American Indian Services, an organization that has served the Native American community in Southeast Michigan for nearly 50 years, is closing its doors this week. Since 2014, the organization has seen its budget reduced by 67 percent. 

Fay Givens is the executive director of American Indian Services. She says that COVID-19 related budget cuts were the last straw. “We’re so underfunded anyways that we could not bear one more cut.”

I feel the need to let you know — this cartoon was inspired by the first Betsy DeVos story this week:

Several Democratic-led states and the District of Columbia have joined in a lawsuit against Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, accusing the Trump administration of trying to unlawfully divert pandemic relief funds from public schools to private schools.

The ACLU and other civil rights groups are suing the city of Detroit and others over Detroit’s water shutoffs.

Detroit has shut off water service to around 100,000 homes since 2014 for non-payment. Close to 25,000 homes were disconnected in 2019.

Western Lake Erie is expected to see only a moderate bloom of cyanobacteria this summer. The cyanobacteria can produce toxins that are harmful for people and pets.

Scientists from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and regional institutions predict the 2020 summer cyanobacterial bloom will be among the smallest since 2011.

Detroit’s Immigration Task Force is partnering with community organizations to distribute $750,000 in COVID-19 assistance to undocumented immigrants in Detroit. Undocumented immigrants were largely not eligible for the $1,200 stimulus checks many received as a result of the CARES Act. The $750,000 comes in the form of a grant from the Open Society Foundation.

Governor Gretchen Whitmer has signed a directive that will require health care professionals to be trained in ways to guard against bias as a condition of being licensed or re-licensed to practice.

She says that will include courses offered by state-licensed medical schools.

Issues & Ale @ Home
Reforming the Police
Wednesday, July 22, 2020
7:00 - 8:00 PM

After the death of George Floyd and other Black people at the hands of police,  many are saying it's time for major reforms in the way police departments operate. This has included calls to demilitarize and defund police departments while increasing community policing. What are the options being discussed and how could these ensure more equitable treatment for everyone? 

Michigan schools could face an even worse substitute teacher shortage because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The state released guidelines last month outlining students’ return to in-person learning in classrooms, which specifies face coverings and physical distancing requirements.