Emma Winowiecki

CBD, the non-psychoactive compound of marijuana, is becoming popular for people and pets alike. You can find CBD oil in cookies, gummies, teas, lotions, and, yes, pet treats. These products claim to treat stress, anxiety, pain, and more — although research on the subject is still undecided.

But if you were to go to a veterinarian in Michigan and ask about the possible benefits or side effects of marijuana for your pet, they legally could not discuss it with you.

On December 20, a neon green slime was discovered leaking onto I-696 in Madison Heights. 

The National Weather Service is predicting a massive storm across the Midwest this weekend. 

In Michigan, a variety of snow, freezing rain, and flood warnings have been issued, and are in place from 10 p.m. Friday until 10 p.m. Sunday. That could mean widespread power outages, downed trees and wires, and difficult traveling conditions throughout the state.

Former Michigan State University head football coach George Perles has died. He was 85.

At MSU, Perles was a player, coach, athletic director, and university trustee. 

After a years-long battle, two class-action lawsuits against the Michigan Department of Corrections have reached a settlement. The lawsuits were brought by hundreds of juvenile prisoners who allege the MDOC failed to protect them against sexual abuse while serving time in adult prisons.

These are the stories only Michigan Radio reporters could bring you. 

When it's a big year for news, political cartoonists have plenty of material. Michigan Radio cartoonist John Auchter definitely took advantage of this year's chaotic news cycle.

2019 was such a big year for news, we couldn’t fit it all in a single round-up. But here are some of the biggest stories that has Michigan talking this year.

2019 was one of the hottest, wettest years on record. 

Reps. Haley Stevens (D-MI 11)  and Debbie Dingell (D-MI 12) say they will vote in favor of both articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump.

That means all seven Michigan House Democrats, and Independent Rep. Justin Amash, will vote yes on impeachment. The state's six House Republicans plan to vote no.

Updated December 11, 2019 at 5:29 p.m.:

The Legislature has adopted more measures that are part of a deal to end the budget standoff with Governor Gretchen Whitmer.

House and Senate appropriations committee voted Wednesday to reverse some actions taken by a state executive branch board. The restored funds include money for adult foster care and child care.

Dungeons & Dragons is having a cultural revival, and not just in Hawkins. In Ann Arbor, the tabletop fantasy roleplaying game is being played regularly by all kinds of people — including those nerdy kids-now-adults that played it in the 1970s and 80s.

Kids like Al McWilliams. When he heard a friend was playing D&D, McWilliams recalls, he instantly wanted in.

It's happening. Starting Sunday, December 1, 2019, Michiganders over the age of 21 will be able to purchase recreational marijuana from licensed retailers.

But you can’t just walk down to your nearest pot shop without a medical card and stock up. The licensing process is still in the very early stages, and only a handful of businesses will be open starting on Sunday.

On September 30, Governor Gretchen Whitmer issued line-item vetoes worth $947 million of the $59.9 billion state budget plan. She also received approval from a state board to shift $625 million within state departments to better reflect her budget priorities.

Michigan Radio is hiring a newsroom intern for January through May 2020.

This paid internship involves assisting with reporting and production of Michigan Radio’s daily news product. The internship will require applicants to handle tasks involved in the everyday operation of a radio newsroom. The internships are writing intensive with duties including collecting and editing audio. Writing news copy, and attending press conferences.

The internship will provide instruction in the everyday operation of how a radio station newsroom operates.

Thanksgiving is a time to reflect on the past year, to reconnect with family and friends, and to express gratitude for the all that is good in our lives.

But more importantly, Thanksgiving is a time to eat.

The Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy has discovered a toxic chemical in the air near a manufacturing plant in Howell.

According to a report by the federal Government Accountability Office, 60% of Superfund sites nationwide are threatened by floods, wildfires, and hurricanes that are becoming worse due to climate change.

In Michigan, twenty toxic sites are at a high risk of spreading due to increased flooding. The sites are scattered across the state, but most are located near former industrial hubs, including the Velsicol Chemical Company in St. Louis. 

Weeks after comparing abortion to slavery, Senate Majority Leader Mike Shirkey (R-Jackson) has made another controversial comment.

Speaking to Republican students at Hillsdale College last week, Shirkey said Governor Whitmer was "on the batshit crazy spectrum." Democratic lawmakers say it's just the latest in a string of sexist remarks about the Governor by Republican politicians.

The first public hearings in the impeachment inquiry against President Donald Trump began last week. Since no Michigan representatives sit on the House Intelligence Committee, which held the hearings, we collected their statements on the inquiry.

16 year-old Titus Cromer has been on life support since October 17. Beaumont Hospital says he is brain dead, and needs to be removed from life support. His mother, LaShauna Lowry, disagrees.

Lowry filed a civil suit against Beaumont in Oakland County Circuit Court, and on October 28, a judge ordered that Cromer stay on life support. Now, the case is in front of the U.S. District Court in Detroit.

State Rep. Jim Lower (R-Greenville) announced Tuesday that he is no longer running to replace U.S. Rep. Justin Amash (MI-3).

I know this is a fairly obscure reference but hang with me - there is a point to it:

Thirty-ish years ago the late, great Phil Hartman had a recurring character on Saturday Night Live called The Anal Retentive Guy. A sketch would have him as an instructor demonstrating how to do something. For example, a chef showing you how to create a certain dish. The humorous conceit was that he was so overly meticulous that he would never get around to doing what he was actually supposed to do. In the end, he'd pleasantly acknowledge that he'd run out of time as he continued to be sidetracked.

After one month of striking, the United Auto Workers have reached a deal with General Motors.

The proposed deal, which was announced Thursday, would increase wages, keep the Detroit-Hamtramck Assembly Plant Plant open, and lead to 9,000 new or retained jobs - a jump from GM's original proposal of 5,400 jobs.

Columbus Day is a famously contentious holiday, and it may be one that Michigan no longer celebrates in the future.

Governor Gretchen Whitmer issued a proclamation naming October 14, 2019 Indigenous Peoples' Day, but that decision can't become law unless the legislation is passed and signed into law.

The University of Michigan will host the second of three presidential debates on October 15, 2020. 

The Commission on Presidential Debates made the announcement Friday. The debate format and moderators are yet to be announced. The other two debates will be held at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City on October 7 and Belmont University in Nashville on October 22.