I am writing today to announce the closure of the Michigan Messenger. After four years of operation in Michigan, the board of the American Independent News Network, has decided to shift publication of its news into a single site, The American Independent at Americanindependent.com. This is part of a shift in strategy, towards new forms [...]
An abstinence-only presentation provided to numerous school districts in Calhoun and Eaton Counties in October of this year provided false and misleading information to students about HIV, experts allege.
Two county registers of deeds filed a class action lawsuit Monday on behalf of Michigan’s 83 counties alleging that the Mortgage Electronic Registration Services owes millions of dollars in property title transfer taxes.
Despite evidence of the impact of mercury on children and public health, Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette last month joined with 24 other state attorneys general in filing a lawsuit to scuttle new EPA regulations that would reduce mercury emissions from power plants.
Congress is considering legislation that would nearly double the amount of federal money available for the protection and restoration of the Great Lakes, including the prevention of invasive species infestation and clean up of a variety of polluted sites that threaten the lake ecosystem. The Detroit News reports:
The unprecedented amount of money being considered for the Great Lakes reflects President Barack Obama’s pledge on the campaign trail of $5 billion for large-scale restoration.
Obama asked Congress for $475 million to get started. Already the federal government appropriates about $550 million a year to Great Lakes programs, which environmentalists expect will continue. If all goes as advocates hope, Congress would be committing about $1 billion to the Great Lakes in fiscal year 2010.
“This is a Great Lakes president,” said Rep. Dale Kildee, D-Flint, noting Obama built his career in Illinois. “He really cares about the Lakes because he knows them.”
The House passed Obama’s requested amount in June. The Senate seeks less money — $400 million — in a bill that could pass as early as mid-September.
Whatever funding level a House-Senate conference committee agrees on is expected to pass since it’s part of a larger appropriations bill to fund the Interior Department.
“I’m very hopeful we’ll get the higher level of funding,” said Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Lansing.
This also may be more than a one-year boost. The House bill requires the EPA to draw up a five-year plan to identify what would be done if the higher funding levels were maintained.
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