The Republican Attorneys General Association (RAGA) issued a statement criticizing Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel on Friday, saying she prioritized mussels over dam safety, leading to massive flooding in the state.
More than 10,000 Midland residents were displaced after heavy rains overflowed Edenville Dam, then Sanford Dam, earlier this week.
A Michigan Court of Claims judge has ruled in the favor of Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, saying that she had the authority to extend Michigan’s state of emergency order.
Judge Cynthia Stephens said that while Whitmer had the authority to extend the order under the Emergency Powers of the Governor Act of 1945, she did overstep by trying to extend it under the Emergency Management Act of 1976, which requires legislative authority, according to reporting by The Detroit News.
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The Senate confirmed Rep. John Ratcliffe (R-TX-04) on Thursday as President Trump’s top intelligence official in a vote straight along party lines.
Ratcliffe became Trump’s second permanent Director of National Intelligence (DNI) in a 49-44 vote, with all Democrats opposed. The vote along party lines was the first since the position was created following the 9/11 attack as generally there are never more than a dozen senators voting against a confirmation for the position, according to CNN.
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Michigan retail businesses, autodealerships and medical services will begin to reopen next week, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer announced on Thursday.
The latest executive order allows retail businesses to reopen on Tuesday with health and safety guidelines, including providing COVID-19 training to workers. The training must include the proper use of personal protection equipment and steps to take if a worker suspects he or she has symptoms of the coronavirus, among other information.
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President Trump slammed Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson on Wednesday, calling her a “rouge” official and threatening to withhold federal funding.
Trump originally tweeted that Michigan was planning to send absentee ballots to all of its residents, adding that “this was done illegally and without authorization by a rogue Secretary of State. I will ask to hold up funding to Michigan if they want to go down this Voter Fraud path,” according to Politico.
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Michigan pharmacies will be able to continue to dispense emergency refills for up to 60 days’ worth of medication after Gov. Gretchen Whitmer extended an executive order designed to make accessing medications easier during the coronavirus pandemic.
The order allows pharmacists to dispense emergency refills of up to 60 days’ worth of medication, as well as requires an insurer to cover early refills for up to 90 days’ worth of supply. The executive order also allows pharmacists to dispense treatments for COVID-19 according to government protocols.
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Two regions in Michigan will be allowed to reopen retail businesses, office work and restaurants with limited seating, according to an executive order signed by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer on Monday.
The partial reopening, which will take effect on May 22, will allow retail businesses and office work that cannot be done remotely to reopen, as well as restaurants and bars with limited seating. Restaurants and bars will be required to limit capacity to 50 percent of normal seating, keep groups at least six feet from one other and require serves to wear face coverings.
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The Michigan Conservative Coalition is planning to hold another protest in Lansing, just a month after hosting Operation Gridlock.
The protest, dubbed “Operation Haircut,” was inspired by the Michigan barber in Owosso who opened in defiance of the state’s lockdown orders. Karl Manke, 77, had originally opened his barbershop on May 4, but was ticketed by Michigan State Police and ordered to close. He recently had his license revoked after a judge denied the state a temporary restraining order.
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More than 47,000 people filed for unemployment in Michigan in the week ending May 9, bringing the state total to more than 1.7 million people in the state who have filed for unemployment insurance, according to recently released data from the U.S. Department of Labor.
According to the data, 47,438 people in Michigan filed for unemployment insurance in the state in the week ending May 9, down nearly 20,000 claimants from the previous week. Nearly 3 million people filed nationally.
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The state of Michigan has suspended the business license of the Owosso barber who was operating his shop in defiance of Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s executive order, his lawyer said on Wednesday.
Karl Manke originally reopened his barbershop, Karl Manke Main St. Barber & Beauty Shop, on May 4 and said he wore a mask, washed his hands between cuts, and sanitized his tools.
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Gov. Gretchen Whitmer temporarily extended the expiration of various identification and vehicle-related documentation during the pandemic for the second time, the governor announced late last week. The order extends the expiration of state identification cards, driver’s licenses, operator endorsements and vehicle registration to July 31. The documentation must be…
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A Michigan health system and CBS News have come under fire after Project Veritas revealed that a line for a COVID-19 testing site was staged for television cameras.
Cherry Health and CBS News denied directing staffers to form a line to appear as patients for a coronavirus testing site before later reversing their statement and saying that the staffers were in line to “provide a visual backdrop.”
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Gov. Gretchen Whitmer released her full MI Safe Start Plan this week, detailing when each type of business could open.
The six-part plan is categorized as Uncontrolled Growth, Persistent Spread, Flattening, Improving, Containing and Post-Pandemic. Whitmer said Michigan is phase three of the plan, Flattening.
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Gov. Gretchen Whitmer extended the “Stay Home, Stay Safe” order on Thursday to May 28, while initiating her MI Safe Start Plan.
The plan allows manufacturing workers, such as those at automotive companies, to resume work on May 11. Companies must conduct daily entry screening protocol for those entering the facility, including a questionnaire about symptoms and a temperature screening. Facilities must also create dedicated entry points and suspend the entry of nonessential people.
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U.S. Rep. Paul Mitchell (R-MI) has sued Gov. Gretchen Whitmer over her executive orders concerning the coronavirus pandemic.
The lawsuit alleges that Whitmer’s stay-at-home order and businesses restrictions have violated his rights and those of all Michigan residents.
“Michiganders can and do take reasonable, private action to protect themselves from infection without the need to shut down civil society,” Mitchell said in the lawsuit.
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Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel issued a letter of guidance to law enforcement on Tuesday to reaffirm that they should continue to enforce social distancing guidelines and stay-at-home orders.
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Gov. Gretchen Whitmer created the Michigan COVID-19 Office of Accountability on Monday to provide a check over spending during the coronavirus pandemic.
The office, which resides in the State Budget Office, provides oversight to all spending to fight the coronavirus and will report to the governor and the state budget director.
The Department of Technology, Management and Budget will designate a chief for the office.
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Gov. Gretchen Whitmer extended the state of emergency and disaster declarations to May 28 earlier this week in a move that went head-to-head with Republicans in the Michigan legislature.
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Gov. Gretchen Whitmer on Thursday clarified and added to an earlier executive order that closed all K-12 school buildings for the rest of the school year, also suspending early childhood programs and some portions of teacher evaluations.
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A Michigan doctor has published an open letter to the public and Michigan legislators, saying that the coronavirus is no worse than the common flu and that shelter-in-place orders and other treatments should be restricted by region and industry.
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Michigan Unemployment Agency Director Steve Gray said that he does not know if his agency discussed how it would handle a surge in unemployment claims caused by a stay-at-home order before and that he cannot give a precise timeline for when the agency will be caught up with processing.
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Gov. Gretchen Whitmer announced a proposal on Wednesday for a program aimed at providing free college and technical certifications to frontline workers.
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Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said on Monday she would send a letter to the Michigan legislature asking it to extend the state of emergency by 28 days, adding that “it really should be longer.”
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The Royal Oak City Commission is voting on Monday night whether to censure City Commissioner Kim Gibbs and ask for her resignation for attending a rally in Lansing to protest Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s lockdown order.
Gibbs attended a rally on April 15 in Lansing, where she walked on the sidewalk in front of the Capitol building, according to the agenda from the Royal Oak City Commission. During this rally, Gibbs walked near other Michigan residents without wearing a mask.
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Michigan’s “Stay Home, Stay Safe” order has been extended through May 15, although some restrictions have been lifted, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer announced on Friday.
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Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said she is considering extending the stay-at-home order, although she plans to lift some of the restrictions and that easement will come in “waves.”
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More than 134,000 people filed for unemployment last week in Michigan, adding to the more than 1 million Michigan residents that have sought unemployment benefits during the coronavirus pandemic.
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The Michigan Department of State announced on Wednesday that it will be temporarily laying off more than 900 members of its staff. The layoffs will begin on April 26 and will last at least two weeks.
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The Michigan Conservative Coalition recently issued an open letter to Lansing Mayor Andy Schor warning that upcoming protests in Lansing are not associated with the group. The MCC organized the “Operation Gridlock” car rally last week protesting Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s lockdown orders.
The rally drew thousands of cars to Lansing on April 15 to protest Whitmer’s most recent lockdown orders, which restrict travel within the state and the sale of items like gardening or flooring supplies in large stores. The protest also included several people on the lawn of the Capitol, which the MCC said was a different protest that co-opted their own.
“It’s unfortunate that an unrelated group chose to crash our vehicle rally and invite people to protest on the Capitol lawn,” the MCC said in its open letter. “However, those few hundred can’t take away from the tens of thousands who stayed in their vehicles. Our guidelines to participants were modeled after the ‘Stay Safe’ guidelines for social distancing.”
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The state of Michigan said on Tuesday that it had canceled a contract connected to its coronavirus contact tracing program after the state received backlash for the organization’s connection with Democratic campaigns.
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Gov. Gretchen Whitmer created the Michigan Coronavirus Task Force on Racial Disparities on Monday in an effort to study how the coronavirus pandemic has “disproportionately impacted communities of color” throughout Michigan.
Although African Americans represent just 13.6 percent of Michigan’s population, they make up 40 percent of deaths from the coronavirus. Nearly 80 percent of residents of the City of Detroit, the area most impacted by the coronavirus, are African American, according to data from the U.S. Census Bureau.
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Republican legislators have introduced bills that seek to curb the emergency powers of the governor, including limiting the number of days for which a governor can declare a state of emergency.
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Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer announced on Thursday that she has joined a partnership with other Midwest states focused on working together to reopen the economy in the region.
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More than 1 million people in Michigan have filed for unemployment benefits after nearly 220,000 people asked for government assistance this past week, according to data released by the U.S. Department of Labor on Thursday.
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Thousands of protesters converged on the Michigan Capitol on Wednesday to protest the most recent stay-at-home order passed down by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer earlier this month.
The protesters were part of a rally hosted by the Michigan Conservative Coalition (MCC) called “Operation Gridlock,” which sought to fill the streets of Lansing with protesters in their cars. The rally began at noon and ran until roughly 2 p.m., according to the MCC.
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Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has joined a coalition of 12 governors to ask President Trump to allow for a special enrollment period to allow for increased access to affordable health care.
Whitmer is joining the governors from Delaware, Illinois, Maine, Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Wisconsin in sending a letter to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. The letter asks for a special enrollment period of at least 30 days on the federal health care exchange.
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Michigan has become the first state to gain federal approval for a program that helps families feed students who were previously relying on schools for meals.
Through the Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer Program, food assistance benefits will be given to students ages 5 to 18 who would normally be eligible for free or reduced-price school meals.
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Several senators across the United States have called on Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and the U.S. Representative to the United Nations Kelly Craft to address concerns about free speech violations in several countries around the world.
Sens. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), John Cornyn (R-TX), Marco Rubio (R-FL), Kelly Loeffler (R-GA) and Joni Ernst (R-IA) submitted the letter on Monday, pointing to crackdown on free speech concerning the coronavirus in China, as well as in Turkey, Bangladesh, Niger and Cambodia, as a reason for concern.
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Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has received backlash from politicians and citizens alike after she extended and added to the “Stay Home, Stay Safe order” that requires Michigan residents to stay at home.
Whitmer extended the order to the end of April. In addition to banning “nonessential” businesses and asking residents to stay at home, the new order also places restrictions on stores, blocks the sale of certain items and prohibits travel between two residences in the state.
The order restricts stores that are more than 50,000 square feet from selling items related to carpet or flooring, furniture and paint, as well as garden centers. It also bans travels between two Michigan residences except for activities that are considered essential, such as caring for a family member or to fulfill custody agreements.
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The Michigan Conservative Coalition (MCC) will be hosting a rally to protest what they call “erratic, unilateral orders” to stay at home and for non-essential businesses to be shut down.
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A record 384,844 Michigan residents filed for unemployment benefits between March 29 and April 4, according to data released by the Department of Labor on Thursday.
The number passes up data from the previous two weeks, which saw 128,006 people file between March 15 and March 21 and 304,335 people file between March 22 and March 28. That brings the three-week total to 817,185 for those filing for unemployment benefits in the state.
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Michigan’s “Stay Home, Stay Safe” order has been extended through the end of April, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer announced on Thursday.
In addition to continuing the banning of non-essential businesses and travel, the new order also prohibits gathering of people of more than one household and imposes new restrictions on stores to help customers maintain social distancing.
“Michigan has the third highest number of COVID-19 cases in the country, and we’re still on the upswing. We must continue to do everything we can to slow the spread and protect our families,” Whitmer said in a statement. “Data shows that most Michiganders are doing their part by staying home and staying safe. That’s good, but we must keep it up.”
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The office of Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer confirmed to FOX 2 that the governor will announce an extension of the state’s “Stay Home, Stay Safe” order on Thursday.
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Michigan legislature voted on Tuesday to approve an extension of Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s emergency powers through the end of April.
The governor originally asked for a 70-day extension of emergency powers, but Michigan legislators said they felt that was too much.
“I agree that there needs to be an extension; we’re far from being out of the woods on this issue. But I believe 70 days looks too far forward considering the information we have now and how quickly that changes,” said Sen. Rick Outman (R-33-Six Lakes) in a statement. “The best thing to do for the immediate future is continue following suggested protocols and stay at home to keep you, your family and your community safe.”
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Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said that she expects to extend the stay-at-home order originally expected to end April 14.
Whitmer originally instituted the “Stay Home, Stay Safe” order on March 24, saying that the stay-at-home order would stay in effect for the three weeks. Just days before, on March 22, Whitmer had also ordered that “public accommodation” like bars, theaters and gyms to close, as well as restricted restaurants to take-out or delivery only. That order is slated to end on April 13.
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Michigan saw its largest daily increase of confirmed coronavirus cases on Friday with nearly 2,000 new cases confirmed, according to analysis from MLive.
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Michigan residents failing to comply with the state’s “Stay Home, Stay Safe” order could be fined up to $1,000 and see criminal penalties, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) announced on Thursday.
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Michigan schools will be closed for the rest of the school year or until coronavirus restrictions are lifted, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer announced on Thursday. Distance learning will take place instead, she said.
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Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has declared of a state of disaster for Michigan as well as extended the state of emergency, she announced on Wednesday.
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Grants are now available for small businesses looking to retool their companies to help manufacture goods in response to the coronavirus pandemic, the Michigan Economic Development Corporation announced on Wednesday.
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