soon

A vote could come this week on a proposed second bridge connecting Detroit to Canada. Many Republicans remain skeptical that Michigan taxpayers won't assume  any financial risk despite Canada's promise to pay all the construction costs. However, state Sen. Dave Hildenbrand (R-Lowell Township), says campaigns against the bridge have contributed to misformation about the project. Hildenbrand says the bridge should project should be considered.  The owners of the Ambassador bridge oppose the plan. They stand to lose business if a second bridge is built.

Federal money to help pay for state transportation projects

Almost $47 million in funding for transportation projects is coming  Michigan's Way. U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood announced 16 Michigan projects during a visit to Dearborn Monday. The funding includes $2 million for a study of running light rail to Detroit's northern suburbs, and $6 million to replace Detroit buses.

Need for construction, skilled-trade workers growing

Demand for construction and skilled-trade workers is growing in Michigan, and apprentice programs are gearing up to fill the need. The Michigan Department of Technology, Management and Budget says the  number of construction and related jobs in the state is projected to grow nearly 7 percent by the year 2018.

A pair of presidents to tour Lake Orion GM plant

President Obama will be in southeast Michigan today to promote a new  free trade agreement with South Korea. President Obama is scheduled to tour General Motor’s assembly plant in Lake Orion. South Korea’s president will accompany Obama.  Congress this week approved a new free trade agreement with South Korea.  South Korea is the world’s 13th largest economy.

Governor orders review of indigent legal defense system

Governor Snyder has ordered a review of how Michigan ensures that people charged with crimes are properly represented in court – even when they cannot afford to pay an attorney. The state's criminal justice system is often ranked among the worst in the country because it does not guarantee poor people get a proper defense.

Unlimited injury benefits may end

Michigan's House Insurance Committee Thursday approved a bill that would get rid of unlimited medical coverage to drivers in serious car accidents. The state's insurance commissioner says the move could help make auto insurance more affordable for the 20% of Michigan drivers who carry no coverage. Critics say the limits will leave some people unable to pay for catastrophic care. They also claim coverage wouldn't cost much less than it does now. The proposal now moves to the House floor.

A U.S. Senate report says a 2004 tax break let American companies bring back billions of dollars in offshore earnings at a very low tax rate.

Senator Carl Levin of Michigan says companies including Coca-Cola, IBM and Pfizer got a windfall, but didn’t live up to their promises:

"There was no way to make sure that when they brought the money back they would use it for what they use it for – which was to create jobs and have more R&D – research and development,” Levin says.

Instead, Levin says the companies cut jobs and research, while executive pay went up.

He says if Washington repeats the offshore tax break, the treasury will lose up to $80 billion over ten years.

Other companies that took the repatriating tax break include Altria, Bristol-Myers Squibb, DuPont, Eli Lilly, Hewlett-Packard, Intel, Johnson & Johnson, Merck, Oracle, and Procter & Gamble.

V.P. Biden gets visit from "Occupy" protesters in Grand Rapids

People inspired by the “Occupy Wall Street” protests in New York showed up at a Democratic fundraiser hosted by Vice President Joe Biden Wednesday evening. Biden made stops in Flint and Grand Rapids to promote President Obama’s American Jobs Act before switching to campaign mode. Michigan Radio's Lindsey Smith reports at least 50 protesters marched on the sidewalk outside the $500 per dinner private event. The event raised money for the 2012 presidential election.

Proposed U.S.-Canada bridge still a contentious issue

A proposal to build a second bridge between Detroit and Canada appears to be the cause of a fierce divide among Republicans in the state Senate. The chairman of the committee handling the proposal does not seem to have enough support among Republican colleagues to vote on the issue. State Senate Majority Leader Randy Richardville said if that’s the case he will most likely take on the issue in a committee he chairs and move it along quickly.

"We would still take a hard look at it and take some open testimony, but we’re not going to rehash everything that’s been done for the last nine months,”  Richardville said.

Secretary of State calls for no-reason absentee voting

Michigan Secretary of State Ruth Johnson said Michigan should allow anyone to vote by absentee ballot without having to give a reason why they cannot make it to a polling place on Election Day. It’s one of several election proposals she outlined.

They also include cleaning voter rolls of dead people, those who have moved, and non-citizens.  Johnson said people should be allowed to cast absentee ballots without giving a reason why they cannot show up at a polling place on Election Day.

There’s not a lot of industry inside Michigan’s prisons right now. Most of the jobs involve making prison or guard uniforms.

Dan Heyns says he wants to change that.

The new head of the Michigan Department of Corrections says prisoners should be learning job skills they can use when they’re released.

Heyns has formed a woring group of the state’s 33 prison wardens to look at some options for inmates. Learning the construction trade is one of them.

Another option is for prisons to partner with communities, cleaning up parks, for example.

“There are an awful lot of projects in communities – because they’re so cash-strapped – that wouldn’t get done if not for access to a reasonably cheap labor force," Heyns says.

He says the community projects would give taxpayers something in return for the $2 billion dollar annual state corrections budget.

Heyns also says construction skills would be useful for inmates to learn. He suggested former prisoners could build Department of Natural Resources huts or migrant housing units.

General Motors is adding another electric car to its lineup.

The Chevy Spark will be marketed as the perfect city car,  which translates to "small."

There will be a gas version of the Spark, and GM said in what it called a “surprise announcement" today it will make an all-electric version, too.

The next great medical invention might not come from a scientist or a doctor, but from a design student.

The Henry Ford Health System Innovation Institute is working with students from Detroit’s College for Creative Studies and with Wayne State University engineering students.

Dr. Scott Dulchavsky, Henry Ford’s chairman of surgery, says students often see things in ways people who work in the medical profession don’t.

A Michigan lawmaker is challenging Gov. Snyder to experience firsthand how poor people live.

Rashida Tlaib, a Democrat from Detroit, says the governor should try living on food stamps for one week.

Former Gov. Jennifer Granholm did it in 2008, and lived on $5.87 worth of food per day, per person.

Tlaib  hasn't heard from Gov. Snyder, but she thinks he'll respond.

"I actually think Gov. Snyder might take on the challenge," Tlaib says.

Tlaib’s challenge comes after the state put a 48-month lifetime limit on cash assistance benefits.