The Center Square, Author at The Michigan Star

Oil and Gas Production to Account for 68 Percent of Energy Consumption Over Next Two Decades

October 28, 2020 The Center Square

Over the next two decades, oil and gas production is projected to account for 68 percent of energy consumption in the U.S. and will play a key role in the energy transition to a low carbon future, according to a new report published by the U.S. Department of Energy.

Natural gas is increasingly powering plants to produce electricity, but oil and natural gas are revitalizing the U.S. petrochemical industry, growing the liquefied natural gas industry, and boosting high-tech materials, the report states.

Average California Home Expected to Cost $1 Million by 2030

October 28, 2020 The Center Square

The average home in California is expected to be valued at more than $1 million by 2030, according to research by RenoFi, an online company that specializes in home loans for renovation projects.

California has outpaced the national average for increasing home prices over the past decade, growing 78 percent and sending the average home value from $331,000 in 2010 to $598,000 today.

Trump Touts Economic Recovery After Vaccine and Law and Order at Lansing Rally

October 28, 2020October 27, 2020 The Center Square

Seven days before the 2020 election, President Donald Trump visited Lansing — the capital of a major battleground state and the home turf of Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.

Hundreds of Michiganders lined up at the Capital Region International Airport starting about 8 a.m. Tuesday waiting in 32-degree weather and rain for seven hours until Trump started talking about 3 p.m.

Detroit Public Schools Released from Active State Oversight

October 27, 2020October 26, 2020 The Center Square

The Detroit Financial Review Commission (FRC) on Monday voted unanimously to immediately grant a waiver that releases Detroit Public Schools (DPS) and Detroit Public Schools Community District (DPSCD) from active state oversight.

The elected DPSCD School Board and its appointed Superintendent manage the district with DPS, which solely functions to manage the district’s legacy debt.

U.S. Senate Confirms Barrett to Supreme Court, Giving Conservatives a 6-3 Majority

October 26, 2020 The Center Square

The U.S. Senate confirmed Amy Coney Barrett to be an associate justice on the nation’s highest court Monday.

Barrett fills the vacancy of the late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who died in September at the age of 87 from complications of metastatic pancreatic cancer.

Report: Some Public Schools Obstructing Parents’ Efforts to Withdraw Children for Home-Schooling

October 26, 2020October 25, 2020 The Center Square

Some public schools are telling parents they can’t withdraw their children to home-school or aren’t following the TEA guidelines for withdrawal, according to a new report published by the Texas Home School Coalition Association (THSC).

The largest statewide advocacy organization for home educators in the state sent a written notice to 9,500 school administrations in August, clarifying the Texas Education Agency policy for student withdrawal.

Gov. Whitmer Near Bottom of Economic Freedom Report

October 26, 2020October 25, 2020 The Center Square

According to a report from a center-right organization The American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), Gov. Gretchen Whitmer earned a fifth-to-last ranking among all 50 governors in the United States.

The 2020 Laffer-ALEC report on Economic Freedom ranks all 50 governors by results and policy.

Whitmer ranked 43rd for results, 41st for policy and 46th overall.

Trio of Cities Take Trump to Court Over ‘Anarchist Jurisdictions’ Designation

October 25, 2020October 24, 2020 The Center Square

Seattle, Portland, and New York City are suing President Donald Trump and his administration over legal actions that have put future federal funds on the line.

The joint lawsuit is in response to a memo issued by the Trump administration last month requesting U.S. Attorney General William Barr review a list of cities that could be considered hotbeds for civil unrest.

Court Ruling Reverses Trump Administration’s SNAP Changes

October 25, 2020October 24, 2020 The Center Square

The U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia on Sunday blocked a Trump administration change to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) that could have removed eligibility for almost 700,000 unemployed, able-bodied Americans.

A lawsuit filed in January by a multistate coalition alleged a U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) rule wrongly reversed a decades-old policy that allowed states to waive SNAP work requirements. The previous rules granted waivers for larger geographic areas by lumping certain regions with lower unemployment with locations registering higher unemployment, as well as carryover unused exemptions.

Senate Judiciary Committee Advances U.S. Supreme Court Nominee Barrett to Full Senate

October 23, 2020October 22, 2020 The Center Square

The Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday voted to advance U.S. Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett to the full Senate.

The vote was 12-0, with all 10 Democratic members of the committee choosing to boycott the vote.

Third Degree Murder Charge for Derek Chauvin Dropped, All Others Charges Remain

October 23, 2020October 22, 2020 The Center Square

A Hennepin County District Court Judge on Wednesday night chose to sustain eight of the nine total charges against the four defendants in the death of George Floyd while he was in the custody of the Minneapolis Police Department.

In a 107-page ruling, Judge Peter A. Cahill dropped Derek Chauvin’s third-degree murder charge, but sustained second-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter charges against the former Minneapolis police officer.

Chiropractor Sues Over Statewide Mask Mandate

October 23, 2020October 22, 2020 The Center Square

A medical center filed a lawsuit in the Court of Claims, targeting Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s administration’s statewide mask mandate.

The Ottawa County Department of Public Health issued a cease-and-desist order to Grand Haven-based Semlow Peak Performance Chiropractic. The order seeks compliance with an Oct. 5 Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) emergency order issued by Director Robert Gordon.

Reports: Biden’s Tax Plan Would Increase Taxes Across the Board, Estimates Vary by How Much

October 22, 2020October 21, 2020 The Center Square

Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden’s proposed tax increases of nearly $4 trillion over the next 10 years, if passed, “would be the highest in American history – indeed, in world history,” an analysis of his plan determined.

Lew Uhler, founder and chairman of the National Tax Limitation Committee and National Tax Limitation Foundation (NTLF), and Peter Ferrara a senior policy adviser to NTLF, made that conclusion in a new report published by The Hill.

Whitmer Signs Bill Extending Unemployment into Law

October 22, 2020October 21, 2020 The Center Square

Unemployed Michiganders can get an extra six weeks of benefits under a bipartisan bill Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed into law Tuesday.

Whitmer signed Senate Bills 886 and 991 codifying part of her now-void executive orders expanding unemployment benefits to Michiganders from 20 to 26 weeks until the end of the year.

Michigan Board Approves Circulation of Recall Petition Against State Attorney General

October 21, 2020October 20, 2020 The Center Square

The Michigan Board of State Canvassers on Oct. 15 approved the petition language for a recall against Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel (D). The board previously rejected five recall petitions against Nessel in 2020. Supporters of the recall effort need to submit 1,046,006 signatures within a 60-day period to require a recall election. The 60 days begin on the first day that signatures are collected. The recall petition must be submitted to the office of the Michigan Secretary of State no later than 180 days after it was approved by the board.

Think Tanks Square Off Over More Government Oversight of Michigan’s Charter Schools

October 19, 2020October 18, 2020 The Center Square

A report recommending expanded government oversight of Michigan’s charter schools has prompted a rebuttal from the Mackinac Center for Public Policy (MCPP).

“Improving Oversight of Michigan Charter Schools and Their Authorizers” was issued on Feb. 25 by the Levin Center at Wayne State University Law School, which had commissioned the study from the Citizens Research Council of Michigan (CRC), a Michigan-based think tank.

Pew: At Least 17 States Have Drawn from Their Rainy Day Funds This Year to Cover Fiscal Shortfalls

October 18, 2020October 17, 2020 The Center Square

At least 17 states have authorized and or made withdrawals from their rainy day funds this year in order to fill budget holes, according to a new analysis by The Pew Charitable Trusts. Some withdrawals were small, others were more than half of what was set aside.

In fiscal 2020, at least 36 states had planned to make additional rainy day fund deposits but were constrained by fiscal and economic difficulties resulting from their respective state COVID-19 shutdowns, which resulted in increased unemployment and decreased revenue.

State Agency Issue New Workplace Orders, Mirroring Whitmer’s Now-Void Orders

October 18, 2020October 17, 2020 The Center Square

The Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration (MIOSHA) has issued new emergency orders for many businesses.

MIOSHA, within the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity, promulgates rules clarifying the safety requirements for employers.

Senators Introduce Bill to Amend Rule Over Third-Party Internet Content

October 16, 2020October 15, 2020 The Center Square

In the wake of allegations of big tech companies suppressing political speech and news stories on their platforms, Republican senators and congressmen introduced legislation to amend Section 230, part of a federal code that regulates third-party content on the internet.

Federal Communication Communications (FCC) Chairman Ajit Pai also weighed in on Thursday after senators announced they were subpoenaing Twitter’s CEO Jack Dorsey.

Nearly 900,000 U.S. Workers File New Unemployment Claims

October 15, 2020October 15, 2020 The Center Square

Nearly 900,000 American workers filed new claims for unemployment benefits last week, an increase of 53,000 new claims from the week prior and a sign that the U.S. economy has a long way to go to recovery.

According to U.S. Department of Labor satistics released Thursday, 898,000 new claims were filed in the week ending Oct. 10, when seasonally adjusted. That’s up from the previous week’s revised level of 845,000 claims.

Lawmakers Approve COVID-19 Liability Bills, Extend Unemployment Benefits, and Nursing Home Policy Changes

October 15, 2020October 14, 2020 The Center Square

After a session exceeding 12 hours, Michigan lawmakers passed bills replacing a framework for Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s COVID-19 executive orders deemed unconstitutional by the Michigan Supreme Court.

Lawmakers approved measures aiming to allow local governments to meet electronically for any reason through Jan. 1; extend unemployment benefits to a full 26 weeks; change nursing home policy barring nursing homes from caring for COVID-19 patients unless the building provides a “designated area” for those patients; and, by Nov. 15, implement a statewide policy allowing in-person visitations for all nursing home residents.